3 pm rolls around and your feeling sluggish, worn down and hungry for carbohydrates or sugar.  Sound familiar?  This is the dreaded sugar craving and it affects more than just your waist line.  It brings your energy down, causes fatigue and a lack of mental clarity.  So how can you kick the sugar craving for good?  Stabilize your blood sugar and you will no longer crave it!

We have worked with thousands of clients nationwide and one of the main goals of every client is to increase energy mid-aftermoon and get rid of carbohydrate cravings- whether they are the salty or the sweet kind (remember all carbohydrates break down into glucose or sugar into your system).  The challenge with low blood sugar is it leads to cravings, which cause you to indulge.  Then your blood sugar spikes, your body stores fat and you crash all over again, leading to a vicious cycle.  This cycle makes it hard to lose weight and even harder to feel great throughout the day

For those of you that are new to Venice Nutrition, here's a few key tips to keep your cravings in check.

1.  Eat breakfast and make sure it has the right balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat (check your meal plan for easy ideas).  Eating breakfast one hour within waking kick starts your metabolism and prevents cravings later on in the day.

2.  Make sure to eat a balanced meal or snack (again balanced meaning having the right ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fat) every 3 hours or so.  This prevents blood sugar from dropping, which is the major cause of cravings.  Even a balanced protein bar is a great choice for a mid-afternoon snack.

3.  Make sure your getting enough water- lack of hydration can cause cravings

4.  Figure out your "sleep number" (the hours of sleep you need each night to feel rested) and make it happen.  When your tired, your body automatically craves carbohydrates as a temporary fix to lift you up again.

5. Make sure your properly fueled before and after your workouts- walking into a gym with low blood sugar guarantees that you won't be burning much fat at all!  Same with over-doing your exercise and neglecting to fuel properly (again, think balanced meals).  Low blood sugar before, during and after workouts causes you to burn lean muscle mass and dramatically slow your metabolism.

Eating frequent meals and getting the right amount of sleep and water will help you to kick the physical cravings for good.  One last tip:  Make sure to indulge in your favorite treat now and then- remember it's all about balance!

Did you know that the number one way to reach your nutrition and fitness goals is as simple as getting enough sleep?  Most of us will notice that we are much hungrier than usual and craving sweets like crazy when we are sleep deprived.  Not to mention, we lack the energy to get up and get moving.  For any of you out there who have experienced sudden changes in life (a new baby, a new job, family, stress), you know how much skipping sleep can hurt.  Here are a few excellent tips to help you get the sleep you need and deserve.  It begins with accepting the fact that life will get crazy at times and letting some of the worry and stress go.   If you missed out on an hour of sleep last night, make it a point to get to bed an hour earlier tonight with a good book to relax.  At the end of the day, try writing your to-do list of everything that needs to get done the following day.  Taking all the stress off of your mind and putting it on paper will clear your head for the night and allow you to relax. Make sure to create a comfortable sleep environment, an incredibly important (but often overlooked!) factor.   Invest in a quality bed (shop around to see what feels best for you) soft sheets, along with a dark curtain to keep the morning sun out of your eyes.   Remember, the quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity.  For more effective tips on learning to improve your sleep, please see your online member handbook.