SWEET TALK
Dr. Trisha Pasricha explains why we crave sugar after a meal and how to deal with it.
Q I always crave ice cream or chocolate after dinner. How do I stop these cravings? Why do they happen?
A You've probably noticed that hunger is not a prerequisite for sweet cravings. Our sense of hunger and fullness is largely regulated by hormones that can be triggered by what's in our stomachs and small intestines. A food craving, meanwhile, can occur even when we are otherwise feeling satiated.
To help curb sugar cravings after a meal, try to incorporate a variety of flavours, textures and smells into your main course. Also, create new habits after mealtime.
One theory for why we crave sweets, even when we're full, is called sensory specific satiety. We may be too full to eat anything after stuffing ourselves at Thanksgiving with savoury foods like turkey and mashed potatoes. But if a different food is offered — say, pie — people tend to eat more.
Researchers think this may be related to our nutritional need for a balanced diet, but it also helps explain why we often have room for dessert. By giving your main course more variety, you might not feel something is missing at the end of the meal.
Another factor has to do with learned behaviours. Much of the literature around food cravings supports the idea that they are a conditioned response.
Remember Pavlov's dog? People can get used to eating a specific food in a certain context. Maybe having ice cream is how you relax after dinner, or maybe you refuel with a slice of cake in the afternoons. That pattern can release the reward hormone, dopamine, that makes us feels good and reinforces the habit.
What's happening when you most frequently desire sweets? Try breaking up those associations for a few weeks. Instead of eating a brownie after dinner, experiment with other ways to reduce stress — like doing yoga or watching reality TV. After awhile, you may notice you don't crave sweets with those stimuli anymore.
HOW TO CURB CRAVINGS
Enjoying sweets in moderation is normal. But if cravings are hindering your healthy eating efforts, here are other tips that can help:
■ Try smaller, less frequent portions of your favourite sweets. A classic study from researchers at Northwestern University in 1975 found that people who ate a more restrictive diet were more likely to go overboard when given a chance at sweets than people who didn't diet. You can also practice mindful eating to savour the experience.
■ Don't swap real sugar with sugar substitutes. Some substitutes are far sweeter than sugar, which won't help address the cravings. And according to the World Health Organization, not only do these not help with weight loss if that's your goal, but they can lead to other health problems.
■ Get some sleep. Are you reaching for something sweet at the end of the day when you're tired? A 2013 study published in Nature Communications found that the more exhausted people feel, the more they desire high-calorie foods.
■ Ask your doctor about medications. GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic are known to curb cravings, including for sweets and alcohol. Check with your physician to see if you're a candidate.
WHY WE EVEN CRAVE SWEETS
Researchers have long studied the effect of sweets. In fact, one experiment found that rats preferred intensely sweet substances over cocaine.
We're also living in a world of meticulously engineered, aggressively marketed and cheap sugar-dense desserts and snacks that did not exist several generations back. This makes it harder than ever to break the pattern.
Why some people have a “sweet tooth” and others don't remains a scientific mystery, but there are a few myths about it that research has debunked. Contrary to what many believe, there is no clear association between obesity and sweet food preference.
HOW MUCH SUGAR CAN I HAVE IN A DAY?
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day for men, and no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day for women.
Added sugars aren't just found in sweets. Foods such as salad dressings, ketchup and even tomato sauce can also have added sugar — so can drinks. For example, one scoop of vanilla ice cream can have 14 grams of added sugar. A 12-ounce soda can have 39 grams.
To stay within the recommended range, check nutrition labels and minimize your consumption of processed foods.
WHAT I WANT MY PATIENTS TO KNOW
There's also a lot of shaming around how we eat and obesity that make these discussions hard — even with your physician. Find a health-care team who recognizes that obesity is as much a disease as hypertension and can help guide you toward your goals.