How To Fix Your Sugar Cravings? Experts Share Tips

Are you constantly battling sugar cravings and wondering why they occur? Look no further. Discover the reasons behind those excessive sugar cravings and learn effective ways to overcome them. Factors such as stress, imbalanced diet, and even lack of sleep can contribute to these cravings. By incorporating healthier alternatives, practicing mindful eating, and addressing underlying emotional triggers, you can break free from the sugar trap. Take control of your cravings and pave the way to a healthier lifestyle.

Mugdha Pradhan, Functional Nutritionist and CEO and Founder, iThrive, “Sugar intake causes our blood insulin levels to rise, which in turn activates the pathways for serotonin release in our brain, creating a sense of comfort in us. Sugar also stimulates dopamine, the reward neurotransmitter. The more refined the sugar (higher glycemic index) and the higher the quantity, the more pronounced these effects are. That is why people crave more and more of refined carbs. These mechanisms thus make sugar function like a feel-good drug, making it a highly addictive substance. Because of these effects, sugar helps people cope with stress, negative emotions, mental health issues, and even physical discomfort.”

But it’s definitely not a solution, the more sugar you consume this way, the more your blood sugar rises and the more rapidly it falls later, making you feel worse than before. And then you crave more sugar again and in the long term, suffer from blood sugar imbalances, creating more addiction.

 Reasons for sugar cravings:

Aman Puri, Founder, Steadfast Nutrition, India’s largest Sports Nutrition brand, says, “Sugar cravings are common. However, it can be concerning when one experiences them very often. Sugar cravings can get triggered by several reasons, such as extremely low calorie diets, poor gut health and sleep pattern, insufficient protein, vitamin B12, chromium, and water in the diet, chronically high stress levels, unmanaged blood sugar levels, and others.”

Pradhan believes “The underlying cause of your sugar addiction could be directly due to issues like insulin resistance and diabetes which negatively affect blood sugar levels.”

Micronutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances also contribute to blood sugar imbalances and sugar addiction. “Magnesium deficiency can trigger sugar cravings- include foods such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, peanuts, and bananas to keep magnesium levels in check,” adds Puri.

A comprehensive health screening with a functional medicine practitioner can help you get to the root of your sugar addiction.

Effects of excessive sugar intake

Consuming too much sugar increases the risk of obesity, inflammation, and lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, PCOD, thyroid, and heart diseases, impaired immunity, chronic fatigue, sluggish metabolism, and gut issues.

How to avoid sugar cravings?

Puri shares tips to avoid sugar cravings:

1. Avoid long gaps between meals as it can lead the body to go into fasting mode, making you crave carbohydrates in the form of sugar for instant satisfaction.
2. Add more fluids to your diet, such as coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, fruit-infused water, and vegetable juices to hydrate yourself well and avoid sugar cravings.
3. Include fermented foods in your diet every day, such as homemade pickles and murabba, carrot or rice kanji, idli, dosa, dhokla, and others since these are good for gut health.
4. Have a sound sleep of 7-8 hours every day and keep your stress levels in check to avoid hormonal imbalance, which can further trigger sugar cravings.
5. Include more complex carbohydrates in the diet, such as whole grains, millet, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and others to increase satiety, which reduces the chances of sugar cravings.
6. Choose healthier alternatives to white sugar, such as jaggery, figs, prunes, dates, apricots, black raisins, and stevia.