Carbohydrates and Sugar Cravings

There are various types of food cravings such as salty, crunchy, spicy, sour and of course sweet. A sugar craving tends to the most common and very detrimental to your health, especially if you exercise on occasion or not at all. When people crave sugar, they may go for a quick fix and opt for sugary drinks, candy, cake, cookies or other processed foods.

All carbohydrates contain sugar and are simple or complex depending on their structure; in addition, they are our main source of energy. Most of your processed foods are simple and contain refined sugar with little vitamins and minerals. Think of packaged cookies and cakes. When large amounts of simple sugars are ingested in the absence of other nutrients, they enter the bloodstream very quickly, which provides that quick burst of energy. In a short time, the blood sugar drops and hunger sets in again. The body is looking for an even level of blood sugar so it tells you to eat something to bring it back up. So you may go for sugar again and this starts a cycle of ups and downs until you eat a meal.

When complex carbohydrates such as vegetables or whole grains are ingested, it takes more time for the body to process; therefore, the bloodstream does not get flooded as when drinking a sugary drink. The sugar takes a longer time to be absorbed, which provides a longer duration of energy. Also, when complex carbohydrates or (natural) simple carbohydrates such as fruit are consumed with other nutrients (a healthy fat, protein or fiber) the absorption rate is slowed.

Exercise is so important to how the body processes carbohydrates, as well. The more you exercise, the more the carbohydrates are transformed and used as immediate energy. If a person is not exercising, the body will use what it needs from those transformed carbohydrates and the remainder may be stored as fat.

When you are feeling hungry and sluggish and need a snack, go for a piece of fruit and yogurt. Other options are one tablespoon of peanut butter on a whole grain piece of bread or carrot sticks with hummus. Whatever you do, make it more natural and healthy and let go of the processed to let go of the cravings.