Understanding Sugar as a Slow Poison: Tips on How to Control Sugar Craving

Sugar is referred to as the “slow poison” based on its adverse long-term health effects of sugar consumption in day-to-day life. Sugar consumption can lead to uncontrolled weight gain, which could lead to obesity gradually, as sugary foods are high in calories. With increased sugar intake, there is an increased chance of type 2 diabetes and cardiac diseases as well.

HOW TO CONTROL SUGAR CRAVING?

Sugar is considered to be a “slow poison” in today’s 21st century. However, due to its addictive properties, controlling sugar cravings is something very challenging; with the guidance of renowned dieticians like Dt. Rukhsana Azhar, one can try to cut down sugar gradually from one’s diet. Limiting sugar from one’s diet can be possible through dietary, behavioral, and lifestyle changes. 

Some of the ways of controlling sugar cravings are listed down below in this article by DIET4UWELLNESS. 

Staying Hydrated

Cutting down sugar from the diet is mainly for weight loss and a better lifestyle. So, to prevent sugar from their diet, an efficient way of keeping oneself full is by consuming sufficient water. Thirst can often lead to hunger, which can lead to overeating. 

Eating Regularly

Eating regularly without skipping any meals ensures that the blood glucose level is maintained, especially for pre-diabetics. A balanced diet should be consumed, with no or negligible sugar content in food items. The diet should contain equal amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fats instead of desserts like cupcakes, pastries, and sweets.

Choosing Healthy Alternatives

Reducing sugar intake from daily diets might seem overwhelming initially, but it is a road that all should take to improve one’s overall health. Some of the alternatives to sugar-containing food items are:

• For those who have a sweet tooth and crave dessert, fresh fruits containing natural sugar, like mangoes, bananas, and apples, are a wise option. Dry fruits, like dates and resins, are also a wise option. 
• Sugar can be replaced with honey, maple syrup, and jaggery powder as they have comparatively fewer calories.
• Other healthy food choices after cutting down on sugar could be dark chocolates and homemade snacks with no added refined sugar. 
• While cooking or baking at home, one should add a negligible amount of jaggery powder instead of actual sugar to keep the calorie balance in check. 
• When beverages are concerned, one should opt for fresh fruit juices and herbal tea instead of canned and carbonated cold drinks like Coca-Cola and sodas.

Avoiding Artificial Sweeteners

When people with sweet tooths try to adopt a healthy lifestyle by cutting down sugar from their diet, they often resort to other replacements like artificial sweetening agents like stevia. Artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose, and Stevia do not contain sugar calories but still have a sweet taste. Thus, preparing food with such options is definitely a healthier and better option. However, packaged foods contain refined sugar and high amounts of sugar, which are harmful to health. So, it is essential to read labels while adopting a no-sugar diet carefully. 

Increasing Protein Intake

Protein acts as the building blocks of one’s cells and tissues. Generally, Indian diets lack protein content. Hence, with the help of proper diet control under the supervision of renowned dieticians, protein intake can be increased in one’s diet. High protein foods like lean meat, including fish, chicken and turkey meat, eggs, dairy products, and even nuts and seeds like walnuts, cashews, and almonds. Other items like whole grains, including millet, rajma, and quinoa, could be a great addition to replace sugar-containing food items. One can only control sugar cravings if those desserts and sugary items are replaced with tastier, healthy, protein-enriched options like the ones discussed above. People who are vegetarian and cannot consume meat should definitely supplement their daily diets with a scoop of protein powder. 

Managing Stress

Stress management and controlling sugar cravings can be very challenging, but one can adopt several strategies to overcome stress. One could practice mindfulness and meditation, which would help reduce stress in everyday life. In this 21st century, there are apps that help maintain a track record of meditation and yoga, which would help reduce anxiety and stress. If stress is subtracted from one’s life, craving for uncontrolled sugary items also reduces automatically. 

How to Control Sugar Craving and Boost Your Weight Loss Efforts

Avoiding sugar for people who are on a weight loss journey is extremely important and should be done under the supervision of a board-certified dietician like Dt. Rukhsana Azhar. Sugar has extremely high calories, something that is not desired in a weight loss journey, as a weight loss diet needs a calorie deficit for effective weight loss. Sugary foods like desserts, cakes, and sweets often lead to blood-sugar level spikes as they have a high glycaemic index. By reducing sugar in their diet, people have seen positive results in maintaining their cravings and appetite, thus aiding in a sustainable weight loss process. 

How to Control Sugar Craving and Avoid the Side Effects of Excessive Sugar Intake

Excessive sugar consumption is harmful, according to dieticians and nutritionists, and has adverse effects on health. Some of the main side effects of over-consumption of sugar are:

Weight gain/ Obesity

High-sugar foods like sweets, cakes, and chocolates are rich in calories, therefore leading to weight loss. If consumed in moderation, the calorie count can be controlled, and thus weight can be managed. However, the problem with sugar is that it is very addictive and leads to over-consumption, which leads to weight gain. Once obese, it would lead to other deadly disorders, which are discussed in the following points. 

Type II Diabetes

Uncontrolled consumption of sugar often leads to hormonal imbalances, which further leads to conditions like type II diabetes. It is a chronic condition that is very harmful to one’s health and can indirectly lead to many more diseases, thus deteriorating one’s health. 

Cardiac Diseases

High sugar consumption in one’s diet is scientifically associated with increased risk factors for having cardiac diseases. It also leads to high LDL levels, thus increasing blood pressure. 

More Cravings

Once one starts consuming sugar, it starts acting like a “drug”, which can lead to serious addiction problems. Just like other hard drugs, people often fall prey to those addictions, and their withdrawal leads to adverse health effects. Therefore, it is essential to cut down on sugar gradually in order to adapt to a healthier lifestyle.

Controlling of Sugar craving

• Why sugar avoided?

1. 1. Eating too much sugar can contribute to people having too many calories, which can lead to weight gain.
   2. Being over weight increases your risk of heart problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes.
   3. Over time, this can lead to a greater accumulation of fat, which mat turn into fatty liver disease, a contributor to diabetes.

• Causes of Sugar cravings

1. Insufficient Protein
2. Insufficient Fiber
3. Lack of Sleep
4. Poor Gut Health
5. Emotional Response
6. Low Magnesium
7. Hormone Fluctuation

How to Quit Sugar/Sweet Craving

• If you really need craving

1. Drink Water
2. Nuts
3. Greek Yoghurt
4. Mixed Berries
5. Dark Chocolate
6. Angeer
7. Divert you wind
8. Chia Seed Water

• Side Effect of Sugar

1. Sugar make your organ fat
2. It turns you into an addict
3. It can make you depressed
4. Acne
5. Type 2 Diabetes
6. Skin Aging
7. Energy low
8. Other health risk

What Sugar Cravings Indicate About Health and How to Control Sugar Craving

The desire to consume sugar indicates various underlying health issues, such as blood sugar imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, or hormonal fluctuations. Frequent and uncontrolled cravings indicate irregular eating patterns that indirectly lead to a spike in blood glucose levels. They could also indicate probable deficiencies in nutrients like magnesium, chromium, or B vitamins, which are vital for glucose metabolism and energy production. Also, stress, poor sleep, and dehydration can contribute to sugar cravings, which again would lead to various chronic disorders.

FAQ’s Related to How To Control Sugar Craving

What are some of the harmful effects of overconsumption of sugar?

As discussed earlier in this article by DIET4UWELLNESS, some of the harmful effects of excessive consumption of sugar are:

• Weight gain and obesity
• Increased risk of diabetes type 2
• Heart diseases
• Liver failure
• Tooth plaques and decay

Can sugar affect one’s mental health?

As sugar is very addictive, it can definitely affect one’s mood and mental health. It can cause frequent mood swings due to hormonal imbalances and increased blood sugar levels. Also, research has shown a positive link between unregulated sugar consumption and increased incidents of anxiety. Therefore, it is essential to reduce sugar from one’s daily diet. 

How can one reduce sugar cravings?

How to control sugar cravings have already been discussed in the article above. Some of the ways to reduce sugar cravings are:

• Following a balanced diet with healthy fats and dietary fibers helps stabilize blood glucose levels.
• Regular meals without skipping any meals also make sugar. There is no sudden glucose level spike in the blood, thus reducing the risk of other diseases like diabetes. 
• Adequate daily hydration is crucial for maintaining appetite and reducing sudden hunger, thus preventing overeating.

What are some of the healthy alternatives to refined sugar?

Sugar is a sweet poison in today’s world, so it is best to cut down on sugar. Some of the healthy alternatives to refined sugar present in all fast-food items are:

• Natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup.
• Artificial sweeteners like stevia and aspartame. 
• Fresh fruits like mango and apple can be added to one’s daily meals. Fruits contain a high amount of natural sugars, which calm one’s sweet taste and also help replenish one’s vitamin and mineral needs.

Dietitian Rukhsana Azhar

Hello My Name is Dt. Ruksana Azhar and I am a certified dietician and providing online & offline services for Weight Management, PCOS/PCOD Management, Diabetes Management ,  etc. I have 12+ years of experience in the Apollo Hospital Delhi , Max Super Specialty Hospital Delhi, Lilavati Hospital Mumbai and VLCC healthcare Mumbai. I  loves to write healthcare and lifestyle related blog. My favorite part of being a doctor is the opportunity to directly improve the health and wellbeing of my patients and to develop professional and personal relationships with them.