SO it’s that time again, between lunch and your evening meal and you are hungry again.

Healthy food just won’t cut it now, though. You need sugar, and you need it now.

Biscuits, chocolates, a large vanilla latte sound much more appealing.

If this sounds like you, you are probably experiencing low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), which is a direct result of what you have eaten or drunk earlier in the day.

For example, if you eat a sugary breakfast cereal or have a high GI carbohydrate lunch — such as a panini, chips or if you simply eat too much for lunch — your blood sugar level will rise sharply.

When blood sugar levels rise sharply our body quickly responds by releasing large amounts of insulin (our blood sugar lowering hormone) which results in our blood sugars plummeting.

With our blood sugar levels being low our cravings for fatty and sugary foods kick in.

This is not helpful if you are trying to avoid all the chocolates that seem to be everywhere we look at this time of year.

So how do you beat these cravings successfully?

Well the key is in starting your day well. Cut out the sugary breakfast cereals and have a breakfast which is low GI.

If you can eat a breakfast containing protein and fats, this will help keep you feeling satisfied for longer too.

It’s a good idea to have a healthy snack in between breakfast and lunch, a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts or seeds, so that by lunch time you aren’t ravenous.

Eat a protein (eggs, chicken, fish, meat) based lunch with a salad or vegetables. Try to incorporate some good carbohydrates, such as basmati rice, beans, pulses, lentils or rye bread.

Try not to over-eat, eat a small portion and give yourself half-an-hour. If you are still hungry, then have a small snack but the chances are that the smaller lunch will satisfy you.

By eating well earlier in the day you will soon find that your afternoon cravings will disappear.

However, if you still find that chocolate staring at you in the afternoon, try having a piece of fruit or a fruity herbal tea just before your cravings usually appear.

Be in control of your eating habits.