In case you didn’t know, March is National Nutrition Month and we have chosen Eat Strong as our theme this month. In honour of the occasion, what better time to kick some of those bad eating habits away for good? Now, you may be thinking that’s a lot easier said than done. Healthy eating is no easy task, but the trick lies in knowing how to phase out some of those pesky cravings by substituting in more natural products that can benefit our health. Here are a few handy strategies for you to try the next time you get tempted by those intense cravings.
Replace Sugar with Stevia
The more we learn about sugar, the more we realize how important it is to avoid it. Those little white shimmering crystals have a mesmerizing power over many of us that seem to consume our every thought until we can have it. Instead of going for that package of white sugar, try some stevia. It’s a natural, plant-based sweetener that’s super tasty and doesn’t result in the same damaging effects of sugar.
Replace Pop with Tea
A can of pop contains eight teaspoons of sugar – tea has none. The next time you want to grab that can of soda, instead, try to go for some tea. There’s a ton of different flavours that are available today, with natural flavours that are guaranteed to leave your taste buds happy.
Replace Salt with Nutritional Yeast
Even with the amount of studies that link it to high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, there’s nothing that cranks our taste buds quite like salt – or is there? If salt is your go-to flavour, try substituting in nutritional yeast. This can be found in any health food store. And don’t let the label turn you away – it has a delicious, savoury, cheesy type of flavour that makes it perfect for sprinkling it on just about anything. It’s also an excellent source of fibre and protein.
Replace Ice Cream with Ice Coconut Milk
We all have those days where the only cure in mind is dipping our spoon deep into that tube of ice cream. Unfortunately, between the dairy and sugar, it can easily add up to some pretty harsh outcomes for our body. The next time you feel the need for ice cream, try a dairy-free ice coconut-based alternative. These can come in a variety of natural flavours, and taste exactly like regular ice cream. Your taste buds and digestive system will thank you!
Eating healthier foods is not something that will happen overnight. It is a process that requires motivation, and assistance from alternative products that can assist us along the way. Healthy eating doesn’t mean sacrificing taste. There are a wide variety of healthy substitutions available for our common unhealthy cravings. Hopefully, some of these suggestions will help get you on the right track.
What do you do to stay healthy and keep your body in peak shape for karate class? Give us the inside scoop in the comments!
