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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | Lately I have been having intense sugar cravings. I noticed that they started about the time I upped my weekly mileage on the 1/2 marathon training program I've been doing. Could increasing the intensity of your workouts like this cause sugar cravings? That's never happened to me before, but I can't think of any other reason that would be causing it. Thanks, Samantha |
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| I've been having some chocolate cravings (more than usual) but I'm not sure why. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Samantha - have you been drinking energy drinks (gatorade etc.) or smoothies/"protein" drinks more than usual with the mileage increase and weather change? They both contain quite a bit of sugar typically, and the more you consume, the more you crave it. I recently found out I am a little low on iron and I have noticed my (nearly permanent, life-long  ) sugar cravings have been reduced to a more human-like level since I increased my iron intake. I don't know if sugar cravings are a symptom of low iron, but that is what has happened for me |
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| interesting, Tourist. Sugar is quite the addictive substance.
The spleen governs the muscles. The spleen is also helped with a little sweetness, definitely damaged with too much sweetness (fruit sugar, honey, processed sugar).
I think the only thing to do is: 1. Get more sleep to off-set your outgo of energy (outgo is the opposite of income, right?) 2. Go cold turkey on the sugar.
3. supplement a tiny bit by adding some honey to your morning oatmeal. 4. Ask Cyndi for some honey.
5. Be good to yourself and get a massage.
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|  I sound like Neel |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | tourist - 2006-06-13 9:20 PM Samantha - have you been drinking energy drinks (gatorade etc. ) or smoothies/"protein" drinks more than usual with the mileage increase and weather change? They both contain quite a bit of sugar typically, and the more you consume, the more you crave it. I recently found out I am a little low on iron and I have noticed my (nearly permanent, life-long ) sugar cravings have been reduced to a more human-like level since I increased my iron intake. I don't know if sugar cravings are a symptom of low iron, but that is what has happened for me I have had a couple of Red Bulls the past two weeks. Before then I only ever had one or two total. I just took a look at one of the cans are there is a ton of sugar in it. Common sense should have told me that, I just never considered it Samantha |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | *Fifi* - 2006-06-13 9:40 PM interesting, Tourist. Sugar is quite the addictive substance. The spleen governs the muscles. The spleen is also helped with a little sweetness, definitely damaged with too much sweetness (fruit sugar, honey, processed sugar). I think the only thing to do is: 1. Get more sleep to off-set your outgo of energy (outgo is the opposite of income, right?) 2. Go cold turkey on the sugar. 3. supplement a tiny bit by adding some honey to your morning oatmeal. 4. Ask Cyndi for some honey. 5. Be good to yourself and get a massage. More sleep . I'll take that advice! I love bedtime Samantha |
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| GreenJello - 2006-06-13 7:15 PM
I've been having some chocolate cravings (more than usual) but I'm not sure why.
Hmm, interesting. I only get chocolate cravings at a certain time of the month.
Deb |
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Not a bad thing, IMHO. BTW, what does one have to do to get some honey from Cyndi? |
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| samantha77 - 2006-06-13 7:46 PM
Lately I have been having intense sugar cravings. I noticed that they started about the time I upped my weekly mileage on the 1/2 marathon training program I've been doing. Could increasing the intensity of your workouts like this cause sugar cravings? That's never happened to me before, but I can't think of any other reason that would be causing it. Thanks, Samantha
===> Thanks to fifi for making one of my comment before me!!! Now, Samantha: Throw all getorade, cold drinks, and chocolate, and such stuff. If you are addicted like greenjello, just take a small chocolate of the size of his avatar only, once a day. Also, if you are NOT already addicted, throw all suppliments and all such nonsense. Take normal food (fresh fruits, veges, nuts, seeds, whole grains, salads, etc.) to your satisfaction, take a lot of rest, and do the marathon steadily increasing and balancing it with rest.
Of course, the intensity of workout can make you feel like having sugar. So, do not increase the intensity of workout that much. Or, in a reasonable context, only drink pure organic orange, watermelon, pineapple, apple, carrot etc. ONLY one kind of juice to make up for the sugar loss due to intensity.
And, if you still want to increase the intensity of the work out, then decrease the intensity of other work, such as office work or whatever.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | I'm going to chime in here. I find that when I am craving sugar, it is when I am lacking in something else, usually. I do agree with the fact that if you eat lots of sugar, you will crave more and more, that is true. BUT, also, if you are craving sugar it is also another sign of your body lacking in important minerals and proteins....especially for us atheletic types, and also it is a Spleen deficiency (no, a western doc will not detect this kind of deficiency). When the spleen is overworked, you should rest more. A deficiency in the spleen is also caused by sitting at a computer too much, not enough rest, and overworking your brain and body with too much thinking, etc. This is why I drink a energy protein meal...such as Spiru-tein, because everything I need is in it, bee pollen, chlorafil, vitamins, minerals...yadda yadda. When I am drinking this on a daily basis, I do not crave sugar or chocolate anymore. At the same time, I never eat white and processed sugar either. White sugar and processed desserts are the worst and will get the cravings going. I only keep natural sugar and natural honey in my house and use it in moderate amounts. If you notice around you here in some parts of America...this is the reason so many people are overweight. They over-use their brains, they eat too much sugar to try to keep up - sugar is related with the spleen, and they have no way or means to get it balanced correctly, because it goes undetected. Most of the time, it ends up in Diabetes, by then it is too late to correct for most people doing western medicine.
So, along with this protein drink, I have one meal a day consisting of vegetables and either legumes or meat (sea fish and shrimp only from S. American waters) or chicken - at least once or twice per week. The Dal/legumes will help your spleen more than eating meat will. Also, legumes and Dal dry up dampness which also effects the spleen as well. No white breads and no White Potatoes.
BTW, yesterday for dinner, I had fresh corn on the cob, green peas from Italy, Organic Blue Cornbread and Purple Mashed Potates with Raw Garlic...it was an excellent combo!!
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| Okay, how do you get BLUE corn bread and PURPLE mash potatoes? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Well, you can buy organic blue cornmeal that comes from blue corn (yes there is such a thing grown in New Mexico and the Native Americans love it!). The potatoes are purple. They have a great flavor and are less starchy than the white potato. I consider them more of a vegetable than a starch because of this...therefore, I can eat them without much worry of having too much starch and that heavy lazy feeling after eating potatoes, they are much lighter. |
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| might be time for a B-complex vitamin |
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| Hey Green Jello, there's also purple rice. You can mix it with white rice to get lavender rice.
I seem to have purple rice in the forefront of my consciousness these days. |
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| Where do you guys buy this stuff? My local stores only seem to carry the normal food stuffs. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | It's called Organic Gourmet. I get my stuff from the farmer's market, Whole Foods and Earthfare. Mostly, the Farmer's Market carries everything I need at a better price. WF and Earthfare is expensive. I shop at these places for convenience, not regulary, well usually not regularly...it depends on how lazy I am and not wanting to drive an hour out of my way. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | Thanks for the advice everyone. The sugar loaded drinks like the Red Bulls I've been drinking definitely have to go. They give me a boost when I need it, but they throw my system all out of whack. I'm going to have to tweak my diet now that I'm running more miles per week. It's funny how in college before practice I would drink a gatorade and eat a bagel to get energy, but that was probably the worst thing I could have done for myself. If only I had cared to learn about good nutrition then, I probably would have run alot faster! Samantha |
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| serious discussion over?
k
i like jellybeans!
when i drive home i know where the best deal is, because at the gas stations prices for a bag of jellybeans fluxuate over 200% for just a distance of three miles
i'm tempted every night on the way home......unless i go out for lunch.....
some nights i give in to the temptation and buy jellybeans and before you know it, i've eaten the whole bag.
of course, [real confession time, now] jellybeans aren't as bad as a six pack of beer, or a bottle of Duvel, or Chimay, or Framboise Lambic, which is what it used to be before i stopped drinking so many years ago....five years this August 15, and i'm glad i stopped, and so is the rest of my family.....
so really, Sugar is a beast! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Samantha - we get away with a lot of stuff when we are younger, dont' we? Ah well, live and learn.
SCT - don't you wonder if it was the sugar in the alcohol that was part of the "kick?" I drank a lot back in the days as well. Being a rather dedicated sugar addict myself and now virtually a non-drinker, I have had some thoughts along that line. The only thing I miss is the occassional glass of wine and single malt scotch. |
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| tourist - 2006-06-14 6:41 PM
Samantha - we get away with a lot of stuff when we are younger, dont' we? Ah well, live and learn.
SCT - don't you wonder if it was the sugar in the alcohol that was part of the "kick?" I drank a lot back in the days as well. Being a rather dedicated sugar addict myself and now virtually a non-drinker, I have had some thoughts along that line. The only thing I miss is the occassional glass of wine and single malt scotch.
yes, sugar
2 generations back i have a great uncle who died of diabetes complications after losing all of his arms and legs
sugar is such a powerful, but subtle, substance
so sweet that you'd never suspect it as a dangerous poison |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | SCThornley - 2006-06-14 5:21 PM serious discussion over? k i like jellybeans! I LOVE Jelly Belly jelly beans. Have you ever had those? Man, I could go for some Jelly Bellies right now Samantha |
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| oh yeah
they have the bulk dispensers of those all over this county.
York County, PA just happens to be the snack manufacturing capital of the world, don't 'cha know!? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Sam,
I have a weakness for Jelly Bellies. I like Pina Colada, Marshmellow, Coconut, Banana, Pineapple and Chocolate ones. I wish they would sell bags that were customized to my specifications.....DD and I cannot eat them together...especially when she tries to eat all the Pina Colada ones,
I try to limit my jelly belly bean intake to once per year, at Easter. That helps alot, rather than having them available all the time....it's a nice treat, but not to make a habit.
Last year I was on this Organic Truffle Craving. I was trying to eat just a couple every 3 or 4 days....yea right....I no longer allow them in the house...even if they are dark chocolate and organic. I decided it works better not to have it at home and only do every once in a while treats to myself. This way I don't become an addict. Like several weeks ago I wanted a dessert. I had this Chocolate Mousse Pie with a Raspberry Sauce.....OMG, it was so divine and didn't cost me too many calories and I ate it at a restaurant...one small slice, |
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| Cyndi - 2006-06-14 10:50 PM
I have a weakness for Jelly Bellies. I like Pina Colada, Marshmellow, Coconut, Banana, Pineapple and Chocolate ones. I wish they would sell bags that were customized to my specifications.....DD and I cannot eat them together...especially when she tries to eat all the Pina Colada ones,
We have a store that's completely devoted to foodies. It's about the size of a small aircraft hanger, and has stuff from EVERYWHERE. They've got stuff I've never even heard of before. Anyway, they've got a mix and match Jelly Belly section, which is wonderful. Maybe you should do some poking about and see if there's one down in NC. |
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Sugar Cravings?
