I seem to crave sugar when I'm not even hungry. I'll have a nice salad with greens, salmon and other vegetables in it, then a few minutes later I'll want something sweet. I usually eat very healthy foods most of the time. It's when I'm not hungry that I seem to really crave the sweets.
All of my family really likes sweets and I've tried to not have them as much anymore. If I do I usually will have some dates or a Clif Bar, but sometimes I'll just eat a huge bowl of ice cream or cookies.
Why do you think I crave sweets and what are some solutions to stop craving them?
Lisa - About.com User
Another reason you might be craving sugar could be due to lower serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel content and happy. Many antidepressant medications work by keeping serotonin levels high. Sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin. This means that eating something sweet may make you feel happy and avoiding sweets may make you feel crabby.
Chromium Picolinate (buy direct) is a mineral that studies have shown may reduce carbohydrate cravings. Although having an occasional bowl of ice cream really isn't going to hurt your diet, you don't want ice cream or cookies to become a habit. When the craving hits, choose fruits and berries instead of high calorie sweets. Exercise is also a good way to improve mood. Go for a walk instead of eating a bowl of ice cream.
Read How to Satisfy Your Sugar Cravings Without Ruining Your Healthy Diet for more help with sugar cravings.
Sources:
Kampov-Polevoy AB, Alterman A, Khalitov E. "Sweet preference predicts mood altering effect of and impaired control over eating sweet foods." Eat Behav. 2006 Aug;7(3):181-7. Epub 2005 Oct 17.
Benton D, Donohoe RT. "The effects of nutrients on mood." Public Health Nutr. 1999 Sep;2(3A):403-9.
Benton D. "Carbohydrate ingestion, blood glucose and mood." Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2002 May;26(3):293-308
Christensen L, Pettijohn L. "Mood and carbohydrate cravings." Appetite. 2001 Apr;36(2):137-45.
Docherty JP, Sack DA, Roffman M, Finch M, Komorowski JR. "A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving." J Psychiatr Pract. 2005 Sep;11(5):302-14.
