For some reason, people find dessert to be rewarding and in many ways feel as though it reduces stress, but what are the real benefits of dessert? What makes a good dessert? How bad is it really for you? Let’s explore these questions and also the effect that dessert really has on your body.

The Science Behind Dessert

When you eat dessert which is often full of sugar (cake, ice cream, brownies), your prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain that controls your emotions) becomes activated. The sugar binge can actually be dangerous because men who have high anxiety are also very likely to have higher glucose levels. In fact, the American Diabetes Association has warned that long-term stress can push your blood sugar levels into the range of a diabetic if they are already even slightly higher than the normal blood sugar level for a male.

Resist the Temptation

While having no dessert is definitely the goal and out of sight out of mind can definitely be a principal to practice here, we do understand that sometimes it may be very hard to resist. If you feel that you must have unhealthy dessert, try simply savoring a small portion of ice cream. You will be giving yourself a treat and a small reward that your mind thinks you need. You won’t be helping your physique by any means, but you won’t be hurting yourself as badly as if you had a couple of pieces of pound cake or a large portion of ice cream with toppings.

Some Alternatives

Instead of having that piece of pound cake for dessert, opt for some sorbet or frozen yogurt. If you want a sweet treat, you can dip blueberries into Greek yogurt and then freeze them for a sweet and cold treat. Another option is to blend some healthy fruits together (berries, kiwi, etc.) and freeze the mixture to be used as popsicles. If you’re in the mood for something hot or warm, put some all-natural nut butter into a bowl and microwave it – then dip your favorite fruit in the warm nutty glaze.

The Bottom Line

In truth, dessert really all comes down to willpower. Your mind is simply telling you something that you’re craving and your body really doesn’t need it. If you were to full and stuffed that you couldn’t have more salad or more protein with your dinner, then why do you all of a sudden have more room for a sugary treat.  It all comes down to will. You should really try your best to cut back on having a very small amount of dessert, if any at all, we know you’re capable of it and it’s about time that you start believing that too.