We all know we need to eat less sugar, but that's easier said than done. In this article, I'm going to give you practical steps on how to actually fix your sugar cravings, along with my favorite supplements to help keep cravings at bay. If you follow all the steps below for at least 21 days, you will curb your sugar cravings and reestablish a healthy relationship with sugar.
Before we start: if you're taking diabetes medications, especially insulin, or blood pressure medications, you'll need close monitoring by your doctor during this period, since limiting sugar will likely mean you need to cut back on some diabetes medications, and even blood pressure medications.
With that out of the way, let's get into it.
Why Sugar Makes You Crave More Sugar
One of the biggest factors driving our sugar cravings is actually eating sugar to begin with. Eating sugar makes you crave more sugar, full stop. When I say sugar, I'm mainly talking about its components, like glucose and fructose, and fructose is the most problematic.
Functional brain MRI studies of people ingesting different types of sugar show that subjects who ingested fructose, as opposed to glucose, had stronger activation in the visual cortex in response to high-calorie foods. Eating fructose also showed stronger activation in the nucleus accumbens, the region of the brain that drives your desire for food.
So, to put it plainly, the more fructose you eat, the more likely you are to notice foods like chips, candy, or ice cream, and the less likely you'll be to resist them. To make things worse, eating fructose also suppresses leptin, the hormone that tells your brain you're full and that you need to stop eating. That, in turn, leads to even more hunger and more cravings.
Step 1: Cut Out Added Sugar for 21 Days
What does cutting out fructose actually look like? The easiest way to do this is to cut out processed or refined carbohydrates, since that's where fructose and many other types of added sugar are usually hiding. For every packaged food you consume that has a nutrition facts label, pay close attention to the "added sugars" section.
It's amazing how many foods advertised as healthy are actually full of added sugars. Virtually all breakfast cereals, instant oatmeal, breads, many yogurts, granola bars, and even certain protein or snack bars have way too much added sugar. Other places where sugar hides include juices, energy drinks, salad dressings, pasta sauces, packaged fruits, and even ketchup.
The American Heart Association recommends eating less than 36 grams of sugar per day for men and less than 25 grams of added sugar per day for women. But if you're trying to fix your sugar cravings, I'd recommend trying to get that number as close to zero as possible. It's not sustainable or realistic to keep your added sugar intake that low forever, and you never want certain foods to become completely off-limits.
But if you cut out anything with added sugar for just 21 days, you'll recalibrate your brain and your taste palate, and you'll be amazed at how much better your cravings get after this reset. Another benefit is that you'll find it genuinely challenging to go back to the same amount of sugar you were eating before, and you'll likely enjoy vegetables more than you expected.
One important point: this only applies to fructose consumed as added sugar. It does not apply to fructose from fresh, whole fruit. Yes, some fruits have more sugar than others, and yes, modern cultivated fruit has been bred to contain more sugar than what our ancestors ate. But in general, natural whole fruit contains a lot of fiber and vitamin C, which blunts fructose absorption, and the volume of the whole fruit makes it very hard to overeat.
What to Expect in the First Few Weeks
The first few weeks of cutting out sugar can be daunting, and most people feel like they're coming down with a cold. You may experience body aches, headaches, nausea, or anxiety, but these feelings typically improve within a few weeks. Depending on how much sugar or refined carbohydrate you were eating beforehand, you may also lose a fair amount of water weight, along with electrolytes.
If you experience these symptoms, increase your water intake to up to 2 liters a day, including one or two glasses of water mixed with half a teaspoon of salt. A glass of bone broth can also help. That said, these symptoms are usually seen in people who cut out carbs completely, and you do not need to cut out all carbs for this to work.
Focus on High-Fiber, Minimally Processed Carbs
Instead of eliminating carbs, focus on eating high-fiber or minimally processed carbohydrates, ones that won't cause as much of a sugar spike. Lean into foods like beans, legumes, dairy, oats, and sweet potatoes, as they help you stay full and curb cravings.
Use Vinegar to Blunt Sugar Spikes
If you're going to eat a meal that's higher on the glycemic index, such as rice, bread, or pasta, one trick is to take a tablespoon of vinegar mixed with water and drink it about 15 minutes before your meal.
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which inactivates digestive enzymes like alpha-amylase, resulting in less sugar and starch breaking down into glucose in your bloodstream.
Acetic acid also helps your muscles clear excess glucose more efficiently, resulting in a blunted glucose spike and insulin release. This matters because it's these glucose spikes and the crash that follows them that keep you on the sugar rollercoaster and drive your cravings.
It doesn't matter which kind of vinegar you use, but most people opt for apple cider vinegar because it's rich in antioxidants and probiotics and may help with digestion. The only caveat is that vinegar can damage tooth enamel if not properly diluted, so mix it into at least 8 ounces of water and consider drinking it through a straw to protect your teeth.
Increase Your Protein Intake
Another important step in curbing sugar cravings is increasing your protein intake. Most patients who report the worst sugar cravings are the ones who do not get enough protein in their diets. Aim for at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight; for most adults, that means at least 25 to 35 grams of protein per meal. Protein keeps you full, and staying full is what helps keep sugar cravings at bay.
Prioritize Sleep
One of the most common drivers of sugar cravings and weight gain is poor sleep. Most of us don't get enough sleep, and when we do, it's often of poor quality or restorative. Bad sleep and sugar cravings go hand in hand: poor sleep increases ghrelin, your hunger hormone, which makes you crave more sweets. Bad sleep also worsens anxiety and stress, which in turn triggers cravings for calorie-dense foods like chips or ice cream.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night and optimize its quality. That means avoiding caffeine 10 to 12 hours before bed, stopping eating 3 hours before bed, and avoiding screens like your phone or computer at least 1 hour before sleep.
Recognize Emotional Cravings vs. True Hunger
When it comes to sugar cravings, realize it's not always about hunger. Often, these cravings are a proxy for a state of mind or an unpleasant feeling. What we perceive as a sugar craving or a need to snack is often just an urge to get a dopamine hit to relieve stress, anxiety, sadness, or even boredom. If you find yourself always snacking while watching TV or working on your computer, it's the habit driving the craving, and recognizing this pattern or building new habits will help ease those cravings.
To address this, first determine whether you're actually hungry or experiencing an emotional craving. A good way to tell is to ask yourself: Would eating an apple or a vegetable make the craving go away? If your craving is for a specific type of food, like sweets or chips, you're likely dealing with emotional hunger, and you'll need to find other ways to address it.
Try this exercise next time you're craving something sweet: drink a glass of water, eat an apple, and then wait 20 to 30 minutes. Even if the craving is still there, it likely won't be as strong, and it will give you a chance to figure out what's actually driving your desire to snack.
Don't Overlook Magnesium
Lastly, one often-overlooked mineral that helps fight sugar cravings is magnesium. Magnesium helps in a couple of ways: first, it lowers stress, and second, there's growing evidence that it can improve insulin sensitivity and glucose control in people with diabetes or at risk of diabetes.
Prioritize eating magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, avocados, fatty fish, and Greek yogurt. Many people would also benefit from a magnesium supplement, since most people don't get enough magnesium from their diet alone. An average adult would benefit from at least 400 mg of magnesium per day, though needs may vary depending on other conditions, like kidney disease, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
Conclusion
Breaking free from sugar cravings isn't about willpower alone; it's about understanding the biology behind them and making targeted changes for a defined period. Cutting out added sugar for 21 days, leaning on high-fiber carbs, using tools like vinegar before higher-glycemic meals, prioritizing protein and sleep, addressing emotional eating patterns, and supporting your body with magnesium can all work together to recalibrate your brain and taste preferences. The first couple of weeks may be uncomfortable. Still, most people find that sugar cravings genuinely fade with consistency, and many come out the other side enjoying whole foods, like vegetables, more than they expected.
FAQ
Why does eating sugar make you crave more sugar?
Fructose specifically activates brain regions associated with food craving and visual attention to high-calorie foods, while also suppressing leptin, the hormone that signals fullness. This combination drives a cycle of increasing cravings and hunger.
How long does it take to reset sugar cravings?
Following a structured approach, such as cutting out added sugar, for at least 21 days, can meaningfully recalibrate your brain and taste preferences, making cravings noticeably weaker afterward.
Do I need to avoid fruit to stop sugar cravings?
No. Whole, fresh fruit contains fiber and vitamin C that blunt fructose absorption, and its volume makes overeating difficult. The focus should be on avoiding added sugars, not naturally occurring sugars in whole fruit.
What withdrawal-like symptoms might I experience when cutting out sugar?
Some people experience body aches, headaches, nausea, or anxiety in the first couple of weeks, along with water weight and electrolyte loss if carbohydrate intake drops significantly. Increasing water and electrolyte intake, such as with a pinch of salt in water or bone broth, can help.
How can vinegar help with sugar cravings?
Drinking a tablespoon of vinegar diluted in water about 15 minutes before a high-glycemic meal can help blunt the resulting blood sugar and insulin spikes, reducing the "crash" that often triggers cravings.
Are sugar cravings always about hunger?
No. Many cravings are emotional rather than physical, often tied to stress, boredom, or habit rather than true hunger. Testing whether a piece of fruit or a vegetable satisfies the craving can help distinguish between the two.
Does magnesium help with sugar cravings?
Yes, indirectly. Magnesium helps lower stress and may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose control, both of which can help reduce the frequency and intensity of sugar cravings.