WHY AM I STILL CRAVING SUGAR?

WHY AM I STILL CRAVING SUGAR?

Giving into a sugar craving isn’t just about willpower. The science on sugar addiction is pretty clear. Eating sugar causes your brain to release opioids and dopamine, which are the neurotransmitters most often associated with the rewarding effects of drug or alcohol abuse.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that sugar can decrease immunity, and if you already have a compromised immune system or digestive system, sugar is the last thing you need.

Autoimmune diseases, which are growing significantly in our population right now, and bowel disease, are all affected by the use of sugar.

Sugar promotes inflammation. Low-grade inflammation is the source or beginning stage of almost all chronic disease – including heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, obesity, dementia and Alzheimer’s, depression and chronic pulmonary disease.

Steady doses of sugar intake send blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster ride that should remain relatively stable. When you consistently spike blood sugar, you will chronically elevate your insulin levels as well. Elevated insulin contributes to inflammation, hormone imbalance (and remember, you have over 50 hormones), weight gain, and… you guessed it… more sugar cravings.

Artificial sweeteners provide no sense of fullness or satisfaction in the brain centers, yet they retrain the taste buds to require more and more sweetness. As a result, they promote sweet addiction, more cravings and weight gain.

Another culprit in sugar cravings is depression or a low mood. Sugar increases our serotonin release. This is another neurotransmitter that plays a role in our mood, among other things. So, when you eat those sugars or high-glycemic carbs, your serotonin gets a nice boost of “happy.” However, this is only temporary.

Another factor at play along those same lines is inadequate carbohydrate intake. So, while it’s fine to reduce your carb intake for a while, you need to make it the right carbs that you reduce, and enjoy the lower-glycemic fruits and vegetables.

Inadequate protein intake is another factor connected to sugar cravings. Just like carbs, your body also needs protein. Protein and healthy fats help to stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Another sugar craving factor is a lack of quality sleep. Lack of proper sleep reduces blood sugar levels and kicks off sugar cravings. Your body will also produce more of your hunger hormone, leptin, and produce less of your “full” or satiety hormone, ghrelin.

Ghrelin signals to the brain that you are full. So, when you produce less, you will end up eating more than you need. A lack of sleep sets you up to overeat the following day. Not only do you end up craving sweet foods with your appetite-regulating hormones out of balance – you also crave a lot of them!

Stress raises our cortisol levels, which affects blood sugar, inducing a sugar craving. Stress can catch the blame for just about anything, and it affects many systems within your body.

Having a hypothyroid has long been known to lead to hypoglycemia. So, low thyroid leads to low blood sugar. Once again, when those blood sugar levels drop, your body is doing innately what it knows to do to right itself, which will cause you to get that blood sugar back up and balance out your levels.

Bottom line – it’s important to understand the source of your cravings. Your health depends on it. It’s not just about weight. Your body is trying to communicate something important to you when you crave sugar, and once you are able to address the cause of your cravings and not just the craving itself, you will no longer need to try and muster up willpower to battle your cravings every night.