Sugar is known to have an effect on the brain similar to stimulants. In fact, quickly removing it from your diet can cause withdrawal symptoms, including fatigue, depression, headaches, and muscle aches. No wonder it isn't easy to quit.
Why are we craving for sugar by the way? Is there any reason that our body is telling us? Would it be any possible deficiency?
What Causes Sugar Cravings
The more sugar you eat, the more your body has to make internal fat to wrap the
corrosive sugar in and keep it away from your vital organs. Sugar, not fat, is mostly
responsible for the growing obesity problem. Its addictive flavour makes a person eat one for comfort and add some more. Until it is hard to stop. A person who usually craves for more sugar are those with low mood swings and emotionally down.
Since artificial sweeteners Are quick to reach due to its accessibility, a person has the best reason to eat comfort food with a high dosage of added sugar, thus craving level goes high.
The trick is to give your body what it needs to allow it to fuel itself naturally. We experience added sugar cravings because we don’t provide sufficient nourishment for our bodies, and it seeks quick energy fixes from carbohydrates.
According to one research, sugar consumption increases serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, memory, and social behavior. Therefore, it makes us feel happier temporarily, and when the feeling dissipates, we crave this happy chemical again.
We can boost our serotonin levels through diet, exercise, adequate consistent sleep, and supplements. Once your body learns (or re-learns) to receive vital energy from beneficial sources, it will no longer require the quick energy from carbs, and the cravings will stop. And by cutting sugar, you will be doing a great favor to your mind and body.
Although your brain can be a challenge to your willpower, there can be foods in your diet that trigger your longing for sugary foods. One dietary culprit is low protein intake. Because protein and fats slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream when you don’t consume enough of them your blood sugar can rise and fall at an abnormal rate. The result? Your body craves quick energy from sugar.
Blood sugar issues
Many sugar cravings stem from a blood sugar imbalance. It is the triggering factor that is uncontrollable and only depends on how a person can motivate himself not to get indulge with added sugar. When your body ingests sugar, your blood sugar spikes, and your body releases insulin to lower it to a safer level. If the insulin brings your blood sugar level a bit too low, as often happens, your body craves foods that will raise it and increase your energy. You're on a blood sugar roller coaster, and it's hard to get off it. The key to balancing blood sugar is to eat foods that prevent too much insulin from being released, such as protein and healthy fats, and consuming only small amounts of sugar (if any). It's also important to eat regular meals and snacks because blood sugar drops when you skip a meal.
Sometimes we experience cravings that are nothing but a habit. Perhaps throughout your childhood, you watched your parents overeat on Thanksgiving, so now you do the same, bingeing on pie, for example, even when you are not hungry. Or perhaps you've spent decades reaching for chocolate to combat stress, or relying on ice cream to soothe sadness. Listen to cravings and try to determine their root: true hunger, emotional eating, or habit.
Calcium, zinc, chromium, and magnesium imbalances can manifest themselves as sugar cravings. Without sufficient consumption, absorption, and storage of these minerals, you might be experiencing abnormal reactions to the thought, sight, or smell of something sweet.
Here are the 5 most common nutrient deficiencies that cause you to crave for more comfort food rich in added sugar.
1. IRON
Some vegetarians are surprised to find that they may occasionally experience meat cravings, and this is likely a result of an iron deficiency. Women who are going through certain phases of their menstruation cycle or pre-menopausal women also have these cravings.
2. OMEGA-3S
Omega-3 fatty acids are very important to our overall health, and when you don’t get enough, your body sends signals of cravings that may make you overeat. If you do not include high-quality fish in your diet, add seaweed sources to get this important nutrient and keep yourself from overeating.
3. B VITAMINS
Your essential B Vitamins are B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin).
4. MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM
Magnesium is a mood booster that is almost as effective as lithium in many people. As a result of not getting enough magnesium, which is filtered out of most bottled and filtered waters, our moods are depressed or unstable and we binge eat to try to make up for our less than happy mood.
When you binge eat, you might crave sugar.
5. ZINC
A deficiency in the nutrient zinc can cause your digestive system to not function properly, resulting in the discomfort of diarrhea. Other signs of zinc deficiency include foggy thinking, thinning hair, poor immune system function, and skin rashes. Your body may be craving this essential nutrient, and a deficiency in zinc may make you crave for sweets just to get what your body needs.
Craving for sweets can lead to weight gain, which is something that most of us are trying to avoid. Your binge snacking or continuous grazing throughout the day is hurting your health.
A simple way to help you with your no-added-sugar diet goals is having richberry as part of your meal. Find out how miracle berry from richberry can help you eliminate these unnecessary cravings and help you reduce your sugar intake.
Citations:
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/5-nutrient-deficiencies-make-overeat/
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