The reason you always crave sweets after a meal

For some people, no matter how much they eat and drink, they always crave something sweet to 'dessert' after a meal.

But what causes this craving - and for millions of people who are wary of their weight - is this a habit or is there something more serious?

Below is the revelation of experts on the craving for sweets and how to control them.

We are innocent people who are 'sweet and good'

The good news is that if you are a 'sweet lover' then it's not your fault.

We are all born with preferences for sweet foods. The reason is that spicy, bitter and sour foods are more toxic, so our innate love for sugar is an evolutionary process designed to guide us towards safe foods. Full and nutritious.

Not only that, we also have the motivation to evolve to crave energy-rich foods like sugar - providing the much needed energy we need to survive when food is scarce.

Now when we are more likely to eat in front of the TV screen, rather than in front of each other at the dining table, we may be looking for this "inner" sweets to be met.

Our brain is connected to enjoying food, because we need food to survive. Hunger continues to today and thanks to neuroscience, we are more aware of what happens in the brain when it comes to sugar.

The images in the brain suggest that eating sugar that leads to dopamine release in the brain region is associated with motivation, novelty and rewards. So we really feel better when we eat sugar.

And our childhood may be the culprit

The type of food we tend to eat is often shaped in childhood.

They generally form based on the types of food we receive as a child as a reward or a gift or to comfort us when we are sad.

For example, if your mom (or anyone who takes care of you) gives you something really sweet, such as cookies, candy or chocolate) to comfort you after you've fallen and hurt, you will learn how to combine these foods with a sense of happiness.

According to mind experts, the first taste that we experience, from breast milk, is sweetness, so sweetness often accompanies peace and gentleness.

Why do you crave sweet food after a meal?

There can be many reasons: taste, habits and emotional needs.

1. Taste

Eating is governed by the original need, and there are five tastes that we can distinguish through taste buds, sweet, sour, salty, spicy / bitter and bitter.

When there are all five of them in a meal, we can feel really satisfied, or satisfied, when we finish eating.

If you crave sweets after a meal, try incorporating these five tastes as much as possible at mealtimes, especially sweetness.

For example, try using honey as a sprinkle or sauce, put in some dried fruit (such as raisins or dried flakes) mixed into salads, or choose vegetables that are typically sweet - corn , zucchini or pumpkin.

2. Habits

A lot of us grow up with dessert cakes as an integral part of the meal. But with metabolism slowing with age, it can be the main culprit when it comes to weight gain.

Many people crave sweets because they are acting according to some underground rule, such as 'the meal will not be complete without sweets'.

If desserts are 'cabinets' in childhood, then we can follow these outdated rules, habits and traditions without any thought. You can gradually change this relationship by switching to low-sugar desserts or finding other ways to complete the meal, for example, with a hot drink or mint tea (good for digestion).

3. Emotional needs

Third, and a little deeper, there may be an internal need for 'sweetness', which can be met in a different way.

Meals used to be an important way to connect and engage family members, making us feel "overwhelmed" by love, care and joy.

Now that we often eat in front of the TV screen, rather than facing each other at the dining table, we may be looking for this "inner" sweets to be met.

The key is how you connect with others, while eating or just before / after eating?

If the conversation with loved ones can add fuel to the fatigue of the day, try playing the Gratitude Game - take turns sharing 3 to 10 things you are thankful for, both large and small.

Nurturing gratitude will support positive mental health and help us pay attention and focus on what we have, instead of constantly bracing ourselves for what we don't yet have.

If you live alone, plan to call a friend or skype right after eating so that your emotions are nurtured in the same way.

4. Do you use sweets as a reward?

Many people are very good at giving away their 110% - at work, with their families - but their glasses need to be filled to maintain this long term.

As a result, eating and drinking can become a 'time of self' that is essential when other forms of self-care are lacking.

Spending time pampering yourself means sweets are just a way that 'pampering yourself' can be found.

Finding other ways to reward yourself is the key in these cases: taking time off, enjoying the latest book, a new make-up or anything that really feels like Like rewards, can be used instead.

5. . or because you can't handle your feelings?

Many people reaching adulthood still do not learn emotional handling skills.

They eat too much when they encounter a certain emotion because sweetness is associated with comfort from childhood, food is the only way they have to deal with it.

The problem is that when using food to distract, these feelings remain within us, unprocessed and undigested.

Learning more about eating behavior can really help.

Yes, the more sweets you eat, the more you will crave

Have you ever noticed after suppressing chocolate for a while you won't really crave it?

The problem is that for some people, the more sugar they eat, the more they crave for sugar - as if their taste buds are 'inert' and they want more and more.

Sugar stimulates the center to process rewards in the brain in a similar way to some drugs, so it's addictive.

In addition, heroin addicts show increased cravings for sweets when they first quit. This effect, called " cross-addiction" , suggests that addiction to one substance makes people more addicted to other substances that work on the same reward centers in the brain.

But it's hard for you to really be addicted to sugar

Many people believe that they crave sugar, but if you ask them if some sugar sugars satisfy their cravings, the answer is usually no.

This shows that it's not a real craving for sugar, but a craving for it.

You may find that once you have opened the cookie package, you can do nothing but clean it, but that does not mean you are addicted to sugar.

It is important to pay attention to our language and distinguish between 'craving' and 'addiction'.

If you want more chocolate when you start eating, it may be craving, while addiction is a medical term that is true only when you want to have that substance to meet criteria such as hindering ability to perform obligations a person's work, society or entertainment - and the desire to use it continues despite persistent or recurring problems due to the use or exacerbation of the substance.

So unless the search for sweets prevents you from performing as expected of a job, or you have to steal (for example) to get it, then you're not addicted.

As a result, when faced with the official definition of addiction, most people will agree that they actually experience cravings, not addiction.

Sugar stimulates the center to process rewards in the brain in a similar way to some drugs.

What to do if you really think you're addicted?

While the vast majority have a tendency to eat sweetened drinks because of cravings, there is a small percentage that can really be addicted to sugar.

The characteristics of these people are style towards fear, low self-esteem and belly, and they are using food to distract and soothe these unwanted thoughts and feelings.

If someone really feels addicted to sugar, they have to deal with understanding with respect and complete abstinence from any food that can stimulate that craving.

Help and support is often necessary, because sugar is present in too many foods, including a variety of salty and prepared foods.

Healthy ways to overcome 'sweetness'

If you're going to eat something sweet / sugary, try to make sure it's packed with - or eaten with - something else nutritious.

This will prevent blood sugar from skyrocketing and then drop low and also protect your teeth from being flooded in the road.

Examples include fresh or dried fruit, a smoothie or hot cocoa (made with skim milk) instead of just a bag of candies that are basically refined sugar.

Fruit yogurt often contains added sugar (the natural sugar is lactose in milk). Therefore, it is better to have regular yogurt and to add mashed fruit or fresh fruit. That way you will get authentic fruit and no added sugar.

Dried fruits like dates are definitely quite sweet, but you are comfortable with it.

Here, sugar is concentrated, which means they can have quite a high calorie content. For example, three rubs are medjool containing about 210 calories. The advantage is that they are so sweet that they can 'scratch the itchy spot' - plus they contain more nutrients than candy or chocolate. 3 dates will be counted as one of your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and provide 4 grams of fiber, reaching 14% of the daily recommended amount.

Other 'better' options include:

1. 1. Frozen banana 'ice cream': peeled bananas, cut into 5cm slices, frozen, slightly thawed, add a little cinnamon and thick sauce
2. 2. Ice cream made from juice
3. 3. Thach without sugar
4. 4. Chocolate usually does not add sugar
5. 5. Apple / crunchy fruit
6. 6. Sherbert lemon without sugar