The REAL CAUSE of Sugar Cravings (It’s Not What You Think)

Why Sugar Cravings Happen 0:00

Do you have those really nasty sugar cravings? No, you can't go throughout the day without eating sweets at least multiple times a day and it's very frustrating. Well, this is a very common problem in the American population. So in this video, I'm going to talk to you about the root causes of why you had those sugar craveings and then the natural approaches you could take to eradicate these excessive sugar cravings. You know, when you consume refined sugars and simple carbohydrates, your blood glucose levels spike rapidly, and then in response your pancreas releases a large amount of insulin to bring those levels down.

This can lead to a sugar crash, where your sugar drops or you become hypoglycemic. And as a result, your body is going to try and compensate and so you'll crave another quick source of energy, which are simple sugars. And so over time, this creates a vicious cycle of highs and lows. So a dye consistently high in sugar and simple carbs can lead to insulin resistance.

Blood Sugar Spikes and Crashes 0:54

That creates another problem because this is when your cells become less responsive to Insulin. And then as a result, your body needs to produce more and more insulin to manage your blood sugar levels. And this further exacerbates the cycle of cravings, fatigue, and weight gain. So what are the solutions? Well, for most people, here's what I recommend you do. Start your meal with fiber. Now, this is something you have to get used to because most Americans don't do this. But if you start your meals with fibers, say like your lunch and dinner with vegetables, and your breakfast, let's say having a protein shake, you're having eggs, whatever it is, take a fiber supplement.

Also, eat quality fat and protein with your meals and quality carbs, not simple carbs. If you are prone to sugar cravings, please do not skip meals, and do NOT eat late in the evening. This causes more blood sugar dysregulation, stress hormone bouts, which leads to more sugar craveings. Also, make sure you consume a quality multivitamin that has the methylated B vitamins and chromium and other minerals which help with blood sugar stabilization. Another supplement I recommend a lot to patients is berberine because berberein is phenomenal in lowering those blood sugars and insulin levels.

Diet Changes to Stabilize Blood Sugar 1:58

Now if you're under stress, your body's releasing a lot of the stress hormone cortisol. And that's your bodies role with cortisol is to have this fight or flight response, which includes raising your blood sugar levels to provide immediate energy. So if we have chronically high cortisol levels, that is going to cause your sugar level to be elevated and that increases your desire for high fat, high sugar and high carb foods. This is really kind of a survival mechanism where your brain craves glucose or sugar and fatty foods because they provide an energy source and a temporary boost of the neurotransmitter serotonin which is that feel-good neurottransmitters and that makes you feel comfortable but just for a short period of time and so the stress-induced craving is a powerful cycle that can be hard for some people to break so how can you resolve this well make sure you get 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily make, sure, you, get adequate sleep and other stress reduction techniques And I really like to use cortisol balancing supplements such as ashwagandha extract.

You want to boost your serotonin levels with supplements like 5-hydroxy tryptophan or saffron extract If you have inadequate protein intake, this will lead to sugar cravings as well. I talked about the fats aswell as the protein. But you know, when you're having quality protein sources, you are going to have better blood sugar stabilization.

Stress, Cortisol, and Cravings 3:08

So for a lot of patients, I have them have, at least small to moderate amounts of protein with their meals. And that in combination with a high fiber consumption and good fats in a diet will lead to preventing those blood sugars spikes. So again, this is one of the reasons why people crave carbs. You really got to avoid, especially in the morning with breakfast, the simple carbohydrates. For a lot of people eating the oatmeal, having the cereals, that leads to a quick boost in glucose levels and then crashes by mid morning and your blood sugar is becoming dysregulated and you crave sugar products.

So, again you need to have that balance of protein and healthy fats. with a small amount of complex carbs to keep you full and keep your blood sugar stable for much longer periods of time. Again, quality protein snacks with your meals such as cold water fish, such wild salmon, eggs, nuts and seeds, lean poultry are all great. Now another common reason we find with patients for sugar cravings is candida overgrowth. You know in your gut microbiome we have a community of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms in our digestive tract.

They actually play a significant role in how you feel and what your cravings are. So the type of yeast or fungus known as Candida albicans is a type yeast that is naturally occurring in the gut.

Protein, Fats, and Better Meal Balance 4:17

But when you get overgrowth due to a high sugar diet from chronic stress, from antibiotics, steroid use, this feeds the Candidas. Simple carbohydrates feed the candida. And so when the yeast over grows in your gut, it can send signals to the brain, which increases your desire for sugary and refined carbohydrates. And that creates a feedback loop where you eat more sugar to feed the Candida, which then causes them to thrive and then you crave even have even stronger sugar cravings. So addressing this overgrowth of Candita requires dietary changes and you may benefit from targeted treatments to restore healthy gut function.

What are the solutions? Well, obviously restrict your sugar intake, that includes alcohol and all refined carbs, so you're not feeding the candida.

Candida Overgrowth and Gut Health 5:02

Next, take supplements which destroy excess of yeast such as oregano, berberine, caprylic acid. These all get the candida levels down and then in addition take a probiotic which crowds out the yeast in the gut. So these are the root causes really why people have these strong sugar cravings and you can get them under control. If you follow the principles I gave in this video, really within two weeks you have significant reduction in your sugar cravings. Well, hope you liked that video. Look for other videos on my YouTube channel.

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