# Sugar cravings



## Andy (Jun 12, 2011)

I have always been a sugar junkie. I use too take and just started to take again a supplement that helped before but does not seem to be helping now and I am not sure if it's all that safe for me to be taking it anymore anyway do to other health issues. 

Anyway, my medication has been decreased and since then I have noticed my sugar cravings increase tenfold as well as my weight which definitely doesn't help my ED issues (thoughts are turning toward negative behaviours) and my ever depleting self-esteem. I CANNOT gain anymore weight.

My question is why would lowering my medication make me crave sugar big time? I have heard of some medications making people crave carbs but I have never noticed or maybe it's never been this bad before where I crave sugar coming off/lowering of a medication? I also never have energy at all and you would think that with all the good/bad sugars I am putting in I would have some energy. Sooo does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Could this possibly be some other health concern? There is no way I am going in to a MD just to ask as the last time was pointless. I'm not asking for medical advice just opinions.


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## Daniel (Jun 12, 2011)

What meds are you talking about?    Has your appetite in general increased?   

When I was taking SAM-e, my appetite decreased.   But I still don't know if that was a direct side effect or if it was mood related or both.  I do know I eat more when I more stressed/anxious, as do most people.  And with depressed moods, I sometimes eat more and sometimes eat less.

If your appetite has increased, I do remember Steve mentioning a while back that drinking more fluids can decrease appetite, and there are studies saying the same thing.  

Regarding energy levels, I liked the book _Calm Energy_.


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## boi (Jun 12, 2011)

Hey STP
I am not sure about sugar cravings and meds but what I do know is sugar is really addictive. For me, the more I eat the more I want. When I stop eating sugar a bit (not completely) that's so hard to do heheh, I don't want it that much anymore. Also, I am trying to cut down on sugar, for general health reasons so I know how hard that is. I think from what I've read that carbs are sugar as well. They turn to sugar after. So essentially if I stop eating pastas and breads it will reduce my craving for sugar as well. I think it works because for weeks I don't eat much sugar and then when I start the sweet stuff again I eat ALOT of it. Sorry I didn't give any insight to meds but that's my experience with sugar.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jun 12, 2011)

Daniel said:


> What meds are you talking about? Has your appetite in general increased?



I was about to ask the same questions.


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## Daniel (Jun 12, 2011)

boi said:
			
		

> I am not sure about sugar cravings and meds but what I do know is sugar  is really addictive. For me, the more I eat the more I want. When I stop  eating sugar a bit (not completely) that's so hard to do heheh, I don't  want it that much anymore.


Yeah, that's definitely true:



> Like caffeine, sugar also stimulates the release of dopamine. _ABC_ had a fascinating article on the effects of sugar in lab rats,  in which they not only became addicted to the high sugar given to them,  but they also wanted to consume more with each day that passed.
> 
> http://forum.psychlinks.ca/depressi...nd-sugar-contributing-to-your-depression.html


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## Andy (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks Daniel,

I am lowering and possibly coming off of my lithium. A lot of people gain weight (not a lot of weight or it's temporary) on lithium which I don't usually do. Now since I have started to lower it my appetite has increased but it's pretty much for sugar(more so than before).
I just find it weird that coming off of a med would do that. lol I'm so backwards, seriously if there is a typical way things go for most people, I will go the opposite way.
I know I don't drink enough. I am suppose to drink double the amount of an average person because of my meds and I don't get close to that but the drinks I do drink have to have sugar or flavour anyway. Water with lemon, I could drink one but otherwise I'm forcing it down.
I will have to look at that Calm Energy book. Thanks for the link.

Thanks boi,

I agree, very addictive! lol I eat a fairly weird diet. I don't allow certain foods into my home (sugar is okay though-go figure) pasta and bread are on that list. I use to have a "candy cupboard" instead all the nonperishable type foods it was candy. I took that supplement which worked and no longer had a candy cupboard. It's on it's way back.  I wake up and my first thought is to drink a pop and if I had cupcakes I would be snorting them. lol 
Well, I hope you are able to get to a point where the sweet stuff can just be an occasional treat boi. 
lol What a ridiculous statement!


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## adaptive1 (Jun 12, 2011)

Wow, can I relate the sugar can feel addicting , when I go through periods of eating a lot of sweets I feel restless, jittery and I want more and more of it.  I try not to do the thiese foods are off limits thing because that just makes me feel guilty and then I want more of them in the long run. So, I just try and have  treat here and there now and go out and get an ice cream and not have in my home. I also find when my carb and sugar cravings are bad I eat low glycemic foods for a few days and then that makes me feel more stable with my appetite. It also helps my mood too.  I sometimes feel like an overgrown child but what ever works for me what the heck


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## Andy (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks adaptive,

lol It is like being a big kid. My friends daughter use to love coming to my house or seeing me because I always had candy in my handbag or in my cupboards. Of course I would tell her to get her own candy!  (kidding)
Yeah it's not really good to make things off limits, treating yourself once in a while is the best way to go in my opinion or else just enjoying in small portions.  I have "issues" so for me it works for now to keep me somewhat healthy. 
I have been told to try a low-glycemic diet before. I don't know much about it but I think what I do normally bring home would fall in that range (aside from the candy of course lol)


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## H011yHawkJ311yBean (Jun 12, 2011)

Maybe you could try healthier foods like fruit that has sugars in it too...  Or are you trying to avoid any carbs?  Like in the morning if I feel like something sweet (and believe me, I have a sweet tooth, especially when stressed out) I will try to eat cottage cheese or cereal with a bunch of different slices of fresh fruit.  My faves are orange wedges, pear, banana, peach or nectarine, and grapes.  I also find when I am working, that if I have a yogurt (sweet with fruit but also protein with milk) on my first break, and then my lunch (usually a sandwich or a microwaveable meal), and then a banana or other piece of fruit on my second break, I don't get as many cravings.  Also I try to carry around a bag of those baby carrots or grapes and nibble, too, because they aren't messy and just bite-size so that I don't have a mouthful when I get a call.   It was awful when one 2-week period we didn't get groceries (too many things going on) and I didn't get my bananas and I also ran out of yogurt. Man did I binge on the sweets at work.  8P 

For an alternative to buying iced tea or pop, I will sometimes steep 12 packets of green tea for about 10 min for a half a jug, then pour in white grape juice to fill the rest of the jug, with a few teaspoons of lime juice for tartness.  I don't know have a clue if that's healthier than those Nestea drinks or Green Iced Teas, maybe a bit less sugar, but I love it, and it reduces my cravings for candy candy candy.

Hope this helps a bit for alternatives...  I am not sure really, if eating that stuff is any better, because it's still going to turn into whatever simple sugar inside a person's tummy, but maybe it's because preparing it and eating it takes more calories than simply purchasing it at a store and consuming it...  ??  lol  *shrugs*


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## Daniel (Jun 12, 2011)

BTW, to make things confusing or draconian, a glass of skim milk (12g of sugar) has almost as much sugar as a Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge Brownie (16 grams of sugar).  Obviously, the milk has more protein and is more filling.  But because of the sugar in milk, some people advocate drinking unsweetened almond milk (with or without Splenda).

In any case, I still consider plain yogurt one of my favorite health foods. Though it has about 15 grams of sugar, I only eat about half a serving at a time anyway.


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## Andy (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks Jollygreenjellybean,

Those are some good ideas too. I do buy fruit but lol I am more of a vegetable kind of person so I kind of go in stages of buying fruit. When I do buy it I don't see much of a difference I still crave sugar. Maybe I am not buying/eating enough of it to make a difference though, I don't know.
I love yogurt but that's considered a treat for me so I try not to have that in my house much either.

That is exactly what I drink, pop and I mix iced tea with the crystals and watered down apple juice. I tried to do natural iced tea before but that doesn't last long for me, until I get bored. I have never heard of adding white grape juice! That sounds yummy. lol I will have to give that a try.


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## Andy (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks Daniel

Someone had suggested coconut milk to me too. Can you get almond milk at a "normal" grocery store? As opposed to the "abnormal" ones.


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## Daniel (Jun 12, 2011)

It's at every grocery store I go to, even in my unyuppie town.  I think it's like $3.50 a carton, making it twice as expensive as the cheapest milk available.  But the unsweetened almond milk doesn't taste good, so it lasts a while 

Another thing I like to drink is mineral water.  It naturally has potassium and the carbonation makes it filling.  I like coconut water, but it's too expensive. Coconut milk is something I haven't tried lately except in soup.


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## Andy (Jun 12, 2011)

LOL Well you had me sold on it until you said it doesn't taste good! lol 

Yes, coconut water, not milk sorry. I tried to find coconut water but my Safeway either doesn't have it or my two minute search wasn't enough. 

I think I may just have to stick to my cows. I don't buy milk often enough either anyway. lol I am traumatized by goats milk so that's out. :facepalm:


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

> I think I may just have to stick to my cows.



And cheese has zero grams of sugar:



> If you think milk is good for you, consider this: It takes about 10  pounds (4.5 kg) of milk to create a single pound (450 g) of cheese,  making it a concentrated source of all the good stuff in milk, including  phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B[SUB]12[/SUB],  and calcium. Probably because of their calcium content, low-fat dairy  foods can also help bring down high blood pressure.
> 
> Foods to Lower Blood Sugar: Cheese | Reader's Digest Version


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

That's a lot of milk for one lb of cheese! Unfortunately I don't eat cheese. Well I like it and will eat it but I don't buy it to eat regularly. Isn't there a pill? lol

I think I need to see a dietician. I hate them, not personally...well there was this one that got under my skin. lol

Anyone know anything about the medication? Why it would (possibly) cause me to crave sugar when coming off of it rather than the other way around?


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

STP said:


> I am lowering and possibly coming off of my lithium. A lot of people gain weight (not a lot of weight or it's temporary) on lithium which I don't usually do. Now since I have started to lower it my appetite has increased but it's pretty much for sugar(more so than before).
> 
> I just find it weird that coming off of a med would do that. lol I'm so backwards, seriously if there is a typical way things go for most people, I will go the opposite way.



From what I read, lithium can decrease appetite as well:



> *More common side effects are:* Sedation, nausea,* loss of  appetite*, mild diarrhea, dizziness and hand tremors
> Increased production of  urine and excessive thirst are two common side effects that are usually not  serious problems.
> 
> *Less common side effects are:* *Weight gain*, increased  white blood cell count, acne, skin rashes and  hypothyroidism (low levels of  thyroid hormone). Signs of  hypothyroidism include dry skin, hair loss, cold  sensitivity,  hoarseness, mental depression, and weight gain.
> ...


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

Yeah I don't usually gain weight or increase in appetite. That's why I don't know what is going on because coming off/reducing it shouldn't make me suddenly become a severe sugar junkie.


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

I don't know anyone in America or Canada who doesn't have cravings for sugar, fat, or salt at some point in a given month or so.   At least with me, these cravings are periodic, often triggered by mood and what foods are easy to access.      

So maybe the lithium decreased your appetite in a subtle, almost unnoticeable way.  And then when the dosage of lithium was reduced, even a slight increase in appetite may have triggered a craving.  So if you gave into your sugar cravings (like any warm-blooded North American), then those cravings for sugary foods may have only increased.

However, no one I know craves skim milk.  And, like I alluded to before, milk has as much sugar as some sweets, e.g. two Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies has less sugar than a glass of milk.     So I wonder about how cultural these cravings are.   In other words, such cravings may be cravings for processed foods rather than just for sugar alone.


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

Oh for sure! I don't think I am weird for having sugar cravings just how bad they are. 

Thanks Daniel, that makes sense I guess. That sucks. I hate to see what will happen when I come right off of it. I guess I better break out my fat(er) clothes. 

Well, I suppose I could try to buy milk and see if that helps, I actually don't mind skim milk but I don't "crave" it. lol 
I crave pop,candy like tart n tiny, sweet tarts, sour gummies, warheads, candy like that and of course once in a while I need a good chocolate binge. Slushes, I seriously crave icing and whipped cream lol but I don't buy it. Sugar.


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

I was always happy with diet sodas, so my weakness has been for freely available baked goods like pastries, in addition to salty things like chips.  So I just try to avoid being near the stuff since it is so tempting when I'm not feeling great.

The advice I heard from Wayne Dyer (the pop psychologist from the 70s who then went all spiritual) is that just being being mindful while eating sugary foods can be a good starting point.    It was from him that I learned about the sugar in milk:



> Dyer: You probably notice  that in men around the age of 40 or 50 the body starts to make some  shifts and you just look thicker.  People just look thicker.  I just saw  a picture of Tom Hanks, a very popular actor, of course, and I noticed  this guy is a lot bigger than he was not long ago, just thicker.  You  know what I mean?
> 
> Laughlin: Sure.
> 
> ...


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

Yeah diet "pop" lol is good too. I just find that I drink twice as many  compared to regular pop. I do buy both though. I like chips but never been a big fan. 
I go for the stuff made of  basically all sugar like icing which would be sooo good right now and I  suppose if it was attached to a cupcake or something I could live with  that. Actually that would make me even more miserable, that's the last  thing I need.

Well I'm not sure exactly how mindful I am while eating/drinking the  sugar. I'm aware but I just don't stop myself and it's always there in  my mind.I can't even imagine how many grams of sugar I consume daily! Getting it down to 15 makes me laugh.


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

> basically all sugar like icing which would be sooo good right now



I wonder if making your own icing and sweets with Splenda may help, at least in the short term.  In the long term, maybe not since it keeps the focus on sweets rather than other ways to get dopamine (roller coasters, learning new things, travel, exercising outdoors, anything new and exciting).


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

Daniel said:


> I wonder if making your own icing and sweets with Splenda may help...


lol That sounds dangerous! :facepalm: I'd ride a roller coaster over and over again if I had some one to ride it with. lol I like a good shot of adrenaline.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jun 13, 2011)

Daniel said:


> I wonder if making your own icing and sweets with Splenda may help...





STP said:


> lol That sounds dangerous! :facepalm: I'd ride a roller coaster over and over again if I had some one to ride it with. lol I like a good shot of adrenaline.



There you go. Just make your own icing and sweets with Splenda AND adrenaline.


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

David Baxter said:


> There you go. Just make your own icing and sweets with Splenda AND adrenaline.


 lol That would cover my energy issue.  That sounds like a quick trip to the ER.:facepalm:


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## David Baxter PhD (Jun 13, 2011)

Maybe substitute caffeine for adrenaline?


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

I do-pop! lol I love coffee/tea but it makes me feel sick.  

I'm difficult. lol I don't mean to be I just am.


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

Some two-cent advice from the ever-increasingly-unpopular Atkins company:



> I crave sweets, bread and crackers. Why? And what can I do about it?
> Source: Atkins.com  (article no longer online)
> 
> If you only recently started Atkins, your blood sugar levels probably  haven't stabilized. yet. After adhering strictly to the Induction phase  for five days, cravings should be under control. Occasionally, women  will experience cravings just before a menstrual period. The longer you  continue with Atkins, the fewer cravings you'll have.
> ...



From what they say, not only can stress increase sugar cravings, but sugar can increase stress:



> *Sugar increases stress*
> 
> When we’re under stress, our stress hormone levels rise; these chemicals  are the body’s fight-or-flight emergency crew, sent out to prepare the  body for an attack or an escape. These chemicals are also called into  action when blood sugar is low. For example, after a blood-sugar spike  (say, from eating a piece of birthday cake), there’s a compensatory  dive, which causes the body to release stress hormones such as  adrenaline, epinephrine and cortisol. One of the main things these  hormones do is raise blood sugar, providing the body with a quick energy  boost. The problem is, these helpful hormones can make us feel anxious,  irritable and shaky.
> 
> http://www.atkins.com/science/scien...ys-Sugar-Harms-Your-Health.aspx?articleId=357


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

Maybe I will try to get that L-Glutamine. I take Chromium already but  that is the supplement that might not be healthy for me to take. Sooo, I  still take it lol, yeah, yeah...only because it has worked for me before and I think it is helping a little bit.

 "If you're  doing everything else right and still craving carbs, eat  half of an  Advantage Bar, a few olives, some cheese, avocado or some  cream cheese in a celery stick." 
I have to admit I have never had an advantage bar with olives on a  celery stick. I have of course tried it with cheese and avocado.

So just quit consuming sugar. lol Logical yet not so easy. :facepalm:


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## Daniel (Jun 13, 2011)

> I have to admit I have never had an advantage bar with olives on a  celery stick.



I think you're supposed to stuff the olives inside the bar, and then put that on top of the celery.



> Maybe I will try to get that L-Glutamine.



It's also naturally in some foods:



> Dietary sources of L-glutamine include beef, chicken,  fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach,  and parsley. Small amounts of free L-glutamine are also found in vegetable juices and foods, such as tofu
> 
> Glutamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Andy (Jun 13, 2011)

Daniel said:


> I think you're supposed to stuff the olives inside the bar, and then put that on top of the celery.


 Oh good idea, that would definitely make preparation and eating easier, instead of trying to balance those olives on top.

Well I just looked up the supplement and it's the same, I can't take it. I would prefer to just pop a pill lol. I will have to make a list and see about getting some of the natural stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I also just found another reason to avoid it (personally I mean) that I had never heard of before. I don't know how much research has gone into this though.

*If you have bipolar disorder (also known as manic  depression) or suffer  from seizures and epilepsy, Glutamine may increase the risk (in theory)  of seizures, especially in people with a seizure disorder.  In people  with bipolar disorders it may increase the risk of mania.  If  you have a history of seizures you need to check with your physician  before you decide to take Glutamine.  If you have bipolar disorder it's  better to avoid taking Glutamine altogether.


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