No More Sugar-Coating It: Here's the Deal on Why You Really Crave Sugar

Finding ElyOtto’s funky tune – making its way from Instagram Reels to becoming your reality? Going on frequent dates with an afternoon slump that leaves you feeling fatigued, cranky and makes you reach for the nearest bar of chocolate or sweetened iced coffee? You have tested positive for a notorious case of a ‘sugar crash’.

In this edition of Dash of Nourishment’s weekly, Sahana Dasharathi explores the why’s and how’s of poorly managed blood sugar, and how to nip such tendencies in the bud!

So, to begin with let’s get to answering – what a ‘sugar crash’ is and why it is as annoying as the pop-up ads on your screen

First, let’s decode why sugar is the culprit responsible for your midday energy crash. When you load up on a carbohydrate-heavy meal, or eat unusual amounts of sugar – the body releases insulin to help metabolize the glucose in your bloodstream. This causes the blood sugar levels to abnormally drop, which in turn leads to you to feel as if your body is running on 10% battery.

The sugar cycle is simple enough to understand; you feel lethargic and restless, so you want a ‘pick-me-up’ that boosts your energy, temporarily might I add, it then manifests as a crash much worse than the previous one, and repeat!

Foods high in glycemic index, whether in the form of simple i.e natural sugars found in fruits called fructose etcetera, or complex carbohydrates such as breads or pasta, are the likely cause for your blood sugar (whether your health conditions diabetic, pre-diabetic, or nil) to move up and down like the stock market. This high-low situation demands to be curbed by your body so that you don’t feel the effects of the slump.

What we disguise as an innocent ‘sweet tooth’ is sometimes a tell-tale warning for hyperinsulinemia which births out of an excessive craving for sweets that force large spikes in the insulin levels of the body.

This isn’t to say that sugar is your enemy, it ISN’T! You can surely breeze through your day without your body yelling “KOBE” and your energy being slam-dunked. Your power and energy are here to stay, as long as your blood sugar levels are stable all day.

Here’s how to troubleshoot

1. You need to eat well-balanced meals, inclusive of healthy fats to stay on top of your energy game

If you are including a healthy variety of high-quality protein, fibre, and healthy fats at breakfast, lunch and dinner - you will be able to tackle insatiable cravings by staying fuller for longer. It’s easy, if your body will get enough fuel to oil its machinery via proper sources, you won’t look towards sugar for energy.

2. Maintain a food journal

A food journal helps you stay mindful of what you put in your body. It is a great way to keep track of things like different textures, within food – that you crave on days when you’re stressed as opposed to when you aren’t. The body’s stress hormone, known as cortisol often affects not only our moods but also what we want to eat.

3. Differentiate between diabetic symptoms and a regular sugar crash

Knowing when to deal with it on your own, and when to hit the line of your doctor is crucial. A pre-diabetic or diabetic patient is likely to experience symptoms more severe than just general tiredness. If your body frequents between chills, dizziness, sweats etc. alongside cravings – you need to get in touch with a health professional regarding potential hyper/hypoglycaemia.

4. Check labels, if you MUST buy processed foods/beverages

Get in the habit of looking out for red flag items like HFCS, that do you more harm than good. If you’re conscious of the artificial substances that go in your purchases, you are less likely to stock up on them!

Image source: QFC

5. Don’t OVERDO it

If you want sugar, get it. Indulge but do not abuse yourself or your body. If your body needs compensation, it is because it recognizes missing nutrients in your food and asks for them in a more unnatural manner. Honor your needs, accept that you’ve consumed *it* and move on with your day and life. In short, don’t overdo it with either binge or restrict – or any obsession of any kind. Keep it simple, keep it under control!

What Healthier Choices Look Like

If you feel physically nauseous post-binge, turn to hydration. Replenishing as water alone is at every temperature – especially warm, jeera paani and ajwain paani are really efficient at improving the body’s digestion and to help you debloat.

In case, you are looking for naturally sweet alternatives or “swaps”, you’ve got dates, figs, cranberries, and the likes to help you stay satiated.

And that’s all the tea on battling a sugar addiction. You are now ready to hopefully enjoy your day feeling sharper than a felt tip pen, and avoiding energy crashes like you would MG road at traffic hour!

Information provided by Sahana Dasharathi

Written by Vaishnavi Sarda

Cover image credit: Adobe stock