So, that hot molten chocolate lava makes your mouth water, blueberry pastries are your vice, and cupcakes topped with rainbow sprinkles too hard to resist? Even the thought of your favorite cheesecake makes you recall the sweet sensation of the buttery, creamy texture of light cheese melting in your mouth and compels you to instantly order it? No wonder desserts are way too tempting to resist.
Stop blaming yourself!
Research suggests that sugar releases dopamine signals from which we experience a pleasure. Dopamine is the same chemical that gets released on the intake of heroin and cocaine. Dopamine receptors are present all over the mind, and a surge in dopamine levels transports to a higher level of happiness.
A healthy body is all about a fulfilling meal!
Any nutrition plan that talks about "good" and "bad" foods isn't really sustainable in the long run and is most likely to fail. The no-dessert mentality can do more harm than good. Research conducted by the University of Toronto suggests that restricting food makes it harder to stick to nutrition plans. The removal of chocolate from diets can lead to extreme cravings that can overpower the diet regime. The research suggests that frequent indulgences(desserts) in the nutrition approach as a long-term strategy helps keep sane and contributes to weight loss.
The pessimistic and restrictive approach of dieticians about food and its categorization into good and evil needs to be replaced with an optimistic system that talks about a nutritious, well-balanced diet. The no's and not's make the forbidden more tempting. Restrictions are unhealthy and never lead to satisfaction.
The aim is to ensure that one eats a healthy, nutritious diet and achieves satisfaction, happiness, and success in attaining one's health goals. Rather than completely avoiding desserts, the better alternative is to have small portions, like rather than gobbling an entire tub of ice cream, it's better to have one scoop of it. Desserts can and should be an essential part of the diet once in a while. The healthiest diet plans always seek sustainable, consistent, and practical strategies instead of immediate, short-term, restrictive goals.
Those carbs and sugars are essential!
Carbs are essential for the body, and the right indulgences are needed to fuel the body and the mind. Alternatives like pumpkin pie and dark chocolate are rich in whole foods like vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. A high percentage of carbs in the food helps the body to produce chemicals like serotonin that contribute to overall emotional well-being. So, rather than feeling shame, regret, or self-disgust after having that dessert, it's better to savor and enjoy every bite you have as "you literally eat your emotions."
Having small portions of desserts over the long term can satisfy cravings by satiating the appetite for them. While denying yourself those desserts can lead to extreme, insatiable cravings that make you go crazy once you have them after all those days of restrictions.
Balancing the desserts with healthy meals and regular exercises is an effective strategy to attain a healthy body than completely eliminating them.
As much as sugar is essential for the body, the fact remains an excess of anything is bad. An overdose of sugar can lead to a loss of control, frequent cravings, increased tolerance to sugar. It also has a detrimental effect on physical and physiological aspects over time, like weight gain and dependence on the comfort of a sweet treat.
The problems begin when desserts become a habitual way of coping with stress, or one starts to think of them as rewards. Starving yourself or following extreme restrictive diets over the week to binge on one piece of doughnut over the weekend, followed by a feeling of intense shame and regret, is nothing but addiction, and you are punishing your body. Such addictive patterns are more dangerous as they may invite withdrawal effects like depression, anxiety, and increased aggression.
However, having a terrible relationship with your food whereby you completely avoid what you love the most instills a mentality of restriction, which paves the way for inconsistency. Instead of that, be happy and have your desserts but indeed healthier options!
Try something new!
* • Add some raspberries or blueberries to a bowl of frozen greek yogurt. That is undoubtedly a healthier option rich in proteins and healthy fat.
* • Dark chocolate-coated strawberries with some sunflower seeds on top are an excellent snacking option as dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate and is rich in cocoa.
* • Fruits contain natural sugars, and they taste even better when grilled. Grill some slices of pineapples, banana, apple, or pear. Grilling reduces the water content and caramelizes the natural sugars.
* • Bake an apple and cut it into half, then top it with 2 tablespoons of low-fat Greek yogurt and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on it. Cinnamon is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and can help diabetics to maintain blood sugar levels.
* • Vanilla and mango smoothie is yet another option to try.
* • Mash some frozen bananas and add some almond milk to them. Then top it with some walnuts and cinnamon. The perfect dessert with fewer calories, no added sugar or fat.
* • Grind some dates with little water and prepare a paste. Add some chia seeds and chopped almonds to the paste and shape them into round balls. Refrigerate for half an hour, and your healthy munchies are ready!
No food is good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, but it is all about making the right choices and act smart with your preferences because anyway, no one can ever be happy without the desserts!
About the Author : Shweta Diwan is a diploma holder in Dietetics & nutrition. She is the founder and Director at the health Mechanix, New Delhi. Shweta has conducted nutrition programmes in schools, Universities and institutions all over the world. She has been instrumental in conducting employee wellness programmes for well known corporates pan India.
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