How To Stop Sugar Cravings

I regularly work with women who feel that are addicted to sugar and want to learn how to stop sugar cravings. The solution for this problem is quite simple once we uncover what is driving your sugar cravings and preventing you from feeling in control when it comes to food.

Why Would You Want to Stop Craving Sugar?

From Type 2 Diabetes and the associated complications to stubborn weight gain and feeling frustrated with your results, there are many reasons why women seek support to stop craving sugar.

What Causes Sugar Cravings?

Like all cravings, sugar cravings are a sign of a deeper imbalance. It is not weakness, it is not a lack of will power, it is a message from your body and it is asking for help.

While sugar in excess amounts can be a problem for our health and our ability to maintain a healthy weight, there are some very good reasons for the intense cravings. Understanding the cause of your cravings will allow you to address the imbalance which will remove the need for that sugar binge.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip #1: Balance Your Blood Sugar Levels

Low blood sugar levels and dysregulated blood sugar levels are two of the most common causes of intense sugar cravings.

Low blood sugar levels are perceived by the body as a dangerous threat. When our blood sugar levels drop, our body will turn up those hunger signals and intense cravings for carbs, salty food and sweets in an attempt to regulate the imbalance.

There are many reasons for low or dysregulated blood sugar levels including hormonal imbalances like insulin resistance, poor stomach function, liver stress, a low protein diet, a low calorie diet, fasting and more.

If blood sugar regulation issues are driving your sugar cravings, it is important to uncover the cause and work to resolve it.

It is possible to improve blood sugar stability quite rapidly and I often see clients eliminate their sugar cravings within 1 – 2 weeks of implementing the appropriate strategies.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip #2: Manage Your Stress

Stress is a major driver of blood sugar fluctuations, hormone imbalance and gut health issues, all of which make cravings for sugar worse.

High levels of stress and exposure to prolonged periods of stress can weaken our resilience and nervous system function. A dysregulated nervous system will seek to be soothed. Sweet treats are soothing for the nervous system and in moments of stress, your brain will hijack your behaviours and cause you to be highly motivated to seek out and eat sweets.

Interestingly, chronic stress depletes magnesium and cravings for chocolate can be a sign of magnesium deficiency. Managing stress and improving nervous system resilience is an essential step in resolving sugar cravings, but a high quality, practitioner grade magnesium supplement in the right dose for you, can help to calm the nervous system and reduce cravings for sweets.

Hypnotherapy is one of my favourite tools for eliminating sugar cravings that are driven by stress. Practicing hypnosis regularly (in the form of an audio you can use at home) helps to calm and soothe the nervous system, removing the intense need for sweets.

When stress is the root cause of sugar cravings, we can typically see an improvement within 2-4 weeks on the right protocol.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip #3: Fix Your Gut Health

There are a number of gut issues that can lead to intense sugar cravings, binge eating and stubborn weight gain. These issues include:

Poor digestion / Poor Stomach Function

When stomach functioned is weakened it can be difficult to digest protein and fats leading to deficiencies and dysregulated blood sugar levels. Regulated, stable blood sugar levels are essential to manage sugar cravings.

Bacterial Overgrowth

Certain strains of bacteria can wreak havoc on your gut health. The can cause inflammation, weight loss resistance, sluggish bowels, loose bowels and cravings for very specific types of foods like like carbs, pastries, breads and sweets.

Seeking support to modulate your microbiome will not only improve the bacterial balance and cravings for sweets but you may also notice improved energy, less brain fog, better digestion, a release of fluid retention, healthier hormones, and more.

Yeast Overgrowth

Similar to a bacterial overgrowth, a yeast overgrowth may also lead to strong cravings for sweets. Yeast need sugar to thrive and it will trigger sweet cravings as it fights for its survival.

A bacterial or yeast overgrowth can be triggered by stress, antibiotic use, low stomach function and hormonal changes, just to name a few.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip #4: Seek Support

Every time I meet a client for the first time, it is clear to me that they have been trying their absolute best to overcome whatever challenge they have booked in to see me for. They’ve done research and tried many things they have seen online, unfortunately, with no success.

This process of research, trial and error, failure and frustration can go on for months, sometimes even years until finally, they decide to get help.

Working with a practitioner is the short cut to uncovering what could be driving your health and behavioural challenges. As a holistic practitioner, I am trained to be able to pinpoint the driving cause of your symptoms so I can help you to create a plan to resolve them.

When it comes to sugar cravings, I can help you to identify if its your nervous system, hormone health, gut health, deficiencies, a combination of all 3, or something completely different thats driving your cravings. Once I have a clear understanding of the cause, I can provide you with personalised nutrition and lifestyle guidance combined with mineral or herbal support if required.

This combination of support has allowed me to support countless women to learn how to stop sugar cravings so that they can manage diabetes, improve their health markers, lose weight and feel good.

Summary

While trying to stop sugar cravings can seem like an impossible task, seeking the right support will allow you to gain freedom from this problem.

If you are ready to stop feeling controlled by food, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. Work with me! Book a consultation in person (Evandale, SA) or AUS + NZ wide online via Zoom

2. Listen to the Holistic Weight Loss Podcast

3. Connect with me on Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook