None of us need to be told that tons of sugar in the diet isn’t healthy(I hope). We all know that it’s a key driver in obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, not to mention cavities… and the list goes on. In addition, cutting down on it seems to have a positive impact on systemic inflammation and pain as well…. But getting rid of it from your diet is mind-bogglingly hard. Whether it is the hidden sugar in prepared foods, our patterns of eating, the massive amounts that are easily available, or the fact that we’re hard-wired for craving sweet things.
And, while we can’t rewire the brain to not crave sweet things, we can turn down the volume on the craving through 7 fairly simple strategies. But first, we need to understand what we’re up against, the triggers, the psychology, and root causes.
Lets start with the roots causes of sugar cravings
For thousands of years, hunger(the desperate sort where it was literally all you could think about) was a daily and persistent companion. This prompted our ancestors to eat a boatload of sugary things when they were available(like when blueberries were in season). We would scarf down sweet things to fatten up for when lean times would come. We even developed a genetic trait for storing this sugar as fat…and those that stored enough calories survived and gave that gene to you… The downside is that our genes haven’t changed(much) since that time so we still have the cravings to store up for lean times that with modern food production never come. In addition, our lifestyles have changed dramatically. We’re no longer getting 20,000 steps chasing down dinner, walking to get water, or farming that would normally burn those calories. In addition, we’re surrounded by sugar(and calorie) packed food that tastes amazing(and somewhat bypasses your fullness hormones). So, let’s unpack the mechanisms that cause us to overeat sugar(and get to how to overcome them).
Dopamine: Dopamine is a brain chemical that is your “reward” chemical. It gives you a pleasurable feeling to certain actions. Your brain releases it as a reward for “positive” actions like accomplishing a to do list item, winning a game, or exercising. But, the body rewards us with a massive dose of dopamine when we consume sugary foods as well as motivation to keep it up in order to store up for leaner times. In addition, if you’re trying to limit social media this January-guess what-getting likes, hearts, or comments also pumps you full of dopamine-which is why putting your phone down is so hard.
Blood sugar spikes and dips: Have you ever crashed after eating a high carb meal(think Chinese food), or binged on dessert(maybe that’s just me), or watched a kid crash after eating a ton of candy? These spikes and crashes reflect what’s going on inside you-as in your blood sugar. You’ve got a hormone, insulin, and its job is to keep your blood sugar steady. It first shuttles it to your muscles and liver for “quick energy” storage then to your fat cells for long term storage. The problem comes when we’re not using our muscles and so insulin takes it straight to the fat cells. So, what goes up-must come down and so we get that sugar high, insulin comes in and does its job, and we get the crash(and craving to get that sugar back up). Does this mean that all carbs are bad(or carb cravings are bad)? No, some carbs such as fruits, green veggies, and root vegetables have a ton of fiber that blunts the sugar spike and limits the crave.
Super tasty: Sugar along with fat and salt are 3 keys for making anything super stimulating to our tastebuds. We’re hardwired to crave these super-palatable foods(remember-we’re saving up for “lean times”). And guess what nearly all the aisles of the supermarket are stocked with??? You guessed it, these super-tasty items. What’s more is that they generally don’t fill you up. You can have a sugary snack before a meal and still pound the same amount of calories during the meal. And sugary drinks probably cause the most damage as they spike your sugar-give you tons of calories-and then you crave more food after.
Habit: Guess what-if you’re in the habit of a late night snack, dessert, or “reward”, your body will start to anticipate that “reward” around your usual time of having it…so you’re fighting yourself as well.
So, how do we fix this
7 Ways to Lower Sugar Cravings, Eat less sugar, and not Suffer
Hydration: Did you know that many of our cravings for sugar are hydration cravings in disguise? In fact, when we decide to switch water for that craving, we can usually short-circuit it. This helps us break that dopamine cycle. Now, if you find yourself moody, uncomfortable, or headachy-that might be a sign that your short on some electrolytes-using an electrolyte powder like LMNT(my favorite), or Liquid IV often helps sort that out. This is probably the hardest part…sugar withdrawal is a real thing…but try to ride it out a few days and you’ll notice that it starts to go away.
Going Low Carb or Keto: Switching where your nutrients come from i.e. carb dominant to protein/fat dominant starts to retrain your system to use different energy sources(i.e. fat) for its main source of energy. It does take some time to become “fat-adapted” on Keto and there’s tons of books on how to do this safely and effectively and that’s not the focus of this article. In addition-when we’re using more fat and protein as our energy sources, our blood sugar doesn’t spike(and plummet) and we produce less hunger hormones(ghrellin and neuropeptide Y)
Getting enough Protein: Speaking of switching out calories, did you know that protein is more filling/satisfying gram for gram and helps you feel fuller for longer(plus if your body really needs carbs, it can be converted to carbs for use). It triggers hormones that help you feel full and stay full. Plus, it takes more calories to process it(so it actually helps you burn more calories just by eating it).
Getting enough electrolytes: So, cutting the sugar does a couple of things. If we’re going low carb, it actually increases sodium loss(you pee it out). Second, if you’re eating whole foods i.e. nothing in the middle of the grocery store, it typically has very little sodium. Like in point 1, sugar cravings can also be salt cravings in disguise(and they’ve even tested this in rats-who were sodium deprived…guess what-they went after sugar to take care of their salt craving).
Getting enough sleep: Guess what-if you’re not getting at least 7 hours of sleep, sugar cravings will be irresistible. Why? Less than 7 hours makes you both ravenous and have low impulse control(which is great when somebody brings donuts to the office).
Mind your environment: This is difficult, especially if you have little kids around who always have the tastiest snacks and have no trouble burning it off. Put short, if you’ve got sugar around, you are more likely to eat it.
Riding it out: There’s a natural ebb and flow to sugar cravings meaning that they don’t keep increasing over time. In fact, when you ride out the sugar craving, it will actually go back down and you start to break that dopamine reward cycle. Using non-nutritive sweeteners like monkfruit or stevia seem to also help with this as well.
So there you have it, never said it would be easy but it is doable. Now, if you do have questions or have special dietary concerns-don't just cold turkey your nutrition-get qualified help(and a blog doesn't qualify).
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About the Author
Dr. Brandon is the owner and a Physio at Body Mechanix Physiotherapy and Fitness. Four of his favorite people call him daddy while he's been married to his other favorite person for 20 years. He enjoys teaching martial arts and is a Mestrando in Capoeira while in the mornings, he can be found working out with the guys in F3 around town. He's the author of 4 pain relief guides for sciatica, low back, shoulder, and knees and the lead contributor to the Active Tallahassee Blog.
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