YOU can put the kibosh on those crazy cravings by redirecting the brain's reward center. Plus: fifteen healthier alternatives to sugary foods
The Holiday Season is upon us! Although we want to maximize our joy it doesn't mean we need to hit the sweets extra hard! You can satisfy your sweet tooth AND have a healthy happy holiday season.
I know it can be REALLY tempting to put your fitness and wellness on hold until AFTER the holidays are over.
𝐈𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧!!”
SAY WHAT NOW?!
What if instead of setting THOSE expectations ... you set a SIMPLE GOAL to keep yourself on track?
Read on for more on sugar cravings and what you can do about them.
What we whimsically call a “sweet tooth” is really just a cute name for a sugar craving, or a passion for sweet foods. If you’re the one most likely to hit the dessert bar twice, you probably identify as someone with a “sweet tooth.”
The average American consumes around 22–30 teaspoons (about 88–120 grams) of sugar a day.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the following guidelines:
When you consider that fact, it’s not difficult to guess why as a nation, we struggle with obesity and diabetes, not to mention a whole host of other diseases/conditions where obesity is an added risk factor.
Our “Sweet Tooth” is, well, NOT SO SWEET.
There is recent evidence that suggests a genetic root to the lust for sugar. Plus some research found that “Sugar Addiction” is as real as drug addiction and probably harder to beat.
Hardcore metabolic roots for those sugary cravings mean that sugar junkies who really want to combat their desires need to find healthy alternatives to satisfy their sweet teeth.
Studies in recent years show that people who crave sugar tend to have a “weak sweet taste.” That means that they need more sugar than a normal person to taste the same level of sweetness. Genetics appear to account for about 30% of the differences in peoples’ ability to taste sweetness according to a study of identical and non-identical twins at the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
The same research demonstrated that contrary to popular thought, eating a lot of sugar as a kid didn’t anesthetize participants to sweetness. It’s a genetic thing. Some people are just born with a sweet tooth.
So what happens when DNA supplies you with weak sweet receptors? Sweets are more appealing to you than to most people. You eat more sugar to sate your desire for sweetness. And that means you take in more non nutrient-dense calories that your body will helpfully store as fat in case you need that energy later.
Mildly overweight people usually store about 5% of the sugar they eat for energy. They metabolize about 60% and they store about 35% as fat for future energy needs. The problem is that we rarely need to tap into those fat stores so they just keep accumulating.
Sugar over stimulates the reward centers in your brain, and according to some experts causes addiction. Other experts dispute whether sugar addiction exists, but some people know all too well that when they eat sugar, they want more and more and more.
So regardless of what the experts say, some really feel like it’s an uncontrollable monster within them.
Here’s what we all agree on … foods with a lot of sugar cause our brains to release massive amounts of dopamine, the same brain chemical that illicit drugs, like cocaine and meth, amp up to create euphoria. That’s what we mean by a “sugar high.”
When we eat a lot of high-sugar foods frequently, we train the brain to be less conscious of the increased dopamine levels. And once the brain is less receptive it takes more and more sugar to create the same feeling, just like building a tolerance to an addictive drug.
Because sugar manipulates our brains’ reward centers, and functions a lot like nicotine or cocaine, folks with a predisposition toward addiction are more likely to get addicted to sugar and to lose control of their ability to regulate consumption.
Well isn’t that special? NOT REALLY.
Yes, you can put the kibosh on those crazy cravings by choosing healthier snacks and limiting the amount of added sugar you take in.
You know that you need to set down the candy bars, step away from the ice cream, and lay off the sodas and desserts but did you also know that dairy, fruit products, and white flour pack a huge sugar punch too?
The top three sources for added sugar in the American diet are:
But before you start to despair, let’s get back to all of the incredibly tasty options you have to satisfy that sweet tooth and curb your cravings. And if you don’t like dark chocolate then check out these non-chocolate alternatives.
If your body has become accustomed to high-fructose, super-processed snack cakes, it will take you a while to get used to eating a frozen banana instead. But I promise that if you commit to working the sugar out of your diet, a little at a time, you’re going to feel so much healthier it will make your head spin.
And after a while, treats you once enjoyed will seem too sweet. - REALLY!
You will be able to truly relish a divine chocolate dipped strawberry instead of eating a sleeve of Thin Mints.
You will learn to satisfy your sweet tooth with less sugar. Doesn’t that sound heavenly?
To be in control of what you eat?
To live without cravings?
You want to discover your healthiest self or you wouldn’t have read this far.
So let’s do it.
Do not let sugar kick your butt. Jump in and try something new to satisfy your sweet tooth. Kick those cravings to the curb so you can live the healthy, happy life that you deserve!
Interested in recipes for any of the above? Hit me up in the comments!