One of the questions I’m asked most often by my AnneTheRD nutrition counseling clients is what causes sugar cravings – and how to stop them.
Often, their sugar cravings come on strong in the afternoon and again after dinner. “I’ve always had a big sweet tooth,” they say.
Looking around on the internet most of the advice around how to get rid of sugar cravings is talk like “just eat healthier and exercise!” or “cut out all processed foods!” or “eat a naturally sweet alternative, like fruit!”
Well you know what? Those things don’t really work. Here’s what does.
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What causes sugar cravings?
Here’s the deal, guys: it’s not that you have a sweet tooth. It’s just that you are sabotaging yourself.
Here are 3 of the biggest culprits for why your “sweet tooth” is raging – and how to stop it.
1. Not getting enough sleep
I’ve talked about this time and time again on the blog, but it’s so important.
Several studies have linked lack of sleep and increased calorie intake/weight gain in particular. The reasoning behind this is based in the mechanisms involved in regulating metabolism and appetite.
Sleep is the time when our bodies produce hormones that help control appetite. It’s necessary for energy production and glucose processing (aka blood sugar regulation).
When you’re sleep deprived, the body will increase its production of a stress hormone called cortisol and of insulin, the hormone that regulates glucose processing and promotes fat storage.
Have you ever noticed that you’re especially hungry on days you don’t get enough sleep? This is because lack of sleep is associated with lower levels of leptin, a hormone that tells the brain it has had enough food, and higher levels of ghrelin, which stimulates appetite.
And guess what you’re usually craving? The sugary stuff, because your brain wants quick energy. Simply making sure you are consistently getting enough sleep makes a HUGE difference in sugar cravings.
2. Not eating enough earlier in the day
This is probably the biggest one by far for my clients. If you are under-fueling or restricting at breakfast or lunch, then those sugar cravings will come on strong in the afternoon and evening.
Make sure that both breakfast and lunch include a mix of carbohydrates (don’t leave it out or you’ll crave it even more later), protein (really important for making meals satisfying), and healthy fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, etc. – important for keeping you full longer than 3 seconds).
For example, a typical first half of the day of meals from a client dealing with sugar cravings in the afternoon/evening might be cereal and almond milk for breakfast and a salad for lunch.
Then, sugar cravings start in the afternoon and continue after dinner. Here’s why: cereal + almond milk is essentially only carbs – no protein or healthy fat. That means that you’re getting a blood sugar rush and subsequent crash (because protein and fat slow down the digestion and absorption of glucose aka carbs) and are likely hungry again in an hour.
To make that more satisfying, try adding nuts and seeds on top. This will add healthy fat and a little protein, too. Don’t skimp on the serving – the extra nutrients will go a long way with keeping you full.
Then for lunch, add a carb to the salad. Brown rice, wheat berries, barley, sweet potato, and quinoa are great on salads, or have a piece of bread or crackers on the side.
Also, make sure there is some protein (beans, tofu, meat/fish, etc.) on there, too. And don’t forget the healthy fat! Add some avocado if you’re into it, and use a full fat salad dressing – not fat free or low fat – on top.
Here are some more tips to keep you full & help you avoid sugar cravings:
- How to Make {Microwave} Oatmeal More Tasty, Filling, and Satisfying
- How to Eat a Better Breakfast
- 4 Healthy, Quick, and Portable Breakfast Ideas
3. Waiting until you get too hungry to eat
If you wait until you are ravenous before eating, it’s MUCH harder to enjoy your food mindfully and to make rational decisions.
Your body interprets hunger as a form of stress, and our reaction is usually to grab a quick source of energy, like something sweet. “Willpower” has nothing to do with it – you are literally up against biology. But eating BEFORE you are ravenous does.
Start to listen and pay attention more to your hunger cues. Aim to eat when you are about a 3 on a hunger scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being not hungry at all and 5 being super “hangry”).
That way, you can slow down, ask yourself what you want, and calmly eat it – no sweet tooth/hungry panic involved. See also: How to Eat Intuitively | A Guide to Mindful Eating.
I hope these tips help you understand what causes sugar cravings, and how to stop them!
Any other tips to share on how to get rid of sugar cravings? We’d all love to hear them!
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