Curbing the sweet tooth is a difficult task- especially cold turkey. Here are some tips for understanding our natural craving for sweets and a few naturally sweet tasting herbs that not only satisfy cravings, yet also provide nutrients that our body needs.
I’m sure you all experienced the season for all things sweet over the last few weeks. The holiday season brings an abundance of cookies, candies and cakes overflowing with pleasurable tastetextures that gratify the body, mind and emotions. Just thinking of the word “sweet” conjures images of people, places, food and other things that are associated with good feelings.
The exhausting thing is that you struggled through November, December and the beginning of January only to be bombarded again in February. February, the time when we are surprised with sweets from our sweetheart. Does it ever end? Maybe I can help.
Sweets, the food kind that is, have a bad reputation in our diet-crazed world. Typical sweet foods contain many simple carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners and preservatives that provide little to no nutritious value and too many empty calories that lead to weight gain. However, the sweet-sensation serves a purpose for our bodies.
Here are a few naturally sweet tasting herbs that satisfy cravings and provide greatly needed nutrients.
Licorice (glycyrrhiza glabra)- Unlike the artificial candy by the same name, Licorice nurture’s the body with its anti-inflammatory properties, and balances adrenal corticoids which may help ease symptoms of hypertension.
Cinnamon (cinnamomum verum syn. C. zeylanicum)- This culinary baking favorite is also energetically warming and carminative, easing symptoms of an upset stomach.
Stevia (stevia rebaudiana)- Stevia has a naturally sweet taste that is 30 times sweeter than table sugar. Research supports Stevia as a sugar substitute, especially for people who suffer from hypoglycemia and hypertension. Traditionally, Stevia is also used for fatigue and balancing digestion.
Ready to tame your sweet tooth? email me at http://urbanherbalist.org/about.html
Charlene Marie Muhammad, M.S Clinical Herbalist
