by Mila McManus MD
If you’ve ever sworn off sweets only to find yourself raiding the pantry by midafternoon, you’re not alone. Sugar cravings are one of the most common and frustrating nutrition challenges—and willpower rarely cures them! Cravings are the body’s way of signaling deeper imbalances in blood sugar regulation, hormones, gut health, or stress response. The key is to understand why sugar cravings happen so you can fix the cause, not just fight the craving.
The Blood Sugar Rollercoaster
Most sugar cravings begin with blood sugar instability. When you eat refined carbohydrates—like bread, pastries, pasta, or soda—your blood glucose spikes quickly, followed by a steep drop that leaves you shaky, irritable, and/or craving more sugar for a fast lift. Functional clinicians see this as a metabolic feedback loop, not a discipline problem. Over time, these spikes and crashes can progress toward insulin resistance, which further drives constant hunger and fatigue.
Balancing blood sugar means pairing every meal with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to slow glucose absorption and keep energy steady. For more hacks that help balance blood sugar, look here.
The Brain’s Reward Trap
Sugar doesn’t just satisfy hunger—it triggers powerful dopamine release in the brain’s reward system. The more often we hit that “sweet button,” the more our brain adapts by requiring more sugar to get the same feel-good response. Sugar addiction leads to poor production of neurotransmitters in the brain, especially dopamine and serotonin. Neuroscientists call this “reward pathway downregulation.” From a functional standpoint, the goal isn’t total deprivation (which can backfire) but rather rewiring that circuit by gradually swapping refined sweets for fruit, dark chocolate, or nutrient-dense alternatives while retraining your taste buds and reward centers. Leveling out blood sugar is essential for restoring mood, achieving satiety, and losing/maintaining weight.
Stress, Sleep, and Cortisol
When stress or depression hits, cortisol levels rise, pushing blood sugar up and encouraging the body to seek quick energy. Add poor sleep, and the hormones ghrelin (which stimulates hunger) and leptin (which signals fullness) become disrupted, creating the perfect storm for nighttime sugar splurges. Practicing short daily stress resets—like a good walk or the 3-3-3 Technique can reduce cortisol-driven cravings. Consistent, high-quality sleep (7–9 hours) rebalances appetite hormones better than any diet adjustment.
The Gut Connection
Your microbiome—the community of bacteria in your intestines—can influence what you crave. Some gut microbes, such as yeast, thrive on sugar and can actually “signal” the brain to consume more of it. Functional medicine approaches this by improving gut diversity through improved dietary fiber, probiotics, and whole foods. When the gut is balanced, sugar cravings often fade naturally.
Hidden Deficiencies
Sugar cravings may also stem from nutrient deficiencies—particularly magnesium, chromium, zinc, and certain B vitamins. Magnesium helps regulate glucose and insulin sensitivity; chromium may improve carbohydrate metabolism and reduce cravings in some studies. These nutrients should be evaluated with lab testing rather than guessed at, but for many people, simply eating more mineral-rich foods—such as nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and legumes—can make a noticeable difference.
Other Recommendations and Food Substitutions
Clinicians always recommend exercise, especially resistance training, which boosts insulin sensitivity and reduces the need for quick carb energy. Switching to sweeteners that do not spike blood sugar, like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol, can also be helpful. Here are four substitution ideas for sweets.
- Instead of ice cream, try using a quality protein powder such as Truvani, Pure Power Organic Vegan Protein, or Designs for Health PaleoMeal, blended with coconut milk, avocado, and ice cubes for thickness.
- After a meal, instead of eating dessert, consider a relaxing herbal tea sweetened with stevia or monk fruit. Chamomile, Mint, and Rooibos are caffeine-free options that can delight the palate and soothe the soul.
- Try using Lilly’s Dark Chocolate Chips and pair them with fresh mandarin, raspberries or strawberries, and add walnuts or pecans.
- Instead of pudding and pies, try this recipe for Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding.
The Butter Strategy to Stop Cravings
Dr. Campbell-McBride, author of The Gut and Psychology Syndrome, recommends this butter strategy to help stop cravings while efforts to stabilize blood sugar and clean up the diet are underway. Use 8 ounces of softened grass-fed butter (such as Vital Farms, Truly, Nelly’s) and 2 level tablespoons of raw, unfiltered honey (Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Raw Honey, Crystal’s Honey), blending them together well. When sugar cravings arise, eat 1-3 tablespoons every 20-30 minutes throughout the day or until cravings cease. The enzymes in raw honey will help digest butterfat and restore low blood sugar levels, while the fat will stabilize blood sugar and provide satiation. An alternative to the butter is to use ½ cup of coconut oil or coconut butter.
Each craving is feedback from your body—an opportunity to restore equilibrium rather than a test of internal strength. Listen to that feedback. Once blood sugar, stress hormones, gut microbes, and nutrients come back into balance, cravings lose their power. You stop fighting your biology and start working with it.
Be balanced. Be Well.
References
- Hyman, M. (2021). How to Curb Cravings for Good. The UltraWellness Center.
- Novelle, M.G., et al. (2022). “Decoding the Role of Gut-Microbiome in Food Craving and Intake.” Nutrients, 14(18):3843.
- Gupta, A., et al. (2020). “Brain–Gut–Microbiome Interactions in Obesity and Food Intake.” Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14:574.
- Anton, S.D., et al. (2008). “Effects of Chromium Picolinate on Food Intake and Satiety.” Nutrition, 24(5):383–389.
- Basiri, R. (2021). “Key Nutrients for Optimal Blood Glucose Control: A Review.” Nutrients, 13(12):4402.
- Qin, D., et al. (2018). “Neural Mechanisms of Sugar Addiction: A Review.” Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 51:21–31.
- Cleveland Clinic (2024). Why Stress and Sleep Affect Sugar Cravings. ClevelandClinic.org.