Sugar Cravings: Why You Crave Sweets After Meals And Tips To Stop Them

Sugar cravings: After you’ve finished your meal and perhaps even cleared your plate, you probably wouldn’t feel like you’ve had a satisfactory dinner unless you’ve eaten a tiny portion of something sweet. When sugar is processed, it activates the pleasure centres of our brains, releases opioids and dopamine, and makes us feel good, motivating our brains to continue the habit. 

This is a built-in survival strategy that enables us to select sugary things over bitter ones, which in the wilderness often meant safe foods over deadly ones. There are several reasons why someone might want something sweet after eating.

5 Reasons you have sugar cravings:

1. You ate the wrong things

Your body starts seeking quick energy when you don’t consume enough calories to keep up. This results in developing a sugar craving! Although it may not always be good energy, sugar provides you with fast energy.

How to stop this craving: Avoid adding artificial sweeteners to your diet or grabbing that processed sugar canned goods.

2. You ate too many quick-absorbing carbs

Simple carbohydrates and those with a high glycemic index and load are quickly absorbed and induce a spike in blood sugar, which prompts your pancreas to release insulin and leads to a decrease or “crash” in blood sugar levels.

How to stop this craving: To reduce your intake of refined sugar and lessen those wild fluctuations, try substituting erythritol, stevia, or fresh or frozen fruit for regular sugar.

Also Read: Health Benefits of Almonds: 7 Reasons Almonds Should be a Must in Your Morning Routine

3. Out of habit

Just like chewing a piece of gum or picking on our fingernails, some of us crave chocolates after meals as a habit and cannot avoid it because now it has become a feel-good factor which may just lead you to eat those easy calories over and over again.

How to stop this craving: Make sure adequate calories and macronutrients are being consumed. Natural sweet teas with no calories or artificial additives, like apple spice or vanilla almond, are ideal choices.

4. Eating too much starch and not enough fat

A heavy, starchy meal, such as a huge bowl of your favourite spaghetti pasta, practically guarantees a gelato craving. All that pasta without fibre, protein, and/or enough fat (depending on the sauce) is equivalent to a large bowl of sugar that will cause a blood sugar fluctuation and leave you craving more sugar.

How to stop this craving: Start by exercising proper portion control. Add some lean protein and a little olive oil for a healthy fat-to-finish.

5. Consuming foods high in sodium

Your food has more sodium in it when you go out or eat highly processed, packaged meals than you probably even realise. This usually holds even if you’re eating good food from your favourite “healthy” restaurant, like grilled salmon and sautéed or steamed vegetables.

How to stop this craving: Your desire for sweet foods will decrease if you eat more naturally salty items like cheese and olives rather than overly processed ones. No matter what the craving is, consuming more whole meals that are healthier encourages further consumption of such items.

(Disclaimer: This article is based on general information and does not substitute for an expert’s advice. Zee News does not confirm this.)