Sugar cravings: how to control sweet desires?

This is just the beginning of your diet but you already suffer from desire to eat something sweet… Are you wondering whether a small chocolate will ruin all effort put in ongoing dieting? Maybe it’s better to eat something than dream about chocolate cake?

Desire to eat something sweet on a diet reaches almost everyone, even those who didn’t like it untill now. Some people are even afraid to try sweets because they know, they won’t stop after one bite. Sweets are the source of sugar which increases glucose in blood very easily.

When blood sugar rises quickly, the pancreas starts to produce and secrete big amounts of insulin to reduce it quickly. A decrease in energy and will to eat another sweet thing are the effects of that reaction.

Some people, while being on a diet, have to let themselves eat something sweet once in a while because they know that thinking about sweets will completely overwhelm them. Sweet taste habit is very strong, it’s hard to free yourself from that pleasure in one moment, because it’s as addictive as alcohol or cigarettes.

After eating sweets serotonin level - happiness hormone - in blood increases. We want it more and more. Sweet taste associates with good mood and positive excitement.

Although it’s hard to refrain from sweets, at the beginning of the diet it’s worth to stop eating everything sweet: sugar, sweets, cakes, sweet yogurts and drinks for at least four weeks. Even those sweetened by sweeteners. The idea is to make your organism lose sweet taste habit and to sensitize for it. After four weeks only one piece of chocolate will be enough to satisfy your craving for sweets, and sweetened tea or coffee after that time won’t be tasty any more.

How to survive when the body is asking for sugar?

When the craving for sugar begins to be too much trouble you can reach for a sweet fruit. It also contains sugar but in a much lower concentration than in chocolate. Additionally you’ll provide valuable vitamins and dietary fiber which will fill your stomach up and distract you from thinking about food.

Another proven way is to brush teeth with strongly mint toothpaste or chew sugar-free mint gum. You can also drink warm fruit tea, of course without sugar. Its sweetish taste and warmth will relax your stomach and pull your thoughts away from food.

It’s nothing bad to eat something sweet once in a while, even on a diet. It’s all about giving up sweets in everyday nourishment. Not to yield at every opportunity. It’s a matter of habit, or rather of weaning away from sweet taste, and having strong will. But you have it, haven’t you?

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.