The Christmas holiday season is the time when many people are most likely to overindulge in sweets, what with the abundance of holiday baked goods, chocolates, and other treats. Unfortunately, this type of overindulgence can lead to an overgrowth of yeast in the intestine, which can cause cravings for more sugar and chocolate. It’s important to kill off the yeast in your system to get rid of those cravings, but before you can do that, you have to make sure that your liver and the rest of your digestive system, as well as your bowels, are working properly.

Following the Eating Alive Program can help get you back on track, but what can you do to tame those cravings for sweets until you can kill off the offending yeast? Here are a few suggestions:

  • By keeping your blood sugar levels stable, you’ll be less likely to reach for sweets to give you an energy boost. Do this by eating every three or four hours; have three small meals and two or three snacks each day. Eat protein at each meal and snack. Also be sure to include healthy fats daily.
  • If you have an overgrowth of intestinal yeast, we usually recommend that you limit the amount of fruit that you eat. However, it’s far better to have a piece of fruit that’s in season for the area in which you live, than it is to have chocolate or pastry or some other treat that’s totally lacking in nutrition. Here in the northwest appropriate fruit choices would be apple, pear, or berries. It’s even better if they’re cooked; try organic unsweetened applesauce or check out the recipe for Apple Crumble here on our website or try a similar recipe for Apple Berry Crisp in Eating Alive II.
  • A baked sweet potato can help satisfy your cravings for sugar, as well as provide you with beneficial vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
  • Add stevia and fresh lemon juice to water for a refreshing drink. Stevia is a natural sweetener that doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. (See the July 2002 Health Tip for more tips and information on stevia.)
  • Herbal teas, for example licorice spice tea (Stash brand), may help to quench the cravings for sugar. Licorice root is 50 times sweeter than sugar, without the calories.
  • Try the recipe for Energy Bites, under Appetizers and Snacks in the Recipe section.
  • See this month’s recipe for Mock Mochas to help satisfy cravings for chocolate and sweets.