12 Reasons Why You Crave Sweets

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Newstoday Jakarta - Sometimes cravings for sweets and cakes indicate fatigue, and sometimes health problems.

1. You are hungry

If youdecidedgo on a strict diet and completely abandon carbohydrates, often replace breakfast with a cup of coffee or skip lunch, then the body does not receive the calories it needs to work. 

And the easiest way to replenish energy is to eat cake, chocolate or sweets.

What to do

In order not to overeat and not gain weight due to the abundance of carbohydrates, you need to adhere to the principles of a healthy diet.nutrition:

• Don't skip breakfast.
• Drink enough liquid. Men are recommended up to 3 liters, and women up to 2.1 liters per day.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, grains, lean meats.

2. Have you played sports recently?

During training, the body actively consumes energy, and then looks for ways to restore it. This confirms the Americanstudy. 171 overweight people did exercises to lose weight. 

Scientists noticed that after prolonged exhausting activities, the subjects increased cravings for sweets.

What to do

Perhaps you need to carefully select the physical activity so as not to cause overwork. A special diet for training is also recommended. Here it isprinciples:

• Don't forget carbs . They need to be eaten at 3–5 g per kilogram of body weight per day if training is of medium intensity, and 6–10 g if heavy. It should be whole grains, pasta, fruits and vegetables.
• Include proteins in your diet. Eat 1.2–2 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. Poultry and fish are best suited. But you can use legumes, eggs, cheese or yogurt.
• Don't give up fats . The best sources are avocados, seeds and nuts, vegetable oils.
• Eat 2-3 hours before exercising. Be sure to have a protein snack or a protein shake within 15 minutes of your workout.

3. You eat a lot of artificial sweeteners.

Researchshow that the attempt to replace sugar with artificial sweeteners often increases the intake of sugary and high-calorie foods. This is due to the fact that aspartame and other surrogates do not give the body as much energy as sugar. The required number of calories is not supplied, and the desire to eat something sweet does not disappear. At the same time, food intake increases.

What to do

If you want to give up sugar, it is better not to switch to its substitutes, but simply try to reduce its amount in the diet. It turns out it's not that hard. Onestudyshowed that cravings for sweets disappear 3-6 days after giving up.

4. You are stressed

After studying a small group of people, researchersnoticedthat cravings for sweets, as well as for foods rich in fat, increase in those who are chronically stressed.Countsthat in this state increases the synthesis of ghrelin . This is a hormone that is produced in the cells of the gastric mucosa and stimulates appetite.

What to do

To avoid overeating, you need to find suitable methods to deal with stress. itcan be:

• yoga;
• meditation;
• favorite hobby;
• sports;
• breathing techniques ;
• any way to express emotions.

5. You don't get enough sleep.

If a personnot getting enough sleep, he, as with stress, increases the level of ghrelin. At the same time, the concentration of leptin decreases, which increases the risk of developing obesity.

What to do

Need to sleep. If it doesn't work, try following theseregulations:

• Go to bed at the same time. This will solidify the sleep-wake cycle.
• Don't sleep during the day. Otherwise, it will be more difficult to fall asleep in the evening. If you really want to lie down after dinner, limit yourself to 30 minutes.
• Exercise regularly. This is how you release energy.
• Fall asleep in a calm environment. The room should be dark, quiet and slightly cool. Maybe someone will help to relax before going to bed a bath or other way of relaxation.
• Do not use gadgets in the evening. They make it difficult to relax.
• Don't go to bed feeling hungry or with a full stomach. This is additional discomfort.

6. You get very tired

Sometimes increased cravings for sweet or salty foods are a signfatigue. The body simply does not have enough energy, and it is looking for a way to get it faster. And carbohydrates are the most affordable option.

What to do

You need to rest periodically. Try to alternate mental and physical work. And, of course, don't forget the food.

7. You quit smoking

When a person triesget rid offrom this bad habit, the synthesis of serotonin, or the hormone of happiness, changes in the brain, the mood becomes unstable, and even signs of depression may appear. And this leads to an increase in cravings for sweets.

What to do

If you want to quit smoking, you need to choose the appropriate method . Perhaps, sports and a balanced diet will help someone, while someone needs replacement therapy and work with a psychotherapist.

8. You have premenstrual syndrome

In women before menstruationdecliningsynthesis of serotonin. Therefore, the mood deteriorates andappearscravings for sweets. And this is fraught with weight gain.

What to do

FordecreaseFor signs of premenstrual syndrome, doctors prescribe medications that maintain normal levels of serotonin, and also advise a diet rich in vegetables and fruits. Some women benefit from massage, psychotherapy, or herbal medicine.

9. You are depressed

In people withdepressioncravings for sweets and high-calorie appear all for the same reason - the production of serotonin is reduced.

What to do

In this case, you needfightwith a nervous breakdown. To do this, they use drugs, psychotherapy, and in a serious condition they put them in the hospital.

10. You have diabetes

This disease accompanieda constant and strong feeling of hunger, and some people seize it with sweets. Sometimes this is a sign of high or low glucose levels.

What to do

If, in addition to sweets, you are constantly thirsty and you urinate a lot, you need to see a therapist. He will order a blood glucose test. When confirming the diagnosis, the doctor will give recommendations on what to eat and what drugs to take.

And for those who have long been diagnosed with diabetes, it is worth discussing the treatment with the endocrinologist and, possibly, changing something in it.

11. You have compulsive overeating

This is the name of an eating disorder in which a person cannot control food intake. He is eatinga lot ofhigh-calorie foods (usually sweet and fatty), even when not hungry. Often does this secretly, as he feels remorse.

What to do

Compulsive overeating should be treated by a psychotherapist. The doctor will prescribe medications that reduce anxiety, eliminate depressive disorder. Various methods of psychotherapy also help.

12. You have a genetic predisposition

Scientistsdiscoveredin humans, a portion of the chromosome associated with increased cravings for sweets. If this gene is inherited, then the desire to eat a chocolate bar or candy will be higher than in people without this chromosome fragment.

What to do

You can't get rid of the problematic gene. But you can follow simple tips to eat less sweets. Herethey:

• Read labels. Foods such as sauces and yogurts often contain hidden sugar or sugar substitutes such as corn syrup, molasses, and honey.
• Eat more vegetables and fruits, whole grains.
• Replace the candy bowl at home with a bowl of fruit.