As human beings, we are designed to seek out sweet tastes, as it is how humans were able to identify foods that were safe to eat. It is one of the trifectas that food companies use to make food more palatable and addictive [fat and salt being the other two].
Have you ever thought about why you crave sugar/sweets? When your blood sugar drops, your body searches for quick energy [carbohydrates/sweets] to refuel. Carbohydrates [ie. sugar and starches] are easily broken down in the body for quick energy. The other side to that is that the energy is used up quickly which returns your body to that seeking mode.
When we do not take the time to provide our body with a healthy combination of fat/protein/complex carbohydrate, we continue on this viscous energy seeking cycle that causes us to make poor food choices. How many times have you been hungry while grocery shopping and grabbed something quick that you normally would have avoided. [Guilty!]
Setting yourself up for success is key to avoid the carbohydrate energy draining cycle. Keep healthy snacks handy to prevent those energy dips. Also eating a healthy snack every 2-3 hours will help prevent those blood sugar dips that cause you to run to any vending machine available.
What do you do to prevent cravings?
By Andrea O'Brien MS, OTR/L CHHC
Have you ever thought about why you crave sugar/sweets? When your blood sugar drops, your body searches for quick energy [carbohydrates/sweets] to refuel. Carbohydrates [ie. sugar and starches] are easily broken down in the body for quick energy. The other side to that is that the energy is used up quickly which returns your body to that seeking mode.
When we do not take the time to provide our body with a healthy combination of fat/protein/complex carbohydrate, we continue on this viscous energy seeking cycle that causes us to make poor food choices. How many times have you been hungry while grocery shopping and grabbed something quick that you normally would have avoided. [Guilty!]
Setting yourself up for success is key to avoid the carbohydrate energy draining cycle. Keep healthy snacks handy to prevent those energy dips. Also eating a healthy snack every 2-3 hours will help prevent those blood sugar dips that cause you to run to any vending machine available.
What do you do to prevent cravings?
By Andrea O'Brien MS, OTR/L CHHC
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