Have you ever experienced a sugar craving so intense you could barely resist it? If so, you’re not alone. The problem with sugar cravings is that they can quickly send your healthy eating habits off the rails because they are so overwhelming. As a result, you are at risk of weight gain and conditions like diabetes,tooth decay, and gum disease. If you’ve ever wondered how to stop craving sugar, keep reading.
Possible Medical Reasons For Sugar Cravings
There are several possible medical reasons that could be the cause of your sugar cravings, thanks to fluctuating blood sugar levels. These include medications you take, possible hormonal imbalances, and health conditions like diabetes. However, you might also be experiencing psychological stress, or you may even be addicted to sugar. If you find your sugar cravings are overwhelming and occur more often than you’d like to admit, speak to your doctor to determine the cause.
Can Sugar Cravings Be A Sign Of Diabetes?
Yes, it could be possible that diabetes is causing increased appetite and thirst due to rising blood sugar levels that can contribute to sweet urges.
Diet And Deficiencies Causing Sugar Cravings
If you are in good health, your diet and potential related deficiencies might be at work:
Diet And Sugar Cravings
If you tend to bulk up on processed carbs and sugar-packed foods, this can lead to sugar cravings. Although you’d think eating these foods would satisfy your urges, the more of these unhealthy food choices you make, the more intense your sugar cravings become. Processed carbs are what are known as “refined” carbohydrates. That means they have minimal and, often, absolutely no nutritional value.
When you eat them, they provide unwanted empty calories, which can contribute to weight gain. Worse yet, when you eat them, your blood sugar skyrockets for a short while, leading to a sudden crash. It’s that sudden drop in blood sugar that creates those intense sugar cravings.
Deficiencies And Sugar Cravings
There’s a chance that eating unhealthy carbs is either a) leading to deficiencies or b) outbalancing a healthy intake of nutrients. Deficiencies that can lead to sugar cravings might include:
Magnesium: Magnesium is required to convert food into energy. If you have a deficiency, it can make you feel tired due to a lack of energy which can lead to urges for sugar as a boost.
Chromium: Chromium contributes to sugar and insulin regulation, and without enough, you can experience increased hunger. This can lead to an urge for sweeter foods we think will curb our hunger faster.
Iron: Low iron levels can make us tired, so we crave sugar for an energy boost.
Calcium: Although most of us know calcium is good for healthy bones and teeth, we might not realize it plays a vital role in staying hydrated. If you lack enough calcium, you can become dehydrated, causing lethargy, and need something to boost energy – namely sugar.
Again, if you experience constant sugar cravings, speak to your doctor to discuss possible causes.
Fighting Sugar Cravings Sans The Willpower
A lack of willpower is discouraging and can make it difficult to overcome your cravings. However, because there could be a medical reason for your urges, whether it is a condition, deficiency, or poor diet, willpower alone won’t be enough. Instead, you need a few strategies to fight sugar cravings based on the reason for your cravings. Here are some examples:
Not eating proper meals? Eat a healthy snack to curb your hunger, like fruit and veggies, or enjoy a naturally sweet herbal tea like mint or vanilla.
Just wolfed down too many carbs? Sip on one of those sweet herbal teas to overcome sugar urges.
Craving sugar because you had a few too many? Rehydrate with water and enjoy a healthy salty snack like cheese or olives.
How To Avoid Sugar Cravings
Some quick tips to avoid and overcome sugar cravings include:
Eat regular meals to maintain calorie intake, increase energy levels and maintain healthy blood sugar levels
Avoid massive servings of carbs, especially salty ones
Eat salty snacks that aren’t carby, like olives, pickles, or cheese
Brew some herbal tea
Reduce alcohol consumption
Improve your diet so you get enough protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates while reducing your intake of refined carbs and sugars
Fruit and berries are sweet and satisfying whether enjoyed on their own, in smoothies, with yogurt, etc.
Dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa is packed with healthful polyphenols making it excellent for cravings related to a magnesium deficiency but also for urges for something yummy and sweet
Instead of salty snacks like chips that will make your cravings worse, reach for a bag of satisfying seeds like chia, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.
Yogurt provides protein and calcium, but read the label to avoid those containing high amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners
Dates are nature’s candy with a sweet taste and pleasing chewy texture, enjoyed on their own or in a wide variety of pure date and nut snacks available at your local grocery store
Smoothies are quick and delicious and can be made with your choice of frozen fruits, milk products, and yogurts
Prunes can be an excellent choice, with a more intense flavour than dates – just beware, as they can have a risky laxative effect
Create homemade trail mix with dates, raisins, coconut, and an assortment of nuts
Raw crunchy veggies with unsweetened dips like tzatziki, Baba ganouj, or hummus are great snacks to curb sugar urges
Remember, natural sugars like maple syrup or honey might be a go-to if you can’t overcome your urge, but they really aren’t helping and might even worsen matters. The same can be said of artificial sweeteners.
How To Stop Craving Sugar — The Bottom Line
If your sugar cravings seem never-ending, speak to your doctor to determine what is causing them. You can also use these tips to help improve your diet to avoid gum disease and tooth decay, as well as weight issues that can lead to diabetes.
Doctor Christopher Li, DDS Dr. Chris, as he is affectionately known, is a licensed dentist with over 20 years experience. His caring personality makes even the most tentative person at ease. Patients are constantly commenting about how Dr. Chris is incredible at delivering pain-free freezing, and how he has an amazing chair-side manner. Dr. Chris loves sharing information with his patients and everyone who has teeth about how to care for their teeth, avoid tooth decay, and the treatments available to help them overcome their tooth pain or other dental issues so they can enjoy life and food to its fullest!
Never miss a good story!
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest trends!
low iron sugar cravings, how do you stop craving sweets, craving sugar deficiency, constant sugar craving, sugar craving mineral deficiency, stop craving sugar, dr sugar dentist, how to deal with sugar cravings, craving sugar, stop sugar cravings, sugar craving deficiency, what deficiency causes sugar cravings, craving sugar means diabetes, how to stop a sugar craving, how to not crave sugar, avoid sugar cravings, how do you stop sugar cravings, how to suppress sugar cravings, how to stop a craving, diabetes sugar cravings, how do i stop craving sweets, what deficiency causes sugar craving, craving sugar diabetes, how to stop craving sugar and carbs, stop craving sweets, medical reasons for sugar cravings, how to control sugar cravings, how can i stop craving sugar, how to avoid sugar cravings, how to stop the craving for sugar, what deficiency causes carb cravings, how to resist cravings for sweets, herbal tea to stop sugar cravings, how to stop.cravings, how to stop cravings for sweets, always craving sugar, how to stave off sugar cravings, how to stop the sugar cravings, how to stop cravings, how to fight sugar cravings, how to get rid of sugar cravings, what to eat when craving sugar, how to stop craving sweets, how to stop hormonal sugar cravings, how to stop craving sugary foods, how to stop craving food, how to curb sweet cravings, how to stop craving sugar, magnesium for sugar cravings, diabetes sugar craving, which deficiency causes sugar cravings, how to reduce sugar cravings, how do i stop craving sugar, prevent sugar cravings, how do i get rid of sugar cravings, stop sweet cravings, how to stop sugar cravings, is craving sugar a sign of diabetes, stop the sugar cravings, how to combat sugar cravings, how to stop sweet cravings, sugar stopper, how to stop craving, tea that stops sugar cravings, how to stop craving sweet, how to stop the cravings, curb cravings, curb sweet cravings, crave for sugar, how to stop craving candy, stop sugar craving, overcoming sugar cravings, how to curb sugar cravings, craving sugar and diabetes, severe sugar cravings, how to avoid sweet cravings, how to stop candy cravings, how to stop craving for sweet, how can you stop sugar cravings, sudden sugar cravings, how do i stop sugar cravings, how to stop sugar craving, how stop sugar cravings, reasons for sugar cravings, craving for sugar, magnesium and sugar cravings, best way to stop craving sugar, iron deficiency and sugar cravings, constant sweet cravings, craving sugar sign of diabetes, healthy snacks to curb sugar cravings, sugar craving sign of deficiency, how to curb cravings, how do i stop craving food, how to fight sugar craving, craving crunchy food deficiency, how do you stop craving sugar, curbing sugar cravings, diabetes and sugar cravings, how to reduce cravings, sweet craving deficiency, sudden sugar craving, how do you stop sweet cravings, the sugar stop, how to curb sugar craving, how to cut sugar cravings, how to defeat sugar cravings, craving sweets deficiency, foods that stop sugar cravings, constant craving for sweets, stop sugar crave, how to overcome sweet cravings, sugar cravings reasons, how to eliminate sugar cravings, how to stop intense sugar cravings, how to eliminate cravings, sugar craving reasons, how to avoid cravings for sweets, iron deficiency sugar cravings, how to reduce cravings for sugar, how to resist sugar cravings, how to stop craving carbs and sugar, how to fight cravings, how to beat sugar cravings, how to decrease sugar cravings, ways to curb sugar cravings, how to avoid cravings, how to control cravings, stop cravings, how to reduce cravings for sweets, how to prevent cravings, how to suppress cravings, how do i stop sweet cravings, craving sugar constantly, how to stop wanting sugar, how to curve sweet cravings, magnesium sugar cravings, sugar craving tea, how do you stop cravings, how do you get rid of sugar cravings, foods that curb sugar cravings, cravings curb, when do sugar cravings stop, reasons of craving sugar, how to stop sweet craving, what can help sugar cravings, curb sugar cravings, how to stop cravings for sugar and carbs, how to stop craving for sweets, craving sweets means, how to eliminate cravings for sugar, how to curb a sugar craving, curb carb cravings, how to curb carb cravings, how to stop cravings for sugar, how can i stop sweet cravings, tea to curb sugar cravings, combat sugar cravings, tea for sugar cravings, ways to stop craving sugar, sugar cravings stop, how do you curb sugar cravings, how to stop sugar and carb cravings, best ways to stop sugar cravings, sugar cravings diabetes, reason for sugar craving, what to eat if craving sugar, how can i stop cravings, how to stop craving for sugar, foods that help curb sugar cravings, how to.reduce sugar cravings, tired and craving sugar, how to curb sweet craving, how to overcome sugar cravings, curbing sweet cravings, anemia and sugar cravings, what deficiency causes sweet cravings, how to get rid of cravings, tea that reduces sugar cravings, best way to stop sugar cravings, how to reduce sweet cravings, how to curb sweets cravings, what helps curb sugar cravings, cravings for sweets, sugar craving blocker, curbing carb cravings, how to stop carb cravings, how to stop sugar cravings quickly, how to get rid of sweet cravings, does magnesium stop sugar cravings, how to stop craving foods, best way to reduce sugar cravings, best way to curb sweet cravings, carb craving blocker, sweet craving, how to control sweet cravings, which deficiency causes sweet cravings, best way to curb sugar cravings, foods to stop sugar cravings, how to control cravings for sweets, curb cravings for sweets, sudden cravings for sweets, how to cut the sugar cravings, how can i stop craving food, curb crave, how to stop the cravings for sweets, gum to stop sugar cravings, how to handle sweet cravings, how to stop your sugar cravings, how to stop carb addiction, intense sweet cravings, how do i curb sugar cravings, how to control your sugar cravings, how to combat cravings, how to stop craving sugar after meals, how to stop sugar cravings naturally, craving sugar means deficiency, craving stopper, how to avoid sugar craving, cut sugar cravings, curb sugar craving, how to stop carb and sugar cravings, reduce sugar cravings, how to get rid of a sugar craving, what vitamin deficiency causes sugar cravings, how to stop craving carbs, can craving sugar be a sign of diabetes, causes for sugar cravings, ways to control sugar cravings, diabetes cravings, sweet cravings, what causes sugar cravings, does diabetes crave sugar, how to satisfy sugar cravings, how to stop sugar and carbohydrate cravings, sugar cravings how to stop, what to eat if craving sweets, why sugar cravings, what to eat for sweet cravings, how not to crave sugar, how to prevent sugar cravings, how to stop sugar cravings diabetes, how to deal with sweet cravings, sugar cravings and diabetes, do diabetics crave sugar, how to control cravings for sugar, how to stop cravings for carbs, what is the reason for sweet cravings, how to get rid of craving sweets, what helps stop sugar cravings, reason for sugar cravings, how do you stop craving carbs, constant craving for sugar, how can i stop craving sweets, healthy snacks for sweet cravings, how to reduce craving for sugar, tips to curb sugar cravings, sudden craving for sweets, how to get rid of carb cravings, how to stop carb craving, sudden urge to eat sweet, how to quit sugar cravings, craving sugar reasons, how to curb sugar cravings naturally, fighting sugar cravings, tea to reduce sugar cravings, tea to stop sugar cravings, how to.stop craving sugar, sugar stop, how to stop sugar cravings instantly
