How to fight the constant craving for sweets
Who hasn't experienced this? Suddenly you get a craving for something sweet, usually in the evening or directly after eating. We find it difficult to resist. This feeling of hunger is particularly unpleasant when you're on a diet. Where does the craving for something sweet actually come from? Does it have a special meaning? And above all: what can you do about it? We'll answer your questions.
Why does the body crave sweets? The causes of sweet cravings
Sugar is a quick and essential source of energy. When the body detects an emergency situation, such as low blood sugar or stress, it craves something sweet to immediately generate new energy. Habits such as dessert after dinner also trigger a desire for something sweet. However, the most common cause of cravings for sweets is the ups and downs in blood sugar levels caused by eating sugary foods.
If you eat foods with a lot of sugar, the blood sugar concentration rises sharply. The body reacts to this by increasing insulin production. This hormone is produced by the pancreas and regulates not only the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins but also the absorption of sugar into the body's cells.[1] A lot of insulin in the blood therefore causes a rapid drop in blood sugar levels. The body registers a supposed hypoglycemia and sounds the alarm - with cravings.
Since low blood sugar levels are not the only cause, but stress, lack of sleep and simple habits can also trigger cravings for sweets, you should observe your body and your behavior closely. Try to find out in which situations in your everyday life you feel the desire for sweets. This will help you to stop the cravings.
Cravings for sweets due to stress
If you are constantly on edge and can hardly find any peace, you will crave sweets. But why is that? Sugar has a positive effect on the reward system and emotion regulation in the brain.[2] If you are stressed, your body tries to compensate for the high stress level with more energy and positive emotions. You suddenly feel a craving for sweets because the body wants to use the sugar to provide more energy and trigger feelings of happiness in the brain. You quickly fall into the trap of comfort eating. The stress therefore increases your desire to eat and can therefore also affect your weight.[3]
The same applies to lack of sleep. Lack of sleep leads to a craving for sweets and therefore eating more, as lack of sleep has a negative effect on the hormonal regulation of hunger and satiety.[4],[5] This usually happens in the evening after eating. However, food intake often exceeds actual needs, which means you eat more than you actually need. That's why you should avoid lack of sleep, stress, pressure and other psychological stress as much as possible. This also applies when you are on a diet. If you put too much pressure on yourself with your goals, you may end up achieving the exact opposite and only get more cravings for sweets.
Cravings for sweets during your diet
If you are currently on a diet, cravings for sweets are particularly difficult to bear. The bad thing about it is that your new eating habits are the trigger for the cravings. If you reduce a certain food or, for example, carbohydrates, the desire for it increases.[6] Therefore, try to start your diet slowly and not give up everything immediately. It is much more difficult to radically change your diet than to change it step by step - ideally with adequate, but lower-calorie alternatives. The risk of falling back into old behavior patterns is much lower and cravings for sweets also become less frequent. Then you will also feel less and less that you need sugar.
To satisfy your cravings for sweets while on a diet, you can use various foods to combat cravings. These include fruits, vegetables, nuts and other healthy snacks. If the desire for chocolate is stronger than your will, reach for dark chocolate. It contains significantly more cocoa and less sugar than milk chocolate. Since cocoa is a natural mood enhancer, you can also use it to positively influence the regulation of emotions in the brain. Due to the intense cocoa flavor and lower sugar content, dark chocolate can stop cravings for sweets more quickly.[7]
Constant cravings for sweets after eating
You've just eaten dinner and are actually full, but you still want something sweet? This can happen frequently and for a variety of reasons. One reason for this can be the typical cause of cravings for sweets - namely a rapid drop in blood sugar levels. If you have eaten a lot of carbohydrates and sugary foods, for example, your blood sugar concentration rises, triggering increased insulin production and then you feel hypoglycemia. Sugar cravings therefore strike immediately after meals.
On the other hand, specific sensory satiety can also lead to a desire for sweets, because full is not always full. For example, if you have just eaten a hearty plate of pasta, your hunger for something hearty is satisfied, but your appetite for something sweet is not. This means that a mild aversion to what you have just eaten is developed. This process is called "psychological satiety". Other tastes are not affected by this and the desire for them increases.
In fact , specific sensory satiety is a protective mechanism of the body to prevent a monotonous diet. It is intended to ensure that the diet is varied and that there is no lack of nutrients. In today's world, where there is plenty of food available, however, this protective mechanism can have rather negative consequences [8] - namely cravings. This also explains why you suddenly feel like eating sweets after eating something salty and vice versa. This means that you consume many more calories than necessary.
Cravings for sweets out of habit
The most elusive cause of sweet cravings is habit. This factor cannot be measured by blood sugar levels, satiety of a particular taste, or hormonal changes. You should try to recognize this phenomenon in yourself, as habits vary. One example is dessert with dinner. If you always eat something sweet after dinner, your body may get used to it and crave sweets as soon as you've eaten your main course. The same goes for snacking in the evening on the couch in front of the TV. If you always do this, it can become a habit and your body can get used to getting something sweet as soon as you sit on the couch. Cravings for salty foods can just as easily creep in if you like to eat a few chips at the end of the day.
The danger of craving sweets out of habit doesn't just lurk at home. Such situations can also arise in the office or on the way home. For example, if you always treat yourself to a small chocolate bar between breakfast and lunch or with your second coffee in the afternoon at work, your body can remember this. It's the same if you always stop at the snack bar on the way home to shorten the wait for the next meal. These are all simple habits that have a big impact on your cravings.
Tips to help against cravings for sweets
With these tips to combat cravings for sweets, you'll know exactly what you can do in the future to satisfy or even avoid your cravings.
1. Protein-rich diet
If you eat a lot of protein , especially for breakfast, you can avoid cravings for sweets.[9] The high protein content keeps you full for longer [10] and has little effect on your blood sugar level.[11] This means there are no major fluctuations that make you want sweets. Try our MORE PROTEIN protein powder and prepare yourself a delicious, protein-rich breakfast.
2. Drink enough
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. This will keep you hydrated and prevent you from feeling like you have an empty stomach, as hunger can quickly turn into a craving for sweets. Next time, try curbing your sweet tooth with a cup of unsweetened tea. Peppermint tea, for example, tastes delicious and gives you the feeling of having eaten something sweet. If tea isn't your taste, you can alternatively reach for a cup of coffee. The caffeine it contains affects the absorption of calories [12], which means you eat less after drinking coffee. Do you want to take advantage of the caffeine effect but still want to drink something sweet? Then try our sugar-free Synergy Energy Drink, for example in the refreshing Iced Tea Peach flavor.
3. Distraction
As soon as you notice your craving for sweets, try to do something else. Go for a walk, talk to friends on the phone, or tidy up a bit. You'll soon forget your craving for sweets. One study even found that playing Tetris on your smartphone can stop various types of cravings, including cravings for sweets. Three minutes of playing time is enough for that.[13] Have fun gaming to combat cravings!
4. Sport
No, you don't have to do an intense workout that knocks you out of your socks to fight your sugar cravings. In fact, a strenuous workout will only increase your hunger because you'll be using up a lot of energy. Go outside at a brisk pace or do some light bodyweight exercises. The short burst of physical activity is enough to keep you from snacking. One study found that after a 15-minute walk at work, you eat only half the chocolate that you would have eaten without exercise.[14] So when you find yourself craving a chocolate bar or other sweet treat, whether at home or at the office, you can try curbing your sugar cravings by getting some fresh air.
5. Avoid hunger
The hungrier you are, the greater the temptation to reach for quick energy sources like sugar. It becomes difficult to resist cravings for sweets. You should eat enough and regularly so that hunger doesn't make you reach for sweets. If you always have a healthy snack ready, you'll be prepared for sudden cravings.
6. Replace sugar with sweeteners
Another tip to combat cravings for sweets is to choose sweets that do not contain sugar but are sweetened with sweeteners. Sweeteners do not affect blood sugar levels [15], so they can prevent further cravings and you still have a delicious, sweet taste that you can use to satisfy your sweet tooth. Our CHUNKY FLAVOUR flavor powder is great for sweetening your meals and drinks. The different flavors bring a lot of variety to your menu. It contains less than 1 gram of sugar per serving and still tastes pleasantly sweet.
7. Brush your teeth
This may sound strange at first, but this trick is your secret weapon against cravings for sweets. You probably remember how food tastes right after brushing your teeth. That's right, not so good. By the time the taste of the toothpaste has gone, you've already overcome the cravings, in the best case scenario.
8. Healthy lifestyle
When fighting cravings for sweets, it is very important to take care of your body and your well-being. Get enough sleep, avoid stress, eat a healthy and balanced diet and do things that make you happy. This can nip many cravings in the bud. If you do get a craving for sweets, reach for sweet fruit. Dried fruit is also the perfect anti-craving snack for on the go. But be careful: Fruit also contains sugar, so don't overdo it!
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