Some call it a sweet tooth, some call it adding to your waistline -- if you crave sweets all the time, you may feel as if your cravings are interfering with your ability to follow a healthy diet. Understanding why you crave sweets and how to minimize your sweet cravings can help you keep sweets from interfering with a healthy diet.
Expert Insight
Sugar cravings can be linked to neurotransmitters in your brain that cause you to feel an overwhelming desire to eat a sugar-containing food. “From an evolutionary point of view, junk food cravings are linked to prehistoric times when the brain’s opioids and dopamine reacted to the benefit of high-calorie foods as a survival mechanism,” said Dr. Leigh Gibson, in a psychologist interview on “Mail Online.” “We are programmed to enjoy eating fatty and sugary substances, and our brains tell us to seek them out.”
Stress
In addition to neurotransmitters that affect cravings, you also may crave sweets when you feel stressed. This is because stress stimulates the production of cortisol in your body, a hormone that can increase your feeling of hunger. You especially crave sweets because cortisol is a hormone responsible for your body’s fight-or-flight response, where your body goes into survival mode. Sugary foods provide you with a quick source of energy to help you deal with stress.
Misconception
A common misconception is that increased sugar cravings are the result of an underlying condition, such as diabetes, according to CNN.com. However, sugar cravings are not a risk factor for diabetes. While diabetes is a condition that affects your blood sugar levels, sweet cravings are more likely the result of skipping a meal or not eating enough. Frequent urination, fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision and excessive thirst are associated with symptoms of diabetes.
Curbing Cravings
If you consistently crave sweets, taking steps to reduce stress in your life can help. For example, engaging in regular exercise and getting adequate amounts of sleep can reduce stress, which can help curb cravings. Eating meals at regular intervals and choosing healthy sources of sweet foods, such as fruits, can help to reduce your cravings while also helping you get nutrients that are low in calories. Berries in low-fat yogurt, sliced apples or strawberries and low-fat whipped topping are some examples.
References
- Women to Women; Explaining Food Cravings; April 2011
- Fit Sugar; Always Crave Sweets After Meals? We've Got the Diet Friendly-Solutions; December 2010
- CNN.com; Does Craving Sweets Mean I Have Diabetes?; Roshini Raj, M.D.; November 2010
- "Women's Health": 7 Ways to Stop Craving Junk Food
- "Mail Online"; Why We Crave Sugar Snacks...and Not Fruit and Veg; Alice Smellie; May 2011
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