Jenni Gilbert Nutritionist Jessica Sepel struggled with her body image for most of her teenage years and early 20s – then something clicked.
“I realised hating on my body was affecting everything in my life, so I committed myself to understanding what nutrition was all about,” she says.
“Like many girls, I tortured myself to the point where food was the enemy and my body was a burden. My relationship with my body was turbulent: I was a carb-restricting, fad-dieting, anxiety-ridden, scale-fearing, self-loathing, and self-doubting mess.
“When I started to learn how the body actually works, my mentality shifted. Iviewed food as a source of nourishment, not the enemy. I ate in a way that healed my body.”
With a Bachelor of Health specialising in Nutritional Medicine Jessica now runs the hugely successful online JS Healthy Program, has written several books (including the new Living The Healthy Life) and has a website packed with healthy lifestyle information, educational videos, blogs and delicious recipes – we recommend you try out her Healthy Chicken San Choy Bow.
One of the keys to transforming her diet and changing her life was learning to curb bad habits, in particular cravings – and particular sugar.
“The reason why I’m so confident I can help people is because I helped myself,” she says.
Here Jessica tells how you can do it, too:
For many of us, cravings are due to habit – feeling like we absolutely NEED something sweet after a meal or at that 4pm afternoon blood sugar drop.
Whether it’s cultural upbringing, unstable blood sugar levels, stress, emotional comfort or certain nutrient deficiencies—these cravings can be hard to deal with and can impact your commitment to eating healthy.
Whatever the reason may be, there are some simple ways to reduce these sugar cravings and perhaps beat them once and for all. Here are my personal tricks that really, really work:
- Add 2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar into a large water bottle and sip throughout the day in between meals.
- Lemon juice over salads, in meals and in my water bottle.
- Magnesium! Mag citrate or dyglicinate works wonders for sugar cravings. I take mine at night—about 500mg.
- No fruit in the afternoon! I only enjoy fruit in the morning. When I eat fruit in the afternoon, it triggers afternoon and evening cravings.
- Protein and good fats at every meal! No skipping of this very blood sugar stabilising macro nutrient.
- Add fibre to your meals – extra fibre can be found in green leafy veggies, wholegrains (think quinoa, brown rice, millet etc.) and low-GI starchy veggies like pumpkin and sweet potato. Add an extra serving to keep you more full and satiated after each meal.
- Stress control: Go into the JSHealth Stress-Free Zone (20-30 minutes without technology once a day – go for a walk in nature, read a book, have a nap, whatever your body needs!)
- JSHealth 4-5pm snack: I always ensure that I have a high protein snack in the afternoon to ward off sugar cravings before dinner e.g. Greek yoghurt and some nuts with cinnamon, veggie sticks with hummus or tahini or one of my Sugar-Free Protein Balls.
PS. Still hungry? My online 8-week Program is full of easy-to-make delicious and satiating recipes to help you reach your health goals.
