I seem to have an addiction to sweets. What would cause this?

It is very common for people to use the word "addiction" when it comes to sweets. Many people feel like that they can lose control very quickly when it comes to sweets. While researchers do not consider the craving for sweets to be a true addiction, there are many good reasons why we feel that it is.

The first reason is sugar. Most sweets are high in sugar, and sugar is a type of carbohydrate that can be digested, absorbed, and released into our bloodstream very quickly. If you've gone too long without eating, or if you�ve eaten too much low-quality, processed food with little nutrient value, or if you have somewhat unstable blood sugar levels to begin with, it can be easy to get caught up in a sweets dilemma. You feel low on energy because you've gone too long without eating—or because you have eaten poorly, didn't get a good night�s sleep, you haven't exercised, or some other reason—and then you reach for sweets that can raise your blood sugar up quickly and make you feel richer in energy (even though you really aren�t). The "energy" you feel from sweets may be quick, but it is also very temporary. Usually within 30 minutes or so, you'll find yourself wanting more sweets because your elevated blood sugar level will have descended back down. Without a healthy diet and without healthy lifestyle changes, you could end up being caught in a trap where sweets lie at the center of your eating. The best way to escape from this sugar trap is to start off with small steps that can begin to restructure your entire Healthiest Way of Eating. (One example includes eating protein- or fat-containing food, like nuts, when you eat a sweet food like fruit to help better balance your blood sugar levels.) Lifestyle changes—such as exercising, becoming more involved in non-eating hobbies and activities, and stress reduction techniques—may also be critical for you to escape from this aspect of sweets craving.

A second reason is taste. Most sweets are delicious! We have taste buds on the tips of our tongue dedicated solely to the taste of sweet. When we nurse as babies, those sweet taste buds actually run all the way down the center of our tongue to let us enjoy the sweetness of milk. For many people, sweets are very closely associated with the special pleasure of food, and other tastes and flavors just don't compare to the special experience of sweet. One step that you can take to change this focus on sweets and their taste is to experiment with new foods. When it comes to food, there are probably some tastes that you have never tasted! Enjoying ethnic foods that make use of many different spices and seasonings can sometimes be very helpful in adding new tastes to your diet. The goal is to round out your way of eating in such a way that sweetness does not stand alone as "the best of the best" when it comes to taste.

The third reason for sweets craving is as a means of seeking comfort. Sweets are treats we believe we can count on to make us feel better. They almost never fail us in this regard! When our day has not gone well, when events may have disappointed us, or when we�re just looking for something to brighten our outlook on life, sometimes there is nothing better than a sweet treat. We also tend to associate sweets with celebrations and special occasions that we want to mark in a memorable way (the decorative birthday cake is a perfect example). This aspect of sweets craving can be one of the most difficult to shift. Sometimes, what's required is a step away from food altogether. Finding ways to celebrate that have nothing to do with food of any kind, and finding things to look forward to that aren't related to eating, can sometimes be the only way of lowering a sweets craving that is related to the comfort aspect of sweets.

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