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Sugar Crash: How to Eat Sugar without the Crash

by Jadie Aranda 4 Comments

This article is an excerpt from Your High Energy Life: Banish Energy-Sucking Foods and Supercharge Your Days by Jadie Aranda. Get your copy at Amazon today!

You know the sugar crash. We’ve all had them. You’re feeling fine, then all of a sudden, you can’t keep your eyes open. It’s almost as if you are narcoleptic, nodding off at your desk or on the couch. Then you realize the only thing you’ve eaten is a Kit Kat Bar.

As we get older, the sugar crash can get worse. While it sucks we can’t eat treats like we used to, there are ways to enjoy sugar responsibly without the crash.

Sugar Crash: How to eat sugar without the crash. #sugarcrash #sugar #sugarcraving

The sugar crash occurs because of your body’s response to sugar intake. A sugar spike causes an insulin spike, which then causes the crash, as explained in Does Sugar Make You Tired, Lethargic? Here’s Why.

The key to avoiding the draining sugar crash is to make sure the blood sugar/insulin spike cycle doesn’t occur. It is entirely possible to have your cake and eat it too!

  1. Don’t eat sweets on an empty stomach

Eating dessert after a meal usually doesn’t cause a sugar crash. Why? Because our bodies are busy digesting complex proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The sugar takes longer to get into the bloodstream and enters more slowly, so there is no insulin spike. If you are going to have sugar, do it after you’ve eaten something nutritious.

  1. Don’t eat sugar by itself

OK, no one’s spooning the white stuff directly into their mouths. But you can choose to eat sweets in combination with more nutritious foods. For example, nuts are a great source of fat and protein. Eat some whole nuts with chocolate, a la chocolate peanut clusters or bars with whole nuts like a Kind bar. Fruits have a lot of sugar too, but they come in a high fiber package. These sweet snacks have less of an impact on blood sugar so you can enjoy a sugary treat but avoid the sugar crash.

  1. Know which sweets have the most (and least) sugar

Chocolate is the quintessential sugary treat, but not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate has way less sugar than milk chocolate, and different brands add different amounts of sugar based on the desired flavor outcome and the process they use. No matter what your weakness is – be it chocolate, ice cream, or gumdrops, do a little research to find treats that will satisfy your cravings with less sugar. A simple swap can save you from the sugar crash.

  1. Make sure your sugary treat has real sugar

There are many studies on the effects of artificial sweeteners, and the results are very bad news for the body. The powerful brain will get the body ready when it knows something is coming, like when you start salivating at the thought of the chimichangas at your favorite Mexican food restaurant. When your brain senses it is getting sugar from something sweet, it readies the body for that influx of fuel. When there is no fuel because you consumed some other chemical that just tasted sweet, it can have negative effects on your blood sugar regulation.

  1. Never drink your sugar

Sugary drinks such as soda have no nutritional value at all. A bunch of sugar in liquid form will go right to your blood and initiate the insulin/blood sugar cycle faster than you can say “liter-a-cola”…. Super Troopers style.

Related:  New FDA Food Label - The Truth About Added Sugars

It is true that if we got rid of all the sugary treats and drinks in the world, we would be a healthier human population for it. But the fact is we like sugary stuff. Nobody would be making it if we weren’t buying it. But despite the seeming lack of possibilities, it is possible to enjoy sugar responsibly.

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Filed Under: Eat For Energy, Eating Healthy, Your Amazing Body Tagged With: energy, sugar

About Jadie Aranda

Jadie Aranda is a passionate biologist who secretly teaches people science so they can live better lives. As a scientist and skeptic of all the diet misinformation fed to consumers, Jadie works tirelessly to sift through scientific studies, distill the truth, and share it with her readers in an understandable and engaging way.

In addition to publishing Eat My Science, Jadie is featured regularly in Denver Parent Magazine (denverparent.net) and you can buy her book, "Your High Energy Life: Banish Energy-Sucking Foods and Supercharge Your Days" on Amazon.

Reader Interactions

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  1. 5 Creative Ways to Use Up Lurking Halloween Candy | Denver Parent says:
    February 12, 2020 at

    […] isn’t inherently bad but eating a bunch of it at once is not a good choice. One great way to eat sugar without the sugar crash is eat it with something nutritious. Chop up your candy to mix into a trail mix with nuts. Sprinkle […]

    Reply
  2. Party This Fall with Fabulous Healthy Football Foods! – Denver Parent says:
    November 15, 2019 at

    […] You can’t go wrong with whole fruits and veggies. Your body needs them, and if you can snack on carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes while you are watching your team drive down the field, you’ll leave the party in better shape than you arrived! Veggies are a crunchy alternative to greasy chips, so they’ll keep your crunch meter satisfied. Fruits are naturally sweet without all the adverse side effects, so munching some strawberries and grapes will satisfy your sweet tooth without expanding your waistline or giving you a sugar crash. […]

    Reply
  3. 5 Creative Ways to Use Up Lurking Halloween Candy – Wyoming Parent says:
    November 4, 2019 at

    […] isn’t inherently bad but eating a bunch of it at once is not a good choice. One great way to eat sugar without the sugar crash is eat it with something nutritious. Chop up your candy to mix into a trail mix with nuts. Sprinkle […]

    Reply
  4. Party This Fall with Fabulous Healthy Football Foods! – Wyoming Parent says:
    September 26, 2019 at

    […] You can’t go wrong with whole fruits and veggies. Your body needs them, and if you can snack on carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes while you are watching your team drive down the field, you’ll leave the party in better shape than you arrived! Veggies are a crunchy alternative to greasy chips, so they’ll keep your crunch meter satisfied. Fruits are naturally sweet without all the adverse side effects, so munching some strawberries and grapes will satisfy your sweet tooth without expanding your waistline or giving you a sugar crash. […]

    Reply

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