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I've been loosely following a paleo diet for a while, because that's what my brain tells me to eat. Mostly meat, vegetables, and very little fruit. However, my brain craves sugar when I'm in a low mood. So I tend to go with my instinct and have sugary treats to lift up my spirits.

I feel much better after a small binge, which happens around once a month if ever. Considering health as the primary concern, are infrequent sugar binges bad for your health?

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Well, how do you feel afterwards? Therein lies the answer to your question, methinks. – Dan Oct 28 at 21:17
My body feels fine, but my mind is conflicted. Is this a good craving or an addiction? – Abdulla Oct 28 at 22:56
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If your body feels fine, and if your mind and emotions feel fine (aside from worrying about whether it's a good craving or an addiction), then it's a good craving. – Dan Oct 29 at 2:08

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You're convincing yourself that your "brain" is craving sugar. It's not.

How do you know that it's not the yeast in your body dying off and craving sustenance to keep a hold over your body?

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How would the yeast cause you to vicariously crave sugar? I'm honestly curious. – Mscott Oct 28 at 22:32
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Spirit possession. – Dan Oct 28 at 22:42
Actually, here's a real theory: Yeast, when starved, die off and release toxins that stress the body. Eating food that feeds the yeast will halt this die-off, abate toxicity, and thus reduce stress on the body. Thus, through the process of conditioning, the human body finds it in its best interest, at least in the short-term, to feed the little suckers. – Dan Oct 28 at 22:46
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Mscott, that was just an arbitrary example. The point is that you can't genuinely say that your "brain is craving sugar" because there are too many variables. Yeast overgrowth (or even normal levels of yeast in the body) can cause a host of screwy metabolic processes to occur - one of them being a craving to high-carb foods (not just sugary foods.) – BoneBrothFast Oct 29 at 6:24
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Yeast Theory: In order to keep itself alive, the yeast (Candida Albicans mostly) hijacks your taste buds (Thrush, the white shit on your tongue) and at the same time, attaches itself to your GI tract where it controls cravings to keep itself alive. – BoneBrothFast Oct 29 at 6:26
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people here are often quick to claim sugar addiction any time someone craves anything that has sugar in it. here's the reality, glucose (aka blood sugar) is a necessary nutrient in the body. anyone who tells you different is a liar. if you go low carb for long enough your body will start to tell you that it would like some sugar. if you are always fighting this craving it will continue to grow stronger and stronger until you give in and feel like shit because you think that you don't need glucose because of all the propaganda spread around here. the smart approach to this is to choose your glucose wisely. i promise you, tubers and fruits will not kill you or make you fat. they will satisfy your cravings and it will make your body happy and healthy.

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Completly agree! – Acumen Athletics Oct 29 at 15:03
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I'd ask what sugary treats are you bingeing on? Fruit? Chocolate? Ice Cream? Candy bars?

Fruit is not bad for your health. Some would say chocolate is good for you, quality high cacao chocolate that is... But if you are eating candy bars or Skittles or something I'd say, yeah that's not good for your health, IMO.

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I'd go for something just a little sweet, like pudding or lightly sweetened cheesecake. – Abdulla Oct 28 at 22:56
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A binge that occurred once a month would not worry me at all, although maybe I don't know what you mean by "small binge" -- you said pudding or a cheesecake, but do you just mean one serving, or some huge amount?

Whatever it is, if the quantities aren't unreasonable and it isn't otherwise affecting your food goals (weight or otherwise), I wouldn't worry about it. But I would try to eat the healthiest version of that food, be it pudding or cheesecake, that I could find.

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If she's having a slice of cheesecake or a cup of pudding, that's not a binge. I assume she meant a significant binge - excessive eating past the point of satisfaction and past the point of moderation. – BoneBrothFast Oct 29 at 6:27
You could be right. It is really not enough information to go on, so far. – Robin Oct 29 at 15:32
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Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you crave it, you are listening to your body and therefore it's good. We crave lots of things that are bad for us. Sugar is addictive and you can crave just like any addict.

Now, eating some sugar once a month is fine, assuming you're not diabetic or have some other contra-indication. But don't pretend that your brain "knows", that you're actually doing yourself a favor. You might be doing yourself a favor psychologically, in terms of having a treat once in a while and not living an ascetic life. But, physiologically, you'd be better off without it.

That said, you're fine binging once a month. Just don't use the same logic to justify twice weekly binges. Look at all the fat people around you. I'm not sure their cravings are healthy and their body knows best.

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There are things that we crave that make us feel shitty afterwards (sugar in most cases, cocaine, or whatever foods that one might be sensitive to), and then there are things that we crave that make us feel better afterwards. This is what distinguishes between cravings we should listen to and cravings we should ignore. The question we should be asking the OP is "How do you feel afterwards?" – Dan Oct 29 at 2:11
Sugar makes you feel better after just as you feel better after cocaine or heronine. Your seratonin levels are immediately raised (they crash later). That does not mean you should have it. – EnglishRose Oct 29 at 12:31
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I think people were designed to binge on fruit and honey once in a while. Notice: fruit and honey. I did not mention sugar for a reason. You feel a binge coming up? Fruit and honey. Organic fruit (not dried, berries are the best) and raw organic honey.

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Fruit and honey for many of us are addictive substances. Fructose in fruit many of us will over eat. Many addicts cannot have things once in a while - it is either all out or all in. Better not to mess around. An alcholic would never have a bit of gin once a month or they would be right back on the stuff. I certainly cannot chop and change with these kinds of things. I do have fruit but I have to be really careful with it. Chocolate is a killer - one bite and likt the alcoholic I am totally lost. – EnglishRose Oct 29 at 12:32
Fruit and honey are addictive for me too - but if he is not addicted to them, it is okay for him. I am on a very low carb diet and it helps - no longer crave anything. Try it! – VB Oct 29 at 12:36

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