JAKARTA - Although eating too much sugar can have a negative impact on health, it is difficult to ignore the hunger and the body's desire for sugar in the morning.
The body can crave sweet foods at breakfast for a number of reasons, which makes it difficult to choose low-sugar foods to start the day.
Here are 4 reasons why you like sweet breakfasts, as reported by the Verywell Health website.
1. Low Blood Sugar Fasting overnight makes blood sugar levels drop in the morning. When blood sugar is low, the body signals hunger and often wants a quick fix by eating sweet foods or processed carbohydrates.
2. Stress The body has a circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour cycle that regulates body processes. In the morning, after waking up, this rhythm increases the hormone cortisol which is associated with stress and metabolism, helping the body stay awake and more alert.
Stress can increase cortisol levels, which then increases the secretion of ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone. This makes you feel hungrier and choose certain types of food.
Research shows that increased ghrelin prompts people to want less healthy foods such as sweet snacks, while also increasing pleasure in the brain's reward center after eating them.
3. Lack of Sleep Lack of sleep can consistently trigger hormonal and neurological changes that make you want sweet food for breakfast.
This is similar to the effects of stress and high cortisol such as increasing ghrelin, stimulating the appetite for sweets, strengthening the taste of food, and increasing satisfaction through the production of dopamine.
Lack of sleep also lowers the hormone leptin, which signals satiety. Low leptin makes you eat more sweets than you need.
In addition, a tired body in the morning can experience insulin resistance, so that blood sugar is not optimally managed. This condition triggers the desire for sugar as a way for the body to balance energy.
4. Sugar Cycle If you have been used to eating sweet breakfast for a long time, your body can want that food in the morning because it has a sugar habit that is similar to addiction.
Sugar stimulates the brain's reward center and releases dopamine, making you feel good. The longer a person consumes a sugary breakfast, the stronger the craving the next morning.
How to Overcome the Desire for a Sweet Breakfast
Although difficult, there are several ways to reduce sugar cravings in the morning and restore a more balanced breakfast habit.
1. Make sure you get enough sleep every night. 2. Manage stress in appropriate ways, such as meditation, exercise, journaling, or talking to a trusted person about emotional triggers. 3. Eat foods that are satiating, such as high in protein and fiber, to stabilize blood sugar and reduce sweet cravings. 4. Choose natural sources of sugar, for example from fruit, to avoid sugar withdrawal symptoms and increased cravings due to stopping sugar completely.
By understanding the reasons your body wants sugar in the morning and following the steps above, you can start eating a healthier breakfast without having to feel deprived of sweetness.
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