Sugar is all around us these days from obviously sweet candy and soft drinks to many other foods we may not even realize. We are bombarded with it on the food shelves and in advertising and of course... it tastes good even though too much is very bad for us! Many people simply believe that our society has lost its willpower to find out How to curb sugar cravings so we can be rid of these urges. Recently however medical science has discovered many things about sugar and how it affects our system.
A craving is something we cannot physically control, it is not just a want but it is a force that drives us beyond our usually sense. Smokers need to smoke because the nicotine addiction can be crippling and it is something similar when talking about sugar. If you feel the absolute dire need for sugar during the day you may be physically addicted to the substance for a number of reasons to do with you lifestyle and eating habits.
There are two hormones that significantly affect our need for sugar: Adrenaline and Serotonin. Adrenaline is usually released when we are stressed and the body thinks there is a need for action. This energy release may help if we are in a fight or flight situation but in our workplace we usually just bite our lip and keep going and this extra energy is wasted and often turned to fat leaving us drained and in need of a quick energy hit from sugar. In a high stress environment this can keep going and lead to an unhealthy downwards spiral where the only way to stay "up" is to continually consume sugar. Serotonin on the other hand is a hormone that makes us feel good, consuming sugar releases a small burst of serotonin making us feel good fro a short period but when that runs out we return to our natural level. Most people should have a high enough amount of serotonin to not get a craving but an unbalanced diet and lack of exercise can trigger a lowering of the hormone. Many healthy people get sugar cravings and do not know why in fact and it can often be traced back to a lack of certain vitamins in their diet like protein.
How to curb sugar cravings will vary from person to person because of these things. If you feel you are living in a high stress environment and find yourself eating after every stressful event then you may need to find ways to curbing your stress. If your metabolism is out of whack leading to a low level of serotonin then you may need to look at your diet closely. However there is always the third thing, self control. Straightening up your health will help you a lot but without some level of self control sugar cravings may become a psychological addiction which can only be cured by changing the way your think and act!
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