Aaah, sugar cravings! That powerful force that leads you into carbs and sugar temptation! That moment when you feel the ice cream in your fridge calling you, or your fingers automatically reach for your phone just to check out what you could order for tonight.
Cravings are the worst if you’re trying to lose weight or stay away from junk food or too much sugar. But the need for a tasty compensation after a long day isn’t easy to ignore. And while it’s totally ok to give in to temptation once in a while, doing it too often becomes a serious problem.
Fortunately, you can use a simple trick when you want to resist temptation and delay that indulging treat for the next occasion. Your sugar craving will likely go away if you can fight it for 15 minutes.
Let’s see why.
What a Sugar Craving Means
It’s easy to blame a sugar craving on your history of bad eating habits, excessive passion for sweets, or self-control issues. Indeed, to a certain extent, these are true. But there is more to the matter than that. Your brain plays its part, and so do other factors.
When you have a tasty treat, the reward region of your brain becomes very active, making you feel happy and want to do it all over again. Sweets are part of a category called hyper-palatable foods that are capable of stimulating the release of hormones that play an essential role in cravings: including insulin, cortisol, dopamine, leptin, and ghrelin.
Studies have revealed that when you eat a lot of sugar, it disrupts brain signals. It also releases hormones that create the feeling of well-being, leading to your habitual desire to have sweets and carbs and whatever you consider comfort food.
What’s the Cause of Sugar Cravings?
Besides your brain’s reaction that makes you crave unhealthy foods more than you should, there’s another possible cause for sweet cravings – a blood sugar imbalance. There’s a general conception that when you have a craving, your body is, in fact, lacking that particular nutrient.
So if you’re craving sweets at night, it could be because insulin has brought your blood sugar to a low level, so your body needs energy. And it tells you that by making you crave candy.
The problem is frequent cravings can easily turn into sugar addition. It may not be as severe as drug or alcohol addictions, but it can be challenging. Breaking sugar addiction can be tricky because your brain will keep asking for more.
Why Do People Get a Sugar Craving After a Meal?
If low blood sugar causes cravings, why do we sometimes get them right after finishing a meal?
On the one hand, your body is starting to digest the food, which takes a lot of energy. So it sends the signal that it needs more energy in the form of sugar.
On the other hand, it also depends on the type of meal you have. Sugar cravings mostly appear after eating carbs. This happens because your blood sugar drops suddenly after spiking due to the carbs. As a result, your body tries to handle that shock by demanding more sugar.
The 15-Minutes Trick for Stopping a Sugar Craving
How long does it take to get past a craving? Despite their intensity, most sugar cravings last much less than you may expect. Their duration may vary from a few minutes to an hour, but most of the time, they will stop after about 15 minutes.
Will sugar cravings go away for good? No, not unless you make some effort in that sense. Training your body to adjust to a sugar-free diet can take a couple of months. And it’s best to do it gradually, allowing yourself an adjustment period. That way, the results will last longer.
Why 15 Minutes?
This is more of an average; nobody can say precisely how long it takes to get over a craving. But 15 minutes is sufficient time for your body to realize it doesn’t need an extra sugar-fuelled boost of energy.
It’s also enough time for you to take your mind off how good that piece of cake must taste and how happy it will make you. Instead, you’ll realize you are full and don’t need anything else.
If Possible, Add Some Activity
Simply waiting for the craving to go away may be harder than you think. So adding some activity can help you take your mind off dessert. You will find that taking a walk is more efficient than just waiting and hoping you will stop dreaming of chocolate.
Want to stop your sugar craving? Just walk it off, just like you would a muscle cramp!
It’s Not Just About Sugar
The 15 minutes rule can also apply to carbs cravings – another menacing temptation to our figure and health. Carbs and sugar basically have the same effect, increasing your serotonin levels and getting you to associate them with feeling good.
That feeling of satisfaction can easily lead to your body wanting more and can develop into a carbs addiction.
So whether you’re craving sugar or a pizza, the 15 minutes trick can help. It may not work every time, but it’s worth trying. You may end up feeling it was just a temporary sensation, and you will keep your digestive system from being overcrowded with unhealthy food.
Also, on those rare occasions when you decide you actually need something sweet, don’t feel guilty for it. And if you ask me, don’t bother with diet desserts; you won’t feel satisfied, and the craving will just return soon enough.
Take a look at Is the Diet Version of Desserts Efficient for Weight Loss?
FAQs
Are sugar cravings a sign of diabetes?
Sweet cravings are not a sign of diabetes. However, if you suspect you may have diabetes, there are other symptoms you need to watch out for: excessive thirst, urinating a lot, blurry vision, numbness in hands or feet, tiredness, dry skin, etc.
Can sugar cravings cause headaches?
Yes, a sugar craving can cause headaches because you are essentially going through withdrawal. If you suddenly decrease your sugar intake, you will feel discomfort, including a dull headache.
What to eat when craving sugar?
If you’re craving sugar right after a meal, there’s no need to eat anything; just try the 15-minutes trick to overcome the craving.
If the craving occurs between meals, you can turn to foods that curb sugar cravings, like fruits, yogurt, a piece of dark chocolate, or sugar-free gum.
Do diabetics crave sugar?
Yes, people with diabetes crave sugar. Because, in their case, insulin doesn’t get the appropriate reaction from their bodies, the excess glucose remains unused. And since their bodies don’t have enough energy, sugar cravings are the signal they send to cover that deficiency.
Written by Mia Davis