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Managing Stress & Curbing Sugar Cravings With a Plant-Based Diet

Plant-Based Weight Loss For Women

Author: Plant-Based Susy

Your stress loves sugar. In fact, studies show that around 97% of women and 68% of men experience food cravings, especially those high in sugars and carbs. Luckily, Vegan Susy has the best advice to managing stress and curbing sugar with a vegan diet.

A whole food plant-based diet can help manage stress and curb sugar naturally. The best foods to curb cravings include dark greens, root vegetables, berries, legumes, whole grains, dark chocolate, and fermented foods. For best results, combine these foods with exercise, meditation, and enough sleep.

Take a deep breath, put your candy bar down, and read along as we discuss our favourite all-natural, plant-powered relaxation techniques to manage stress and curb your sugar cravings.

We Crave Sugar When Stressed

We crave sugar when stressed. During stressful circumstances, our brain requires more energy to perform at its best.

Our brain is dependent on glucose (sugar) as its primary energy source. As stress spikes, so does the demand for sugar. Sweet foods always come to mind because your body knows it’s the quickest way to get the energy it needs. This is why stress and sugar cravings walk hand-in-hand.

When we eat sugar-rich foods, our brain lights up, and its reward system — the mesolimbic dopamine system — kicks into play. Our brain produces surges of the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine, which is responsible for how we experience pleasure.

The dopamine spikes signal that we had a positive experience, making it more likely for us to crave sugar in negative and stressful situations. The sugar acts as a short-term emotional relief.

Note: For more detail on what sugar does to the brain, hop over to Nicole Avena’s TED-Ed visual explanation of why sugar makes our brain go bonkers.

Your Diet Affects Stress: Plant-Based Whole Foods Help Manage Stress

We don’t only crave sugary, carb-loaded foods when we’re stressed; what we eat has a direct relationship with stress and anxiety.

Certain foods help lower cortisol, while others are touted for increasing feelings of stress and anxiety.

Research shows that following a whole, plant-based diet — grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts — helps lower our stress, anxiety, and depression. On the contrary, when we eat large amounts of refined sugar, saturated fats, and highly processed foods, we are left feeling down in the slumps and stressed.

Ironically, stress makes it harder for us to eat the foods we very well know help to combat stress. When we’re stressed, we mostly crave foods rich in fats and sugars — these cravings are due to spikes in our cortisol levels. We sometimes even skip or forget meals due to an increase in adrenaline and a decrease in appetite.

Find Plant-Powered Relaxation Techniques to Reduce Stress-Induced Urges

Mastering the relationship between stress and nutrition isn’t always a walk in the park — we still fall victim to sugar cravings every once in a while. However, over the years, we at Vegan Susy have found the best plant-powered relaxation techniques to reduce stress-induced urgers.

Here are our ten go-to relaxation techniques to curb those sugar cravings when stressed.

1. Plan Your Meals

Planning your meals for the upcoming meals (even for the day) helps eliminate the uncertainty factor.

Long, stressful days can get the best of us. Already knowing what you’re going to eat for your next meal lessens the temptation to grab the chocolate bar or bag of chips.

And remember, grocery stores are a terrible place when you’re craving something. Following a planned list will help avoid loading your cart with junk food.

2. Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating relies on the philosophy known as mindfulness. The practice focuses on developing an awareness of the relationship we have with food and eating. It helps us respond better to our cravings instead of reacting out of impulsivity.

Mindful eating focuses on using all your senses to enjoy the food you eat. As a whole, you consider where the food comes from, how it looks, smells, and tastes, and how it makes your body feel. It also creates an awareness of your eating habits, cravings, emotions, and physical sensations.

Mindful eating helps us make satisfying and nourishing food choices that will help manage our stress and reduce sugar cravings.

3. Refuel Regularly

Refuelling regularly can help manage stress-related sugar cravings.

When we are stressed, our bodies require more fuel to function optimally. When skip meals or take too long to refuel, our blood sugar drops, aggravating our stress-related symptoms.

Stay ahead of your sugar cravings by eating small, frequent meals to help prevent blood sugar plunges.

4. Nutrition is Key

“The body is a well-built machine, and if you are not giving it the right foods, it will say, ‘Give me sugar!’” — Registered dietitian Farah Fahad.

Nutritious foods are vital to help manage stress-related cravings.

We recommend eating healthy snacks and whole, natural, plant-based foods rich in protein to stabilise your blood sugar and minimise cravings.

Reach for whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds to give your body the nutritious boost it needs.

5. Drink Water

Drinking a tall, refreshing glass of water can help curb sugar cravings when stressed.

Dehydration often masks itself as hunger — especially in the guise of sugar cravings. Mild dehydration makes it difficult for our bodies to access our glycogen energy stores. As a result, our cravings for sugar increase.

Before succumbing to the craving, try drinking a glass of water and wait 15 minutes. You’ll be surprised to see how often your cravings disappear.

6. Protein is King

Protein is King, and the King is powerful. Eat more protein-rich foods to curb your sugar cravings.

“Eating protein will help stabilise your blood sugar and prevent those dreaded spikes and dips that can cause issues, including sugar cravings.” Brittany Lubeck, MS, registered dietitian and nutrition writer.

Vegan Susy relies on the following plant-based protein sources to fight sugar cravings:

Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, red beans, white beans, green beans, mung beans, green peas, peanuts, edamame, tofu and tempeh.
Whole grains: Quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, teff and oats.
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and chia seeds.
Seitan: Very high in protein and very low in fat.

7. Avoid Craving Triggers

Distance yourself from triggers that cause you to crave certain foods, like driving past your favourite take-away joint or walking down the sweets aisle at the store.

When you experience stress-related sugar cravings, pause and try to change your thoughts or environment to get your mind off it. Stand up and stretch, take a brief walk, journal, or meditate for several minutes.

8. Eat Magnesium-Rich Food

Magnesium-rich food can help manage stress and curb sugar naturally.

Low magnesium levels are associated with higher feelings of stress and anxiety. Focus on consuming a magnesium-rich plant-based diet to help manage your body’s stress response.

Add the following ten foods to your diet for a magnesium boost:

Swiss chard
Kale
Spinach
Whole wheat
Dark chocolate
Edamame
Nuts
Collard Greens
Avocados
Oats

Vegan Susy has mouth-watering plant-based recipes packed with magnesium-rich ingredients.

9. Sugar-Free Chewing Gum

Sugar-free chewing gum made with artificial sweeteners can help you enjoy something sweet while controlling your sugar cravings.

10. Healthy Snacks

Satiate your sweet tooth with healthy, plant-based snacks to reduce your cravings for sugar-filled foods.

Fresh fruit
Fruit slices with nut butter.
Trail mix: A yummy mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit is great for curbing sugar cravings.
Smoothies or juices. Add a scoop of chia or flax seeds for a healthy dose of omega-3s.
Roasted chickpeas.
Homemade granola.
Baked veggie or seaweed chips.

Plant-Based Foods to Curb Sugar Cravings Naturally

If you’re struggling with stress-related sugar cravings, focus on eating healthy, plant-based foods to curb sugar cravings naturally.

Add these 10 plant-based foods to your diet to fight stress:

Dark leafy greens: Leafy greens like kale, spinach, chard, and arugula are rich in magnesium and help regulate your cortisol and stress levels. Add them to salads, stir-fries, or green juices.
Root vegetables: Add a little sweetness to your diet with root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, and parsnips. They help you feel fuller for longer while combating your sugar cravings.
Berries: Berries are a sweet, tasty, and highly nutritious choice to stop sugar cravings. They are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that combat stress, and although sweet, berries are actually quite low in sugar.
Oats: Oats contain tryptophan and vitamin B6, which help stimulate serotonin (the “feel-good” hormone) and lower feelings of stress. Oats are also a perfect source of complex carbs.
Dark chocolate: If you’re stress cravings lead to the chocolate rack, you’re in luck. Opt for dark chocolate and reap the benefits of healthy polyphenols. Dark chocolate provides benefits like improved memory and reduced stress.
Fermented foods: Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha are delicious plant-based foods that can help curb sugar cravings. They are all great sources of beneficial bacteria that contribute to a healthy gut and reduce food cravings.
Legumes: Legumes like chickpeas, beans, and lentils are packed with protein and fibre. They balance your stress hormones and curb feelings of hunger, decreasing the likelihood of food and sugar cravings.
Whole grains: Whole grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, wild rice, and barley contain healthy B vitamins, minerals, and fibre. They help you feel full and prevent sugar cravings.
Dates and prunes: Dates and prunes are ultra-sweet, highly nutritious dried fruit that you can reach for instead of candy bars.
Herbal tea: Drinking herbal teas like green tea, lavender tea, and chamomile tea can help lift your mood and stress and anxiety. Add a teaspoon of honey for some sweetness if your cravings feel like they’re getting the best of you.

Other Ways to Naturally Reduce Stress and Manage Cravings

Along with a nutritious plant-based diet, you can apply other natural remedies to reduce stress and manage sugar cravings.

Here are some natural stress-wicking practices to calm you and to manage those unruly cravings:

Exercise: Exercising offers more than just physical benefits. It produces feel-good chemicals that reduce stress.
Meditating and yoga: Regularly meditating can reduce your cortisol levels and improve the way you respond to stress.
Reduce alcohol and caffeine: Alcohol and caffeine are a perfect storm to exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety as they cause prolonged elevated cortisol levels. Alcohol also increases sugary, fatty food cravings. Drink both in moderation to manage stress and reduce sugar cravings.
Get sufficient sleep: It’s a truism that our cravings for sweet, fatty foods intensify when we get too little sleep. Sleep deprivation can disrupt your hormonal fluctuations, causing stronger cravings and poor appetite control. A good night’s rest is extremely important to maintain your stress and sugar cravings.

Plant-Based Supplements to Manage Stress Naturally

Herbal supplements or adaptogens can help you adapt to outside stressors by supporting your adrenal glands, responsible for releasing the stress hormone.

Adaptogens can’t prevent you from experiencing stress. However, they improve the way your body responds to stress once it occurs by achieving homeostasis (balance).

Common herbal supplements include:

Ashwagandha
Asian ginseng
Rhodiola rosea

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you stop sugar cravings naturally?

You can stop sugar cravings naturally by eating regular whole, plant-based meals with healthy snacks in between. Foods rich in protein and fibre will also keep you fuller for longer, reducing the occurrence of cravings.

What can you eat when craving sugar?

The best plant-based foods to eat instead of sweets, candy and dairy milk chocolate include protein-rich foods, fruit, whole grains, legumes, and limited amounts of dark chocolate.

Pro Tip: Go for dark chocolate with the highest cocoa percent you can handle. Start with 70% cocoa, then move up to 85%, and aim for 99%. Strong, dark chocolate at 99% cocoa is quite bitter (so you can't eat too much of it – which is a good thing!), however it's healthy, relatively low in calories and it definitely kills sugar cravings instantly.

What are the best foods to curb sugar naturally?

Dark leafy greens, berries, whole grains, legumes, and fermented foods help regulate cravings.

How can mindful eating stop sugar cravings?

Mindful eating increases awareness, helping you control cravings by focusing on hunger cues.

What lifestyle changes help reduce stress and cravings?

Regular exercise, hydration, quality sleep, and relaxation techniques like meditation can help.

Conclusion:

You can manage your stress and curb sugar cravings naturally by swapping out your sweet treats for healthier, plant-based foods.

Learning how to resist indulging in sugar-filled, fatty foods when stressed is key to optimal health. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally treating yourself to your favourite slice of cake or candy bar.

💚 "Happy Plant-Based Eating & Exercising!" 💚

Plant-Based Susy

Plant-Based Nutrition Professional & Weight Loss Coach

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