# Craving sugar = not enough protein???



## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Okay. Here it is out in the open. I LIKE SUGAR!!! Seriously, I have always been a healthy eater. In the last six months or so I have been craving junk and sugar like crazy though! What is the deal? A friend said that it means I am not getting enough protein???


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## saratc (May 13, 2006)

I would say protein and *fat*.


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## fishface (Jan 6, 2007)

I've read that sugar cravings can mean:

- too much protein in your body
- not enough omega-3
- yeast in GI tract
- chromium deficiency.

I'm sure there are others. It could mean a bunch of stuff! What do you think you're lacking/overindulging on in your diet?


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## sphinxie (Feb 28, 2006)

just as a rule... too much yeast in your body

not enough good fats & general nutrients

When it gets extreme like that, I'd really assume yeast. I'm off the opinion that it's so common nowadays. Did you know even NSAIDs are antibiotic, for example?

I don't think you have to cut it out 100% but I'd recommend slowly decreasing it (vanilla yogurt mixed with varying proportions of plain yogurt helped me with that phase) and then keep your sugar intake very low, dilute your juices, etc etc. Do that until you don't have sugar cravings anymore, and a little while longer, and then you're fine.

Be careful, yeast in the body is not well understood, but there's a strong chance that they can be dangerous little bugs if allowed to grow rampantly.


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## erin a (Mar 15, 2006)

Wow, I could have written OP - this is me exactly! I am definately yeasty and I know the cravings are related to that. It's quite possible that I'm not getting enough protein either, maybe if I up that it will help. It's a bit of a catch-22 (crave the sugar, eat the sugar, yeast, which brings on crave the sugar....) It's like







for me - these cravings are STRONG!!!


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## rayo de sol (Sep 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sphinxie* 
Did you know even NSAIDs are antibiotic, for example?

Really?! Can you give more info on this? So, when I take ibuprofen every month for cramps, I'm killing my good gut flora and inviting the bad yeast to take over?


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## christacular (Aug 10, 2006)

this chart may be helpful.

http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php


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## rayo de sol (Sep 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *erin a* 
It's like







for me - these cravings are STRONG!!!

Me too! I love sweets way too much. I've been reading that lack of sleep exacerbates the cravings. Check this book out: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival.


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## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

I've also read the opposite-that too much protein cause sugar cravings. It's the yin/yang thing, they are both opposite sides of the spectrum, with red meat on one end and sugar on the other. Who knows. But sugar cravings are obviously an imbalance somewhere.


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## richella (Nov 30, 2004)

christacular, you are awesome. I lost my bookmark to this page and have been wanting to refer to it lately. Thanks!


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## Chicharronita (Oct 8, 2006)

:

Thanks! This has a lot of good information.


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## christacular (Aug 10, 2006)

no problem. i have often had cravings for what seemed like a very specific food that maybe wasn't what my body really wanted/needed; so this chart has been helpful to me too.


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## marlee (Aug 29, 2005)

I love sugar as well. I've been eating a lot of sugar lately and I'm slowly starting to cut it out.

Today I had:
Green tea vs Black with Sweetener and milk
Raisins vs a cookie
Pear vs ? maybe another cookie
Now I am craving a sweet I think I'll have some nuts







:

How long does it take to stop the strong cravings?


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## Chicharronita (Oct 8, 2006)

Quote:

Today I had:
Green tea vs Black with Sweetener and milk
If you drink milk, then I would suggest trying cream instead. I drink cream with my one cup of coffee in the morning after breakfast, and I don't get any caffein reaction.

Quote:

Raisins vs a cookie
*wince* when I have a craving for a cookie, I go for it. Especially one made with butter or coconut oil, so that the sugar gets absorbed slowly. If you're going to eat raisins, you may as well take a spoonful of sugar!









Quote:

Pear vs ? maybe another cookie
Now I am craving a sweet I think I'll have some nuts







:

How long does it take to stop the strong cravings?
I had to do something drastic, like go on the Atkins diet. Even so, it took a few months of eating high-fat, adequate protein foods every day to start to make a dent in my sugar cravings. Before the diet, I would sneak and eat chocolate away from my dd so she wouldn't see what an addict I was. It was so embarrassing to be that out of control. I tried everything else first, because I knew it would really suck to cut noodles out of my diet (I'm Asian and one of my favorite movies is "Tampopo").

Even though I fell off the wagon recently, my sugar cravings haven't been so bad. I do supplement with about 600 mg. of chromium, though. That seems to help a lot.


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fishface* 
What do you think you're lacking/overindulging on in your diet?

Lacking - ???
Overindulging - SUGAR











sphinxie said:


> When it gets extreme like that, I'd really assume yeast. I'm off the opinion that it's so common nowadays. Did you know even NSAIDs are antibiotic, for example?QUOTE]
> 
> Ummm. . . I'm lost. Huh??? Yeast ? NSAIDs? Translate please?
> 
> ...


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## PapayaVagina (May 11, 2002)

NSAIDs = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, etc.)

they're antibiotic?


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## pishajane (Dec 27, 2006)

I read recently that sugar cravings are linked with dehydration... so every time you crave sugar, you should drink a pint or 2 of water, then see if the craving has gone.
I've been giving it a try lately, and it seems to be doing the trick. Now I just have to address the emotional attachment I have to sugar!! I can't blame the craving now, but I do still WANT to eat sweets!


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## MissyH (Oct 2, 2006)

NSAIDS are not antibiotic. Over the counter pain relievers/anti inflammatory.


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## PapayaVagina (May 11, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MissyH* 
NSAIDS are not antibiotic. Over the counter pain relievers/anti inflammatory.

yeah i know they are OTC pain relievers but she said that they are antibiotic...I think I'm understanding this now since I've been in the healing the gut group. They (NSAIDs, Tylenol and gas drops from what I undertand) effect gut flora so in essence are acting like antibiotics? but are just not what we think of when we typically think of antibiotics.


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