Real Reason #6 for Sugar Cravings: Not Enough Protein by Joan Kent, PhD
Eating too little protein can be a major cause of sugar cravings. In my clinical experience, vegans (who eat no animal products) often have extremely strong cravings for carbs, typically sugar. Some vegetarians experience this, as well.
As we’ve seen, sugar cravings are linked with brain chemicals. Protein is made of amino acids that build the brain chemicals that stop sugar cravings. When those chemicals are at optimal levels, we also think clearly and resist cravings easily.
Protein promotes release of the hormone CCK as it enters the small intestine. (Fat does this, too.) CCK reduces our desire for carbs in general.
So a low-protein diet means lower CCK and lower levels of key brain chemicals. That leads to strong cravings for carbs, especially sugar.
Protein foods include poultry, fish, lean beef, lamb, pork, eggs, shellfish, cottage cheese, and plain Greek yogurt with 18-20 grams of protein per serving.
If you’re vegan and crave sugar, it can help to eat some animal protein. Some vegan clients of mine with severe sugar cravings were willing to eat fish, shrimp, or high-protein yogurt.
If you won’t eat any animal products, I recommend unsweetened, plant-based protein powders — hemp, pea, vegetable and others.
No mistake: protein is key to eliminating sugar cravings.
Some people eat nuts for protein, but nuts are primarily fats. In fact, most nuts have more carbohydrate than protein! Nuts are good for us, but you’d have to consume a lot of fat to get the small amount of protein they contain.
Other foods that are considered protein — but aren’t — include peanut butter (mostly fat), quinoa (mostly carb), and the almost-famous vegetarian beans-and-rice combo (extremely high carb).
Those foods contain a little protein, but never skimp on protein when you’re trying to end sugar cravings.
Sugar cravings result in many diet failures. I hope you now understand cravings so you can finally quit sugar if you decide to do so.
And how can you do that?
Tips and Strategies for Quitting Sugar
It will take about 6 days to quit sugar and feel the powerful effects. Decide on that day. A few days ahead, start eating meals that include one food from each group in tip “S” below. Continue doing that.
Always drink plenty of water: before you quit, during your quitting days, and beyond.
Stock your kitchen with plenty of protein, plenty of healthful fats, plenty of vegetables, plenty of healthful starches. Build your meals and snacks to include all of them. [Start doing this before you quit and keep doing it during and after.]
Use self-knowledge: Toss any sugary foods in the house. Don’t tell yourself you’ll avoid them. When a sugar craving strikes, it will be too easy to eat them.
Get ready: pre-cut vegetables so they’re accessible and convenient for snacks and with meals.
Arm yourself with liquid B-complex. It can stop a craving in a few minutes. Make sure it’s complete B-complex, not a specific, individual B vitamin (ask your doctor if B vitamins are okay for you to take).
Run, walk, cycle, work out as usual, but not necessarily super-hard.
On your quitting day, stop eating sugar.
Use a spoonful of liquid B-complex whenever you get a sugar craving, and give it a few minutes to take effect. B-vitamins help form brain chemicals that stop cravings.
Stick with this for 6 days; it will work. Then the discipline starts as you stay with this type of eating long-term.
Wishing you great success with this!
If you need help with quitting sugar, that’s what I do, and I’d love to help you. Just visit www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free copy of “3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Trying to Quit Sugar.”
Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar: 7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.
