If it has happened to you that, even though you are not hungry, you feel like eating, and generally what goes through your mind is something sweet, this It may be due to an emotional issue or because your body needs glucose.
In the emotional aspectwhen you live a stressful moment, anxiety, anger, frustration or sadness, it is likely that you crave sweet things.
This is because sugar causes the brain to produce serotonin, a substance that improves mood and gives a feeling of euphoria and well-being. Your brain learns this and when it needs that dose of happiness, it sends you the signal that you need sugar.
On the other hand, the physiological reason for your craving is when blood glucose levels are lowthat is, when hypoglycemia occurs, among whose symptoms are headache, fatigue, dizziness, bad mood, feeling hungry and the desire for something sweet.
This occurs due to various factors, such as irregular meal times, spending a lot of time on an empty stomach, eating a carbohydrate-free diet, or engaging in intense physical activity without having consumed any food beforehand.
But why specifically do you crave something with sugar and not something else? It is because glucose is the body’s main source of energyand sweet foods are the ones that are converted more easily and quickly into said energy.
The dangerous thing about this is that you give in to that craving every time you feel it and end up eating anything sweet that comes your way, such as candies, chocolates, cakes, pan dulce and all kinds of desserts and simple sugars.
And the danger lies not only in the kilos you can gain, but in the risk of starting a vicious circle of blood sugar, since by obtaining glucose so quickly, the pancreas releases too much insulin.
This causes hypoglycemia, which in turn causes the brain to need more glucose, and this cycle can result in a insulin resistance and, in the worst case, lead you to suffer type 2 diabetes.
What to do to avoid consuming excess sugar?
If you detect that your craving is due to emotional causes, instead of falling into the temptation of desserts try to relax and drink some water. If you are at work, get up from your place and talk for a moment with one of your colleagues, and if possible, go for a walk for a few minutes to clear your mind.
On the other hand, if the craving is because your body needs glucose, provide it, but avoid refined sugars and choose to eat a fruit, which you can accompany with a little natural yogurt, or drink water prepared with natural fruit and, preferably, unsweetened. If you like spicy flavors, prepare cucumbers, jicama or carrot with lemon and piquín pepper.
Also, to avoid those glucose dips, respect your meal schedules and add snacks between mealsso that you eat some food every 3 or 4 hours. This will keep glucose levels stable.
Also try to avoid simple sugars and choose foods that contain fiber-rich carbohydratessuch as whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
If you combine these carbohydrates with fats and proteins, the body will not assimilate them as quickly and so you’ll have a small but constant supply of glucose, instead of the sudden rush that sugar causes.