Do cravings for sweets leave you feeling guilty and out of control? Sugar cravings are very common especially during the festive season we crave for sweets. And sometimes it becomes difficult to stop them. But because we all know what bad effect added sugar has on our body, we want to leave it. So, How to overcome sugar cravings?
In today’s article we are going to discuss this. But first let us know what can be the reasons behind having sugar cravings?
Reasons behind sugar cravings
Dehydration– Whenever we have sugar cravings, one reason could be the lack of fluid in our body.
Due to lack of fluid in the body, we can have sugar cravings. Because when our body needs fluid, our body cannot metabolize glycogen properly and we need instant energy.
Because added sugar is an instant energy booster, we have sugar cravings.
Habit– Whenever we eat our favorite sweet, dopamine is released in our body. Which is a feel good hormone, hence eating sweet makes us feel good and it becomes a habit in us. And we feel like eating sweets again and again.
Lack of sleep– Sleep is a very important factor in our overall health.
Even when we do not sleep properly, we feel lazy and our body needs instant energy.
And this could also be a reason behind our sugar cravings.
Lack of magnesium– Magnesium is a nutrient with the help of which cells are able to absorb energy. And whenever there is a deficiency of magnesium in the body, our cells are not able to absorb energy.
As a result, we need something to boost energy and we crave sugar.
Gut health– There are many bacteria in our gut that help maintain our gut health.
But if we eat too much added sugar then these bacteria eat the sugar from our diet. Which can lead to sugar cravings in humans.
So these were some reasons behind our sugar cravings.
Now that we have seen the reasons, let us know some of their solutions.
Drink water– Now we have seen that whenever your body needs water, you have sugar cravings . And now whenever you have sugar cravings, you have to drink water first.
Try drinking 2 to 3 liters of water daily to overcome sugar cravings.
Sleep– We should get 6 to 8 hours of sleep. So that when we wake up we feel energized. And do not need any instant energy in the form of added sugar. This will reduce our sugar cravings.
Eat nutrient rich diet– Due to deficiency of nutrients in our body, we also have sugar cravings. For example if we have deficiency of magnesium in our body, we will crave chocolates.
We should eat a balanced diet. So that we do not have sugar cravings due to deficiency of nutrients in our body.
Add Yoga or Meditation in your daily routine– Sugar cravings can also occur due to stress in humans,
We have to focus on reducing as much stress as possible. So that sugar cravings can also occur as less as possible. And to reduce stress as much as possible, we should include Yoga, Meditation, daily workout, etc in our daily routine
Read More: 7 Days No Sugar Challenge for Weight Loss
Switch to natural sugar– Sometimes, when we have sugar cravings, we can eat natural sugar. For example, jaggery and honey, but that too in limited quantity because sugar is sugar after all.
Conclusion
This was all about How to overcome sugar cravings? Apart from this, sugar cravings depend on our daily life routine like our eating habits, workout routine, sleep schedule, etc.
So to control sugar cravings, we should take care of these things.
Reducing sugar cravings is a journey and you have to have patience in this journey. Sometimes sugar cravings can become too much. And sometimes it becomes difficult for you to control after seeing your favorite sweet in front of you. But always remember that our ultimate goal is Added sugar has to be removed from your diet. You can sometimes treat yourself to some sweets.
