Sugar Cravings

Doesn’t eating sweets often leave you with sugar cravings and wanting more? And it feels great at first with that calming feel-good effect and a natural high. Doesn’t sugar sound just like one of those very addictive drugs?

 

When your blood glucose levels are low, you are in the mood for a fast absorbed sweet treat that will quickly fix your problem for a little while. Then what happens? You feel tired, moody, lose your concentration, then you want more sweets.. For some nutrition experts, sugar is no different to illegal drugs, cigarettes or alcohol.

 

Sugar is empty calories with no nutritional value and it only gives you a short-term energy boost. It turns into fat very quickly and can make you fat.

Any kind of sugar- high fructose corn syrup, white or brown table sugar, dextrin, dextrose, glucose, maple syrup or molasses is bad for your immune system and your overall health.

Over consumption of sugar may cause tiredness, essential mineral loss, bone loss, sleep problems, moodiness, premature aging, weight gain and obesity.

It destroys your teeth because of bacteria build up. You don’t get an ongoing energy from sugar that will get you going for an extended period of time. It is terrible for your skin and causes wrinkles.

It is quite all right to have that sweet treat every once in a while. When you start doing it all the time, that is when you get into trouble. Sugar is already added to so many different processed foods- sauces, juices, fruit yogurts, breads and more.

So How to Reduce Sugar Cravings?

• The first thing you can do is to eat small healthy foods– a good combination of good fats, protein and complex carbs regularly throughout the day, to avoid sugar cravings.  Go for proteins and other forms of carbohydrates- veggies, fruits and whole grains when you get sugar cravings. They will keep  you full longer and you won’t think about sweets as much. Vegetarian sources of protein- beans, chickpeas are just fine too.

• Chewing gum can temporarily curb your sugar and junk food cravings. So try that next time you are in the mood for them.

• Fruits, dried fruits, nuts and seeds are great for when you fancy a sweet treat: Dietary fiber and other nutrients as well as the sweet taste.

• Artificial sweeteners are no good at helping you diminish your sugar cravings. Sugar is natural, they are not and do not stop you from having a sweet tooth and wanting more.

• If you are going through a hard time emotionally and if this is why you want to eat sweets, look for other solutions like meditation, going for a walk in the park, taking B vitamins, seeing a psychologist before turning to sweets. Sugar is not good for your mental health. There is a strong link between over-consumption of sugar and anxiety, nervousness and depression, due to too much insulin.

 

• Try not to keep sweets in your fridge. It is hard not to think about them and reach out for them. Out of your mind if out of your sight.. Keep healthy snacks in your fridge to satisfy your cravings. Dark chocolate is another healthier option. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the better it is for you.

• Chromium mineral supplement may help decrease sugar cravings and stabilize blood glucose. You probably need about 7-800 mcg per day in 2-3 doses taken with meals. Be careful if you take insulin or suffer(ed) from hypoglycemia.

• Simply do something else, take a walk or keep your mind busy when the cravings hit you. And remember than everything should be in moderation, even if you do eat sweets occasionally.

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