Dry January: Who's ready strong sugar cravings?

• Is it time for Dry January?
• Dry January: How to deal with early failure
• Dry January: Good sleep is hard to argue with

The biggest surprise from this whole Dry January experiment? Craving sweets and sugary things. It wasn't mentioned in any of the articles or papers that I've been reading about it, and neither did nobody tell me it was a thing when you're cutting down on drinks.

But roughly around first week without alcohol, I started eating cookies and chocolate bars more than usual. I thought it was just my period cravings, but it came and went and I was still at it, enjoying the  leftovers of sweets we still had from the holiday baskets.

Quickly, post-meals drinks were replaced with such indulgences. I paired oranges with dark chocolate. I had full cookies with coffee, and deep inside our ref, I discovered a half-eaten box of Bucky's not-a-Brownie and finished it in a span of four days.

Apparently, sugary cravings are common among people detoxing from alcohol. According to one study, sugar consumption among male inpatients saw a 37% increase from "treatment entry until three weeks."

In fact, replacing alcohol with sugar is a longstanding Alcoholics Anonymous recommendation.

Citing a 2008 research, the study said "Patients in early recovery with substance disorders (including AUD) have reported substitution of sweets for substances to improve mood and soothe cravings."

I dug deeper and found a 2022 study that reported alcohol and sweet foods are similar in that they usher the release of dopamine. 

Also known as the happy hormone, dopamine is released when we experience anything pleasurable — from accumulating likes and engagement on an Instagram post, to shopping to to eating your favorite food, to drinking your favorite drink. 

"Researchers propose that sugar and alcohol may be competing for overlapping dopaminergic reward pathways and that abstinence from one may result in increased intake of the other," the study continued.

Researching further, I found a Business Insider story that cited Silver Maple Recovery Center and said "heavy drinkers tend to have low blood sugar, which leads to sugar cravings."

"The liver, the organ that processes any alcohol you drink, is in charge of releasing glycogen into your blood. Alcohol stops this from happening, causing your blood sugar to drop," Silver Maple Recovery said in a blog.

"When you drink alcohol, your liver needs to break down the alcohol. While your liver is processing alcohol, it stops releasing glucose. As a result, your blood sugar level can drop quickly, putting you at risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)," explained Mount Sinai, a healthcare system in New York. 

I'm both relieved and worried with what I'm experiencing. Relieved that these sweet cravings are normal but also worried that I won't be able to see the promised weight loss of Dry January from eating all these sweets.

As I write this, I'm 17 days clean of alcohol and my sugary cravings have not yet let up.

In the Business Insider story, the case study simply didn't fight the craving, and soon it faded.

I've been researching on how to cope with sugary cravings and WebMD suggested to give in a little, have a fruit, and going for a brisk walk to name a few.

Thankfully, our supply at home is dwindling down so I'm hoping that would do the trick. Meanwhile, I'm still sleeping great and making the most of the energy boost and mental clarity that this whole Dry January experience entails! 

— GMA Integrated News