What Causes a Dessert Crisis?
What Causes a Dessert Crisis?
Dessert crisis is the intense desire to eat sweets felt when full or hungry. One of the main causes of sweet cravings is an imbalance of blood sugar during the day. As a result of fluctuating blood sugar during the day or a sudden drop in blood sugar, the body wants to consume sweets, which can cause a sweet crisis. Another reason for the sweet crisis is that the body, which has adapted to a sedentary lifestyle, temporarily feels the need for sweets on days when extra energy is spent. Another reason for the sweet crisis is the lack of adequate carbohydrate consumption. When enough carbohydrates are not consumed, the body may need carbohydrates and cause a sweet crisis. Other causes of sweet crisis are: sugar addiction, insulin resistance, unhealthy diet, stress, premenstrual syndrome, faulty eating habits, hormonal diseases and psychological diseases.
Can Dessert Crises Be Prevented? What can be done?
Sweet cravings are a preventable condition. It is important to know the cause and take precautions accordingly in order to prevent the sweet crisis from occurring. Other measures that can be taken to prevent a sweet crisis from occurring:
- Consuming complex carbohydrates instead of simple carbohydrates: Simple carbohydrates cause rapid rise and fall in blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, mix more slowly into the blood and raise blood sugar more slowly. Since complex carbohydrates do not cause sudden fluctuations and drops in blood sugar, they can prevent sweet crises from occurring. For this reason, complex carbohydrates such as whole grain foods, oats, bulgur and legumes should be consumed during the day instead of simple carbohydrates such as refined flour, rice and sugar.
- Arranging snack and main meal times: It is very important not to be hungry for a long time by regulating the snack and main meal times in order to keep blood sugar in balance. In case of hunger for a long time, blood sugar drops and the body desires to consume high-carbohydrate foods to get energy as quickly as possible. In this case, the desire for sweets increases and sweet crises may occur.
- Consuming fibrous foods: Fiber-containing foods delay gastric emptying and make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. It also prevents the sudden rise and fall of blood sugar by allowing sugar to pass into the blood for a longer time. Sudden drops in blood sugar and sweet crises can be prevented by consuming fiber-rich whole grain foods, oats, vegetables, fruits and legumes during the day.
- Increasing water consumption: Consumption of 2-2.5 liters of water during the day is important in terms of providing a feeling of satiety. Adding flavors such as cinnamon, cloves, mint, cucumber, and fruit to the water can help suppress the sweet cravings.
Can Healthy Sweet Substitutes Solve This?
Being hungry for a long time causes the body to need sweets by lowering blood sugar. Having healthy snacks that can replace sweets during the day balances blood sugar, thus reducing sweet crises. Snacks made from healthy foods with a low glycemic index provide appetite control by meeting the need for carbohydrates. Dessert crises can be prevented by consuming healthy snacks prepared with milk, yogurt, dates or nuts, along with fruits with a low glycemic index, by paying attention to portion control.
