Sugar Cravings: What to Eat When Craving Sweets

The sugar shortage is one of the problems the Philippines faces now. Besides salt, sugar is one useful ingredient to make many delightful dishes and pastries. Without it, a lot of the food industry will have problems producing products for our consumption. 

While your body needs glucose (a type of sugar) to perform its everyday duties, too much could cause harm than good. Sugar can be found in almost anything we eat. It might appear as glucose, sucrose, maltose, fructose, and many other terms on food labels. 

Sugar can cause a lot of illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. Make sure to avoid eating too much so you won’t regret it later on. Do take note that some food that does not taste sweet could also contain sugar alternatives. 

What can cause you to crave sweets

People who eat sweets most of the time could crave sweets more than people who seldomly eat them. Based on a research review, researchers found that the more you give in to your food cravings, the more you are likely to seek them. In short, if you want to stop taking in too much sugar, you need to stop giving in to your cravings all the time. 

The same research found that when you move more, you could decrease sugar cravings. So the next time you look for something sweet, maybe you could walk or make body movements to avoid reaching for that chocolate bar. 

A small study also found that people who stop eating sweets were able to stop sugar cravings. This led the scientists to believe that removing the sweet taste from someone’s palate could remove cravings altogether. 

So what is the best answer to the question, “What can I take to stop sugar cravings?” Limiting or removing sugar altogether from your daily dishes or meals could help decrease your cravings. You might even lose weight or get in better shape when you eat less sugar. 

What do you need when you crave sweets?

You now know that sugar cravings could be caused by unhealthy eating habits. However, sometimes craving sweets could be caused by a nutrient deficiency. Knowing what could be causing you to find dessert every meal could help you solve that problem of sweet cravings. 

Lack of sleep

You were watching your favorite drama late at night when you noticed that you suddenly wanted to have a taste of the iced coffee the actor was drinking. Not only were you influenced by how tasty the coffee looks on your television, but it was also because you were sleep-deprived. 

A study showed that people who lacked sleep crave high-calorie foods. The more you stay up late, the more you will crave sweets. So if you choose to watch late at night, you might be wreaking havoc on your appetite. 

Dehydration

When your body lacks water, it has a hard time breaking down glycogen to use for energy. As a result, you would crave sweets so you can have the energy to use. Try to drink a glass of water when you suddenly felt like eating sweets. 

Hormonal imbalance

Hormonal changes in your body could cause you to crave sweets. This happens especially to women who experience PMS (premenstrual syndrome). Your hormone ghrelin (aka hunger hormone) is also produced when you sleep very late at night. 

High-carb diet

Have you noticed that when you eat mostly carbs, you get hungry very easily? The reason is that your blood sugar levels would instantly spike when you eat a high-carbohydrate meal. However, as fast as it goes up, your sugar levels drop also quickly. As a result, you will find yourself craving something sweet again in a couple of hours. 

A low-carb diet could help you resist the urge to finish that slice of cake that you have been eyeing. With this type of diet, you could eat more of your favorite meat and leafy veggies. Best of all, you could lose fat. 

What to eat when craving sweets

When you crave sweets, sometimes you need to fill up the craving by eating something else. Check out the list that may help satisfy your sugar cravings. 

• Eat a protein-rich meal. If you feel that you are hungry, try to eat a meal that consists mostly of protein. Your body breaks down carbohydrates easier than protein so, with protein-rich food, you feel full longer. 
• Eat fruits. Fruits also contain sugar so eating a slice or two could help stave off your cravings. 
• Drink a glass of water. When you feel like you are craving sweets, try drinking a glass of water because you might be thirsty. You can also drink tea, as the slightly bitter taste of tea could help remove your sugar cravings. 
• Take supplements. Sometimes your body is missing a few vitamins when you feel the need to eat sweets. You may seek your doctor’s help for a possible lack of magnesium, chromium, zinc, B vitamins, coQ10, and protein. 

How to stop sugar cravings instantly

By ruling out the cause, you could understand why you are always hungry and craving sugar. So when you know that you lack sleep, you can decrease your sugar intake when you change your sleeping habits. If you think that you consume too little water daily, you can monitor your hydration by bringing a water jug with you always. 

Here is a list of what to do when craving sweets:

• Workout. When you feel like eating, try to exercise. So instead of gaining calories, you lose some. 
• Take a hot shower. Some people lose their cravings when they take hot showers. Make sure that when you do, your water temperature is hot enough for it to be uncomfortable but not enough to burn you. 
• Give in to your cravings. Sometimes, it helps to eat what you are craving. Make sure to limit the amount you put on your plate so you have control over how much you eat.

The Takeaway

There are many things you could do to eliminate your sugar cravings. You can try which one works best for you. Do take note that there is nothing wrong when we give in to our cravings sometimes. What is essential is a balance of everything that we take. 

Oftentimes, we are afraid to hurt our diet when we crave something sweet. But you have to remember that a little bit of something bad is not that bad at all. When we know our limitations, we know that eating that block of chocolate or a small slice of cake won’t be bad for our health. 

Just ensure to eat healthily so you can avoid getting sick. Drinking lots of fluid and having enough rest are also just as essential. So don’t be afraid to satisfy your sweet tooth once in a while!