Are you one of the millions who can’t seem to say “No, thank you” to those tempting sweets and quickie-carb “treats”? Do you despise those annoying sugar cravings, which just won’t leave you alone? Are you outright disgusted with your lack of self-control?

Ah, how well I remember those horrible, hooked-on-sugar feelings! (Thankfully, they’ve been gone since 1998 when I quit sweets on doctor’s orders and became “reborn.”)

Your Sugar or Carb Cravings are Important—Even Valuable

What if I told you that there’s a gentle, loving, even fun way to approach your frustrating carb or sugar cravings? (By the way, when I say sugar, I also mean processed carbohydrates, because, like sugar, these quickie carbs are quickly metabolized in your body.)

Yes, your worst cravings don’t have to be your enemies.

Seen in the right light, your cravings can actually become great allies. Because your cravings are really your body’s way of sending you valuable messages, information and guidance.

When you’re hit by sugar cravings, it’s your Body, Mind and Spirit’s way of saying, “Please pay attention to me! You’re not giving me what I need! And I’m going to keep bothering you until you start treating me right!”

So, let me suggest that you adjust your attitude: Don’t dread your cravings. Instead, invite them in.

You heard me right! Making nice to your cravings may seem like a stretch for you, but can you at least greet them with the zeal of a detective, who has stumbled on vital clues that will help break the Case of the Silent Killer? (By the way, if you think I’m also referring to high blood pressure, also known as “The Silent Killer,” there is, in fact a connection between excess sugar intake and hypertension.)

When you consume so many sweets and quickie carbs, you can gain weight, develop heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and some 150 ailments or diseases. (Hundreds of researchers worldwide have exhaustively researched the dangers of sugar and refined carbs.)

Hunt Down the “Whys” of Your Cravings

Keeping in mind that your sugar addiction or habit (whatever you choose to call it) can kill you, it’s time to explore why you get hit by those overpowering, potentially deadly cravings.

Let’s start by pretending that I can speak for your dear Mind, Body, and Spirit. Here are some messages your cravings may be sending you.

Your Body

1.    “I’m so thirsty. Why aren’t you giving me enough water?”

2.    “Why don’t you ever feed me a healthy breakfast? Whenever you don’t give me food first thing in the morning, I’m so out of whack all day long!”

3.    “Let’s face it, you aren’t feeding me right. I desperately need more protein—especially high quality protein, like organic eggs or grass-fed chicken.”

4.    “I really need some high-quality fats, too. Please give me some extra virgin olive oil, flax seeds, avocado or other quality fats.”

5.    “Also, why aren’t you giving me vegetables in season? I really crave those nutrients and fiber.”

6.    “Why are you giving me so much sugar? All it does is make me want more and more and more.”

7.    “You’re consuming far too much salt, too. That makes me want both sugar and salt! I feel so out of balance today.”

Your Mind

8.    “I’m feeling so lost and out of control. These cravings are taking me away from what I really want to do.”

9.    “You fill me with so many negative thoughts. They’re only going to make me get more and more blue. No wonder I’m craving sweets.”

10.    “I need you to fill me regularly with powerful, positive ideas.”

11.    “You can beat or win out over those cravings in so many ways. Just give me some easy tools and tactics.”

12.    “Please figure out what I’m really craving.  Those cookies or chips aren’t the answer.”

13.     “This is too much for me to handle. I need to lighten up about my sugar habit.”

Your Spirit

14.    “I’m just so unhappy with my husband [wife, boyfriend, father, mother, and so on.]”

15.    “My career is not fulfilling me.”

16.    “I’m discouraged, lonely, sad, or furious about [what a loved one did or didn’t do or a frustrating situation].”

17.    “I feel so unbalanced. I need you to take time to nurture me with prayer, yoga, meditation, or reading something inspirational.”

18.    “I’m desperate for love, warmth, and support.”

19.    “I really need a hug. It’s time for my dose of oxytocin. If someone’s not around to give me one, just hug yourself.”

20.    “I need to replace these cravings with activities I love to do, like Zumba, spinning, or writing.”

As you can tell from these inner thoughts, your annoying sugar or carb cravings are your Body’s way of signaling important messages. They’re telling you that you need more high-quality protein, fats or carbohydrates (like organic, seasonal vegetables and fruits).

And, of course, for you women, your cravings may be tied to your hormonal situation—it may be that time of the month or life (menopause). Or perhaps you’re pregnant.

At the same time, your Mind may be telling you that you need to pump it full of positive thoughts and a better outlook on life.

Or your cravings could be your Spirit hollering out not for food, but for emotional sustenance. You may be wanting hugs and other satisfying connections with other people, or even with yourself.

On a deeper level, those excessive cravings could be a way of your signaling to yourself that your life lacks meaning.

It comes down to this: All your cravings are signs of some kind of emptiness. So the next time, cravings holler out to you, step back and ask yourself, “How can I best fill myself up so that I don’t have any more cravings?”  

Just as you put gas into your car when the gauge warns you that your tank is close to empty, your Body, Mind and Spirit need to be filled up, too – with nourishing foods and activities, as well as calming thoughts and feelings.

Unlike junk foods, all of these satisfy your immediate emptiness, and they put you on the road to freedom from the sugar and carb cravings once and for all.