The Truth About Sugar Cravings and What You Can do to Halt Them

Uncontrollable Cravings

Most of us have felt that uncontrollable yearning for sweets—that burning desire for cookies, cake, ice cream, or that whole basket of bread. And, when we finally succumb, we devour it in a flash even when we’re not hungry. Why do sweets have such a hold on you? Is being unable to resist an indication that you’re weak or have no willpower? Or is it something more?

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the reason almost 70 percent of Americans are overweight—or that one in two Americans has pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes—may not be lack of willpower, but rather a biological addiction.

Addictive Foods

There has been much debate about the addictive nature of the processed junk foods that are a staple in our American diet. It’s been said that some processed foods are as addictive as cocaine or heroin—and the commercial food industry may be partly to blame. In the book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by Dr. David Kessler, the author shares evidence that food giants intentionally manipulate our food with excessive amounts of sugar, salt, and fat to make it more “craveable.” According to Kessler, this craving-consumption cycle then leads to what he calls, “conditioned hyper-eating.”

So, before you fall prey to these tactics, it’s important to look at what sugar is doing to our brains and bodies, and how you can break the addiction.

Your Diet and Brain Health

Your brain’s health plays a critical role in your entire life. It controls every function of your body. Years of the typical processed American diet can change the brain and hinder its ability to function. Over time, too much sugar leads to hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, obesity and, finally, a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Sugar also inhibits the body’s ability to flush out toxins, causing inflammation, pain, and disease. The more sugar you eat, the more the brain is convinced that a sugary diet is what it needs. In other words, you can no longer trust the appetite signals your brain is giving your body.

Conversely, a healthy, balanced brain supported by a healthy diet will give you the right mindset to eat the correct foods in the correct amounts, minus those miserable cravings.

So, how do we get there?

Focused meditation can be an important component to changing your mindset and balancing your brain, and visualization can be your guide. Within my Habits of Naturally Thin People series, you will find specific audios designed to conquer cravings for the sugary foods that are destroying your brain and damaging your body, such as  Extinguishing Junk Food Cravings, Eliminate the Desire for Sugar and Chocolate, Sugar Busters, and Conquering Cravings for Sugar and Fats. These sessions will help you stay on track and assist you in eliminating the sugar addiction that plagues so many people today.

If you feel sugar cravings are a problem for you, I urge you to explore the audio sessions listed above. They will not only help you overcome your cravings, but the inherent relaxation will balance your brain and your life and make creating lifestyle changes a breeze.

Yours in Health, 

Dr. Patrick Porter, PhD 

P.S. The BrainTap App makes controlling your cravings easier than ever. Try the session Eliminate The Desire For Sugar and Chocolate in the Habits of Naturally Thin People series. Just download the app, choose a session, and push play! For a FREE Trial Click Here