Craving Sweet Things After A Meal

[awakened]

I often burn the midnight oil online trying to give all my money to Wall St. Almost without exception I get the 'munchies' and it's usually something sweet I crave. I have also noticed this effect about 30 mins after eating a meal.

Why would eating a balanced meal create a craving for sweet?

Note: I have had dizzy spells after eating sweet puddings (hypoglycaemia?).

[Mighty Mouse]

You may be stressed.

The highs and lows of stock market trading can do that to you. Eating sweet food or junk food provides comfort to your body.

I have often gone for the biscuit tin when a trade doesn't go my way.

The urge to eat something sweet following a large satisfying meal is, I believe, quite normal. I can't quote any medical explanation but I usually get the urge to eat sweets with cream or ice cream. Doing so is now part of my eating routine.

Lately, I have the urge to drink hot, freshly brewed coffee and that has now become a satisfying habit. Caffeine is to blame.

[Mobi]

Go to virtually any clinic in BKK and ask them to test your blood sugars. It will only take a few seconds.

If your blood glucose is excess of 140 mg/dL (after eating) or in excess of 110 mg/dL on an empty stomach then you may have diabetes and you need to do seek medical advice.

It is a very simple and inexpensive matter to rule out diabetes, so I suggest you do that first.

[britmaveric]

lifetime of training I'd assume.

[Sir Burr]

Don't worry, you're absolutely normal.

In pretty much every culture, a sweet is served after the main course.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Have a bit of a problem when it comes to sweets. Usually keep a bit of candy around (in case friends drop in, not for me) and after a meal I had a tendency to over indulge and rather than one or two pieces I would not quit until I had eaten a large handfull.

To solve the problem I ask my wife to put them away somewhere and leave me out 4 pieces each day, so I have 2 after lunch and two after dinner. Unless of course I eat all four after lunch, then none after dinner. It works quite well for me, have cut way back by doing this but still get my bit of sugar every day.

It was easier to quit smoking than to quit the sweet habit.

[moldy]

Have a bit of a problem when it comes to sweets. Usually keep a bit of candy around (in case friends drop in, not for me) and after a meal I had a tendency to over indulge and rather than one or two pieces I would not quit until I had eaten a large handfull.

To solve the problem I ask my wife to put them away somewhere and leave me out 4 pieces each day, so I have 2 after lunch and two after dinner. Unless of course I eat all four after lunch, then none after dinner. It works quite well for me, have cut way back by doing this but still get my bit of sugar every day.

It was easier to quit smoking than to quit the sweet habit.

Worse things in life. we all need our sweeteners- otherwise what's the point ?. Reckon you need to get out and about a bit. They say Cowboy is on the up!

[Cuban]

You will find that your brain does not lust after protein , fats or even noodle soup. What your brain requires to function is sugar, sweetened coffee is an ideal brain food - the sugar and caffeine mix will allow you brain to process the market information as you work long into the night etc.

As for needing something sweet after a meal - I guess there is a link between the arrival of food in the stomach and the message being sent to the brain that food has appeared and that food processing is required to happen - this message being responded to by the question - "Is there enough energy in the system to process this food?" Quick answer flashes back - eat some sugar - that will help! Visons of Woody Allen.

This link would probably be the starting point to further research.

[awakened]

You may be stressed.

Indeed. My inability to bounce back from long term stress has been a source of frustration which I recently expressed in other posts.

If you have a condition which affects many systems of the body, it's easy to find experts who focus on one particular symptom then write a book about it. When you read it, it seems like a 'Eureka!' moment.

I have just completed Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by Dr. James Wilson.

'Eureka!' I said. Actually, it was more a... 'Hmm... this sounds about right' moment. Here's a brief snippet...

<h2 class="subtitle">How can you tell if you have Adrenal Fatigue?</h2> You may be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue if you regularly experience one or more of the following symptoms:

1. tired for no reason
   
2. trouble getting up in the morning even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour
   
3. feeling rundown or overwhelmed
   
4. can't bounce back from stress or illness
   
5. crave salty and sweet snacks
   
6. feeling best only after 6 PM
   

Yep. Most of these.

He mentions 80% of those who have adrenal fatigue also have thyroid issues, which fits in with other posters suggestions to me. Because Doctors aren't sufficiently clued up about this condition, they misdiagnose or fail to diagnose correctly. The book contains a comprehensive questionnaire and a series of tests you can take to determine conclusively if you have Adrenal Fatigue.<h2 class="subtitle">'What causes Adrenal Fatigue?</h2> Adrenal Fatigue is produced when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. The adrenal glands mobilize your body's response to every kind of stress (whether it's physical, emotional or psychological) through hormones that regulate energy production and storage, heart rate, muscle tone, and other processes that enable you to cope with the stress. Whether you have an emotional crisis such as the death of a loved one, a physical crisis such as major surgery, or any type of severe repeated or constant stress in your life, your adrenals have to respond. If they don't, or if their response is inadequate, you will experience some degree of Adrenal Fatigue.

In Adrenal Fatigue your adrenal glands function, but not enough to maintain your normal, healthy homeostasis. Their output of regulatory hormones has been diminished by over-stimulation. This over- stimulation can be caused either by a very intense single stress or by chronic or repeated stresses that have a cumulative effect.'

The book is comprehensive and offers a strategy for recovery which includes vitamin and mineral supplementation, specific adrenal and thyroid support plus general dietary, exercise, breathing and stress management advice.

The body builders out there will still be convinced I need to workout more. The mental health professionals will see the mind, my mother, childhood sexual abuse or my suppressed homosexuality as the problem. The priests and philosophers will talk about spiritual wounds. My mate in the bar will say, 'sod it, have another beer'. The aura readers will use Kirlian photography to inform me I am carrying a load of emotional baggage in my second layer around my stomach. The Reiki master doesn't know and doesn't care, he just places his hands at various points on my body. The bio-energetic practitioner will use his machine to detect over 6000 different frequencies (this is the medicine of the future I believe). The Crystal healer will use a crystal to note that my root Chakra is blocked. The Surgeon will want to take out my tonsils, gall bladder, appendix and whatever else he decides is superfluous. The Chiropracter will blame 'subluxation' and bang a bit of wood against my vertebrae, then tell me I need to come back every month for the rest of my life for 'maintenance' (at a fee). The ozone practitioner will say 'bend over' and pump ozone into my rear end. The naturopath will ask I have heard of Mae West, then get me to follow her enema routine. The Ayurvedic physician will sacrifice a tortoise, cook the meat, mix it with rice, put it in a linen bag then dip it in hot oil while smacking it against my muscles. The homeopath will make a remedy using my own urine. The Quigong master will focus on balancing my 'Chi'. The Yoga teacher will recomend alternate nostril breathing to balance my sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The pharmaceutical companies will offer 3 drugs, then another 12 to deal with the symptoms of the other drugs. The doctor will... blah, blah

I could spend a week jotting down the different approaches. Who's to say they don't all have their merits?

Anyway. The point is. This week's favourite is Adrenal Exhaustion.

Good health!

[awakened]

Sorry about the double post. Finger trouble. Perhaps the moderator would be good enough to delete the first one.

[Mighty Mouse]

Do you trade for your main income or is it for the satisfaction of beating the markets?

If you are trading after midnight, you must be living outside the USA and trading whilst the DOW is active.

If it's for your main income then the markets can be very stressful, particularly now as the markets are at the crossroads. Upsetting your body clock with irregular hours will cause all sorts of stresses and strains on your ability to lead a relatively normal life.

The obvious cure is to trade less, exercise (walking, yoga) eat regular meals and get plenty of sleep. (in bed before midnight.)

Indulging in sweet snacks may satisfy some uncontrollable urges but will probably result in weight gain, which may then cause further stress.

If the markets are only for pleasure or for something to do, then get out for a while. It's very difficult to make good, regular profits from stocks at the moment.

I recently sold all of my shares and am just a casual observer now, whilst my mates are doing their pants worrying about stocks that are losing their value.

The "physical, emotional or psychological" aspects are also a big part of trading. I have read many books about trading that concentrate on these issues. Very easy to read and understand how to control these emotions but most difficult to put into practice.

Try a change of lifestyle and see if it helps. Good luck.

[Carib]

Besides the maybe wrong hours and stress because of trading, has anyone noticed that looking at a screen for a long time make one hungry too?

I am not, absolutely not, kidding here.

For me it is absolutely connected. Looking at a screen for a few hours makes me craving for food. I am not bssing you.

I know that light does have an effect on people, lights with different frequencies ( color) . Even depressed people can do a kind of "light therapy" which really seems to work. So it must do something in ones brain.

Anybody got the same thing??

[awakened]

Do you trade for your main income or is it for the satisfaction of beating the markets?

If you are trading after midnight, you must be living outside the USA and trading whilst the DOW is active.

If it's for your main income then the markets can be very stressful, particularly now as the markets are at the crossroads. Upsetting your body clock with irregular hours will cause all sorts of stresses and strains on your ability to lead a relatively normal life.

The obvious cure is to trade less, exercise (walking, yoga) eat regular meals and get plenty of sleep. (in bed before midnight.)

Indulging in sweet snacks may satisfy some uncontrollable urges but will probably result in weight gain, which may then cause further stress.

Having never been successful enough to make an income I think it's a masochistic trait.

No problem on the weight gain. Quite the opposite.

I do practice some yoga and Qigong exercises out of necessity. Sitting at a desk for long hours,. is bad for you... posture, tension, eyesight, radiation... so I stretch and move regularly. It's not enough though, if sleep is disrupted and nerves are jangled through the ups and downs of trading. The market tests your psychology like nothing else I have ever done and Wall St has a thousand ways to extract the money from your pocket. It's been a hard lesson.

Your 'obvious cures' are timely. I came to the same conclusion and liquidated my positions on Friday. The difficulty has been, that when you retire at 3 or 4 am and re-surface at 9am, it's then too hot to exercise and the air no longer has that early morning vitality.

It's obvious that the lifestyle changes I have already made, are being undermined by some stupid actions, such as late night trading, inadequate exercise and sleep. So, taking a break from the markets and also from the computer would be sensible steps. No mean feat, since trading is so addictive and I love the stimulus of new knowledge. (even if I don't always apply it)

Anyway. Time for a proper break.

[Trevor]

We have an evolutionary craving for sweet carbohydrates in order to sequester energy in the form of fat for the lean times. Ten thousand years of settled agriculture have still not erased that trait. Hunter-gatherers only had occasional fruits and honey to draw upon, and thus gorged themselves. Today we have, well, 7-11 et al ...

It is certainly unhealthy to be trading the Dow from 20.30 until 03.00 (add an hour in winter), Thai time. Take a look at trading forex: the best moves are always 13.00 to 18.00, Thai time: much more civilized. So you can still go out pu**y-hunting in the evenings.

Raw foods, both animal and vegetable, are the healthiest. Durian is a great hunger-satisfyer with a healthy mix of raw fats, proteins and carbs. Just ask any orang-utan; it's their favourite as well as mine!

[Trevor]

A great way to improve and balance your diet, and thereby reduce sweet cravings, is to follow the advice of www.mercola.com

His no-grain diet is excellent, and his twice-a-week newsletters are entertaining and informative.

For more-advanced raw-foodists you need to read www.wewant2live.com and www.primaldiet.com . Even Dr Mercola recommends eating 85% of one's diet raw! Snack on som-tam, coconut flesh, bananas, avocadoes, durian and those little sun-dried raw anchovies. Stay well away from youngsters' junk food and 7-11s!

Webmaster : why are the www. links above not hyperlinking as they normally do?

Edited May 27, 2008 by Trevor

[FBN]

Weird and wonderful advice...

Just get a fasting/random blood suger done before indulging any of these fantasies, will you?

[awakened]

We have an evolutionary craving for sweet carbohydrates in order to sequester energy in the form of fat for the lean times. Ten thousand years of settled agriculture have still not erased that trait. Hunter-gatherers only had occasional fruits and honey to draw upon, and thus gorged themselves. Today we have, well, 7-11 et al ...

It is certainly unhealthy to be trading the Dow from 20.30 until 03.00 (add an hour in winter), Thai time. Take a look at trading forex: the best moves are always 13.00 to 18.00, Thai time: much more civilized. So you can still go out pu**y-hunting in the evenings.

Raw foods, both animal and vegetable, are the healthiest. Durian is a great hunger-satisfyer with a healthy mix of raw fats, proteins and carbs. Just ask any orang-utan; it's their favourite as well as mine!

I'm a believer in a mix of sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Unfortunately I tried a raw food diet, a few years ago, when on my pony-tailed, flip-flop spiritual quest and felt cold all the time. I think the body needs some fat even if only for insulation and raw doesn't give it to me. I have a few sprouts to get some enzymes into my stomach but mostly it's cooked.

I'm a Durian fan. Trouble is, I get an ache in my back after eating it, the same with a number of sweet fruits like bananas and mangoes. Not sure if it's the kidneys or adrenals complaining nor do I understand why.

Mercola is doing a great job. Surprised he hasn't been shut down yet.

Forex sounds more civilized. If you don't mind I'll pm you for details. Thanks.

[FBN]

Don't worry, you're absolutely normal.

In pretty much every culture, a sweet is served after the main course.

Except in ancient Roman times where something sweet was served BEFORE a feast. The sugar (glucose) stimulated an overproduction of Insulin which would in turn stimulate hunger, allowing the guests to eat more.

In Indian culture it is sometimes done too..

[Trevor]

We have an evolutionary craving for sweet carbohydrates in order to sequester energy in the form of fat for the lean times. Ten thousand years of settled agriculture have still not erased that trait. Hunter-gatherers only had occasional fruits and honey to draw upon, and thus gorged themselves. Today we have, well, 7-11 et al ...

It is certainly unhealthy to be trading the Dow from 20.30 until 03.00 (add an hour in winter), Thai time. Take a look at trading forex: the best moves are always 13.00 to 18.00, Thai time: much more civilized. So you can still go out pu**y-hunting in the evenings.

Raw foods, both animal and vegetable, are the healthiest. Durian is a great hunger-satisfyer with a healthy mix of raw fats, proteins and carbs. Just ask any orang-utan; it's their favourite as well as mine!

I'm a believer in a mix of sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Unfortunately I tried a raw food diet, a few years ago, when on my pony-tailed, flip-flop spiritual quest and felt cold all the time. I think the body needs some fat even if only for insulation and raw doesn't give it to me. I have a few sprouts to get some enzymes into my stomach but mostly it's cooked.

I'm a Durian fan. Trouble is, I get an ache in my back after eating it, the same with a number of sweet fruits like bananas and mangoes. Not sure if it's the kidneys or adrenals complaining nor do I understand why.

Mercola is doing a great job. Surprised he hasn't been shut down yet.

Forex sounds more civilized. If you don't mind I'll pm you for details. Thanks.

Mercola could only survive in the 'free-speech' USA. Any other country he'd have been closed-down, or dead.

Don't forget your body is full of toxins from eating cooked foods, especially the cooked fats. It will take months or even years on a raw animal-vegetable diet to expel the toxins, and you could feel low in the beginning while it does this. You also need to avoid environmental toxins and electrosmog, vaccines and mercury dental amalgams.

Some links on trading forex ...

http://theforexarticles.com/zulutrade-review/

http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Trading-Fore...&id=1194279

http://www.babypips.com/tools/forex-calendar/

Edited May 28, 2008 by Trevor

[Trevor]

Don't worry, you're absolutely normal.

In pretty much every culture, a sweet is served after the main course.

Except in ancient Roman times where something sweet was served BEFORE a feast. The sugar (glucose) stimulated an overproduction of Insulin which would in turn stimulate hunger, allowing the guests to eat more.

In Indian culture it is sometimes done too..

Guess that's why the Romans invented the vomitarium?

[Trevor]

A great way to improve and balance your diet, and thereby reduce sweet cravings, is to follow the advice of www.mercola.com

His no-grain diet is excellent, and his twice-a-week newsletters are entertaining and informative.

For more-advanced raw-foodists you need to read http://www.wewant2live.com and http://www.primaldiet.com . Even Dr Mercola recommends eating 85% of one's diet raw! Snack on som-tam, coconut flesh, bananas, avocadoes, durian and those little sun-dried raw anchovies. Stay well away from youngsters' junk food and 7-11s!

Webmaster : why are the www. links above not hyperlinking as they normally do?

OK, I've added "http://" to the "www" now.

[burman]

I get the same problem, always on the jack n jill biscuits, same thing 30 mins after!

[Boo]

best advice I have read here is to get a fasting BM (blood measure) reading done to rule out diabetes.

I too started to crave sweet things after meals & then all the time, I then started getting recurrent thrush & pissing all the time, uh oh, type 2 diabetes. 3 years later it is totally controlled by diet & excercise & doesn't affect my life one jot .

[awakened]

best advice I have read here is to get a fasting BM (blood measure) reading done to rule out diabetes.

I too started to crave sweet things after meals & then all the time, I then started getting recurrent thrush & pissing all the time, uh oh, type 2 diabetes. 3 years later it is totally controlled by diet & excercise & doesn't affect my life one jot .

Not sure if you noticed but it seems to have turned your lips purple.

Lousy humour aside, I do realise I'm probably in the pre-diabetic stage. If you don't mind sharing, what is your diet and exercise routine?

[Boo]

I eat whatever I want, but little & often. Admittedly I don't eat red meat or bread/ lots of carbs & hardly drink cause I feel like crap if I do but I eat chocolate, ice cream, what ever I fancy bt in moderation.

As for my exercise well, running around after my 1 year old son mainly with the occasional walk around the park & nookie My doc seems to think that my low carb diet is the main reason I am maintaining my BM's so well & I have to agree. I can sacrafice carbs for choccies any day

I am sure too that my age is a factor, I am only 33 but I know that as I age this may change in terms of medication needed but possibly not, as has been explained to me, if you take care of yourself daily & cathc any issues early on with regualr check, then in the long long run it will help with overall diabetes maintenance.

The lips may be a side effect

[Mobi]

I fail to understand why anyone with even the slightest suspicion that they may be diabetic doesn't have the test done. It's ridiculous to say you may be "borderline' diabetic.

FIND OUT!

It's only a "finger prick" of blood and takes 5 seconds for the result. Then you will know one way or another - if it's within normal ranges then forget it. If it's outside the range, then you need to get further medical attention.

[Boo]

mobi, agree totaly, I missed the borderline bit. There is no borderline with diabetes, you either are or you're not. If you are then you need treatment now. Get the test done, a one night fast & a simple fingre prick with probably urine test & you will know for sure.

[Shotime]

I read page 2 first, and was wondering where the diabetes thing came from. I am familiar with Type I, but admit I'm not that familiar with the symptoms of Type II. I hesitate to get involved in this, but a craving for sweets after eating, was never an indication of a serious problem. Don't a lot of restaurants serve a piece of candy with the check. The dizzy spells are another thing entirely, but I'm not sure if the OP was kidding as it's only after eating a certain pudding. He also quotes "Nearly all men die of their medicines, not of their diseases." He may have something there.

This isn't the first time I've seen this type of diagnostic leap in a TV thread. I always want to eat something sweet after eating a spicy noodle or rice meal. I think it's normal. I'm not discounting the possibility, and the OP should definitely check it out, but, also check out your BMs and pissing habits.

I once made a comment about the purple lips, and got accused of going off topic to follow my own agenda (amongst other things). It's probably me. I can get pretty irritating. Sorry.

Edited May 30, 2008 by Shotime

[awakened]

mobi, agree totaly, I missed the borderline bit. There is no borderline with diabetes, you either are or you're not. If you are then you need treatment now. Get the test done, a one night fast & a simple fingre prick with probably urine test & you will know for sure.

Now. Now. I had a fasting blood sugar test 18 months ago and it was 80, which I understand is perfectly normal. The reason I say 'pre-diabetic' is based on symptoms manifesting, since then, which match those of hypoglaecemia.

Hypoglaecemia, according to one source is considered 'pre-diabetic'. If that is incorrect both he and I are obviously mistaken.

I am in Bangkok on the 7th where I will undergo another test.

Hope that clarifies.

[awakened]

A google search for 'Hypoglycemia pre-diabetic' brings up a few results.

Are they wrong?