I believe in being totally honest and I am a straight forward, no "BS" type of guy. What you see is what you get. So many times I will be open and honest with people. I struggle to keep my nutrient intake in check just as many of you do. After some research, I've found some basic reasons why we crave sugar. I have blogged about sugar being an "anti-nutrient" in the past. Yes, we all know that sugar is not good for us, yes we may even know that it actually binds to certain vitamins and minerals and strips them from our body. Yes, we know it causes anxiety and a host of medical problems including diabetes, heart disease etc. So why do WE (yes me included) crave it so much? It is prevalent in most of our foods from the obvious including candies and pastries to hidden in pasta sauces. Most people will even experience withdrawal symptoms such as head aches and lethargy when trying to reduce it... just like a drug! Which got me thinking, why
does this happen? Why are so many companies profiting by adding sugar into
their processed foods? BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S ADDICTING! YEP... ADDICTING!
"My name is Josh, and I'm a sugar addict."
For many people, the battle with sugar is as difficult as a drug, alcohol or nicotine addiction. In fact may be even more of a challenge to cut back because it's literally in most of our foods. We try to go "low fat" for our heart health but find manufactures add sugar or sugar substitutes to compensate for lack of flavour. If you look at many of my Instagram posts, you will see many of my meal prep photos show candy or cake... again, I am totally straight forward and honest. I believe in being vulnerable and showing I too struggle.
So, here's the deal. After some research, I found cravings tend to be greater when there are certain elements which are depleted. It's true eating sugary, empty calorie foods can be a learned behavior, and "acquired taste" if you will, there is also some scientific research that shows we may need to address certain things in our diet and life.
Here are a few things that may need to be addressed which may help you to avoid your sugar cravings.
MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, many who crave chocolate may actually have a magnesium deficit. Some symptoms include irritability, insomnia and high blood pressure. A statistic I read stated up to 80% of Americans may at some point be deficient in the is mineral! Instead of grabbing chocolate, go for other sources of magnesium which have little no no sugar including nuts, seeds, beans and dark leafy veggies.
IMBALANCED GUT BACTERIA
Another issue which may cause sugar craving is an imbalance in your gut health. Basically, the good bacteria in your digestive system aren't working as effectively as they should. To make matters worse, when we eat sugary foods, it further exasperates the problem! As I mentioned early, sugar molecules actually bind to specif vitamins and minerals and flush them from our system!
Research has shown that consuming sugary foods may cause gut bacteria to become dependent on it. This may cause rejection when healthier foods are added to the digestive system! The good news is, we can reverse this by adding foods with higher amounts of probiotics such as low sugar yogurts and other fermented foods. By re-introducing good bacteria, we can help reverse the cravings!
NOT ENOUGH REST
There are so many adverse health affects from lack of proper rest. I'm not just talking sleep here. Many people can claim they get 8 hours of sleep each night. But, how much is restful, quality sleep? We equate sleep with rest. However, adding non-sleep rest is also important. We are constantly "burning the candle at both ends." taking time to power down for a little while during the day can help prevent cravings as well. It helps relieve stress which can lead to an increased sugar craving.
Lack of rest can leave your body feeling depleted nutritionally. This may lead us to grab sugary foods and energy drinks to compensate. This creates a temporary boost followed by a crash which further leads to a habit of quick refueling once again.
Instead of grabbing an energy drink or candy bar when you feel that mid afternoon slump, go for a quick 10-15 minute walk around the work place, try some stretching etc. Walking and stretching is a great way to unwind, clear the body of stressors and refocus without the added calories or damaging sugars.
TRAINED BEHAVIOR
Think about it, we are animals of habit. Had a bad day at school, you were comforted by sweet foods. Celebrating a birthday, achievement or other occasion? We need a cake right? Working long days, we grab some food on the way home... all processed with hidden sugars! That's correct, from the pizza, to special sauces on burgers etc. We have been conditioned to eat foods processed. From that meal replacement bar we think is healthy to ketchup on that burger at the drive through all condition us to eat sugar.