Show Your Sugar Cravings Who’s The Boss!
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Did you know that there is a direct link between sugar, joint pain and inflammation. Did you know the addictive nature of sugar rivals that of cocaine, morphine, and cigarettes? Did you know that when you eat sugar, your body is flooded with insulin and stress hormones which tells your body to store fat and can trigger an inflammatory response or intensity one that is already brewing? Did you know that eating sugar foods lowers your pain threshold making you more sensitive to pain?
It’s no accident recovering alcoholics often turn to sugar as they cut out alcohol—it’s an easily available drug. According to a 2008 study out of Princeton University, “rats eating large amounts of sugar when hungry, a phenomenon known as sugar-bingeing, undergo neurochemical changes in the brain that appear to mimic those produced by substances of abuse.”
In addition to the detrimental effects of sugar shown in these studies, sugar has been linked to weakened immunity, even feeding certain cancers! Found in most processed foods, fruit juice, and sports drinks (in the form of high fructose corn syrup), and many of the desserts we grew up with and enjoy at holidays and birthdays, it’s hard to resist sugar’s seductive spell. Fortunately, there arehealthful ways to beat back even the most powerful sugar cravings.
Cutting Cravings Naturally
Cravings are a method by which your body communicates with you, and they should not be ignored. However, what you think is a call for sugar is likely something else:
- Protein – eating protein-rich foods like meat, nuts, and beans gives your body a steady source of energy, therefore dampening signals for quick (empty) energy found in sweets.
- Healthy Saturated Fat – adding coconut oil or grass-fed butter to your diet provides solid sustenance for your body and brain, which can help beat back cravings.
- Omega-3s – a deficiency of alpha-linoleic-acids (ALAs or bioavailable omega-3s) can cause sweet foods to taste less sweet, which means you crave more of them to satisfy the flavor.3 Up your intake of flax, flaxseed oil (never heated), and walnuts to prevent this.
- Water – dehydration can trigger sugar cravings; drink 12 ounces of water when your next craving hits.
- Sleep – fatigue stresses your body, but the quick boost you seek in sugar only provides a temporary lift. Instead, take a 15-20 minute nap if lack of sleep is the culprit.
- Exercise – moving your body (especially walking outside) helps keep cravings at bay because you get a potent hit of serotonin a feel-good chemical that’s also released when you eat sugar.
- Love – cravings for sugar-laden comfort food often point to a psychological yearning for companionship. Spend more time socializing or engaging in your favorite activities and your cravings may fade.
