Project Description
Causes of Sugar Cravings, and Top Nutrient Deficiencies
Sugar cravings are a symptom of an imbalance in the body. It is your body telling you that something is wrong. Below are just a few of the many causes/reason for sugar cravings.
Top Causes of Sugar Cravings:
1. Nutrient deficiency
2. blood sugar imbalance
3. thyroid/hormone dysfunction
4. yeast/bacterial overgrowth
5. food sensitivity
6. chronic stress
7. toxic overload
8. chronic illness
9. healthy fat deficient
10. gut imbalance
We have an abundance of food, here in the United States, where we can eat whenever we want, and pretty much, whatever we want; restaurants, fast food places, grocery stores full of food year round, and even kitchens where we stock plenty of snack foods, for fear we will go hungry. Yet, we are one of the most malnourished countries in the world, with the highest rates of diabetes, cancer, cholesterol, just to name a few, as well as a whole host of other health issues. There has been an overwhelming increase in every type of cancer, disease and disorder, including obesity in children over the past 50 years, and is still climbing. How can that be?
The majority of Americans eat a SAD diet; a standard american diet, of high fat, high sugar, highly processed foods with less one one serving of vegetables a day, per person, on the average! No wonder we are malnourished!
Sugar Cravings and needing to lose weight are the number one reasons why clients come to me, and yet the answer is so simple. Going back to nature, eating real, whole foods that are stripped of all its nutrients and increase fruits and vegetables is the key to health. It doesn’t have to be difficult, yet there is so much confusion out there. My goal is to help people wade through the confusion and make sense of what they have heard, and discover the truth.
Top 4 Nutrient Deficiencies That Lead to Sugar Cravings
It is best to get your vitamins and minerals from food, and it is so easy to do! Your body absorbs food better than a supplement, and you get a host of other important vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants from that food. Please consult your physician before adding any dietary supplement to your daily regimen.
1. Magnesium – deficiency leads especially to chocolate cravings). When your body is under a lot of stress, it uses more minerals, and your body becomes depleted, especially in magnesium, which is a stress reducing mineral. Too much refined sugar also depletes this mineral, causing sugar cravings.
Food Sources: dark leafy greens, broccoli, nuts (almonds are highest), fish, beans, dark chocolate
2. Chromium: a deficiency causes intense sugar cravings.
Food Sources: lean meats, asparagus, whole grains
3. B Vitamins– sometimes called “the stress vitamins”, the B vitamins help you deal with stress more efficiently; also regulates the mood. Too much caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugar depletes B vitamins.
Food Sources: dark leafy greens, bananas, potatoes, eggs, hormone-free chicken, salmon
4. Zinc – older people as well as those under stress are usually deficient in zinc. A zinc deficiency dulls the taste, so one has the tendency to add more salt, or increase the sweetness.
Food Sources: oysters, crab, liver, hormone-free dark chicken, peas, green beans, asparagus, nuts
Did you notice 3 out of 4 of the above nutrients are found in dark leafy greens? So eat your greens; eat your whole foods, and see if you lessen your sugar cravings.
