When a person is overwhelmed with stress or hasn’t eaten for awhile blood sugar levels drop and the need to eat sugar increases. Most of the time a person will indulge in eating a high carbohydrate meal to fulfill the low blood sugar. The rush that accompanies the ingestion of sugar only lasts about 3 minutes. Dopamine is released causing a “high” sensation. This is a natural calming effect for the body. However, the dopamine effect is short lived and once the sugar clears from the bloodstream the cravings occur again. So, naturally the person binges on sugar again. This cycle can last all day long. Eating too many carbohydrates will produce inflammation and fat gain. It is important to curtail the sugar cravings without indulging in over eating of carbohydrates. Here are a couple ways to reduce sugar cravings without chowing down on a loaf of bread.
- Wrap yourself in a warm blanket. The warm sensation physiological alters the body’s chemistry activating the parasympathetic nervous system activating fat metabolism, which will reduce sugar cravings.
- Cool down the hypothalamus. Close the right nostril and take a deep inhale through the left nostril, then close the left nostril and exhale through the opened right nostril. This helps cool down the hypothalamus activating the parasympathetic nervous system redirecting sugar metabolism into fat metabolism.
Daryl Conant, M.Ed