A patient came to my office recently, in tears. “I can't stop eating sugar!” she wailed. “I try and try but I just can't stop!”
I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation with people in my office. There are several variations on the theme--”I crave sugar at night”/”I have sugar cravings after spicy meals”/”I'm craving sugar in the afternoon”--but the underlying message is the same: “I have a sugar addiction and I don't know how to stop.”
Sugar is in everything. It's all over. Even if you put a slice of lemon in your water, and test the water, the water will test positive for glucose. Glucose is the chemical building block of many foods—breads, dairy products, and fruits, for instance. Managing a sugar addiction isn't like quitting smoking; you can't just go cold turkey because sugar is in a lot of foods that are necessary for a well-balanced diet.
More importantly, sugar cravings are an indication that there's an imbalance, and the reason it's such a strong craving is because the imbalance is in your brain. Sugar is one of the three things your brain needs. The other two are water and amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.) But your brain is just like you—when it's hungry, it wants food NOW. Sugar gets into the blood stream immediately. Therefore, your brain will never tell you, “I need some water,” or “I need some amino acids.” It will only ever tell you, “I need some sugar!” Therefore, staying hydrated by drinking water (not soda, not coffee, not tea) and eating sufficient protein at mealtimes will keep you from craving sugar.
“But I DO eat protein! And I drink TONS of water!” you may say. “My problem is that I am craving sugar after meals!” If you become obsessed with sugar after a meal, it may be an issue of what you're eating. Michael Macaluso, a nutritionist from New York, says that sugar balances strong flavors like peppers, and that eating a meal that includes strong pepper flavors (like Indian or Southwestern Mexican foods) can bring on a sugar craving because your body is trying to balance itself. By the same token, eating a meal with fatty meats, heavy sauces, or high salt content creates a need to balance those heavy foods with something lighter, like sugar. He also suggests eating a dark green leafy vegetables instead of something sweet because the dark green leafy vegetable will balance the heaviness in the same way that sugar will.
If, on the other hand, your sugar addiction doesn't fall into one of the above categories, there may be a deeper issue. Many healthcare professionals have noted sugar cravings when seratonin levels are too low. Seratonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for mood stability and appetite control. Although many people have attempted to control their seratonin levels with the latest class of antidepressants, the best way to moderate mood fluctuations is by balancing seratonin through allergy elimination. The root of the craving may be in your body's relationship with seratonin; however, more frequently, the real problem is in one of the seratonin precursors, such as 5HTP or Tryptophan.
So the next time you start craving sugar, take a moment, take a deep breath. Ask yourself, when was the last time I had a glass of water? Did I have enough protein at my last meal? Did I just eat something spicy or heavy or salty? Or is this an emotional pattern? Understanding the cause is the first step in controlling the symptoms, especially when it comes to cravings and sugar addiction.
http://www.quantumlinkwellness.com
I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation with people in my office. There are several variations on the theme--”I crave sugar at night”/”I have sugar cravings after spicy meals”/”I'm craving sugar in the afternoon”--but the underlying message is the same: “I have a sugar addiction and I don't know how to stop.”
Sugar is in everything. It's all over. Even if you put a slice of lemon in your water, and test the water, the water will test positive for glucose. Glucose is the chemical building block of many foods—breads, dairy products, and fruits, for instance. Managing a sugar addiction isn't like quitting smoking; you can't just go cold turkey because sugar is in a lot of foods that are necessary for a well-balanced diet.
More importantly, sugar cravings are an indication that there's an imbalance, and the reason it's such a strong craving is because the imbalance is in your brain. Sugar is one of the three things your brain needs. The other two are water and amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.) But your brain is just like you—when it's hungry, it wants food NOW. Sugar gets into the blood stream immediately. Therefore, your brain will never tell you, “I need some water,” or “I need some amino acids.” It will only ever tell you, “I need some sugar!” Therefore, staying hydrated by drinking water (not soda, not coffee, not tea) and eating sufficient protein at mealtimes will keep you from craving sugar.
“But I DO eat protein! And I drink TONS of water!” you may say. “My problem is that I am craving sugar after meals!” If you become obsessed with sugar after a meal, it may be an issue of what you're eating. Michael Macaluso, a nutritionist from New York, says that sugar balances strong flavors like peppers, and that eating a meal that includes strong pepper flavors (like Indian or Southwestern Mexican foods) can bring on a sugar craving because your body is trying to balance itself. By the same token, eating a meal with fatty meats, heavy sauces, or high salt content creates a need to balance those heavy foods with something lighter, like sugar. He also suggests eating a dark green leafy vegetables instead of something sweet because the dark green leafy vegetable will balance the heaviness in the same way that sugar will.
If, on the other hand, your sugar addiction doesn't fall into one of the above categories, there may be a deeper issue. Many healthcare professionals have noted sugar cravings when seratonin levels are too low. Seratonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for mood stability and appetite control. Although many people have attempted to control their seratonin levels with the latest class of antidepressants, the best way to moderate mood fluctuations is by balancing seratonin through allergy elimination. The root of the craving may be in your body's relationship with seratonin; however, more frequently, the real problem is in one of the seratonin precursors, such as 5HTP or Tryptophan.
So the next time you start craving sugar, take a moment, take a deep breath. Ask yourself, when was the last time I had a glass of water? Did I have enough protein at my last meal? Did I just eat something spicy or heavy or salty? Or is this an emotional pattern? Understanding the cause is the first step in controlling the symptoms, especially when it comes to cravings and sugar addiction.
http://www.quantumlinkwellness.com
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