Why We Crave Sugar and What To Do About It
What are cravings?
A food craving is an intense desire for a specific food. This desire can seem uncontrollable, and the person’s hunger may not be satisfied until they get that particular food. Food cravings are very common and can be caused by a variety of physical or mental factors. They may be a sign of hormonal imbalances, a suboptimal diet, high stress levels, or a lack of sleep or physical activity. Food cravings are often a sign that you’re lacking the nutrients found in that food.
Food cravings are often for junk foods and processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. Though every person experiences cravings differently. Food cravings can also be a major roadblock for people trying to maintain a healthy weight or switch to a more healthful diet.
Food cravings can be a frustrating and overwhelming feeling that you might think you can’t control. But more often than not, you can control a food craving if you spend some time to sort out its cause.
Causes for cravings
Food cravings can be caused by several factors, which can usually be split into the two main categories of physical and mental. Being aware of them may help you identify which factors specifically trigger your cravings.
Some of the physical causes for cravings could be any of the following:
Dehydration
Highly processed foods
Lack of sleep
Pregnancy
Some of the mental causes for cravings could be any of the following:
Stress
Anxiety
Mood
Eating context (ex: popcorn with a movie)
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Why we crave sugar
Sugar is an earthy elemental taste, and when we think about the taste of sugar it brings us energy. It also brings us comfort and provides us with this sense of being wrapped up in something yummy and delicious. That’s often why we crave it a lot, because of the ‘good’ feelings it brings us.
Cravings, like our craving for sugar, are a way for us to take a deeper look at what our inner needs are and what our motivations for eating are.
3 reasons behind your sugar cravings
While there can be many reasons why some of us crave sugar, there are three main reasons that should be acknowledged. So lets look into them and see if there are other solutions other than simply cutting sugar out cold turkey. And if some of these reasons may even give you a deeper understand as to why you’re craving sugar.
1.Loneliness
Loneliness can range from being a state of solitude or being alone, to feeling sad and unhappy about being socially isolated. More often than not, loneliness is associated with negative feelings, and often times can lead to the fear that loneliness is going to mean that we are not worthy or that we will be alone. These feelings of unworthiness and negativity caused by loneliness, can be one of the root causes of your sugar cravings.
what can be done
The first thing to do is honor that you most likely have an emotional need for loneliness. Feel into the emotion and reach out to a safe friend. This should be someone who you know that makes you feel that way sugar makes you feel, homey. By reaching out to this person instead of indulging in your craving for sugar, you might find that your cravings with subside along with your feelings of loneliness.
2.Exhaustion
Sleep is the main way your body renews its energy levels, but another other way to obtain energy is eating foods that provide the calories the body needs to turn into energy. If you aren’t getting enough sleep or you have poor quality sleep, then your body can drive you to eat more to keep up energy levels. Poor sleep quality also changes cortisol levels, which will increase your appetite, and then likely lead to your craving for sugar.
what can be done
The first thing you’ll want to do is to establish a regular sleep schedule, and make sure your body has enough natural energy. You want to make sure that you are having a solid amount of cortisol in the morning to keep you energized throughout the day, and that your hormones are properly balanced.
3.Low blood sugar
Energy is needed to maintain yourself and your body throughout the day, and this energy comes from food. If you don’t eat enough, then your blood sugar can fall to a level that triggers cravings because your body needs energy. This craving is most often for sugar, because sugar raises blood sugar and improves energy the fastest.
what can be done
The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure that your are maintaining your blood sugar levels. You can do this by eating small and frequent meals every 2 to 3 hours, and by combining the meals with a protein and a fiber. By doing these things, your sugar cravings should be under control.
Lifestyles more susceptible to cravings
While anyone can be susceptible to cravings, there are certain lifestyles that are more likely to attract cravings. Once you recognize that you fall within one of these lifestyles, you will be one step closer to conquering and taking control of your cravings. However if you don’t relate with one of these lifestyles, and still find yourself with unmanageable cravings, it does not mean that you still can’t take control.
Poor nutrient diet
Those who have a poor nutrient diet, or lack the essential nutrients their body needs, are going to be more likely to experience cravings. A diet that’s low in these nutrients may cause you to feel hungry or experience cravings, even if you have otherwise eaten enough calories. This lifestyle may be comprised of mainly fast or processed foods, leading to the lack of nutrients and an increase in cravings.
what can be done
Nutrients like protein and fiber are essential to your diet and can help you feel full. There are a variety of meals that can be made with different proteins and fibers, even if you find you’re a picky eater or part of a Low-FODMAP diet. Try to limit yourself to one or two fast or processed meals a week at first, and then slowly remove them from your diet.
Lack of exercise
Those who have a lack of exercise within their daily life routine are going to be more likely to experience cravings. When you are moving less than you typically should, this may cause you to experience more food cravings. This lifestyle may have been a way of life for a few years, or it may have been recently caused due to other factors. Even if you are still exercising, you may not be doing enough to subdue the cravings you are experiencing.
what can be done
An increase in your level of physical activity, even if just by walking more, may help reduce food cravings. Try to incorporate at least one hour of physical activity into your day, even if it means splitting that hour into two half hour sessions during the day. You might find that your cravings significantly decrease.
Frequent craving indulgence
Those who frequently indulge in their cravings, or who often give into their cravings, are going to be more likely to experience cravings. Though everyone experiences cravings and may give into them sometimes, those who give into their cravings every time they experience them are more likely to continue to experience them. This lifestyle may experience cravings either once a week or everyday, but each time they crave they allow the cravings to be satisfied.
what can be done
Eating a craved food less frequently may be more effective at reducing your craving for that particular food than eating a small portion of that food whenever you crave it. If you experience the mental craving of eating context, like eating popcorn while you watch a movie, try to replace the popcorn with a fruit or vegetable at first. Then, try to completely eliminate your craving to have something to eat while watching a movie.
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Food cravings can be a frustrating and overwhelming feeling that you might think you can’t control. But more often than not, you can control a food craving if you spend some time to sort out its cause. Moreover, cravings like your craving for sugar, are a way for us to take a deeper look at what your inner needs are and what your motivations for eating are.
Extra tips for cravings
You can use a food journal to try and understand why your cravings are there. If you do this for a week or two, then you should begin seeing an emerging pattern of behavior associated with the craving.
Don’t let yourself get too hungry. Eating several meals through the day may help to control cravings and even binge eating.
Remember to take care of yourself. If you take good care of yourselves day to day, you may be less likely to feel stressed, angry, and unhappy, and therefore less likely to crave sugar and other foods.
