What sugar cravings actually mean
Hint: It has nothing to do with “sugar addiction”
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Oh sugar cravings. If I had a nickel. The complaint of sugar cravings is forever a part of our social gatherings, especially around the holidays when sweet goodies abound. Now, let me start by saying that SUGAR CRAVINGS ARE 100% NORMAL and require zero justifications. Sweet treats are delicious and provide pleasure and satisfaction that makes life worth living.
What I’m specifically addressing here are sugar cravings of a more chronic nature or ones that feel insatiable and urgent. Let’s discuss what could be at the root of those cravings:
You might be hungry
To our bodies, sugar is carbohydrates and carbohydrates give our bodies energy. So if we are thinking big picture here, the human body, which is an incredibly smart organism dedicated to keeping you alive, knows that to thrive, carbs are essential. Energy is what bodies need to think, move, and facilitate the billions of chemical processes taking place at a molecular level. And what taste indicates the presence of carbs? Sweetness! Sugar! See what I’m getting at here??
Our bodies have evolved to crave sweet things to provide the most essential nutrient to our existence. So cool right?!
Back to your sugar craving - ask yourself when the last time you ate was. Has it been a few hours? Was your last meal/snack satisfying? Did you skip a meal earlier today or even yesterday?
Is your body in a position where its energy needs haven’t been met? This might also occur if:
you live in a female body and menstruate monthly (often energy needs are elevated around menstruation)
your body is recovering from illness/injury
you’re becoming more active
you’re pregnant
Your brain may be responding to restriction
And by “restriction” I mean both mental restrictions (i.e. actively restraining from having certain foods; calling foods “good” and “bad,” etc…) and physical restriction (trying to cut calories, skipping meals, etc…). Your brain responds to both mental and physical restriction the same! And as we just discussed, a brain that feels restricted would send the signal that it needs to be on the lookout for more energy. And energy = carbs = sweet-tasting things!
Your brain has learned to associate sweet foods with emotions
This is not a bad thing! Food is emotional! It’s the reason we crave our grandma’s cookies - it’s not just about the cookie, it’s the emotion surrounding it. Additionally, for so many people, food is something that has kept them safe and has been a place of respite amongst turmoil and trauma. I hate that we live in a culture that demonizes coping with our emotions using food.
Where this can become tricky is if you’re starting to notice that food is the only tool in your coping skill box. Imagine trying to rely on one support person for all your needs - that’s a lot of pressure on one person! Most of us have people we talk to when we get a promotion and others when we’re in a shame spiral. Diversifying your coping skills can help you feel more intentional around food.
So the next time someone’s talking about feeling like they’re addicted to sugar, know that it does make sense that they feel that way because humans need food to survive. If we didn’t have systems in place to crave it, we would not be a thriving species. Now, is it more complicated than just that? Absolutely! Food is social, emotional, political, and physical. It deserves to be treated as a complex issue and not boiled down to blaming an individual.
Does all this sound a little overwhelming to tackle on your own? The good news is you don’t have to. Schedule a discovery call to learn more about my nutrition counseling services!