There will be times when you crave sweet things, whether you’re eating a high raw diet or not. Even those eating raw food can still become addicted to sweet and stimulating raw foods so it’s important to be mindful of this. It’s also important to remember that whole raw sweet foods such as dates and bananas are much easier for your body to process and assimilate the nutrients from than any processed (cooked or raw) sweet treat. So, if you HAVE to have something sweet, be prepared with a natural, whole raw food option.
When you have a sweet craving, firstly work out if you’re actually tired, hungry or thirsty. Any of these triggers can cause us to crave the ‘quick fix’ of a sugar hit. Carrying fresh fruit, carrot/celery/cucumber sticks or a tupperware of dates and almonds is the best way to stave of unhealthy cravings for chocolate, biscuits, sweet or caffeinated drinks so make sure you always carry a supply with you.
Of course I have to mention raw chocolate here! Whilst raw chocolate is infinitely better for you than cooked chocolate, it’s definitely a recreational food. By ‘recreational’ I mean that it should be eaten occasionally and for fun rather than frequently out of habit or for it’s health-giving properties . Raw chocolate is incredibly stimulating, in a similar way to coffee or caffeinated fizzy drinks, and overeating raw chocolate taxes your adrenal glands and, long term, can lead to less energy and a feeling of exhaustion. If you suffer from energy dips don’t use raw chocolate to pick you up. Instead go for a few pieces of fresh fruit, a freshly made smoothie or a handful of raw nuts or seeds.
If you eat raw chocolate or other sweet treats everyday you are more than likely using them to manage energy levels that are related to potential blood sugar imbalance. By continuing to ‘boost’ yourself with sugar and/or stimulating foods you are continuing the cycle of blood sugar imbalance which can cause many different symptoms of ill health.
So, my recommendation to you is to stay off processed and stimulating sweet foods and stick to snacking on raw foods that will give you a sustained and health-giving energy boost. Use your sweet eating habits to inform you of how you manage your energy levels. Becoming aware of these types of habits is one of the major steps to experiencing ultimate health and vitality. People often will eat chocolate or drink a coffee in order to push themselves beyond their body’s natural energy levels. By eating a balanced high raw diet you will increase the energy that your body and mind have and avoid the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and evening dips that occur for most people. Click here for loads of raw food treat inspiration!
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