Do Sugar Cravings Have You By The Throat?

And What You Can Do About It.

By Carolyn Schropp BS, NC, Functional Nutritional Consultant and Educator at HealthWalk™

It’s that time of year again when it seems like sugar is everywhere. For some of us the push and pull of holiday sweets starts at Halloween and lasts all the way through until New Year’s Day. The craving for sugar can be a powerful urge. And the disappointing truth is that once we start to include sugar into our daily routine, it becomes more and more difficult to stop. As humans we’ve evolved to appreciate the instant energy sugar provides us, and food is a highly emotional topic, especially when it comes to sweets. We often associate sweet foods with love and acceptance. Scientists have looked at our brain chemistry to understand how food can directly affect our “feel-good” neurotransmitters like serotonin. There are many other physical causes for sugar cravings, too, like hormonal fluctuations, intestinal yeast, and stress, to name a few.

Some of my clients ask if sugar is truly addicting, but the answer differpag his depending on the individual. Sugar can certainly be addictive, but this is more of a problem for some individuals than others, because we all have different levels of neurotransmitters and receptors in our brains. These levels vary and change over time depending upon our genetics and lifestyle, what we eat, drink, and feel, where we are hormonally, whether we exercise, and how well we sleep.

Eating is so intimately connected with our biochemistry and our emotions. You may notice there’s a pattern to when you crave sugar. For so many of my clients it is cyclical, occurring nightly after a stressful day at work, monthly just before their periods, or seasonally when the days grow short. Here are some common causes for sugar cravings.

Hormonal fluctuations- Just before menstruation, when estrogen is low and progesterone is on its way down, beta endorphin levels are at their lowest. These cyclical hormonal and neurotransmitter fluctuations may explain why many women who experience PMS also have sugar cravings.

Stress- Any stressful situation can lead to less than optimal eating habits. Stress itself increases cortisol levels, which initially dampen hunger. Once the stress has abated, our hormones of hunger ramp up and refuel. This can lead many women with stressful jobs and lifestyles to a pattern of nighttime cravings, overeating and unwanted weight gain.

A lack of sweetness in your life- Many things in life can affect our serotonin and beta endorphin levels- exercise, balance nutrition, rewarding work, a positive relationship, even a sunny day. The joy we find in our lives speaks to our biochemistry. So when we are lacking positive energy and happiness, it’s not surprising that we seek to fill that void with sugar.

Insulin Resistance- When you are resistant to insulin (which can happen as a result of a long term diet high in refined carbohydrates and low micronutrients), glucose is not able to enter your cells and ends up staying in your blood as a result. This means your cells are starved for the fuel they need to operate, and signals are therefore sent to your brain to increase insulin. This results in cravings for sugar because even though you may be eating enough, your cells aren't able to access the food.  

Intestinal yeast or systemic candidacies - Yeast thrives on sugar. If your intestinal bacteria are out of balance, they are less likely to keep yeast like candida in check. An over growth of yeast in the intestines or system can lead to increased cravings for sugar. At HealthWalk we can work with you to keep these organisms and cravings in check.

Here are some suggestions for a healthy middle ground between no sugar and sugar binges:

Balance your diet- Nourish your body with a balanced diet, full of healthy fats, quality protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. HealthWalk offers personalized nutritional counseling and support based on your individual needs and our Vital Hematology (live blood analysis) and naturopath can analyze your overall health so that there is a comprehensive plan to support your wellbeing.

Incorporate a high quality multivitamins and minerals complex, preferably in liquid or powder form for greater and easier absorption by the body. Good quality whole food vitamins and minerals supplement(s) are essential to cover your nutritional bases, especially in our society of fast food and industrial farming. HealthWalk’s apothecary has excellent ones and our Functional Nutritional Consultant will help you make sound choices and customize a plan that works for you.

Mix protein with pleasure- We indulge ourselves in sugary treats once in a while. Combining these treats with some nuts or other high quality protein will help balance the sugar and insulin surge and allow a gentler increase in blood sugar and insulin. With a less spiky sugar urge to the brain, you’ll experience a less precipitous crash as well.

When you choose to eat sweets, enjoy each bite, savor the flavors and allow the messages to get to your brain before you eat more. Oftentimes when you pause for a moment you will find that you are already satisfied and have less desire for more.

Enhance the sweetness in your life- One of my favorite recommendations for my clients is to go have some fun! We get buried in our work or the day to day responsibilities of raising a family, taking care of elderly parents, managing a household. As women we rarely take the time to nurture ourselves. It is very important to your health to do so on a regular basis. Take a step back to see what makes you happy, and examine the things that are doing the opposite.

Craving sugar or binging on sugar is not usually a reflection of your willpower or your individual strength. It most likely has physical roots, and those roots can be restored to set the foundation for a healthy, lifelong relationship with sugar!

You can find out more at www.Healthwalk.com where there is an array of articles, recipes, natural supplements, nutritional counseling and more. Please contact us at HealthWalk, we look forward to seeing you and helping you to become healthier, happier and more vibrant.