It's 4pm, the day is nearing an end, and you are feeling a little tired and in need of a sweet treat. Sound familiar? So what can you do about the sweet cravings? Here are 6 simple things you can do to help take control over the cravings:

1. Eat a low GI diet. This slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and prevents rapid insulin surges. It keeps you feeling full for longer and prevents a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar levels.

2. Get more chromium. Chromium is a trace mineral required for insulin to work properly, helping sugar to move into the cells efficiently. It is found in liver, brewers yeast, wheat germ, and mushrooms. A good multivitamin will also have some chromium in it, and some supplements are available that have a therapeutic dose of chromium for blood sugar imbalances. A therapeutic dose is at least 200mcg of 'elemental' chromium, but don't take large amounts for long periods of time without seeing a natural health professional.

3. Use the herb Gymnema. Gymnema can be useful for reducing sweet cravings, and reducing the sweet taste sensation on taste buds, making it less appealing to eat sugar laden foods. It can be taken internally with guidance from a naturopath or herbalist, and you can even make up a spray to use whenever you get sweet cravings. Spraying it directly on the taste buds seems to stop things from tasting so sweet and you are less likely to want to eat them.

4. Eat enough fibre. Fibre is important for slowing sugar absorption and making you feel full. Eating plenty of vegetables (preferably raw) will provide fibre, as will foods like brown rice and oats. You can also put a couple of teaspoons of psyllium husks on a low GI cereal or even in a drink to take before meals. This will combine with water and expand in your stomach, making you feel more full. You must increase your water intake when you have psyllium husks though, as they don't work on their own.

5. Clean your teeth! After dinner, clean your teeth right away. This works well for many people because you are less likely to snack on sweets when you have that minty taste in your mouth, and if you do, you know you have to clean your teeth all over again! This is not getting at the causes of sugar cravings, but it at least provides a way of helping to get you out of the habit of late night eating.

6. Snack smart. Between meals, you need to eat foods that satisfy you and nourish you, and prevent big rises in blood sugar. Try to have only nuts, seeds, and fruits, with the occasional low GI muffin. You can get roast chickpeas from the supermarket which are good. Many have added spices making them a tasty savoury treat. Also try a handful of mixed nuts like almonds, brazils, and cashews, and seeds like sunflower seeds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Good fruit choices are apples, pears, and strawberries. Whole fruit is best, but something you can do to have a healthy snack on hand is to make up 'fruit kebabs' every couple of days and keep them in the refrigerator. Cut up chunks of apple, strawberries, and other low GI fruits, thread them on small skewers, drizzle with lemon juice, and store in a glass jar in the fridge.

You can also reduce sweet cravings by substituting regular sugar with natural sweeteners like xylitol and stevia.