Why You Have Those Sugar Cravings When You're Stressed

If you've had a hard day at work, you may not know why you want two pieces of
pie after dinner (or FOR dinner). Your mind is not on why you have those sugar
cravings. We know sweets taste good but we don't know why we have such a
craving for them. We know it's bad for us but we continue to eat them. It's almost
like our body needs that sugar ....because it does.
Sugary sweets and the sugar cravings for them can be a sign that our
neurotransmitters are in distress. Neurotransmitters are the brain messengers
that carry information between brain cells. When we are in stress our
neurotransmitter levels drop, especially serotonin, known as the happiness
transmitter. Our body attempts to correct this problem by doing something that
feels good. Such as have a piece of lemon meringue pie or that chocolate bar.
Most of us have subconsciously buried memories where we associate
sugary food with relief. From the first time grandma made us chocolate chip
cookies, we began to associate sugar with feeling better. When we get those sugar
cravings, our subconscious is attempting to boost endorphins and to stimulate
neurotransmitters in the way it remembers with a sugary treat.
If you are trying to control your sugar cravings, it's helpful to know why you
want those treats in the first place. You can stop yourself a little easier if you
realize that you don't really want the pie so much as you want to feel better.
You can slow down sugar cravings when you're stressed if you take time to
examine what you can do to lower your stress levels. Find ways to feel better
emotionally so you can feel better without reaching for a candy bar. A little trick
that I have been using for years, that works real well: stop what you are doing,
and take three huge, deep breathes....and then exhale very slowly.
This gives you a chance to "clear your head" and to think about what you are
about to do...and ask yourself if that is what you really want to do. I make myself
give 3 reasons why it is ok to go ahead and eat the food AND 3 reasons why I
don't want to have that food. Usually by the time I think of those 3 reasons, my
mind has gone elsewhere and I do not feel the urge to have that decadent
indulgence. It just doesn't seem quite so worth it...or certainly not the
consequences.
Next time you find yourself faced with a sugar cravings when your stressed, give
this a try. I think you will be pleased with the result.

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