It’s no secret Americans are battling cravings daily. Many are reporting sugar addiction as their biggest problem. Research shows that up to 97% of women and 68% of men are experiencing some sort of food craving, including cravings for sugar. (1) While only 5% (25 grams) of our daily diet should consist of sugar, the average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons (85 grams) per day (2) and that number seems to be climbing yearly.
Humans are physiologically designed to seek out sugar and salt, both of which are essential to providing for our energy and mineral needs. (3) The body’s primary source for energy is glucose; which is a simple sugar that comes from the body’s digestion of carbohydrates. Stable blood sugar is important for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. (4) The mistake many people make, however, is to eat more refined foods that contain excess sugar when they feel the sweet tooth coming on. This is not a great idea, as it will move the body towards hypoglycemia and produce irregular glucose levels in the blood. We want to focus on high quality, unrefined carbohydrates containing nutritionally valuable and slowly digested starches.
How can whole, plant-based foods help with our sugar addiction?
First and foremost, plant-based foods are rich in fiber, which helps you feel fuller. Simply put, starches satisfy our appetite. When we are full we are less likely to experience sugar cravings. Many times when we reach for sugar, it’s because we feel we need a ‘pick-me-up’, or energy. Eating whole food, plant-based starches gives us plenty of carbohydrates and energy, without the refined sugars.
A diet high in the complex-carb rich diet of nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, and grains supplies a gradual and adequate release of glucose into the blood, versus the ups and downs created when ingesting white sugar. Think about that daily afternoon urge for chocolate as your energy level decreases. Chances are you ate something not very high in fiber for lunch. After you eat that sugary cookie of a candy bar, your energy dips shortly thereafter. Mission not accomplished.
Another interesting thing that happens when moving towards a whole-food, plant-based diet is that your taste buds will gradually change to crave less sugar, salt and fat because we are able to actually taste more of the whole ingredients in itself. (5)
Carbs provide more energy than any other fuel source and are the only type of energy the brain can utilize. You may have heard that cravings often generate in the brain, and when we don’t supply it with the energy it needs to stay alert and energetic, we become vulnerable. Again, the goal must be to supply the brain with nutrient-rich, whole, plant-based sources of food to give our bodies what is truly needed.
What are cravings exactly?
They are signals sent to your brain that you want, or need, something and maybe a sign that you are deficient in vitamins and minerals.
Whole, plant-based foods are rich in micronutrients.(6) Increasing micronutrient intake through eating a diet of natural foods reduces appetite and cravings and restores normal hunger signals. Micronutrients are essential to cellular metabolism and helps keep us satiated. When we eat whole plant foods, our bodies will stop looking for these nutrients and hence, our cravings subsist. However, when we choose refined food which have little to no macronutrients whatsoever, our cravings kick in as our body continues to look for foods that may contain the nutrients it needs. Essentially, the more high-nutrient foods (whole, plant based) we consume, the less low-nutrient food (sugar) we crave.
Some examples of plant-based foods that can aid in your sugar cravings are:
- Leafy greens are a wonderful choice if you want to curb sugar cravings. The soluble fiber boosts satiety while the high micronutrient content in greens provides the number of plant chemicals your body needs to curb cravings.
- Fruits and berries are naturally sweet and can aid in cravings, but also provide you with fiber, vitamins, and minerals that will help meet your daily nutritional needs.
- Legumes like beans, lentils, and peas have a high protein and fiber content which curbs hunger, helps you feel full and lowers your desire for sugar.
Chia seeds are a great source of soluble fiber and omega 3 fatty acids and their healthy plant compounds. (7) These seeds absorb water well, and therefore swell up in your stomach, making you full for a longer period of time. When we feel full, we are less likely to desire sweets. Just think back to the times when you’ve dieted and restricted yourself. All you could think about was chocolate, cookies, and candy, right?
Legumes such as lentils, peas, and beans have high levels of fiber and resistant starch, meaning carbohydrates that aren’t broken down by digestive enzymes. (8) This helps stabilize blood sugar levels and reduces cravings for sweets.
The key becomes to choose foods that have high fiber content to help with satiety, but that also has the micronutrients the body needs to function well. Whole, plant-based foods is a clear choice here, as animal foods like meat, dairy, and eggs contain no fiber at all.
How to avoid the trap of a sweet tooth?
Don’t think you can’t have any sweet foods at all. As mentioned prior to this post, we need and crave sweet foods for a reason; just make sure that what you are eating also provides nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber and not just sugar.
Here are some tips
- Eat whole grains, seeds, and nuts, vegetables and fruits at every meal. A balanced meal will ensure you get sufficient nutrients and lessens the chance of experiencing cravings
- Avoid refined food with white sugar such as cookies, cakes, donuts, fast and junk food in general. The more you eat these foods, the more you will continue to crave them, continuing the cycle of cravings
- Eat regularly to avoid blood sugar from dropping. Three meals a day with a snack or two is typically suggested, but this will vary from person to person. It’s also important to listen to your body when you are really hungry, versus just wanting a specific food. When you are truly hungry, a plain carrot will sound tempting!
- Use whole food sweeteners such as fruit, dates and maple syrup when you want to sweeten your food. Don’t avoid sweet flavors completely if your body is sending signals that it wants it
- Make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation makes us weaker and less able to resist sugar cravings when they come on.
I’m also a fan of adjusting the language you use to speak to yourself. Instead of saying “stop eating junk food”, I prefer something like “eat more rice and beans”. The brain responds more favorably to adding than subtracting, avoiding the restrictive feeling we often get when we think we have to eliminate something we enjoy.
It is important to note that if you would like to try out a whole-food, plant-based diet, that you eat sufficient amounts of food. Many people who consume meat and dairy on a daily basis, are used to having to restrict their portions due to the relatively higher fat and calorie contents of these animal foods. Keep in mind that plants are a lot less calorie dense, coupled with the fact they are higher in fiber and will make you feel full sooner. What happens is, you will go hungry, and when we’re hungry we often tend to experience cravings.
In summary, your solution to reducing sugar cravings is to choose whole, plant-based foods as much and as regularly as possible. Make sure to give your body a few weeks to adjust to this new change, and watch your cravings become less intense!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and not meant as medical advice. Please consult with your primary physician, specialty doctor or a registered dietitian before making any major dietary changes. A whole food, plan based diet is not a bullet proof guarantee against health problems. While plant-based diets are associated with lower risks for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, they cannot guarantee perfect health and a long life.
References 1 How Much Is Too Much? Sugar Science, the unsweetened truth. California: UCSF. Web. July 6, 2018. 2 Crushing the Cravings. UC Davis Integrative Medicine. California. July 9, 2015. Web. July 3, 2018. 3 McDougall, John A. MD., The Starch Solution. New York: Rodale Inc. 2012. Print. 4 Cousens, Gabriel M.D., Conscious Eating. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books. 2000. Print. 5 Changing our taste buds. Nutritionfacts.org. Volume 14. September 9, 2013. Web. July 3, 2018 6 Prevent Disease and Fight Aging with Micronutrients. Dr. Axe. Web. July 3, 2018. 7 Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica): health promoting properties and therapeutic applications – a review. PubMed.gov. 2017. Web. July 3, 2018. 8 Fuhrman, Joel M.D., The End of Dieting. New York: Harper Collins. 2014. Print.
