Reason for craving sweet foods?

DawnMcUK
DawnMcUK Posts: 53
in Health and Weight Loss
I have just read this in an article online, and wondered if there was any factual basis to it?

"Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and Splenda, have no caloric value, but this doesn't mean that they don't help make you fat. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners actually make the body crave sweets even more! When your body receives a sweet taste but isn't calorically satiated, it craves the real deal. If you are looking to kick a sweet habit, switching to diet sodas or artificial sweeteners might be a bad plan".

I switched to diet drinks when I began on MFP, but then started craving sweet things all the time, especially chocolate, which is something I rarely ate before. Could I be slowly sabotaging my own journey without knowledge?

Thoughts please...

Replies

  • domez
    domez Posts: 46 Member
    From what I have read in the Paleo Solution and Primal Body, Primal Mind, what you say is true. Dr. Lustig explains sugar cravings on his video "Sugar- The bitter Trruth". Long winded but worth a look.
  • DawnMcUK
    DawnMcUK Posts: 53
    From what I have read in the Paleo Solution and Primal Body, Primal Mind, what you say is true. Dr. Lustig explains sugar cravings on his video "Sugar- The bitter Trruth". Long winded but worth a look.



    Damn that sucks! Need to rethink my food and drink plan again lol!
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    From what I have read in the Paleo Solution and Primal Body, Primal Mind, what you say is true. Dr. Lustig explains sugar cravings on his video "Sugar- The bitter Trruth". Long winded but worth a look.

    2nd!
  • crrobin
    crrobin Posts: 25 Member
    I've never been a huge diet drink consumer...MAX, one per day. What I. Have found that has REALLY reduced cravings as well as my appetite in general, is cutting back on refined carbs. I am a bottomless pit when it comes to white rice and pasta....i could eat huge amounts, then hungry one hour later! I still have one Hershey nugget and one caramel at night after supper as a treat several nights a week:). But I do use a lot of atkins products and such that contain artificial sweeteners , and I don't find they make me crave sweets....if anything they satisfy my sweet tooth:)
  • suzyqdoing52
    suzyqdoing52 Posts: 2
    Hiya

    i agree with these postst. Artificial sweetnes are worse then sugar. Teh exception being stevia. The atrificial sweetners also draw nutrients from your body. And they are just plain toxins storing in your fat. Besides that it deregulates your hormone balance. So really switching to 'ligh' producs does you more harm then good. Why no stop with sodas and drink herbal teas like ginger and mint? No sugar, good flavour, helps your body get rid of toxins and improves your digestion. If you want to live a healthy livestyle soda just isnt a part of that. Anyways, you dont have to go cold turkey, bu limit it untill you dont crave it anymore, you need to gt used to different tastes.
    That is about that. On the craving part. Back in the days when people hunted and didnt have soda and had a natural diet, they also craved sweet. Which ment they had a need for nutrients that are in sweet foods. So next time when you crave sweet, eat a pumpkin, carrot or swet potatoe soup. And stick to that. Maybe later some fruit. I bet you your cravings will dissolve and also your hormonal imbalances so you will be able to withstand chocolate again :-). Good luck and please do youself a favor and whe you eat stuff, think if they had it 2000 years ago. And change your diet gradually. You cant win the battle in one day. But ofthen your body stored fat to give the toxins a place as you cant get rid of them, make it yourself a bit easyer and stop eating it. Good luck hug suz
  • snowbike
    snowbike Posts: 153 Member
    Many many studies have been done on Aspartame and other sweeteners and their effect on insulin. And the 100% conclusive answer is NONE! zero! nothing! Sweeteners do not make you crave sugar.

    The body just does not recognise sweeteners as sugar.

    Here is a great page with links to lots of studies for sweeteners...

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/artificial-sweeteners-insulin/#axzz26toMeqf3
  • HelenaHanbasket
    HelenaHanbasket Posts: 35
    Yes it DOES: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/09/beat-your-sugar-addiction-now.aspx
  • HelenaHanbasket
    HelenaHanbasket Posts: 35
    Good links about this very thing:

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/09/beat-your-sugar-addiction-now.aspx

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/25/cant-beat-food-cravings-four-steps-to-help-you-kick-your-addictions.aspx

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