Combat Sugar Cravings -OL - Bay Naturopath

Magnesium and GTF Chromium Combat Sugar Cravings

Help is at hand if you find it hard to stop eating Easter eggs or other sweet foods.

Magnesium and GTF Chromium may be just what you need to get rid of those desires for sugary foods destructive to your health.

When your body has difficulty in controlling your blood sugar you can develop sugar cravings. When you eat sugary In addition sugar or sweet foods are considered likely to trigger and exacerbate food addiction.

Sugary foods stimulate your body to release larger amounts of insulin as very high blood sugar levels damage your body. The problem is these large insulin releases can bring your blood sugar levels down too low at this point you are likely to crave sugar. Although sugary foods do give some temporary relief from sugar cravings and other low blood sugar symptoms such as feeling faint, headaches, irritability, and fatigue; sugar will once again cause your body to produce a lot of insulin, so the cycle begins again. Over long periods of time this can result in an inability Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) Chromium has been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels so helps reduce sugar cravings.

Avoid sweet tasting foods that cause overproduction of insulin; sugar, refined grains and soft drinks (both the sugary ones and the diet version). Also check ingredients; avoid any that list sugar, syrups, and fructose.

A lack of magnesium can trigger sugar cravings, especially chocolate cravings. However the sugar does not give your body magnesium in fact every time you have sugar you use up magnesium as it is used by the body to help metabolise sugar. Supplements of magnesium can reduce sugar craving and help stabilise blood sugar levels[1]. If you have Type 2 diabetes or Pre-diabetes you are more likely to have low magnesium levels[2, 3].

Check list if craving anything sweet – Have an extra Entire Katoa Food State Magnesium80 capsule

water - have some in case thirsty
Food – have a high quality meal /snack
Air emotions
Tired – rest and relax
Need physical out-let ? Go for fast walk / run

AFTER CHECK LIST if still craving sweet – HAVE SWEET ITEM – have another Entire Katoa Food State Magnesium80 capsule and repeat from 1. (You can have up to 3 EXTRA Entire Katoa Food State Magnesium80 capsule a day – so 5 in total)

IMPORTANT- Food State supplements are low dose high absorption supplements so may be taken in the way described on the above “check list” however other types of Magnesium may possibly be harmful if taken in this way, as it might result in too much Magnesium. If unsure seek professional advice from you supplier or contact us.

Research is emerging which demonstrates the importance of another nutrient Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) Chromium in stabilising blood sugar levels [4-6]. If supplements are used I recommend the Entire Katoa Food State supplements for the best absorption.

To best help your body you need to avoid sweet foods that cause overproduction of insulin, or in the case of Type 2 Diabetes sweet food that your body can no longer cope with. This means you need to avoid sugar[7], refined grains[8-10] and soft drinks(both the sugary ones and the diet version). Also check ingredients of the labels; avoid any that list sugar[7], corn syrup[10], and fructose[7].

Herbs such as Gymnema, Turmeric and Dandelion can help decrease your sugar cravings and stabilise your blood sugar levels. Read more in Blood Sugar Imbalances and Herbal Medicine.

Original article April 2014 Copyright Jaine Kirtley

References

1. Song Y, He K, Levitan EB, Manson JE, Liu S: Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized double-blind controlled trials. Diabetic Medicine 2006, 23:1050-1056.

2. Nielsen FH, Milne DB, Klevay LM, Gallagher S, Johnson L: Dietary Magnesium Deficiency Induces Heart Rhythm Changes, Impairs Glucose Tolerance, and Decreases Serum Cholesterol in Post Menopausal Women. J Am Coll Nutr 2007, 26:121-132.

3. Chambers EC, Heshka S, Gallagher D, Wang J, Pi-Sunyer FX, Pierson RN, Jr.: Serum Magnesium and Type-2 Diabetes in African Americans and Hispanics: A New York Cohort. J Am Coll Nutr 2006, 25:509-513.

4. Cefalu WT, Hu FB: Role of Chromium in Human Health and in Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2004, 27:2741-2751.

5. Sharma S, Agrawal RP, Choudhary M, Jain S, Goyal S, Agarwal V: Beneficial effect of chromium supplementation on glucose, HbA1C and lipid variables in individuals with newly onset type-2 diabetes. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology 2011, 25:149-153.

6. Hua Y, Clark S, Ren J, Sreejayan N: Molecular mechanisms of chromium in alleviating insulin resistance. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2012, 23:313-319.

7. Johnson RJ, Segal MS, Sautin Y, Nakagawa T, Feig DI, Kang D-H, Gersch MS, Benner S, Sanchez-Lozada LG: Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2007, 86:899-906.

8. Schulze MB, Hoffmann K, Manson JE, Willett WC, Meigs JB, Weikert C, Heidemann C, Colditz GA, Hu FB: Dietary pattern, inflammation, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in women. Am J Clin Nutr 2005, 82:675-684.

9. Fung TT, Hu FB, Pereira MA, Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC: Whole-grain intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective study in men. Am J Clin Nutr 2002, 76:535-540.

10. Gross LS, Li L, Ford ES, Liu S: Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates and the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States: an ecologic assessment. Am J Clin Nutr 2004, 79:774-779.