Why do people with a hormonal imbalance crave sweets so much more intensely?
First, if you have insulin resistance, the brain sends out urgent sugar signals. Second, if your cortisol level is high, the body is already loaded with stress, so it wants to reach happiness as fast as possible through sweets and carbohydrate sources. If there are disturbances or fluctuations in the thyroid hormones, the metabolism slows, the body feels heavier, and to make up the energy gap the first thing that comes to mind is, again, energy-dense sweets. And finally, if the leptin–ghrelin balance is off, there is no sense of fullness: even if you eat something sweet you will not feel satisfied, and you will want more.
So this is not only about your willpower, your character or your determination. This craving for sweets is more of a biochemical urge, a signal.
What should you do? If the hormones are out of balance, you need to make sure you get enough fibre and protein, and to include healthy fats in your menu, so that we nourish the body with healthy and varied foods. A body that is not satisfied will want far more sweets.
