As a Nutritionist and a lover of food, I have always been very diligent about ensuring every meal and snack includes all three macronutrients which are: lean protein, complex carbs (fiber rich) and good fat. Why do I do this? To ensure blood sugar balance which results in good sustainable energy throughout the day, keeps cravings in check and my waistline too! However, I have come to the realization from watching a great video from Nutritionist Julie Danulik, that there's another trick to ensure you don't jump into dessert after a big meal. It's simple and I love it.

Make sure your meal always includes all 4 tastes: salty, sweet, bitter and savoury. Genius!

When a meal has all 4 basic tastes, you won't crave dessert. Often times the missing taste in a meal is "sweet" and this is why you may crave it afterwards and sabotage your healthy eating efforts. There are certain foods that can help to alleviate sweet cravings such as:

GINGER, CURRANTS, HONEY, HONEY MUSTARD, AGAVE NECTAR, MANGO, APPLE.

I am a pretty clean eater, but I have to admit, there are many times that I do want something sweet after lunch or dinner. All of the above foods can be added to any meal. For example, you can add mango salsa to your grilled salmon, currants to your chicken curry sauce, apples and brie stuffed inside a chicken breast, honey to your morning toast on top of almond butter and agave nectar to your salad dressing at lunch. While these foods do add calories, you are going to save on calories because you avoid binging on dessert with a fully belly.

Remember that you should always eat SLOWLY, and wait approximately 20 minutes before going back for seconds. You have nerve cells in your stomach that tell your brain when you are full, and this takes time. Chew food until almost liquid and NEVER ever drink water with food for good digestion.

Eat well,

Joyous