How to Decrease Sugar Cravings

It's the holidays and we all want be healthy and keep the weight down. At the same time with all the holiday festivities, there's more sugar at parties and then candies/desserts brought home. So you want to stay away, but it seems very difficult to. Watch the video I made you! These are 3 strategies you can easily use that can help curb that sweet tooth.

There are two kinds of hunger: 1.Physiological hunger 2.Cravings. How does physiologic hunger work? The brain and stomach communicate via the vagus nerve (the nerve is like the wire of a tin can phone system, connecting the two phones). When you are truly hungry (low blood sugar, low nutrients), the hormone ghrelin is secreted and tells the hypothalamus in the brain to secrete an appetite inducing hormone. Then when you are full, leptin is secreted, telling your brain that you are satiated.

Cravings are much more complicated. But research shows that cravings are increased when serotonin levels are lower in the brain. Often times, serotonin levels drop with decrease in vitamin D levels. Natural vitamin D is obtained by sunlight, so in the winter, people feel more sugar cravings, low mood etc when it is typically darker. Serotonin is the brain chemical responsible for feeling happy, and some forms of depression are associated with low serotonin. Sugar, carbohydrates, and wheat can act as opiates and give temporary feelings of euphoria. This may be why people crave sugar more in the winter when they need a "pick me up".

Given this information, you can increase outdoor activity to get some vitamin D. You can also exercise to increase endorphins (which is a natural opiate produced by the body and beneficial). Use the sunlight and exercise to feel happy rather than sugar. Sugar tends to contribute to mood swings, weight gain and lowered immunity. So enjoy your holidays and you will be surprised at how much you enjoy them more when you commit to healthy habits.