Nutrition And Sugar Craving
Change your habits before they change you!
“There’s all kinds of ways to wean yourself off of sugar - because it is like an addiction.”
- Sandra Cisneros
The powerful desire to consume sugar is Sugar Craving. Nowadays it is a bitter part of life. After associating sugary stuff with our emotions, we have made ourselves more vulnerable. From happiness to stress, every mood wants some sugar. And that’s why we are facing a lot of trouble in the health department. Sugar which can result in high blood pressure and diabetes, needs to be avoided. Apart from health issues, it can be remodeled into an addiction.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults get no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar a day.
Some people (including myself) mistake hunger with sugar cravings. Yes, sugar craving happens and it’s feeling like eating sugary foods. But there is a fine line between hunger and cravings. It’s important to know whether you are longing for something without any appetite or you are hungry. To know the reason and then comes the solution.
It’s a battle between what we want and what we need. But a miserable life is worse than a restricted one. So the experience of people suffering from cravings has told me that in two ways nutrition and sugar longing is related. It can either be the cause behind that longing or it can be a solution.
Nutrition as reason:
When we restrict ourselves to fewer foods and follow a very strict diet plan, our mind is unable to differentiate between cravings and appetite. We are suppressing our desires, and they are clawing their way out in other ways. Having a balanced diet is essential because everything has a purpose. Keep in mind, dieting isn’t about starving for flavors, it’s about replacing unhealthy with healthy food.
Nutrition as Remedy:
When you suffer from sugar craving, look for the least risky things. Avocadoes, berries, almonds are considered as good options as they have less sugar content. The natural sugar in fruits and milk is far better than that in processed food and soft drinks. Moreover, they contain other nutrients that are beneficial for you. So, as soon as we crave for sweets (real craving!) instead of eating candies we should look for healthy alternatives.
To curb sugar craving is hard nut to crack because we come across sugary drinks and processed foods everywhere. Many books provide useful information and if we stick to them, we got a chance to mend our ways. The book Freedom from Obesity and Sugar Addiction by Martha L. Pekarek, writer tells us,
“Don’t restrict yourself in any way on healthy eating. Just concentrate on your addiction first. When you are hungry, eat plenty of lean protein, which fills you up. Include many servings of yellow and green vegetables and no more than two to three servings of breads or raw fruits. Also, drink plenty of water.”
It is the time when even toddlers are getting diabetic. I think we need to change our norms. Let’s replace all the sugary stuff with those foods with a low glycemic index. And before correlating any advice, don’t forget to consult your nutritionists as misinterpretation can be deadly.
