What your sweet tooth actually says about your energy system.
Let’s talk about something we’ve all experienced: sugar cravings that seem to come out of nowhere.
Maybe it's mid-afternoon and suddenly you're dreaming about cookies. Or you’ve just had lunch, and somehow you're already reaching for something sweet. It's easy to think this is just a lack of willpower, but your body is actually sending you important signals about your energy system.
Let’s talk about it.
The Link Between Sugar Cravings and Blood Sugar
Your blood sugar (aka glucose) plays a major role in how energized you feel and how intensely you crave food, especially sugar and processed carbs (think bread, donuts, or chips).
In a fascinating 2011 study at Yale University, researchers set out to understand this connection. Participants were placed in an fMRI scanner to measure brain activity while researchers also tracked their glucose levels. As they lay in the scanner, they were shown pictures of various foods, a salad, burger, cookie, and broccoli , and asked to rate how much they wanted to eat each one on a scale from 1 ("Not at all") to 9 ("Very much").
Here’s what they discovered:
When participants’ blood sugar levels were stable, they didn’t rate most of the foods very highly. Their brains weren’t particularly interested.
But when their glucose levels dropped, the craving center of their brain lit up like a Christmas tree. Not only did they rate the foods higher, but their desire for high-calorie, processed options skyrocketed.
So What Does This Mean (and Why Should You Care)?
Blood sugar levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day. That’s normal.
But when you’re riding the roller coaster of spikes and crashes, which are often triggered by sugary foods, processed carbs, caffeine, or simply going too long without eating, your brain starts to panic during the lows.
It says, "We need fast energy. Now!"
This is actually a survival mechanism. It’s your body’s way of keeping you alive, and we should be thankful it exists. But when this cycle becomes chronic, it leads to frequent sugar cravings that feel intense, urgent, and totally out of your control.
That’s when you start to feel like you have a sweet tooth.
But more often than not, it’s actually your energy system that’s out of balance , not a personality flaw or a lack of discipline.
Cravings Are Messengers — Not Enemies
They’re simply signs that your blood sugar has crashed and your body is trying to fix it the fastest way it knows how.
And that’s why willpower alone rarely works. You’re fighting biology.
If you want to get a handle on your sugar cravings, you need to work with your body, not against it.
How to Stabilize Your Blood Sugar and Reduce Sugar Cravings
1. Eat consistent meals throughout the day
One of the most common patterns I see with clients is under-eating or going hours without real food. Many people rely on snacks or caffeine to get through the day. (PSA: Coffee is not a meal.)
That pattern sends your glucose soaring, then crashing, and leaves you feeling wired, tired, and craving sugar.
Start by eating actual meals, spaced regularly throughout your day. Even this simple shift can dramatically change your energy and reduce cravings.
2. Eat your meals in a specific order
The order in which you eat your food impacts your glucose response significantly.
Try this: when you sit down to a meal, eat in this order.
Fiber (vegetables) → Protein → Healthy fats → Carbs/sugar last.(this includes fruit)
This slows down the rate at which glucose enters your bloodstream and helps your energy stay steady, not spike. By avoiding spikes in blood sugar, we avoid crashes in our blood sugar. By avoiding crashes, we are avoiding sugar cravings.
The Take-Away
Your sugar cravings aren’t random.
And they’re definitely not a sign that you’re weak or lazy.
They’re a signal that your energy system, your blood sugar balance, needs attention.
And the good news? You have the power to change it.
Start by nourishing your body consistently and intentionally. Get curious about the patterns that may be driving your cravings. And know that with a few small changes, you’ll start to feel more stable, energized, and in control without needing to white-knuckle your way through the cookie aisle.
Want to learn more about how to balance your blood sugar, increase your energy, and finally stop craving sugar all the time?
Let’s talk! I help people heal their natural energy system so that they can have the energy to spend their day exactly how they want to. And stop the sugar cravings from running the show.
I offer FREE discovery call so you can talk exactly about your health and nutrition goals and how I can help you get to the root-cause healing you deserve. Click below to schedule your call.
References:
Page, K. A., Seo, D., Belfort-DeAguiar, R., Lacadie, C., Dzuira, J., Naik, S., Amarnath, S., Constable, R. T., Sherwin, R. S., & Sinha, R. (2011, October 3). Circulating glucose levels modulate neural control of desire for high-calorie foods in humans. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://www.jci.org/articles/view/57873
