In the zeal to have a healthy life, healthy body and healthy mind, everyone is trying hard to get rid of all those habits, foods and drinks from diet, which tend to have a long term negative impact on the health. Sugar is one such ingredient that does immense harm to the body. If you wonder what it can do to you, a few instances would include –
- Weight gain
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Increase chances of cancer
- Worsen and aggravate the chances of diabetes.
Still, on an average every American adds 22 extra teaspoons of sugar in everyday meals. The rest of the world does not lag far behind in this sugar addiction.
Awareness is gradually growing and many people are trying to get rid of their additional sugar intake or any sort of sugary indulgence. However, in this process, a strong sugar craving becomes a big hindrance.
About Sugar Cravings:
We all crave for all sorts of junk foods and sugary foods. It is not the body’s need for those foods, but actually the brain’s need for a “reward”. Sugar craving is caused by an addiction to sugar.
Research studies have shown, sugar stimulates the same pleasure centre in the brain as heroin or cocaine does. That is why; sugar is as addictive as these popular and hard-core drugs. Just as you crave for those drugs, when you are actually in a withdrawal process, you also crave for sugar when you want to get rid of its use or your dependency on it. The craving is actually your mind’s response towards the detoxification process.
How Long Does it Take to Stop Sugar Cravings?
It differs from person to person as to how long the sugar craving will last for someone. For some people, going cold turkey works, and for some getting rid of sugar slowly works better. However, everyone experiences sugar cravings for some time. This craving disappears within a short period.
Some have a better will power and some are weaker. Besides, will power alone cannot stop the sugar cravings or give the strength to stop the sugar cravings. What you are eating in your diet, how much you feel full after a meal or what supplements you are taking in order to stop or fight the sugar cravings all contribute to your extent of sugar cravings.
Usually, the sugar cravings last for 10 days to a fortnight for most people. This can be less or even more for some. Of course, the first few days are the most difficult time. If you indulge in a sweet food or drink in this phase or cheat your diet, it is more likely that you will crave for more. This is because, when you eat something sweet, it will contain sucrose. Sucrose is unable to respond to the brain telling you that you are full. Therefore, you end up eating more and crave for more sweet stuffs.
Rather than cheating and falling prey to the cycle of sugar cravings, you can follow the various ways through which you can stop your sugar cravings. There are many supplements and many other ways that will help you to control your cravings and get rid of this urge sooner.
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