Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Load shedding lifesavers
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Load shedding lifesavers
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
No Result
View All Result

Why you crave sweet things immediately after eating a meal

Craving sugar immediately after having a meal is a very normal response to digestion.

Bianca Jones by Bianca Jones
April 25, 2022
in Featured, Features, Health and wellness
1
sweet-cravings-explained
2
SHARES
15.2k
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

If you find yourself heading to the sweetie drawer after every meal or if your meal just doesn’t quite feel complete without a sweet ending, you’re not alone! Craving something sweet after eating a meal is far more common and natural than you might think.

After eating a meal, the body focuses on digestion, which takes up a large amount of energy. This causes us to crave an immediate energy spike, and with sugar being a great source of “quick” energy, craving a sugary treat after a meal becomes a conditioned response to compensate for the energy being exerted on digestion.sweet-cravings

The metabolisation of sugar activates specific reward centres of our brain by releasing certain feel-good hormones, which in turn gives us pleasure by lowering serotonin levels, resulting in our brains being conditioned to repeat this pleasant habit due to the release of these feel-good hormones. This conditional response then gets reinforced every time we act on these sugar cravings, thereby reinforcing the habit.

Sugar cravings are by no means bad and are, in fact, completely normal! They are usually short-lived and fluctuate throughout the day, so if you do wish to reduce sugar cravings after meals, simply indulge your sweet tooth in moderation only, and follow these tips:

  • Due to the short life span, distraction works a treat when trying to reduce sugar cravings. Never underestimate the power of a walk, a book or even just some water when those cravings hit!
  • Make sure you are getting enough rest, eating enough food at mealtimes and following a balanced and nutritious diet, and avoid eating too fast.
  • Be mindful of yourself and your emotions and make sure you aren’t eating sugary sweets for emotional reasons.
  • Always remember to be kind to yourself and your body – sugar isn’t always as bad as diet culture would want you to believe! Everything is best enjoyed in moderation.
Tags: Features


Related Posts

win-a-mionetto-experience
Competition

Born in Italy, shared in Cape Town

January 27, 2023
sea-harvest-food24
Featured

Win BIG with Sea Harvest, as Friends in Your Freezer is back for 2023

January 27, 2023
Cracking open the myths about canned food – and why they’re great for load-shedding meals
Features

Cracking open the myths about canned food – and why they’re great for load-shedding meals

January 27, 2023
Next Post
orange-espresso

Viral TikTok trend alert: Espresso orange juice combo

Comments 1

  1. Lynda says:
    9 months ago

    you can always have a piece of fruit after a meal at least its good for you. I sometimes have a sugar free sweet or a block of 70% dark chocolate.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Food24 Team Loves

How to easily peel boiled eggs: We tested 7 hacks and there’s only one way that really works every time

How to easily peel boiled eggs: We tested 7 hacks and there’s only one way that really works every time

January 2, 2023
roast-pork-leg

6 tips for making the crispiest pork crackling

December 21, 2022
Light and healthy recipes that simply scream ‘summer’

Light and healthy recipes that simply scream ‘summer’

November 19, 2022
air-fryer-dos-and-donts

9 Do’s and don’ts when air-frying at home

October 24, 2022
deconstructed-peppermint-crisp-pudding

How to make deconstructed Peppermint Crisp pudding

October 4, 2022

Recent favourites

  • curry-pork-jaffels

    7 budget-busting recipes that can also be made load-shedding friendly

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Cracking open the myths about canned food – and why they’re great for load-shedding meals

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Leg of lamb – a Sunday lunch luxury and beyond

    4 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • How to easily peel boiled eggs: We tested 7 hacks and there’s only one way that really works every time

    11 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 12 wallet-friendly ways to save with lamb mince this year

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get weekly access to our best recipes, tips and tricks

Sign Up
Footer

Quick links

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Win

Collections

  • New Recipes
  • Festive
  • Baking
  • Dessert Recipes
  • Braai Recipes
  • Lunchbox
  • South African Recipes
  • Pasta Recipes

Other links

  • Advertise with Food24
  • Editorial Policy
  • How to Pitch
  • Contact us

Not in the mood to cook?

Visit eatout.co.za to find the perfect restaurant near you.

eatout.co.za

© 2020 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

  • About us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • New Media
IAB
No Result
View All Result
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Load shedding lifesavers
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win

© 2019 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms below to register

Subscribe to Newsletter

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Close
Food24
Recipe Disclaimer

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Please read our editorial policy.
Close
Food24
Get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox weekly
Promotional Newsletter

Be the first to receive information about competitions and special offers from Food24 and it's partners.

You have successfully been subscribed!
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Make sure you have completed all required fields.
I don't want to see this again