Sugar blues

[Dogmama]

I thought this might be topical with the holidays fast approaching

As I get older, I find that I'm much less tolerant of substances that might have mood altering affects. Sugar is one such animal, but I find that I crave it - to the point that I'll completely forget what it does to my body. After the brief high, I get a huge crash and then suffer through crankiness that is proportional to the amount of sugar (almost always chocolate..sigh) that I've ingested. Simple carbs do the same thing but not as dramatically as chocolate. I'm also becoming intolerant of gluten (irritable bowel) but that's another story.

Does anybody else have this? How do you get through the cravings? Yesterday at the grocery store, I put a small chocolate bar in my cart & was eating it on the way home having totally forgotten what it does to me! It was when I felt the sugar rush that I realized what I'd done.

[Selkie]

I find that the Luna bars with chocolate in them satisfy my need for a chocolate fix. Fortunately, they have protein and other things in them so I don't crash. Can you handle milk? A nice cup of hot chocolate is my recovery fuel after a hard ride---it also is a good way to satisfy craving for something sweet.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I use Luna Bars when I'm riding, but as an off-the-bike chocolate fix they just don't work for me. Instead I keep a bag of Dove chocolate (pieces). I find that eating just one piece satisfies my chocolate cravings and keeps me from rummaging through too many calories worth of other useless snacks. According to the "nutritional" information, the dark chocolate Dove pieces that I like are 210 calories for 5 pieces, which pegs my 1-piece treat at 42 calories. Not too bad... and Dogmama, maybe something like this can satisfy your craving but have less of a sugar-effect on your body.

Oh, and I've found that just any chocolate won't work - trying the same thing with something like Hershey's kisses doesn't satisfy me. I need decent quality dark chocolate (yes, you're right, I am fussy!).

--- Denise

[newfsmith]

Some people can be virtuous like Denise, and unfortunately for me, also my husband. It doesn't matter what the quality of the "kick", this time of year if I yield to the slightest temptation, I will binge. I'm already at my winter weight for this year. I didn't get there until January last winter. This will be a long, difficult winter for me, regardless of the weather.

[Trek420]

Luna bars~I don't favor the chocolate ones, they just feel too sweet. I like the more "savory" flavors, citrus, orange, green tea....on longer rides the Cliff bar chocolate mint is my "secret weapon", just enough caffeine to kick in and get me going.

But you're right, seems I don't crave sweets. I'll have coffee with chocolate soy milk or chocolate almond milk in the morning but I don't crave it much. I don't know if it's age realted or just that I'm tryng to do less simple carbs.

As for "mind altering substances" I never could handle alchohol, 1/4th of a glass of wine and I have a buzz. So I don't drink.

[Selkie]

Denise, your self-control is inspiring! I've tried to just have one dark chocolate Dove. TRIED. haha.

Trek-have you tried the Dulce de Leche, Peanutbutter Cookie and Chai Tea Luna bars? They are my new favorites (no chocolate in any of them, though).

[Jen]

You described me to a tee. I get off the stuff only to return to it. My cycling, weight lifting and other things I enjoy suffer when I am into my sugar thing.

[Bike Goddess]

Well, my answer is try the Vitamin B complex. Sometimes a deficiency will trigger a desire for sugar, salt, etc.

I take a multivitamin (Trader Joes) with the VitB Complex in it, and have no cravings for sugar anymore. I discovered this trick about 30 years ago as I too craved sweets.