How to Stop Sweet Cravings and to Lose Weight (Fun Way)

No, it's not another "drink more water" advice. I know it doesn't work, just like many other popular diet tips and tricks. Been there, done that.



Do you love coffee? Who doesn't! I usually drink 1-2 cups a day. I don't put sugar in my coffee and drink it unsweetened hoping that this little sacrifice helps me in my weight struggle. And if you're a chocoholic like me, you know how difficult this struggle can be when you're trying to eat only healthy food.

After reading this article in National Geographic I thought that my "chocoholism" may actually be a form of "caffeine mania" plus craving for sweet. So I decided to make an experiment. When I felt like eating some chocolate (and when I say "some chocolate" I don't mean 1-2 cubes), I made myself a cup of coffee with one-half teaspoon honey (I also add milk). To my surprise, it worked! That evening I didn't have any more cravings. The same thing happened next day. Today is the day 3 and I don't want any sweets at all, so coffee is not needed.

It doesn't mean that I consume more caffeine now - I just move my daily cup of joe to the hour when I need it the most.

Yes, it's not healthy in the same way as drinking carrot juice or eating apples. But can carrot juice or apples reduce one's appetite and stop cravings? No, they actually do the opposite. So I choose drinking coffee instead of stuffing myself with sweets.

And what about the calories? Let's check it out:

Cup of coffee with milk contains about 16 calories.
White sugar (1 tsp) - 15
Honey - 20
Brown sugar - 15
We get 35-40 calories per cup!

Comparing to calories in chocolate (100 g):
Milk chocolate: 588
Dark chocolate: 544

What will you choose?

Orange Wednesday: Orange Banana Smoothie

Looking for a perfect breakfast? This orange-banana-yogurt drink will fill you with energy and be a great start for your healthy day.



2 bananas
2 oranges or 1 cup orange juice
2 cups plain yogurt
2 tbsp honey

Combine all ingredients in blender, mix until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve with a pinch of cinnamon to get a nice aroma.

Beauty Salad - Russian Women Ultimate Morning Snack

Here's one of the Russian women's beauty secrets - the Beauty Salad - the most healthy breakfast you can ever think of. It's called the Beauty Salad because it's good not only for your weight but also for your skin! And it is really easy to prepare.

All you need for the Beauty Salad is:
* 1/2 glass of oatmeal
* 1 apple (preferably green)
* some peeled walnuts
* 1 teaspoon of honey

The night before you're going to have your Beauty Breakfast, cover the oatmeal with 1/2 glass of cold water. The next morning grater an apple into the bowl with the oatmeal, add walnuts and honey and mix it all together. That's the basics.

If it seems a little bit boring to you or if you're having this snack every morning and want some change, you may want to try adding some new flavors into the salad. I'm a big fan of strawberry, so I often add it to my Beauty Breakfast. You can also add some lemon juice, kiwi, banana and any other fruit you like.

There's also a possibility to use 1/2 glass of kefir (which is actually kind of plain natural yogurt with no flavorings) but it's a matter of taste.

That's all - try it out and enjoy your personal Beauty Salad!