How to Control Your Sugar Cravings
By Sara Butler
Too much sugar isn't good for you, but it sure tastes good. A lot of people struggle with controlling their cravings for the sweet stuff, often feeling powerless to turn down the cookies in the break room or dessert after a meal. If you are one of those people, you're not imagining your compulsion to eat sugar. Sugar releases feel-good hormones in the brain when you eat it, so you naturally will crave it in order to feel that pleasure again. Here's what you need to know about sugar in your diet and a few realistic ways you can cut down on your sugar consumption.
Can You Be Addicted to Sugar?
From a medical perspective, you technically cannot become addicted to sugar. But sugar does stimulate the reward center in the brain in a similar to the way substances become addictive to people. That means when you cut back on your sugar intake, it's likely you'll experience sugar cravings for at least a couple of weeks. You may even have headaches. The good news is that it'll only last for a couple of weeks and after that your body will adjust to not having the sugar you were getting before.
Tips to Kick Sugar
If you've tried to cut back on sugar before and weren't successful, then here are a few realistic tips you can use to help you stay sane while reducing excess sugar in your diet:
- Go for moderation - Instead of eliminating sugar outright in your diet, consider keeping tight control over it instead. If you can find a way to balance sugar as a part of your healthy diet, then there's no need to cut it out completely.
- Eat more often - When some people skip meals, then they crave sugar. So make sure to eat your three main meals per day with a mixture of healthy and filling snacks to make sure you never go hungry -- which can lead to less desirable choices.
- Eat more protein - If you can increase the amount of protein in your diet, then you may be able to reduce sugar cravings.
- Reduce gradually - Instead of cutting out 90 percent of the added sugar in your diet all at once, consider slowly filtering it out.
- Find hidden sources - The worst kind of sugar in your diet is the hidden sugar you don't even know you're eating. Make sure to look at added sugar on nutrition labels before enjoying a food.
It's important to control the amount of sugar you eat and one way to do that is to control the cravings! Talk to your chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic if you need more help curbing the sugar in your diet.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in St. Louis, Mo.