Reducing Sugar Cravings

Sugar is the purest form of energy available to us. While we need sugar to live, we do not need added sugar. However, our bodies may feel like we need that sugar - we crave it. When we are regularly consuming sugary foods and drinks, it can be a hard habit to break. Long term consequences of a high sugar diet include: type 2 diabetes, overweight/obesity, fatty liver disease, chronic inflammation, heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis. While this is a scary list of possible ailments that come from sugar consumption, we do not need to let sugar ruin our lives. 

Causes of Sugar Cravings 

Research has found that the ingestion of sugar leads to lower levels of both opioid and dopamine receptor availability in our brains; it is activating the reward and pleasure centers the same way addictive substances do. This can lead to becoming chemically dependent on sugar. 

When we consume sugar in large amounts, our liver works harder than it needs to. This can lead to an imbalance in our blood sugar levels, put unnecessary strain on our liver, and lead to insulin resistance. When our bodies start resisting insulin, it affects our blood sugar regulation which can result in increased sugar cravings. It can be a vicious cycle. 

Sugar cravings can also indicate that you have an overgrowth of parasites. For example, pancreatic flukes can disrupt your sugar regulation. Many parasites feed off of foods like sugar. The more we feed them, the more they multiply, and the more we crave a sweet treat. Because parasites have the ability to influence neurotransmitters, consuming sugar can feel like a “reward” to your brain, causing you to want more and more. As they continue to live in our bodies, they begin to drain nutrients such as iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins which can cause us to feel drained and look for a “quick fix.” 

Sugar Swaps 

If you would still like to consume sweet treats every now and then there are alternative options that are not only sweet but also contain health benefits. 

Maple Syrup 

Maple syrup is a natural form of sugar found in certain maple trees. The sap from the trees is collected and goes through a process to concentrate the sugars. This results in

the sweet syrup we often put on our waffles or pancakes. While it often gets paired with breakfast food items, it can be a great sugar replacement. Not only is it sweet, it also contains health benefits from the vitamins and minerals that can be found in it which contribute to its anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antioxidant properties 

Honey 

Produced by bees, honey is a natural substance that is often used to sweeten drinks and certain foods. The specific composition of honey depends on its botanical and geographical origin. While mainly composed of sugars, water, and proteins, it also contains enzymes, organic acids, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds. Due to its compounds, honey has natural antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. Other health benefits include having a positive effect on coughs and increasing glucose tolerance. 

*do not give honey to a child under 1 year old due to risk of botulism 

Coconut Sugar 

Coconut sugar is created from the sap of coconut palm trees. While it can be on the pricier side, it is considered a great option for a natural sweetener due to its biochemical properties, vitamins, and minerals. It has a low glycemic index in the 35-54 range which makes it a great sugar alternative for those with type 2 diabetes. 

Finding the Hidden Sugar 

If you are trying to avoid excess sugar, it is important to know what to look for. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as looking for “sugar” on the ingredient label. In fact, there are more than 60 different names for added sugar which can make it tricky to detect. Here are some quick tips on what to look for: 

• Syrup (ex: corn syrup, rice syrup) 
• Words ending in “ose” (ex: sucrose, fructose, maltose, dextrose)
• Juice concentrates 

Learning how to read nutrition labels will help give you a good idea on how much added sugar is in your food. For example, if a food has 15 grams of total sugars and 10 grams of added sugar, you know that only 5 grams of sugar were naturally occurring. You can then look at the ingredient list to determine what the source of the added sugar was. 

Breaking the Sugar Addiction 

Breaking a sugar addiction takes time and effort. Below are a few different things that will help curb those cravings:

• Reach for better choices: If you start craving something sweet, opt for naturally sweet foods like fruit or drink a glass of water. Sometimes we think we are hungry when we are simply thirsty. 
• Avoid processed foods to the extent possible: It is easy for sugars to hide in processed foods. If you are going to be consuming processed foods, create the habit of reading the nutrition and ingredient labels to help you avoid added sugars. 
• Plan and prep: Planning ahead and making meals at home allows you to be in charge of what is in your food. 
• Move your body: When your body is stressed, your body can crave sugar. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and reduce those cravings for something sweet. 
• Focus on sleep: Our sleep habits and sugar cravings are more closely connected than we think. Our stomach produces two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin signals to our brain that we are full while ghrelin sends the message that we are hungry. Our ghrelin levels increase when we do not get good sleep. Pair that with the fact that it becomes more difficult for us to make good choices when tired and we have a harder time passing up a sweet treat to boost our energy instead of a balanced diet. 
• Sugar “Detox:” Cutting out sugar for a period of time allows our tastebuds and brain to adjust. While this may be one of the fastest ways to curb sugar cravings, some people find it difficult quitting cold turkey. 
• Try 1 milligram of chromium per day. Chromium is a trace mineral that helps regulate blood sugar.

Written by McKenzie Brumbaugh, certified Detox Practitioner through The Detox Practitioner's School. Connect with McKenzie HERE.