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Sugar sensitivity is a type of biochemical condition that affects certain parts of the brain and a person’s behavior after eating sugar. This means the kind of food a sugar-sensitive person eats and the time they eat these foods will affect their mood and behavior profoundly.
Sugar sensitivity makes any sugar-sensitive person vulnerable to any health effects of sugar. Generally, sugar triggers the brain to achieve a euphoria-like effect, much like how illegal drugs like heroin works. When a person is sensitive to sugar, he will feel an intense high from sugar, causing addiction or even opening the door to other addictions.
How to Know If You’re Sensitive to Sugar
It’s hard to know for sure if you are afflicted with a certain condition without being diagnosed by a doctor. However, by paying more attention to your body’s reaction before and after consuming sugar, you will get an idea if you are sensitive or not. In most cases—if you love sugar to the point that you eat sugar-rich foods even when you’re not hungry—you might be sensitive to sugar.
Symptoms of Sugar Sensitivity
One of the most common symptoms of sugar sensitivity is chronic fatigue. Below are the other accompanying symptoms of this condition:
- Insatiable craving for sweet treats
- Insatiable craving for refined carbohydrates like white rice, pasta, bread, etc.
- Depression
- Poor memory
- Irritability
- Struggle with weight gain
- Joint pain or muscle pain
- Severe PMS in women
How to Cope with Sugar Sensitivity
It’s hard to live with sugar addiction. Your mind is constantly struggling between caving in to your cravings and fighting the urge to wolf down all the sweet treats you get your hands on. But these tips should help you cope with sugar sensitivity:
Don’t Start the Day with Sugary Drinks
Drinks like fruit juices should be avoided in the morning if you are sugar-sensitive. Drinking such beverages could trigger intestinal distress and fatigue. It will also trigger the brain to crave more sweets as the day progresses.
Eat Food High in Tryptophan
Tryptophan helps stimulate the brain to release serotonin, the happy hormone. Tryptophan is typically found in protein-rich foods. A meal rich in lean poultry or meat, lentils, or cottage cheese helps minimize sugar cravings and keeps glucose level in the blood normal so you don’t overeat later on.
Eat Carbs Anytime From 2PM to 4PM
The glucose level in the blood dips and spikes from time to time. When your glucose level is low, you will start craving for sweets. To avoid over-indulging, do not deprive yourself of carbohydrates. Snack on carbs around 2PM to 4PM, these periods are where glucose level in the blood is at its lowest. Snack on healthy carbs like wheat bread and baked potatoes so you don’t gain weight.
Keep the Mind and Body Healthy
Yoga, light exercises, and even meditation help curb sugar cravings, raise the endorphin level in the body, and keep the body healthy! You get the same high from exercises like yoga as you would from eating sweets without the unwanted calories!