Sugar And Cravings?

[grey]

So, I baked gluten-free for the first time, trying the Namaste spice cake mix. I made 12 HUGE cupcakes late last night and I've eaten 9 of them. I want more, too, now, even though I should have dinner. I'm freaked out by this because I just can't stop! It's like chain-snacking. I think that the only way to stop it is to eat all of them. (freezing didn't work!).

I've been hungry lately, but not this compulsive craving need! And I've never been like this in my life.

So I was reading the ingredients trying to figure out why I'm suddenly cramming them down my throat. First 3: evaporated cane juice, sweet brown rice flour, and brown sugar.

I haven't really eaten anything with sugar for the past month - the only exception being fruit. Could that be why the sudden opiate need for these things? Does this maybe indicate I should stay away from it?

(The mix is really good - baked up all nice and fluffy -)

excuse me, I must go eat another one.

(gluten-free since the end of May)

[confusedks]

I just wanted to say I totally understand what you're going through! I have been known to eat whole cakes.

Kassandra

[aikiducky]

Yeah, sugar can give you cravings, and you especially notice it if you haven't had any for a while. Don't be surprised if it gives you a "hangover" as well...

Pauliina

[ewalton]

For the first six months or so of being gluten-free I had some CRAZY sugar cravings- like I could eat an entire huge bag of m&ms (the bags that are a pound or so) in 24 hours. I was never like that before I went gluten-free.

After six months it started calming down, and after a year gluten-free it pretty much disappeared. Now (18 months gluten-free) I only get sugar cravings if I've been glutened really bad, and a small bag of m&ms is enough!

I didn't really stay away from it, and the cravings eventually faded away on their own, but I can't really advise just giving into it like I did! But yes, it's happened to a lot of people after going gluten-free, and it does seem to fade out over time. I did a week of phase 1 south beach diet with a coworker and that seemed really helpful.

Good luck! (and now I want to try that mix!)

-Emily

[grey]

It's a relief to hear that this happens to others.

Even after eating that whole package, I want more! It's sick.

And, I felt dreadful afterwards & my gi system wasn't so thrilled either. Not right away, but a little later; now I think I have a yeast infection. clearly this isn't something I should do a lot!

My doctor was delighted that I ate this - she was happy I had an apetitite and was eating. I think I failed to communicate something about this!

Definately try the mix ... it's very good. I'm forcing myself not to get more. I have another mix for Namaste muffins, but I'm afriad to make it!

For the first six months or so of being gluten-free I had some CRAZY sugar cravings- like I could eat an entire huge bag of m&ms (the bags that are a pound or so) in 24 hours. I was never like that before I went gluten-free.

After six months it started calming down, and after a year gluten-free it pretty much disappeared. Now (18 months gluten-free) I only get sugar cravings if I've been glutened really bad, and a small bag of m&ms is enough!

I didn't really stay away from it, and the cravings eventually faded away on their own, but I can't really advise just giving into it like I did! But yes, it's happened to a lot of people after going gluten-free, and it does seem to fade out over time. I did a week of phase 1 south beach diet with a coworker and that seemed really helpful.

Good luck! (and now I want to try that mix!)

-Emily

[LoveBeingATwin]

I know what you mean. I have been craving ruffles, hersheys chocolate and coke. It is so weird. I am not sure why but that's what I have been eating lately. I definetly need to stop, but it's hard. I never use to drink pop and now its all I crave. I am obviously not getting something my body is needing, since I am eating junk food. I wounder what I need? Well just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one

[grey]

I don't know if it's something I need or something that I don't - like the craving indicates a bad reaction to sugar?

I had a ruffles craving too - but they definately made me sick. I think that craving was the salt!

If you

I know what you mean. I have been craving ruffles, hersheys chocolate and coke. It is so weird. I am not sure why but that's what I have been eating lately. I definetly need to stop, but it's hard. I never use to drink pop and now its all I crave. I am obviously not getting something my body is needing, since I am eating junk food. I wounder what I need? Well just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one

[HannahHannah]

Absolutely!

I've been gluten-free since the beginning of February now (has it really been 6 months?!). I'm still craving sweet things, though it has calmed down. In the first month or so I completely lost my appetite, but then the cravings began! Not for bread or the usual things I expected, but for sugar sugar sugar! Chocolate mostly, and Skittles!

It has calmed down now though, as many people on the thread have mentioned. I'm rather glad of this as I would eat chocolate all day if I could!

Good luck guys - remember, everything gets better!

[marlene57]

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in....

Also had the uncontrollable cravings and they do seem to be calming down, now, but I had to stop buying the Namaste Spice cake mix. It is so good!!! I would have eaten the whole cake, but hubby would have noticed, so I ate it in 2 days instead of one.

I recently made the cake for my birthday, and was able to resist eating the whole thing. I wish all of the gluten-free foods were as good as that cake mix!

[melmak5]

I was JUST telling a co-worker how I have been eating a crazy amount of sugar.

I grew up in a household with a diabetic, so sweets were very rare and I usually am a "salt person."

I have been gluten free for almost a month and the past 4 days I cannot get enough sugar, its like nothing is sweet enough for satisfying.

That cake mix sounds fantastic!

PS - I get crazy mood swings when I eat sugar and then crash, but that might just be me.

[PeggyV]

I know what you mean. I have been craving ruffles, hersheys chocolate and coke. It is so weird. I am not sure why but that's what I have been eating lately. I definetly need to stop, but it's hard. I never use to drink pop and now its all I crave. I am obviously not getting something my body is needing, since I am eating junk food. I wounder what I need? Well just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one

I also had cravings after going gluten-free. I suddenly couldnt get enough of chocolate. I figured I couldnt eat so many things, that the things I could I wanted! My cravings have subsided and I have been gluten-free about 8 months.

[Meemsy]

I have the Namaste Spice Cake mix in my cupboard right now...I was going to make it this weekend...but I think I will hold out until my sugar cravings are under control. I made the Arrowhead Mills brownies Friday night and I felt like it was crack! Everytime I had a tiny sliver I started jonesing for more!

Happy to hear this is normal, I'm even happier to hear it will subside. At the rate I'm going I'm going to end up turning into a gluten free baking mix!

[grey]

I'm working on making peace with the cravings, now that I'm hearing they're normal. It's hard because I feel out-of-control. I'm not used to having an appetite at all, and I'm worried I'm going to gain a lot of weight.

I'm not going to buy that Namaste mix again yet either - not til things have calmed down! Luckily (!?) I can't eat chocolate because of migraines, or who knows I would have eaten. (and I have three brownie mixes in my cupboard ... I've gotten them in care packages).

However ... my constant jonesing has led me to bake the other Namaste mix I had in my cupboard. Rasberry and blueberry muffins are in the oven now. My hope is that they're not as good as the spice cake. I can't imagine they will be!

At least I know what my birthday cake will be !

[lfij]

anyone think it is just overcompensating for what you can't have?It's not normal to have such cravings. Not saying I don't love chocolate, but I realize there's a cutoff point or I will gain a ton of weight(But- When I was first diagnosed I was an overcompensator too!) Thats why I don't like some of the posts on here, when you get this many people together, eventually, a lot of them will have certain things in common that are possibly totally unrelated to celiac, i.e. cravings.

[grey]

What do you mean by overcompensator? Are you suggesting that the sugar cravings I'm experiencing aren't sugar cravings? Or that they aren't physical cravings, but psychological?

I'm willing to believe it's totally unrelated, but I didn't think it'd hurt to ask. My initial concern was whether this might be a sign of a food allergy to sugar, as definately many celiacs develop or unmask food allergies in the first few months.

By the way, I'm sorry you didn't like the post or thread I began with an honest question; I have to admit I was upset after reading your post. I felt like you're saying that my question was stupid and that I'm an idiot (apparently I don't 'realize there's a cutoff point', I'm contributing to a whole category of post you disparage and indicate are brought on by a mob mentality). Overcompensation is something to think about, although I disagree that's what's going (for me, at least), but I wish you hadn't included the end part of the post.

anyone think it is just overcompensating for what you can't have?It's not normal to have such cravings. Not saying I don't love chocolate, but I realize there's a cutoff point or I will gain a ton of weight(But- When I was first diagnosed I was an overcompensator too!) Thats why I don't like some of the posts on here, when you get this many people together, eventually, a lot of them will have certain things in common that are possibly totally unrelated to celiac, i.e. cravings.

[Guest Doll]

People can have psychological or physiological cravings for food. If you restrict your diet a lot, such as those who do not take in enough calories from balanced healthy meals, your body may crave fast acting sugar. I don't think it's related to Celiac though, unless you are malnourished or nutrient deficient (ask your doctor to test you for hypoglycemia or nutrient deficiencies). Junk foods can be addictive, so I would stay away from them if you know you can't control your portions.

I don't really crave much, but if I want something, I have it. That's the key. If you restrict yourself, you will want it more, and you will eat larger amounts when you finally have it. If you have control, this is fine. If not, the best bet is to keep tempting foods out of the house.

I don't think you have to worry about an "allergy" to sugar. As far as I am aware, there is no such thing. There is an enzyme deficiency that would not allow you to break down certain types of sugar, but you would have this from birth, and you would know it. People with hypoglycemia, or who are overweight and at high risk for insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, often have impaired glucose tolerance and "reactive hypoglycemia", but this is not an allergy or true food intolerance.

P.S. Some people here say that they find gluten addictive and crave foods with gluten, but if you have true Celiac I doubt this would be the case. Most people with Celiac feel better the moment they STOP eating gluten (the offending trigger for their symptoms). I personally never craved gluten at any point in my life (pre or post Celiac). I might crave the *taste* of "real" beer or cake now, but I have no idea what people feel like when they say they are having "gluten withdrawal". When I accidently *consume* gluten is when I get psychological disturbances such as severe depression and altered perception. The next day I am fine. I get "whacked out" mentally, as I call it.

Here is a post from Pub Med that desribes cognitive impairment in Celiacs that gets better on the gluten-free diet:

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological laboratory profiles and histological features of patients who developed cognitive impairment temporally associated with celiac disease. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Referral center. PATIENTS: Patients with the onset of progressive cognitive decline within 2 years of symptomatic onset or with a severe exacerbation of biopsy-proved adult celiac disease were identified from the Mayo Clinic medical records from January 1, 1970, to December 31, 2005. Patients were excluded if an alternate cause of their cognitive impairment was identified. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (5 women) were identified. The median age at cognitive impairment onset was 64 years (range, 45-79 years), which coincided with symptom onset or exacerbation of diarrhea, steatorrhea, and abdominal cramping in 5 patients. Amnesia, acalculia, confusion, and personality changes were the most common presenting features. The average initial Short Test of Mental Status score was 28 of a total of 38 (range, 18-34), which was in the moderately impaired range. The results of neuropsychological testing suggested a trend of a frontosubcortical pattern of impairment. Ten patients had ataxia, and 4 of them also had peripheral neuropathy. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed nonspecific T2 hyperintensities, and electroencephalography showed nonspecific diffuse slowing. Deficiencies in folate, vitamin B(12), vitamin E, or a combination were identified in 4 patients, yet supplementation did not improve their neurological symptoms. Three patients improved or stabilized cognitively with gluten withdrawal. A detailed histological analysis revealed nonspecific gliosis. CONCLUSIONS: A possible association exists between progressive cognitive impairment and celiac disease, given the temporal relationship and the relatively high frequency of ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, more commonly associated with celiac disease. Given the impact for potential treatment of similar cases, recognition of this possible association and additional studies are warranted.

P.S. I second what Teacher1958 said.

[Teacher1958]

So, I baked gluten-free for the first time, trying the Namaste spice cake mix. I made 12 HUGE cupcakes late last night and I've eaten 9 of them. I want more, too, now, even though I should have dinner. I'm freaked out by this because I just can't stop! It's like chain-snacking. I think that the only way to stop it is to eat all of them. (freezing didn't work!).

I've been hungry lately, but not this compulsive craving need! And I've never been like this in my life.

So I was reading the ingredients trying to figure out why I'm suddenly cramming them down my throat. First 3: evaporated cane juice, sweet brown rice flour, and brown sugar.

I haven't really eaten anything with sugar for the past month - the only exception being fruit. Could that be why the sudden opiate need for these things? Does this maybe indicate I should stay away from it?

(The mix is really good - baked up all nice and fluffy -)

excuse me, I must go eat another one.

(gluten-free since the end of May)

When I first went gluten free, I was completely ravenous. You have to be careful not to fill up on empty calories during this period because that will only make your cravings worse. Your body is finally getting the nutrients it needs from the healthy foods you're eating and is beggng for more. Stock up on foods from all of the food groups, and eat in small amounts. You can still have your cupcakes, but try taking some of them to a friend's house closeby and freezing them, so you can have them another time. I'm not much of a baker and this might not work, but maybe you could just use half of the mix at once. Then you wouldn't have quite so many cupcakes or whatever. You don't want to rid yourself of one health problem only to take on another (obesity).

[lfij]

i'm entitled to an opinion, it wasn't meant in a rude way, please let it go.

[Di-gfree]

I