If you are someone who gives into their sugar cravings a lot of the time and you want to put a stop to that so you can lead a healthier life without reaching for the sugar, then admitting you have a problem is the first step in changing your eating behaviors.
Binge eating disorder is a serious issue for many people, it can cause them to act out in ways that they wouldn’t normally all for that hit of sugar and fat to satiate those craving feelings.
This article will discuss what binge eating is, why we crave sugar so much, and what we can do to stop binge eating sugar and instead go for fiber-rich foods that can help us eat healthy.
What is Binge Eating?
Binge eating is about eating a lot of food over a short period of time until you feel uncomfortably full and unwell.
Sometimes binges are planned in advance with foods that the person is craving. Afterward, the binger will feel incredibly guilty as well as ashamed.
Symptoms of Binge Eating
- Eating when not hungry
- Eating alone or in secret
- Eating incredibly fast
- Feeling guilty, ashamed, and disgusted after eating
- Stress-eating sugary foods, fatty foods, and so on
If you are noticing this in yourself then you may have an eating disorder.
Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder
- Hiding how much they are eating
- Storing up supplies of food so they don’t go without
- Weight gain (this doesn’t happen to everyone)
Why Are We Craving Sugar?
There are quite a few reasons why we may turn to high-sugar foods, for instance, from birth, sweet is the first taste that humans prefer.
Sugar is a carbohydrate and it releases the chemical serotonin which makes us feel good, but that applies to all carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, the difference is that they are a lot healthier, but to many people, they are not as ‘tasty’ as sugary foods are.
Sugar can offer a natural high giving us a rush of endorphins.
So when we eat chocolate and other highly processed foods, it can make us feel good for a little bit as we are giving in to those cravings.
But the negative effects are blood sugar level crashes, higher calorie intake, feeling sick, and the list goes on and on.
The allure of sugary treats can also unknowingly put our teeth at risk. Excessive sugar consumption provides a breeding ground for harmful bacteria in the mouth, leading to the formation of acid that erodes tooth enamel and causes painful cavities. This would then necessitate a visit to Durham Dental clinic (or something similar) to treat the issue. However, if the underlying cause is not dealt with, then these kinds of problems are likely to persist.
The Effects of Binging on Sugar
Sugar can be very tempting, and you can find yourself gorging on sweets, confectionaries, and other snacks. The excess consumption of sugar, however, can lead you to develop many health issues in the short as well as in the long run. It can negatively impact your immune system, hormone levels, heart and kidney health. In addition, it increases the risk of diabetes and gravely affects your dental health. Now, certain effects of sugar can be managed with medical services; cavity development can be reduced and managed with the help of dental fillings vancouver wa and other places; the risk of diabetes can be reduced through medication. But such conditions are practically a warning alarm which shows that your sugar intake has reached dangerous levels. You should promptly begin finding solutions to reverse these effects and cut down on sweets.
We Overeat it Without Realizing
Even if we avoid sweets and try and reduce sugar, there are still a lot of added sugars in many regular foods on the shelves.
Bread, yogurt, juices, sauces, and more have sugar in them naturally as well as added.
This can make it harder for people to quit cold turkey (which they shouldn’t do anyway as it can cause a crash).
How to Stop Binge-Eating Sugar
If you really want to put a stop to binge eating sugar, then there are some steps that you can take to help yourself go through this process effectively.
Engaging in emotional eating, often characterized by bingeing on sugary treats, can adversely impact both our emotional well-being and physical health. In times of distress, many individuals turn to sweets, sugary drinks, or desserts as a source of comfort. However, these extremes can lead to detrimental effects on the body, especially dental health. The excessive consumption of sugar usually results in tooth decay, highlighting the importance of making wise choices for overall health. Regular visits to an experienced dentist from general dentistry bennington, or a similar professional service in our locality, can provide guidance on maintaining dental health. Fostering habits that contribute to both emotional satisfaction and the well-being of our pearly whites can help us make positive changes for a healthier and happier life. So, now is the time to make a change to help us feel satisfied without detrimental effects.
Get Enough Sleep
Your sugar cravings may be triggered by a poor night’s sleep or sleep deprivation.
Sleep can help us rest and relax after a long day, but if we do not have that then we can find ourselves reaching for something sweet that will feel nice on our taste buds and give us the sensation we crave.
Lack of sleep also means we are awake for longer so we may eat more food resulting in a higher calorie intake of sugary and fatty foods that are doing nothing for our health and well-being.
Get Your Recommended Hours
If you want to stop eating sugar and curb cravings, you will want to get your recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.
A couple of hours before bed you need to wind your mind and body down, so don’t use your phone, stay away from any food, and dim your lights or turn them off.
Make sure your room is at a good temperature and close all of your curtains and blinds so you are in complete darkness.
This should be able to help you get the sleep you need without distractions.
Eat Protein
If you have recently had a binge, you may feel so bad that you think you should be skipping meals to make up for the food you ate.
Don’t do that.
You are messing with your body’s rhythm and it still needs its nutrients, you still deserve to eat no matter what has happened, it is important that you are able to do that.
Focus on eating more protein in your meals as it helps slow the rate of sugar that is in your bloodstream.
It will help you keep your blood sugar steady and stop you from feeling that need to binge again as you will be full up.
What Protein Rich Foods Should You Eat?
Nuts, seeds, beans, dairy products, eggs, and meat are all great sources of protein.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, then there are still plant-based protein sources that you can have which will offer up the same benefits.
It is Okay to Give in a Little
As mentioned before, going completely cold turkey is not going to be much help as those cravings are still going to be strong.
Instead, limit yourself when you eat sugar, this means being mindful of how much you are eating and how you are going to eat it.
How Can That Be Done?
Get out a small plate or bowl and put the food you want to eat on it, do not nibble at it or eat another when you are standing up, just focus on putting it down and then putting away the packet, try and shove it to the back or really high up to make it harder.
Go and sit down, and without any distractions, eat your food.
Savour the bites and the sensations in your mouth, really feel it, and tell yourself that you are eating this and it is all you are going to need.
Go Out and Do Some Physical Activity
Your might of had a bad day and all you can think about is going home and eating all the foods you want to eat.
Stop yourself right there and think about what that will mean if you do it and how you will be feeling afterward.
This is a good time to push yourself to do some form of activity that will not only get your body moving but will keep your mind distracted from thinking about that food.
What Exercises Can You Do?
You don’t have to do anything intense, you can just go for a walk, do some cleaning, take your dog for a walk, or maybe dance around the house listening to music.
As long as it is something that will benefit you physically, it can go a long way toward helping you develop the good habit of keeping fit.
Create a Food Diary
A food diary can help you see what you are eating and when so you can take note of when you are more than likely to overeat and what may have led to that.
You can start to be more aware of what is triggering you and it can make you be a lot more proactive in stopping yourself before it happens again.
When we binge eat, we don’t think about it too much until afterward when the damage is already done, a diary will help you face that and show you how you can change that pattern.
You can also see what other foods could be contributing to your unhealthiness and change what you eat to help you stop overeating.
Eat Regularly and Slowly
Make sure that you have your three meals a day and healthy snacks, and when you do eat them, don’t just wolf them down until you feel like a balloon, take your time with them and savor the food.
Keeping to a schedule can help you stay away from eating too much as you will be listening to your hunger cues which can go away when you have a random eating pattern that causes you to indulge a lot.
Focus on Food Prep
Preparing your food ahead of the next day or the next week can be very beneficial in having you stick to what you eat.
If you wake up first thing and you just want to grab whatever is to hand to fill in that feeling of hunger, then present you will thank past you for making overnight oats and putting them in the fridge, or making a fruit salad the night before, and so on.
All of it can help massively and stop you from just grabbing what you can to fill that empty space.
Conclusion
Sugar cravings can be very intense, and if you are someone who has eaten a lot of sugar all their life, then getting off it is not going to be an easy road.
Pace yourself and take your time, you will feel hungry for sugar, and you will want to go back to your old ways for that hit of serotonin, but fighting it will provide you with so many benefits and a healthier relationship with food.