Do you Love Sugar? Here are Top Reasons why You have Sugar Cravings
05-09-2017 | Posted By: Chhavi | 3108 View(s)
So, here I am sitting in the office and my colleague is sitting right next to me enjoying chocolate. She offers me a piece of chocolate bar, and I refuse! Heck, yeah, you can hate me for refusing chocolate, but that’s what I am, I do not love eating sugary foods. But, she loves it. In a day, I hear her say at least five times, ‘Chhavi, I want to eat something sweet.’ And so, this question popped up into my head, why she has so much sugar cravings? Why not is this craving for something else? And, so I decided to explore more on this area, and today I am going to tell the reasons behind our love for sugar.
Why do we have Sugar Cravings?
It is quite common for both men and women to have sugar cravings, and this craving originates from both physical and psychological reasons. Various studies haves shown that sugar is highly addictive. And there are many reasons why we get addicted to sugar. So, friends let us discover the reasons behind sugar cravings.
1.Sugar Gives You a Quick Energy Kick
Do you eat a piece of chocolate or an ice cream when you feel tired? Well, most people do! And, actually, sugary foods give us an instant energy.Your body has the tendency to convert sugar into energy quickly, and hence, when we feel tired and restless and need fuel, we grab something that has sugar in it. Sugar cravings can also be a result of eating fewer meals throughout the day or eating meals that lack carbs, protein, and fiber.
It is because when you are hungry and have not eaten for a few hours, your blood sugar levels drop and you feel restless and tired. When you eat sugary stuff, your blood levels rises instantly, and you feel energized.
So, fellas, one reason why you love to eat sugar can be that you just want to boost your energy and feel fresh all the time. Now, the thing is how to avoid it? Well, you can munch on healthy snacks like almonds, walnuts or eat a fresh fruit when you feel tired.
Another trick is that you should eat five to six meals per day so that you do not get hunger cravings and end up eating chocolates or sweets. Your meals should include foods packed with complex carbs, fiber and protein, as they make you feel full for a longer time and also gives you energy.
Also Read: Sugar-Free Products for Weight Loss- Myth or Fact?
2.Sugar Helps you Combat Stress
Do you grab a sweet when you feel stressed at work? If you do, then don’t be surprised! Stress is one of the reasons why people love eating sugar. When we feel low and depressed, our body releases the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone, in turn, releases sugar into the bloodstream which makes us crave more sugar. This is also one of the major factors why we get belly fat around the mid section.
Several studies show that eating sugar helps people combat stress. There is a famous scene in the movie ‘Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban’, where Professor Lupin offers chocolate to Harry Potter when the latter fights dementors. It is because dark chocolate is known to combat stress and make people relaxed.
So, that can be another reason why you crave sugar so much. A study published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism discovered that sugary beverages were helpful in combating the onset of stress.
A research was conducted where 19 women participated in the 12-day study. Eight of the participants consumed artificially sweetened beverages containing Aspartame, while the other eleven consumed drinks containing table sugar.The participants were given mathematical tests that were difficult to perform, and the pre and post-drink saliva cortisol samples were taken of the participants along with the functional MRI scans.
The results did not show any such differences in cortisol levels prior to the diet, but when post-diet MRI results came; it was found that cortisol levels were higher in the Aspartame group as compared to those who were in the group that consumed drinks with table sugar in it.
So, it means that stress triggers our taste buds to crave sugar, and hence we end up eating lots and lots of sweets. You know well, that eating too much sugar causes a lot of health problems, including Diabetes. And, so don’t you want to end these cravings so that you can keep diseases at bay? You must be thinking what better you can do to beat stress other than grabbing a piece of cake, isn’t it? Well, I am here to give all your answers! You can practice meditation exercises, go for a walk, play with your pet or get a hot oil massage to get rid of stress.
3.It Gives you Comfort
It is common to crave sugar when you experience certain emotions. Now, these emotions can be anything such as boredom, loneliness, sadness or even happiness. There are many people who seek emotional comfort from sugary foods, and that is how they develop an emotional connection with sweets, as a result of which they get sugar cravings whenever they feel extreme emotions.
So, why do you actually feel comfortable when you eat sugary foods? Well, you do because when you eat sugary foods, it raises serotonin levels in your body; serotonin is a happy hormone that makes you feel relaxed. And so, you feel happier for a short period of time. So, if you find yourself munching on sweet snacks when you are bored or happy, then you may be eating for comfort and your love for sugar might be the psychological response to boredom or happy situations.
4.You Just Love Its Taste
Now, this is an obvious reason. Sometimes, you don’t have the reason why you have so much love for sugar. It is just because it gives satisfaction to your taste buds and you know it is delicious. It is a fact that people desire things that are tasty and gives them pleasure, and sugar helps in both of them. Now, you must be wondering how eating sugar gives you pleasure? Ok, let’s unfold this mystery now! When you eat something that has sugar in it, your brain releases a chemical called opioids which boost the feelings of pleasure and happiness.
However, unfortunately, once your taste buds get addicted to sugar, you will find it impossible to quit sugar as it lurks in so many foods you are not even aware of. You can easily find sugar in sauces, ketchup, cereals, yogurt and even bread. So, it is always best to read the label while you buy grocery items.
5.You love it Because Maybe Your Parents Loved it Too
Yes, genetics play a major role in making you love sugar. There might be a chance that you have a sweet tooth because your father, mother or maybe your grandparents loved sugar too! A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that up to half of a person’s tendency to crave sugar can come from genetic factors.
But, don’t think that genetic factors can influence you too much! You can give up eating too much sugar by eating smaller, healthier meals throughout the day and also stock your pantry with healthy foods to avoid temptation.
6. Hormonal Changes Can Also Cause Sugar Cravings
Sometimes, hormone fluctuations can also lead to sugar cravings. Women, especially during their menstruation cycle, often crave sweets. Not just in women, even men deal with hormone fluctuations which make them love sweets more than ever. The major reason behind this is that your hormones regulate how the body uses and processes energy, and hormone problems can trigger cravings to get instant energy the easiest way which is of course provided by sweets. And, that is the reasons that whenever men or women face hormonal imbalance or hormonal deficiencies, it leads to sugar cravings.
To curb those cravings, you should eat healthy meals throughout the day, exercise, drink at least 3 liters of water and get plenty of rest.
7. You Don’t Eat A Healthy Diet
When your diet is not rich in essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs, it leads to malnourishment. Now, that triggers signals in the brain to get calories quickly so that you can be fueled up which makes people reach for sugar.
The best solution to this problem is that you change your diet and opt for foods which are rich in nutrients and essential minerals so that these cravings can stop.
So, now that you have understood the reasons why we crave sugar, you must also take some steps to control these cravings. After all, sugar is not so good for your health as it leads to several health problems. Hence, adopt healthy eating habits and make some lifestyle changes to curb these cravings. If you think you overeat sugar and are not able to control these cravings, do consult a doctor as this can be a warning sign of a health problem.
