# I have cravings for sweet food



## .17485 (Jan 12, 2011)

I always tend to eat snacks that are sweet or meals that can seem unhealthy but I like always eating them. The snack could be Pringles, cookies, chocolate, sweets. I enjoy eating them but worried that it will make me put on weight and could end up leading to diabetes or something


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## Schubertslieder (Jul 22, 2013)

I am stuck with three main meals with some fruit each day. This with regular excercise every other day makes feel fit. I set this routine for myself to stay healthy. 

Although I would love to snack, I force myself to stay away from those. Don't get me wrong, I love ice cream and chocolates.


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## CosmicYeti (Dec 15, 2014)

There is a reason all humans have a sweet tooth. Your brain is telling you it needs glucose. Glucose is a primary source of energy for the brain, so its availability influences psychological processes. When glucose is low, psychological processes requiring mental effort (e.g., self-control, effortful decision-making) are impaired.
The best way to get glucose is through simple sugars i.e. fruit! EAT MORE FRUIT. Don't ristrict your simple sugars.
About type 2 diabetes: Dietary factors influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks in excess is associated with an increased risk. *The type of fats* in the diet is also important, with _saturated fats and trans fatty acids *increasing*_ the risk and _polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat_ *decreasing* the risk.
All you have to do now is google which foods contain saturated/trans fatty acids and which contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
Please listen to your body. It knows what it's telling you!
Also: the most logical thing that most people overlook: if you eat fat, you will have fat. Fat makes you fat. What you need to do is eat more carbohydrates which contraty to popular opinion *don't* make you fat. Carb up! And the best part is, when you eat a diet with loads of fruit and carbohydrates you don't have to restrict your calories. You can literally eat as much as you want without getting overweight.
Hope I helped.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

CosmicYeti said:


> There is a reason all humans have a sweet tooth. Your brain is telling you it needs glucose. Glucose is a primary source of energy for the brain, so its availability influences psychological processes. When glucose is low, psychological processes requiring mental effort (e.g., self-control, effortful decision-making) are impaired.
> The best way to get glucose is through simple sugars i.e. fruit! EAT MORE FRUIT. Don't ristrict your simple sugars.
> About type 2 diabetes: Dietary factors influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks in excess is associated with an increased risk. *The type of fats* in the diet is also important, with _saturated fats and trans fatty acids *increasing*_ the risk and _polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat_ *decreasing* the risk.
> All you have to do now is google which foods contain saturated/trans fatty acids and which contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
> ...


Citations needed.


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## CosmicYeti (Dec 15, 2014)

Red Panda said:


> Citations needed.


- Masicampo, E. J.; Baumeister, Roy F. (2008), "Toward a Physiology of Dual-Process Reasoning and Judgment: Lemonade, Willpower, and Expensive Rule-Based Analysis":
"Our hypothesis was based on the assumption that effortful processes require and consume relatively large amounts of glucose (brain fuel), and that this use of glucose is why people use heuristic strategies after exerting self-control. Before performing any tasks, some participants drank lemonade sweetened with sugar, which restores blood glucose, whereas others drank lemonade containing a sugar substitute. Only lemonade with sugar reduced the attraction effect. These results show one way in which the body (blood glucose) interacts with the mind (self-control and reliance on heuristics)."

-American Heart Association: Frequently Asked Questions About Sugar
"All carbohydrates are made up of units of sugar ("saccharide"). Carbohydrates containing only one unit of sugar (called "monosaccharides") or two units of sugar (called "disaccharides") are known as simple sugars or simple carbohydrates. Simple sugars are quickly broken down and provide a very fast increase in blood sugar, while complex carbs take longer and cause blood sugar to rise more gradually."

-"Dietary fats and prevention of type 2 diabetes". Progress in Lipid Research
"[...] the evidence suggests that replacing saturated fats and trans fatty acids with unsaturated (polyunsaturated and/or monounsaturated) fats has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and is likely to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes."

-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Eat More, Weigh Less?
"Research shows that people get full by the amount of food they eat, not the number of calories they take in. You can cut calories in your favorite foods by lowering the amount of fat and or increasing the amount of fiber-rich ingredients, such as vegetables or fruit."

Hope this covered it.


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## aendern (Dec 28, 2013)

Ok. So you didn't ask a question.

So.


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## lunai (Feb 22, 2014)

How Sugar Hijacks Your Brain And Makes You Addicted


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## Scrabbletray (Apr 27, 2014)

Sugar cravings can also be a sign of low serotonin. Are you often depressed?


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## CosmicYeti (Dec 15, 2014)

lunai said:


> How Sugar Hijacks Your Brain And Makes You Addicted


You are supposed to be addicted to sugar. It's your survival mechanism. The same way you are addicted to your mother's milk as a baby so it's sure that you eat and survive. The thing here is which kind of sugar is the best for you. Answer: simple sugars found in fruit.

Confession: I didn't watch the video.


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## sampa (Dec 8, 2014)

It may be a parasite, tapeworm ; D they make you crave sugar. I just wached a documentary about them


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## lunai (Feb 22, 2014)

CosmicYeti said:


> You are supposed to be addicted to sugar. It's your survival mechanism. The same way you are addicted to your mother's milk as a baby so it's sure that you eat and survive. The thing here is which kind of sugar is the best for you. Answer: simple sugars found in fruit.
> 
> Confession: I didn't watch the video.


Yes, but sucrose is addictive and it is not normal or healthy to be addicted to.

Somebody else wrote that depression and serotonin is related with sugar. But it works both ways, too much consumption of sugar can actually cause or exacerabate depression.

Consuming sugar (sucrose) temporarily increases serotonin levels within the brain. This increases the production of endorphins. The endorphins trigger opioid receptors, which elicit the sensation of happiness. This artificial increase in serotonin levels causes the body to down-regulate its natural production and release of serotonin. So sugar addicts become dependent to increase serotonin and make them feel happy. When they go through a "withdrawal", they can become depressed. But is necessary to go through this withdrawal. I think it takes about 48 hours of withdrawal to reduce the sugar craving.

My advice to OP: Go 48 hours without food with sugar (table sugar and other added sweeteners) this means cut out the chocolate, candy and cookies - and see if you have less cravings after this time period is up


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## dwelfusius (Feb 16, 2015)

Aargh.. Much stupid,very ouch!
Look lectures from Dr.e lustig. Especially the 1 St one if you care about biochemistry and clarification. And eating fat doesn't make you fat -> no fat means lot less saturation, the feeling of no thanks I'm good.ofcourse balance is key. As suggested eat more fruit, whole grains, added sugar (check the ingredients of any chips.other than natural or salty = sugar),HYDRATE, lack of hydration often presents itself in the form of cravings. Learn the 200 ways sugar is being called in food so they can split it up to be not recognised or not the main ingredient anymore (don't know the law about that in USA, don't know where you're from)


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## CosmicYeti (Dec 15, 2014)

dwelfusius said:


> Aargh.. Much stupid,very ouch!
> Look lectures from Dr.e lustig. Especially the 1 St one if you care about biochemistry and clarification. And eating fat doesn't make you fat -> no fat means lot less saturation, the feeling of no thanks I'm good.ofcourse balance is key. As suggested eat more fruit, whole grains, added sugar (check the ingredients of any chips.other than natural or salty = sugar),HYDRATE, lack of hydration often presents itself in the form of cravings. Learn the 200 ways sugar is being called in food so they can split it up to be not recognised or not the main ingredient anymore (don't know the law about that in USA, don't know where you're from)


Actually the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (who are bound legally to present reliable data) suggest we keep our fat intake below 7% of our daily calories. It's no news that saturated fat and trans fatty acids cause type 2 diabetes, heart disease, blocked arteries, strokes, cancers and so much more. So...


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## dwelfusius (Feb 16, 2015)

CosmicYeti said:


> Actually the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (who are bound legally to present reliable data) suggest we keep our fat intake below 7% of our daily calories. It's no news that saturated fat and trans fatty acids cause type 2 diabetes, heart disease, blocked arteries, strokes, cancers and so much more. So...


Hmmhmm

I never said, eat grease as if your life depends on it. Quite the opposite. But you need enough fat in a healthy diet. For saturation, bowl movement, skin lipidity,your brain,...

Carbs is something most of western civilisation eats too many, again not saying you shouldn't eat them, your body needs them. But don't go just promoting high can low fat because that's a recipe for blood sugar crashes = cravings


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## CosmicYeti (Dec 15, 2014)

dwelfusius said:


> Hmmhmm
> 
> I never said, eat grease as if your life depends on it. Quite the opposite. But you need enough fat in a healthy diet. For saturation, bowl movement, skin lipidity,your brain,...
> 
> Carbs is something most of western civilisation eats too many, again not saying you shouldn't eat them, your body needs them. But don't go just promoting high can low fat because that's a recipe for blood sugar crashes = cravings


I understand what you're saying.
I would never recommend anything that I don't do myself. I eat almost 2000 calories a day from which 90% are carbs, 5% is fat and 5% protein. I'm healthy, lean and fit. My blood tests are perfect. I guess anyone can research the matter and decide for themselves which diet/lifestyle fits them best and is not outdated or proven to not work.


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## CosmicYeti (Dec 15, 2014)

Also western civilization eats anything but carbs. They are afraid of carbs because sadly they think they make you fat. Eastern civilizations are the ones who eat a lot of carbs (rice etc). Which of the two suffer more from obesity?


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## Bassmasterzac (Jun 6, 2014)

Try chewing a fruity gum (especially Trident Layers) or drinking a sports drink like Propel or Gatorade. Propel is optimal because it has 0 calories, it's delicious, and it doesn't have food coloring and shit, but note it does have sucralose and that is an artifical sweetener, and it also contains electrolytes and vitamins. Gatorade is the same thing except it has food coloring, no vitamins, and real sugar.

You can also look at baking cookies and shit with STEVIA. It is a natural sweetener, it's sweet as hell (200x more than sugar). Then you don't have to feel guilty about ruining your diet and your health while still enjoying the fine things in life like cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies.

You can also try a low sugar ice cream (no I don't mean sugar-free something that's not Rocky Road) and it's actually pretty healthy for you. Of course, it has sugar in it, but only twice as much as a cup of milk and it is of course made with milk, so how much sugar is really added into it?


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## QuiteCharmed (Oct 10, 2014)

Craving sweet foods is your body's way of telling you that you need more chromium, carbon, phosphorus, sulphur or tryptophan. Try Substituting the sweets for broccoli, grapes, fresh fruits, nuts, veggies, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potatoes or spinach


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

CosmicYeti said:


> Also western civilization eats anything but carbs. They are afraid of carbs because sadly they think they make you fat. Eastern civilizations are the ones who eat a lot of carbs (rice etc). Which of the two suffer more from obesity?


Look into Mediterranean diet. One of the healthiest traditional diets, that had at least 40% fat, mainly from olive oil, fish, and nuts. In the past 50 years that people have strayed from the diet and live in big cities and are highly sedentary (Greece has one of the lowest physical activity levels in Europe) they've gotten fatter.

I'll look into your other post with the sources later because I have to go to work. Cheers.


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## dwelfusius (Feb 16, 2015)

CosmicYeti said:


> I understand what you're saying.
> I would never recommend anything that I don't do myself. I eat almost 2000 calories a day from which 90% are carbs, 5% is fat and 5% protein. I'm healthy, lean and fit. My blood tests are perfect. I guess anyone can research the matter and decide for themselves which diet/lifestyle fits them best and is not outdated or proven to not work.


I have the feeling you are not from western Europe ?because here.in belgium,holland, Germany, France,Italy,... A Lot of Carbs are being eaten.bread here mostly,lots of pastas and wheat based produce down south.and even lower you have the bulgur and couscous.


CosmicYeti said:


> Also western civilization eats anything but carbs. They are afraid of carbs because sadly they think they make you fat. Eastern civilizations are the ones who eat a lot of carbs (rice etc). Which of the two suffer more from obesity?


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## JoetheBull (Apr 29, 2010)

Sugar is an annoying addiction to try to break. I managed to get off it for a while when prepping for my paleo diet experiment (thanks to stress at work and my dislike towards practically all foods lol, lasted only 8 days this time). The short time on the diet I barely had any stomach problems, was thinking clearer, and wasn't hungry all the time. Negative though was I had a hard time reaching my goal of eating over 2000 calories. I would get full too easily and forgot to eat sometimes since I wasn't always hungry. 

There is a lot of information and studies out there saying carbs are bad, fats are bad, this is good, and this is not. Too much so trying to figure this out just by reading is getting too much. I suggest do your own research and try things out for yourself and see if it works for you or not. Some people can live as vegans and some can't.


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