July 3, 2025 • 24 mins
As dog sport handlers, we’re meticulous about how we fuel our dogs—high-quality food, hydration, recovery routines, the works. But when it comes to fueling ourselves? Especially around sugar cravings? That often gets overlooked.
The problem is, unchecked sugar cravings don’t just impact your diet—they impact your performance. If you're constantly reaching for quick sugar fixes, you’re more likely to experience blood sugar crashes that leave you foggy, fatigued, and less responsive on the field.
That means slower decision-making, less endurance, and a reduced ability to stay sharp and decisive—whether you're navigating an agility course, hiking all day at a trial, or tracking in challenging terrain.
How you fuel yourself matters just as much as how you fuel your dog—because you’re a team, and both parts of that team need to perform at their best.
In this episode of Canine Handler Fitness, we’re unpacking the real reasons sugar cravings hit so hard—especially on long trial days, during training blocks, or when life is extra stressful. This isn’t about guilt or restriction—it’s about helping you understand what your body’s asking for and how to respond in a way that supports your energy, focus, and performance.
We’ll explore:
- Why sugar cravings aren’t about “lack of willpower”
- The critical connection between sleep, blood sugar, and sugar crashes
- How gut bacteria and taste buds influence what you crave
- Emotional vs. biological cravings—and how to tell the difference
- What this means for your handling, stamina, and mindset in the ring
Plus: simple, science-backed strategies you can start using this week to reduce cravings, feel more steady, and fuel yourself like the athlete you are.
You wouldn’t send your dog into a big weekend underfed, under-rested, or out of balance—so why do it to yourself?
Perfect For:
- Dog sport handlers who struggle with sugar crashes or snack binges at trials
- Anyone working on handler fitness, nutrition, or consistent energy
- Handlers who want to perform better without giving up joy or food they love
Get free resources and more support over at caninehandlerfitness.com
Ready to move better, feel stronger, and run your dog with more speed and control?
Jump into these free handler-specific stretches designed to boost your mobility, prevent injury, and elevate your performance—click here to get started now: https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/75a61bb61a
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey dog sport handlers, welcome to the Canine Handler Fitness
podcast. I'm your host Liz Joyce, your go
to expert for all things dog sport fitness.
Whether you're running, agility,doing protection work, tackling,
search and rescue, handling it tough tugger or just looking to
build strength for a lifetime ofadventures with your dog.
Remember you are half the team and I'm here to help you stay
(00:23):
strong, mobile and injury free. Join me as I break down the
unique demands Handler fitness, speed, strength, endurance, and
everything you need to perform at your best both in and out of
the ring. Let's stay strong, stay in the
game, and keep doing what we love.
Let's dive in. Howdy y'all, and welcome back to
(00:46):
the Canine Handler Fitness podcast.
I am your host Liz Joyce, and today we're diving into
something that so many of us wrestle with sugar cravings.
If you're wondering why we're talking about sugar on a podcast
for dog sport athletes, here's the connection.
Our performance as handlers depends on energy, focus and
(01:07):
recovery. Sugar cravings often spike when
we're tired, stressed, or under fueled, which is pretty much
every trial weekend, Am I right?We're going to talk about
strategies so you can learn how to support your body better so
you can feel and be more in control, avoid energy crashes,
show more consistently for yourself and your dog, and leave
(01:31):
trial weekends feeling physically and emotionally
intact. Whether it's a 3:00 PM crash or
perhaps you love and almost needchocolate as soon as you're
finished dinner, or perhaps there's a bit of an emotional
side to it, sugar cravings are real.
But here's the good news. They do not have to run your
(01:54):
day. And I really want to be clear
about this. In fitness, there is a lot of
shaming and this episode, and I am not here to shame you for
liking sugar. I'm never here to shame you for
anything. What we're talking about today
is understanding what's behind these cravings because once you
(02:16):
understand the why, you can shift your habits without
feeling deprived and work with your body instead of fighting
against it. And let's break it all down.
Here's the hot question. Why do sugar cravings happen if
you are a sugar monster? This is a really great question,
and most people think that sugarcravings are just about
(02:37):
willpower. But being tired, stressed,
running on fumes can leave you in a situation where you just
want to dive face first into a pint of ice cream.
But you know what? It is way deeper than that.
We're going to break down how cravings are rooted in biology,
in habits, emotions, and honestly, it's not usually just
(03:02):
one. It's a combination and at the
end of this podcast, I've got a really simple formula and some
homework for you so you can learn how to track where your
cravings are coming from, what'sthe source of them, so you can
really work on the key source and really change this ship
around for you. The first thing I'm going to ask
(03:24):
you to take a look at and have aquick check in is sleep.
Are you tired? Poor sleep disrupts 2 key hunger
hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin will make you feel more
hungry and leptin tells you whenyou're full.
But when you're sleep deprived, that ghrelin is increased and
(03:50):
leptin is decreased. So you want to eat more because
you're more hungry. And also it takes a lot more for
you to feel full. And sugar is a really quick way
for your body to get the energy that it needs to bring it back
up to full battery. When you've got low energy or
brain fog or your body is craving quick fuel, again, that
(04:13):
is usually sugar. Our bodies are amazing at
knowing what they need to feel as best as they can real quick,
and it's not always in line withour goals.
If your afternoons or late nightcravings hit you hard, the first
thing I want you to take a look at is your sleep.
Are you getting 7 to 9 hours? And realistically, this might
(04:36):
not be something that can happenfor you right now, depending
what stage of life you're in. Aiming for as much high quality
uninterrupted sleep as you can is the goal.
Having your dark room winding down before you go to bed.
And there is a whole podcast that I did all about sleep that
also has an amazing sleep schedule that can help reset
(05:00):
your sleep clock. So if you haven't listened to
that podcast, head on over and take a look at that.
But I really want to drive this home here.
The very first line of defense for sugar cravings and
motivation isn't having more willpower, it's making sure that
you're getting enough sleep. That's the first thing that I
really want you to take a look at.
(05:22):
We're going to talk now about blood sugar because having
stable blood sugar will make it a lot less likely that your body
is going to want to reach for sugar as a quick boost.
I've got this visual of a battery in my head.
So if your battery gets low, instead of having a balanced
meal that might take you up kindof a little bit slower, having
(05:45):
sugar is going to fill that up alot faster.
If your meals are mostly refinedcarbs or sugary snacks, your
blood sugar will. That battery will fill up,
You'll spike, but then you are going to crash after.
And then you're going to have cravings to bring your energy
back up. And it really is a roller
(06:07):
coaster that isn't a lot of fun to be on and also will leave
your brain feeling less than great.
But here's a quick fix. Balancing your meals.
Isn't that a shocking thing? What I want you to aim for are
high levels of protein in your meals.
You can go on the Internet and find recommendations for all
(06:28):
kinds of protein values and quantities per day based on any
metric that you want. You can really find anything you
want on the Internet to support what it is that you're looking
for. The woman that I follow, and
this is where this advice comingfrom, is Doctor Vonda, right?
She is an orthopedic surgeon anda leading researcher and
(06:49):
advocate for women who are goingthrough menopause or
perimenopause Women's Health. Her guidance is 1g of protein
per pound of ideal body weight, and that is the recommendation
that I will pass on from her. So when you're looking at your
meals, think about 20 to 30 grams of protein.
(07:10):
Get some healthy fats in there. Like your brain will just be so
grateful for that and also for your gut flora and your
digestion fiber something, fruits, veggies or whole grains.
This combo slows digestion and prevents this energy roller
coaster. And if you're crashing mid
(07:31):
afternoon, I want you to look back a couple of hours at your
lunch. That's a really common time of
day. You know who doesn't go for a
2:00 PM coffee? I mean, I don't anymore because
that really messes with my sleep.
But if you're a person that goesfor a mid afternoon pick me up
of any kind, number one, you're likely under slept.
But #2 what did you have for lunch?
(07:53):
Look back two or three hours. Did you skip it all together?
And if you didn't, was it fairlybalanced or was it like mostly
carbohydrates? Was it mostly really high fat
deep fried foods? Just take a look back and make
sure that what you're eating is supporting your goals of feeling
great. Here's the thing, if you were a
(08:13):
dog sport handler and if you aren't, this is a funny podcast
for you been listening to, but you're welcome here anyway
because we're dog sport handlers.
How you fuel yourself matters just as much as how you fuel
your dog. If your dog was a person.
And obviously listen y'all, I know you're never going to send
your dog into the ring on a fullstomach, but let's pretend that
(08:36):
you're treating yourself like you would treat your dog, which
is an analogy that I just love to use.
You would never send your dog into the ring loaded up on food
that you know is going to leave them low energy, like foods that
are kind of junk that are going to crash their energy.
But we do this to ourselves all the time.
(08:59):
If we're in a bind grabbing a quick sugary granola bar, or if
we're just simply too busy and we skip lunch all together and
then wind up feeling foggy or cranky or exhausted halfway or
later into the afternoon, this is key.
Think about how you treat yourself, and would you treat
(09:20):
yourself that way if you were your dog?
Balancing your own blood sugar is key to showing up with the
focus, the stamina, and the emotional regulation that you
need to be your best. You're an athlete on this team
too, and if you didn't know this, listen to this.
(09:40):
Your brain takes about 25% of the calories that you take in
every day your brain uses. That's how much energy your
brain needs to function. So not eating enough or not
eating foods that support your brain function are going to
leave you kind of foggy and justreally not feeling the best.
(10:03):
Let's talk now about your gut and also your taste buds.
Your gut microbiome plays a hugerole in cravings.
Think about it like different colonies.
And if you haven't listened or watched this documentary on
Netflix called Hack Your Gut, write it down.
I'm going to say one more time, hack your gut.
(10:25):
It is incredible and will changehow you look at broccoli for the
rest of your life. What we want you to think about
is in your got, you've got different colonies.
Just imagine a bunch of different villages and the types
of food that you're eating are going to make those specific
villages that eat that sort of food grow.
(10:45):
So if you eat a lot of sugar, the gut, the microbiome in your
gut that consumes sugar is goingto grow.
And it's not like they just hangout there, right?
They're not just hanging out. What they do is communicate with
your brain to influence the types of foods that your brain
wants to eat in order to feed the colonies of microbiome.
(11:09):
But this really good news is that it can change and flip just
really quick and easy. It's like 3 to 4 weeks of eating
fiber rich Whole Foods and it will really shift your cravings.
It's incredible how quickly the same thing is going to go for
your taste buds is you get brandnew taste buds every 10 to 14
(11:31):
days, which gives you an amazingopportunity to rewire the types
of food your body is craving to feed it on like a really deep
sort of cellular level. And also change the types of
foods that taste good to you. What tastes good to you now or
(11:52):
sorry, what's tasting bland to you now?
If you're changing from a processed diet to one that is
more single ingredient foods, might, you know in three or four
weeks taste really rich or have sweetness that you weren't
expecting before and there mightbe a depth of flavor that you
couldn't appreciate when your taste buds were wired or
(12:13):
appreciating different kinds of foods.
You can really retrain your palate just like we retrain our
dogs to love different reinforcers.
We can train ourselves to enjoy healthier foods.
We're going to talk real quick about emotional eating and
reward loops. We're not going to talk about
this a lot. This is a really big topic, but
(12:35):
we're going to dance over it. So sugar will activate dopamine,
which is your feel good chemicalin your brain.
And if you have something sweet after dinner or if you're
feeling stressed, your brain wires that as reward loop.
I feel stressed. I have a sugar thing, I feel
good. It becomes a loop.
(12:58):
And this y'all, is not a character flaw.
It's largely a habit. And also, like all habits, it is
trainable. We're going to talk real quick
about what the difference is between a biological and
habitual craving. We're talking about these
different reasons why people canreally struggle with sugar
(13:22):
cravings because I have a super simple formula we're going to
talk about as soon as we're donetalking about habitual versus
biological cravings that are again, is going to help you
understand where your sugar cravings are coming from so you
can nip it in the bud. Biological cravings are about
your body needing something likelow blood sugar, poor sleep,
(13:45):
hormone shifts, or nutrient gapscan all be reasons that your
body wants to take sugar in realquick because your body needs
something. Habitual cravings, on the other
hand, come out of routine or emotion or the environment that
you're in. Always having a snack at night,
eating when you're stressed or bored, grabbing sweets because
(14:06):
there are there. Those kinds of things are
habitual. I want you to start tracking and
thinking about it. If reducing sugar is something
that you want to do, when do these cravings happen?
What kinds of things are you doing or feeling?
And also, what did you eat in the two or three hours before?
(14:26):
This awareness is going to give you the power to respond and not
just react. Here is your very simple
formula. Track your cravings, identify
the patterns, and then adjust intelligently to track right
down when the craving hits. What you want, how you feel,
(14:48):
what you ate. When I'm hungry, the first thing
my body wants is a sweet pastry.And so I know that about myself.
When I start craving sweet pastries, I know that I'm
hungry. And as soon as I eat something
that's good for me and it's actually going to fill me up,
that craving is gone like almostimmediately.
(15:11):
The next thing to identify is was this biologic or or
habitual? Are you tired, stressed or under
fueled? And then adjust.
And I want you to go small shifts at a time because that
really goes a long way. Add more protein and fiber.
Think not so much about removingfoods from your regular food
(15:35):
diet, but about adding foods to your diet that are good for you.
Don't worry so much about takingstuff away.
I want you thinking about addingthings to your diet.
Add protein. Think about your pro foods.
Add protein and produce at your meals.
Swapping sugary snacks for satisfying ones like fruit and
(15:58):
nut butter is a really good one.That's something you can pick up
to at gas stations. A banana and a bag of nuts real
easy. Also Greek yogurt.
Crunchy vegetables with hummus is also a really nice snack.
And different vegetables are going to taste good to you and
some are not going to taste goodto you.
And sometimes the texture of what you're enjoying in your
(16:21):
cravings can also be replicated with vegetables and fruits and
those kinds of things. And the last thing is, you know,
using stress relief tools like going for a walk, spending time
with your dog, using some breathwork or meditation can go a
really long way in helping you if you're having stress related
(16:42):
sugar cravings, kind of calm yourself down without taking
sugar. And here's how you can handle
your cravings without deprivation.
So let's expand on that a littlebit and talk about strategy.
And I know that we've talked about this, but we've talked
about a lot of stuff. So these are the key things.
(17:04):
Eating more protein and healthy fats, adding to your diet the
pro foods protein and produce and fats.
Aim for 25 plus grams of proteinat each meal.
Don't skimp on the fats either. Fats do not make you overweight
if that's a concern of yours. Avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil
(17:26):
all help stabilize your blood sugar.
The next thing is hydrating. Dehydration mimics hunger and
cravings. Start your day with a big glass
of water and keep sipping throughout your day.
One thing that I really advise my clients to do is get one
water bottle that they just loveso it becomes an accessory.
(17:49):
Think about the colors that you want to look at.
No joke. Think about if the water bottle
you're choosing, if you like howit goes with most of your
outfits, and I'm not playing because that really makes a big
difference. The color.
If you prefer a smoother textureof your water bottles, you might
like metal, you might like glass, you might like a straw.
(18:10):
Whatever it is, get one that holds about a liter or 4 cups of
fluid and fill it up a couple times a day.
Liking a water bottle makes a really, really big difference.
The next thing to handle your cravings and set you up for
success is to swap foods and notslash it.
(18:32):
So think about upgrading and notremoving from upgrade your
treats. Upgrading your treats with like
berries and Greek yogurt. So you could freeze Greek yogurt
and blend it with fresh berries or blend Greek yogurt with
frozen berries to make kind of bit of like a fruity sort of ice
cream or fruit and nut butter orfruit and nuts.
(18:56):
You could also have a square of dark chocolate.
We're not thinking about cuttingpleasure here.
That's when you're thinking about making these swaps.
I don't want you to think about cutting pleasure.
I want you to think about how good you're going to feel later
and improving how you feel after.
And the last and arguably very most important thing is planning
ahead. When you plan to succeed, you're
(19:19):
way more likely to succeed. But if you don't plan, you're
kind of planning to fail. It's like you've default made a
decision. It's when you're going to work
or if you have had a bad night'ssleep or you're going to a
trial. When you know that you're not
going to be able to get back outand go pick up something healthy
for yourself. Just stop at the gas station and
(19:40):
grab some things that meet that criteria.
Beef jerky, a protein shake, grab some whole grain crackers,
bags of nuts, the fruit that they have available.
They often have meat filled sandwiches that again, are going
to be higher in protein. Get some snacks when you're
there so you don't get there andend up at the whim of whatever
(20:02):
is available. And the last thing I really want
you to think about is that having an all or nothing mindset
is going to bite you in the ass in almost every area of your
life, no exception with sugar. You need to let yourself enjoy
sweets, but be mindful about it.And having guilt free enjoyment
(20:22):
is going to build trust with youthat you can do this and also is
going to reduce big binges because those are not great.
And I want you to think about this.
I want you to think about how intentional you are when you're
(20:43):
feeding your dog. You consider timing, portion
sizes, quality, and how food will impact their performance
and recovery. But when it comes to ourselves,
that is so much harder. They don't have a choice.
They get what we give them, but us, we have all kinds of choices
(21:03):
and it's not uncommon for us to operate from a bit of like
survival mode, which looks like eating what's available when we
remember and not having enough strategy for us to have optimal
energy through the day and at the end of the day.
And there's no shame in that. That's just how it goes, but
(21:26):
shifting into an athlete's mindset for you will change
everything, and you deserve the same thoughtful fueling that you
give to your dog. Let's wrap this up, OK?
Sugar cravings are normal, but they do not need to control you.
You can understand your patternsand fuel your body properly.
(21:49):
Manage your stress and replace old habits with new one,
including your gut bacteria and your taste buds, and make
sustain, sustainable changes that stick.
If you're a handler, this matters more than you think.
What you eat directly affects your focus, timing, reaction
speed, your patience, and your recovery.
(22:11):
Fueling isn't about being restricted, it is about showing
up ready to partner with your dog at your best and these this
is your homework for this week. I want you to track your sugar
cravings for three to five days.When, why and what's going on.
(22:33):
I want you to prioritize proteinand healthy fat at each meal and
produce pro foods. Aim for 25 or more grams of
protein per meal and produce andsome healthy fats.
Aim for a goal of 7 to 9 hours of high quality sleep.
I really need you to hydrate like it matters, because it
(22:57):
really, really does. Also think about practicing
mindful indulgence. Enjoying food is a part of being
human, and being mindful about that makes it even more
enjoyable and is much more likely to leave you eating in a
way that serves your biggest goals.
The most important thing here, as always, is to be kind to
(23:19):
yourself. This isn't about being perfect,
it's about being aware, curious,and supportive of your body and
your goals. Craving sugar doesn't mean that
you're failing. It means you're human and we're
here to help you learn how to fuel you to be the athlete that
your dog needs and wants and theperson that you see as your very
(23:41):
best self. If you want more support or
resources to help you feel better, feel smarter, or be
stronger as a dog sport athlete,head on over to
caninehandlerfitness.com. I've got a ton of free tools, a
free warm up, ebook, movement sessions, and a lot more ways
(24:02):
that you can learn about me and also how you can work with me.
Thanks so much for listening. And if this episode resonated
with you, share it with a friendwho's ready to get off the sugar
roller coaster and I will see you next week.
And until then, stay strong, stay steady, and take good care
of yourself.
Hey dog sport handlers, welcome to the Canine Handler Fitness
podcast. I'm your host Liz Joyce, your go
to expert for all things dog sport fitness.
Whether you're running, agility,doing protection work, tackling,
search and rescue, handling it tough tugger or just looking to
build strength for a lifetime ofadventures with your dog.
Remember you are half the team and I'm here to help you stay
(00:23):
strong, mobile and injury free. Join me as I break down the
unique demands Handler fitness, speed, strength, endurance, and
everything you need to perform at your best both in and out of
the ring. Let's stay strong, stay in the
game, and keep doing what we love.
Let's dive in. Howdy y'all, and welcome back to
(00:46):
the Canine Handler Fitness podcast.
I am your host Liz Joyce, and today we're diving into
something that so many of us wrestle with sugar cravings.
If you're wondering why we're talking about sugar on a podcast
for dog sport athletes, here's the connection.
Our performance as handlers depends on energy, focus and
(01:07):
recovery. Sugar cravings often spike when
we're tired, stressed, or under fueled, which is pretty much
every trial weekend, Am I right?We're going to talk about
strategies so you can learn how to support your body better so
you can feel and be more in control, avoid energy crashes,
show more consistently for yourself and your dog, and leave
(01:31):
trial weekends feeling physically and emotionally
intact. Whether it's a 3:00 PM crash or
perhaps you love and almost needchocolate as soon as you're
finished dinner, or perhaps there's a bit of an emotional
side to it, sugar cravings are real.
But here's the good news. They do not have to run your
(01:54):
day. And I really want to be clear
about this. In fitness, there is a lot of
shaming and this episode, and I am not here to shame you for
liking sugar. I'm never here to shame you for
anything. What we're talking about today
is understanding what's behind these cravings because once you
(02:16):
understand the why, you can shift your habits without
feeling deprived and work with your body instead of fighting
against it. And let's break it all down.
Here's the hot question. Why do sugar cravings happen if
you are a sugar monster? This is a really great question,
and most people think that sugarcravings are just about
(02:37):
willpower. But being tired, stressed,
running on fumes can leave you in a situation where you just
want to dive face first into a pint of ice cream.
But you know what? It is way deeper than that.
We're going to break down how cravings are rooted in biology,
in habits, emotions, and honestly, it's not usually just
(03:02):
one. It's a combination and at the
end of this podcast, I've got a really simple formula and some
homework for you so you can learn how to track where your
cravings are coming from, what'sthe source of them, so you can
really work on the key source and really change this ship
around for you. The first thing I'm going to ask
(03:24):
you to take a look at and have aquick check in is sleep.
Are you tired? Poor sleep disrupts 2 key hunger
hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin will make you feel more
hungry and leptin tells you whenyou're full.
But when you're sleep deprived, that ghrelin is increased and
(03:50):
leptin is decreased. So you want to eat more because
you're more hungry. And also it takes a lot more for
you to feel full. And sugar is a really quick way
for your body to get the energy that it needs to bring it back
up to full battery. When you've got low energy or
brain fog or your body is craving quick fuel, again, that
(04:13):
is usually sugar. Our bodies are amazing at
knowing what they need to feel as best as they can real quick,
and it's not always in line withour goals.
If your afternoons or late nightcravings hit you hard, the first
thing I want you to take a look at is your sleep.
Are you getting 7 to 9 hours? And realistically, this might
(04:36):
not be something that can happenfor you right now, depending
what stage of life you're in. Aiming for as much high quality
uninterrupted sleep as you can is the goal.
Having your dark room winding down before you go to bed.
And there is a whole podcast that I did all about sleep that
also has an amazing sleep schedule that can help reset
(05:00):
your sleep clock. So if you haven't listened to
that podcast, head on over and take a look at that.
But I really want to drive this home here.
The very first line of defense for sugar cravings and
motivation isn't having more willpower, it's making sure that
you're getting enough sleep. That's the first thing that I
really want you to take a look at.
(05:22):
We're going to talk now about blood sugar because having
stable blood sugar will make it a lot less likely that your body
is going to want to reach for sugar as a quick boost.
I've got this visual of a battery in my head.
So if your battery gets low, instead of having a balanced
meal that might take you up kindof a little bit slower, having
(05:45):
sugar is going to fill that up alot faster.
If your meals are mostly refinedcarbs or sugary snacks, your
blood sugar will. That battery will fill up,
You'll spike, but then you are going to crash after.
And then you're going to have cravings to bring your energy
back up. And it really is a roller
(06:07):
coaster that isn't a lot of fun to be on and also will leave
your brain feeling less than great.
But here's a quick fix. Balancing your meals.
Isn't that a shocking thing? What I want you to aim for are
high levels of protein in your meals.
You can go on the Internet and find recommendations for all
(06:28):
kinds of protein values and quantities per day based on any
metric that you want. You can really find anything you
want on the Internet to support what it is that you're looking
for. The woman that I follow, and
this is where this advice comingfrom, is Doctor Vonda, right?
She is an orthopedic surgeon anda leading researcher and
(06:49):
advocate for women who are goingthrough menopause or
perimenopause Women's Health. Her guidance is 1g of protein
per pound of ideal body weight, and that is the recommendation
that I will pass on from her. So when you're looking at your
meals, think about 20 to 30 grams of protein.
(07:10):
Get some healthy fats in there. Like your brain will just be so
grateful for that and also for your gut flora and your
digestion fiber something, fruits, veggies or whole grains.
This combo slows digestion and prevents this energy roller
coaster. And if you're crashing mid
(07:31):
afternoon, I want you to look back a couple of hours at your
lunch. That's a really common time of
day. You know who doesn't go for a
2:00 PM coffee? I mean, I don't anymore because
that really messes with my sleep.
But if you're a person that goesfor a mid afternoon pick me up
of any kind, number one, you're likely under slept.
But #2 what did you have for lunch?
(07:53):
Look back two or three hours. Did you skip it all together?
And if you didn't, was it fairlybalanced or was it like mostly
carbohydrates? Was it mostly really high fat
deep fried foods? Just take a look back and make
sure that what you're eating is supporting your goals of feeling
great. Here's the thing, if you were a
(08:13):
dog sport handler and if you aren't, this is a funny podcast
for you been listening to, but you're welcome here anyway
because we're dog sport handlers.
How you fuel yourself matters just as much as how you fuel
your dog. If your dog was a person.
And obviously listen y'all, I know you're never going to send
your dog into the ring on a fullstomach, but let's pretend that
(08:36):
you're treating yourself like you would treat your dog, which
is an analogy that I just love to use.
You would never send your dog into the ring loaded up on food
that you know is going to leave them low energy, like foods that
are kind of junk that are going to crash their energy.
But we do this to ourselves all the time.
(08:59):
If we're in a bind grabbing a quick sugary granola bar, or if
we're just simply too busy and we skip lunch all together and
then wind up feeling foggy or cranky or exhausted halfway or
later into the afternoon, this is key.
Think about how you treat yourself, and would you treat
(09:20):
yourself that way if you were your dog?
Balancing your own blood sugar is key to showing up with the
focus, the stamina, and the emotional regulation that you
need to be your best. You're an athlete on this team
too, and if you didn't know this, listen to this.
(09:40):
Your brain takes about 25% of the calories that you take in
every day your brain uses. That's how much energy your
brain needs to function. So not eating enough or not
eating foods that support your brain function are going to
leave you kind of foggy and justreally not feeling the best.
(10:03):
Let's talk now about your gut and also your taste buds.
Your gut microbiome plays a hugerole in cravings.
Think about it like different colonies.
And if you haven't listened or watched this documentary on
Netflix called Hack Your Gut, write it down.
I'm going to say one more time, hack your gut.
(10:25):
It is incredible and will changehow you look at broccoli for the
rest of your life. What we want you to think about
is in your got, you've got different colonies.
Just imagine a bunch of different villages and the types
of food that you're eating are going to make those specific
villages that eat that sort of food grow.
(10:45):
So if you eat a lot of sugar, the gut, the microbiome in your
gut that consumes sugar is goingto grow.
And it's not like they just hangout there, right?
They're not just hanging out. What they do is communicate with
your brain to influence the types of foods that your brain
wants to eat in order to feed the colonies of microbiome.
(11:09):
But this really good news is that it can change and flip just
really quick and easy. It's like 3 to 4 weeks of eating
fiber rich Whole Foods and it will really shift your cravings.
It's incredible how quickly the same thing is going to go for
your taste buds is you get brandnew taste buds every 10 to 14
(11:31):
days, which gives you an amazingopportunity to rewire the types
of food your body is craving to feed it on like a really deep
sort of cellular level. And also change the types of
foods that taste good to you. What tastes good to you now or
(11:52):
sorry, what's tasting bland to you now?
If you're changing from a processed diet to one that is
more single ingredient foods, might, you know in three or four
weeks taste really rich or have sweetness that you weren't
expecting before and there mightbe a depth of flavor that you
couldn't appreciate when your taste buds were wired or
(12:13):
appreciating different kinds of foods.
You can really retrain your palate just like we retrain our
dogs to love different reinforcers.
We can train ourselves to enjoy healthier foods.
We're going to talk real quick about emotional eating and
reward loops. We're not going to talk about
this a lot. This is a really big topic, but
(12:35):
we're going to dance over it. So sugar will activate dopamine,
which is your feel good chemicalin your brain.
And if you have something sweet after dinner or if you're
feeling stressed, your brain wires that as reward loop.
I feel stressed. I have a sugar thing, I feel
good. It becomes a loop.
(12:58):
And this y'all, is not a character flaw.
It's largely a habit. And also, like all habits, it is
trainable. We're going to talk real quick
about what the difference is between a biological and
habitual craving. We're talking about these
different reasons why people canreally struggle with sugar
(13:22):
cravings because I have a super simple formula we're going to
talk about as soon as we're donetalking about habitual versus
biological cravings that are again, is going to help you
understand where your sugar cravings are coming from so you
can nip it in the bud. Biological cravings are about
your body needing something likelow blood sugar, poor sleep,
(13:45):
hormone shifts, or nutrient gapscan all be reasons that your
body wants to take sugar in realquick because your body needs
something. Habitual cravings, on the other
hand, come out of routine or emotion or the environment that
you're in. Always having a snack at night,
eating when you're stressed or bored, grabbing sweets because
(14:06):
there are there. Those kinds of things are
habitual. I want you to start tracking and
thinking about it. If reducing sugar is something
that you want to do, when do these cravings happen?
What kinds of things are you doing or feeling?
And also, what did you eat in the two or three hours before?
(14:26):
This awareness is going to give you the power to respond and not
just react. Here is your very simple
formula. Track your cravings, identify
the patterns, and then adjust intelligently to track right
down when the craving hits. What you want, how you feel,
(14:48):
what you ate. When I'm hungry, the first thing
my body wants is a sweet pastry.And so I know that about myself.
When I start craving sweet pastries, I know that I'm
hungry. And as soon as I eat something
that's good for me and it's actually going to fill me up,
that craving is gone like almostimmediately.
(15:11):
The next thing to identify is was this biologic or or
habitual? Are you tired, stressed or under
fueled? And then adjust.
And I want you to go small shifts at a time because that
really goes a long way. Add more protein and fiber.
Think not so much about removingfoods from your regular food
(15:35):
diet, but about adding foods to your diet that are good for you.
Don't worry so much about takingstuff away.
I want you thinking about addingthings to your diet.
Add protein. Think about your pro foods.
Add protein and produce at your meals.
Swapping sugary snacks for satisfying ones like fruit and
(15:58):
nut butter is a really good one.That's something you can pick up
to at gas stations. A banana and a bag of nuts real
easy. Also Greek yogurt.
Crunchy vegetables with hummus is also a really nice snack.
And different vegetables are going to taste good to you and
some are not going to taste goodto you.
And sometimes the texture of what you're enjoying in your
(16:21):
cravings can also be replicated with vegetables and fruits and
those kinds of things. And the last thing is, you know,
using stress relief tools like going for a walk, spending time
with your dog, using some breathwork or meditation can go a
really long way in helping you if you're having stress related
(16:42):
sugar cravings, kind of calm yourself down without taking
sugar. And here's how you can handle
your cravings without deprivation.
So let's expand on that a littlebit and talk about strategy.
And I know that we've talked about this, but we've talked
about a lot of stuff. So these are the key things.
(17:04):
Eating more protein and healthy fats, adding to your diet the
pro foods protein and produce and fats.
Aim for 25 plus grams of proteinat each meal.
Don't skimp on the fats either. Fats do not make you overweight
if that's a concern of yours. Avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil
(17:26):
all help stabilize your blood sugar.
The next thing is hydrating. Dehydration mimics hunger and
cravings. Start your day with a big glass
of water and keep sipping throughout your day.
One thing that I really advise my clients to do is get one
water bottle that they just loveso it becomes an accessory.
(17:49):
Think about the colors that you want to look at.
No joke. Think about if the water bottle
you're choosing, if you like howit goes with most of your
outfits, and I'm not playing because that really makes a big
difference. The color.
If you prefer a smoother textureof your water bottles, you might
like metal, you might like glass, you might like a straw.
(18:10):
Whatever it is, get one that holds about a liter or 4 cups of
fluid and fill it up a couple times a day.
Liking a water bottle makes a really, really big difference.
The next thing to handle your cravings and set you up for
success is to swap foods and notslash it.
(18:32):
So think about upgrading and notremoving from upgrade your
treats. Upgrading your treats with like
berries and Greek yogurt. So you could freeze Greek yogurt
and blend it with fresh berries or blend Greek yogurt with
frozen berries to make kind of bit of like a fruity sort of ice
cream or fruit and nut butter orfruit and nuts.
(18:56):
You could also have a square of dark chocolate.
We're not thinking about cuttingpleasure here.
That's when you're thinking about making these swaps.
I don't want you to think about cutting pleasure.
I want you to think about how good you're going to feel later
and improving how you feel after.
And the last and arguably very most important thing is planning
ahead. When you plan to succeed, you're
(19:19):
way more likely to succeed. But if you don't plan, you're
kind of planning to fail. It's like you've default made a
decision. It's when you're going to work
or if you have had a bad night'ssleep or you're going to a
trial. When you know that you're not
going to be able to get back outand go pick up something healthy
for yourself. Just stop at the gas station and
(19:40):
grab some things that meet that criteria.
Beef jerky, a protein shake, grab some whole grain crackers,
bags of nuts, the fruit that they have available.
They often have meat filled sandwiches that again, are going
to be higher in protein. Get some snacks when you're
there so you don't get there andend up at the whim of whatever
(20:02):
is available. And the last thing I really want
you to think about is that having an all or nothing mindset
is going to bite you in the ass in almost every area of your
life, no exception with sugar. You need to let yourself enjoy
sweets, but be mindful about it.And having guilt free enjoyment
(20:22):
is going to build trust with youthat you can do this and also is
going to reduce big binges because those are not great.
And I want you to think about this.
I want you to think about how intentional you are when you're
(20:43):
feeding your dog. You consider timing, portion
sizes, quality, and how food will impact their performance
and recovery. But when it comes to ourselves,
that is so much harder. They don't have a choice.
They get what we give them, but us, we have all kinds of choices
(21:03):
and it's not uncommon for us to operate from a bit of like
survival mode, which looks like eating what's available when we
remember and not having enough strategy for us to have optimal
energy through the day and at the end of the day.
And there's no shame in that. That's just how it goes, but
(21:26):
shifting into an athlete's mindset for you will change
everything, and you deserve the same thoughtful fueling that you
give to your dog. Let's wrap this up, OK?
Sugar cravings are normal, but they do not need to control you.
You can understand your patternsand fuel your body properly.
(21:49):
Manage your stress and replace old habits with new one,
including your gut bacteria and your taste buds, and make
sustain, sustainable changes that stick.
If you're a handler, this matters more than you think.
What you eat directly affects your focus, timing, reaction
speed, your patience, and your recovery.
(22:11):
Fueling isn't about being restricted, it is about showing
up ready to partner with your dog at your best and these this
is your homework for this week. I want you to track your sugar
cravings for three to five days.When, why and what's going on.
(22:33):
I want you to prioritize proteinand healthy fat at each meal and
produce pro foods. Aim for 25 or more grams of
protein per meal and produce andsome healthy fats.
Aim for a goal of 7 to 9 hours of high quality sleep.
I really need you to hydrate like it matters, because it
(22:57):
really, really does. Also think about practicing
mindful indulgence. Enjoying food is a part of being
human, and being mindful about that makes it even more
enjoyable and is much more likely to leave you eating in a
way that serves your biggest goals.
The most important thing here, as always, is to be kind to
(23:19):
yourself. This isn't about being perfect,
it's about being aware, curious,and supportive of your body and
your goals. Craving sugar doesn't mean that
you're failing. It means you're human and we're
here to help you learn how to fuel you to be the athlete that
your dog needs and wants and theperson that you see as your very
(23:41):
best self. If you want more support or
resources to help you feel better, feel smarter, or be
stronger as a dog sport athlete,head on over to
caninehandlerfitness.com. I've got a ton of free tools, a
free warm up, ebook, movement sessions, and a lot more ways
(24:02):
that you can learn about me and also how you can work with me.
Thanks so much for listening. And if this episode resonated
with you, share it with a friendwho's ready to get off the sugar
roller coaster and I will see you next week.
And until then, stay strong, stay steady, and take good care
of yourself.
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