The craving for sugar many people suffer is a common addiction in today's society where sugary foods are easily available and cheap as well. However sugar craving is not just a lack of willpower like many people think, the reason the body craves sweet food can be traced back to dietary problems that cause physical withdrawal symptoms. The causes of sugar cravings are primarily linked to these two things:
Stress
Stress is a major player in how we live our lives. When we had to rely on our physical attributes in nearly all situations of stress we would release adrenalin so that we could outrun that predator or fight it off. These days that fight or flight instinct is not needed anyway nearly as much but we still suffer a huge amount of stress in our lives from work, relationships and social interaction. When dealing with an angry boss for instance we get stressed and our body uses up massive amounts of energy by releasing adrenalin that you do not use as you have just got to sit there and take it. This drains the body of energy and it cries out for a sugar hit which may perk you up for a while but it fades too quickly. In environments where you get stressed often this leads to a spiral of binge sugar eating consolidating your addiction and adding a lot of weight.
Metabolism
The other cause of sugar cravings has to do with a hormone called serotonin. This hormone is one of the things in our body that makes us feel good. If we are sad or depressed we have low levels of serotonin. While we may be sad for social reasons we can also get low serotonin levels by having an unbalanced metabolism. If your diet is not balanced and you do not exercise enough then your body starts to have issues like low serotonin and many other things. This means even healthy people who think they eat well but do not get enough protein for instance may come down with sugar cravings. So how does this relate to sugar? Sugar actually releases amounts of serotonin but only for a short period, this makes us feel good for a while but when it is over if our metabolism is not back running well we will still suffer the same problems and keep eating sugar again and again to try to feel "up" while packing on weight.
So while it may seem like common sense a good diet and exercise can overcome many aspects of this addiction unless they go deeper and become a psychological addictions. The causes of sugar cravings can give you a guide to changing your lifestyle but also remember that some people may be deficient in certain nutrients naturally so supplements also may be needed to control your appetite for sweet foods.
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