1. Is it a weakness?
Your cravings for sugar are not a sign of weakness of
character. There are scientific reasons why the chocolate
cupboard may speak loudly to you even after a full meal.
2. Sugar sensitivity
‘Sugar addiction is a symptom of a deeper problem called
sugar sensitivity,’ says Kathleen DesMaisons, author of The
Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Programme. ‘Sugar sensitivity is an inherited condition that makes you more reactive to imbalances in your body and brain chemistry that exist even prior to eating sweets.’
3. The relationship between fat and sugar
Fat may not be the enemy it’s been made out to be, explains registered dietician Anne Till. ‘An interesting new picture is emerging that now associates conditions
such as heart disease and diabetes with excessive carbohydrate consumption and very-low-fat diets.’
4. Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance may play a part too, says Till. ‘The longing for high-sugar foods may be attributed to the fact that some foods will elicit a higher-insulin
response, which may in turn overcome the cellular resistance.’
5. Sugar and depression
According to information from the Depression and Anxiety
Support Group of Southern Africa, about 77 percent of
people with hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) are suffering from depression. ‘Sugar loading causes weight gain, which in turn leads to a loss of energy and at times a low
self-esteem, which is often associated with depression. The side effect of weight gain associated with antidepressant medications doesn’t help. Crash dieting also aggravates the problem, decreasing the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, which can result in feelings of apathy; and serotonin, which can precipitate a carbohydrate binge, continuing the devastating cycle.
6. The sugar fix
Eating a high-carbohydrate diet that promotes high insulin levels in the blood may cause increased appetite and so leave you craving a sugar ‘fix’.
7. Regular meals
To solve the problem, you need to eat regular meals in
controlled amounts, including protein at each meal.
8. Good sugars
Add bulk to meals with vegetables and salads that give a variety of vitamins and minerals. And snack on fruit.
9. Good fats
Include some fats in your diet, especially unsaturated fats, which you’ll find in avocado pears, olive oil and nuts; as well as fatty fish, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. This will not only help satisfy hunger pangs more easily but will also improve the structure of cell membranes, which can improve insulin sensitivity on the cellular level.
10. Don’t beat yourself up
Don’t beat yourself up about lack of willpower. ‘I would
not attribute carbohydrate cravings to problems with
self-control,’ says Anne Till.