Find out what food products can replace sweets and flour products on a hard drying and why people love junk food so much? Since ancient times, people love to eat sweets. This culinary preference unites all peoples and races of our planet. Thanks to sweets, a person not only quickly gets satiated, but also gets pleasure. However, excessive love can negatively affect your figure and health. All dietary nutrition programs involve the rejection of flour and sweets, since this step should be the first on the path to losing weight.
Scientists have proven that sweets can help fight stress. This suggests that in modern life it is difficult to completely abandon these products. That is why many people are interested in the question of how to replace sweet and starchy foods on a diet? Agree that there are times when this is the only way to improve your mood. Today we will talk about whether it is necessary to give up these products and how to replace sweets and starchy foods on the diet.
Why do people love sweets?
The mechanism of this addiction is quite complex, although at first glance everything seems extremely simple. Every person knows the moments when they especially want sweets:
- Long-term bad mood.
- Lean dinner
- Rainy and uncomfortable weather outside the window.
- Some women often consume sweets during their period.
Often people eat up not only stress, but also free time. For some, this is a great way to solve personal problems or get rid of self-dissatisfaction, and some simply do not want to cook, because it is easier to drink tea with cake. According to scientific research, there are several reasons why we may have sugar cravings:
- Depletion of the body's energy reserves - It is much easier to get glucose for the body from simple carbohydrates in comparison with complex ones.
- Severe stress and emotional fatigue - at such moments, the brain needs glucose to suppress stress and work in a normal mode, and there is also a deficit of pleasure. Under the influence of any stress, physical or psychological, he needs a kind of reward, in the role of which is sweetness.
- Habit - this is the reason people most often forget. Many things in our life are gradually becoming a ritual, and this statement is fully true for sweets.
It should be noted that a strong craving for sweets may indicate a deficiency in the body of chromium with magnesium, and sometimes calcium. Also, do not forget about possible problems with the work of the endocrine system, for example, with the production of adrenaline. If this is what you assume, then we recommend that you immediately visit a doctor and conduct a complete medical examination.
These were the main reasons for the emergence of sugar cravings, which are known to many. However, there is one more, which is primarily characteristic of women - weight loss. Almost every lady uses different types of dietary nutrition programs. With a calorie deficit and active lipolysis, our psyche requires sweets. It is at these moments that many people want to know how to replace sweet and starchy foods on a diet.
Although today it is often talked about the need to quit sugar, in moderation, the product can even be beneficial. Here are the main processes that are strongly influenced by simple carbohydrates:
- Synthesis of serotonin, also known as the hormone of happiness.
- Insulin concentration.
- Synthesis of many hormones.
- Metabolism of fats and protein compounds.
Agree, all this suggests that you should not completely give up sugar. Instead of the expected benefit, this step may be harmful. Increasingly, nutritionists say there is no need to give up various foods. The only exceptions are fast food and excessively fatty foods.
What sweets can you eat on your diet?
Nutritionists recommend eating fruits instead of sweets and cakes. They contain fructose and various types of complex sugars, which can deceive the body, which yearned for a cake. However, dietary programs vary, and some of them involve even avoiding fruit. At the same time, in most cases, this is allowed and can be an excellent alternative to sweets.
Perhaps someone has come across the fact that during a long, strict diet, the body's reaction to fruits differs from usual. We are not talking about disgust, for example, from apples, but the brain insists on sugar. We recommend that you pay attention to fruits such as papaya and pineapple. They are almost always available in our supermarkets.
Papaya contains a lot of fructose and is able to relieve even strong cravings for sweets. Pineapple, in turn, also has strong fat burning properties, which makes this fruit even more valuable in terms of adhering to a dietary nutrition program. Let's not forget about bananas and kiwi, although they do not have a pronounced sweet taste. These fruits have a low energy value and can perfectly satisfy hunger. For maximum effect, you can make salads from a variety of fruits.
Dried fruits can also be useful. Some of them contain more fructose than fresh ones. Dried apricots are a great example of this. If you are looking for something to replace sweet and starchy foods on a diet, then you can pay attention to the protein nutrition program. Although it is sugar-free, cravings for it will be significantly reduced. Let's not forget that sources of protein compounds are often distinguished by excellent taste and this can compensate for the lack of pleasure in the absence of sugary foods.
Many nutritionists recommend drinking peppermint tea to suppress sugar cravings. Moreover, the broth should be strong enough and not contain other additives, including green or black tea. You can also think about sugar substitutes. However, some studies today disprove the efficacy of these foods during the dieting period. Despite the seemingly low energy value. Many sweeteners cause strong insulin release, which should be avoided in the diet.
Honey
An excellent answer to the question of how to replace sweet and starchy foods on a diet may be honey. Of course, we are talking only about a natural and fresh product. If honey is candied, then it should be preheated in a water bath. Remember that many nutrients begin to break down at temperatures over 50 degrees. Many are confused by the high energy value of honey, because 100 grams contains 329 calories at once.
This suggests that it is impossible to get carried away with the product of bees' labor. In order not to gain weight and at the same time satisfy the cravings for sweets, only two tablespoons of honey can be consumed during the day. The only drawback of the product can be considered an allergic reaction. For the rest, honey is one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods. Despite its high energy value, it is completely processed by the digestive system.
Chocolate
Forget chocolates, truffles and similar foods. During the diet, only dark chocolate is allowed. The higher the content of cocoa beans, the healthier the product will be. Since the energy value of chocolate is quite high, consume no more than 30 grams throughout the day.
Bakery
If you use refined white flour to make homemade baked goods, your body will get a ton of empty calories. It is quite obvious that this should not be allowed on a diet. If you cannot imagine life without baking, then replace the premium flour with corn, rice or buckwheat.
This will allow you not only to continue enjoying your favorite foods, but also to supply many nutrients to your body. Also today, many people use oatmeal to make dough. It is quite obvious that refined vegetable oil, margarine and yeast will have to be abandoned additionally.
Marshmallow
Another diet-approved treat that has a high energy value. However, natural marshmallows are a source of a large number of substances beneficial to the body. First of all, this concerns the extract of agar-agar from algae, which is useful for the thyroid gland. One marshmallow a day will definitely not hurt you.
Marmalade
Natural marmalade is made from berries and fruits. If you consume a maximum of 25 grams of the product per day, then you will receive only 73 calories. At the same time, marmalade is useful for hair, nail plates and articular-ligamentous apparatus. Carefully study the composition before purchasing marmalade and use one that contains a minimum of artificial colors and other similar additives.
Paste
This product should also only be natural. During the day, you can consume a maximum of 30 grams of the product. Since berries and fruits are used for the production of natural marshmallows, it can bring many benefits to the body:
- Accelerates the processes of utilization of toxins.
- Increases brain activity.
- Normalizes the balance of lipoprotein compounds.
- Strengthens the immune system.
Halva
Since the product has a high energy value, you can afford one teaspoon a day. This will not only suppress cravings for sweets, but also improve the condition of the hair, nail plates, and also slow down the aging process.
Fresh berries with fruits
The main advantage of these products is the high amount of micronutrients as well as plant fiber. Moreover, their indicator of energy value is not high. But you shouldn't overuse berries and fruits either. Eat about 100 grams of food per day.
Nuts
Another high-calorie food to be careful with. You can safely eat a few nuts a day. Please note that they must be free of salt, icing and sugar. We also recommend avoiding roasted nuts and eating them raw.
Jelly
Jelly made from natural products is perfect for those who do not know how to replace sweet and starchy foods on a diet. Jelly contains large amounts of gelatin, which is made from animal veins. This speaks of its benefits for joints, and the energy value of the product is low.
Ice cream
You will probably find it strange that this dessert was included in the list of allowed for consumption during a diet. However, now we are talking about fruit ice cream, but it is better to refuse cream and dairy ice cream.
As you can see, even during the diet period, you can eat a fairly large amount of delicious sweet foods without fear for your figure. The main thing is not to get carried away and everything will be fine.
Seven tips to replace sweets on your diet:
