Many people suffer from alcohol cravings, not just alcoholics. The truth is that these cravings are a root symptom of alcoholism. By understanding what causes these cravings and learning how to address the real problem, you can stop cravings for alcohol and have a much better chance of overcoming alcoholism.
The reason I mentioned that alcohol cravings are not exclusive to alcoholics is because everyone experiences them to some degree. In the case of an alcoholic, that his cravings turn out to be much worse than those of others. This is because they suffer from a biochemical disorder that makes their cravings more unbearable. This is the main reason why they drink, not because they have some kind of mental problem.
The root cause of alcohol cravings is usually due to a couple of conditions. The first is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is caused and develops over time by excessive consumption of sugars and simple carbohydrates. Eating these types of foods for long periods of time damages the body’s neuroendocrine system and causes problems with blood sugar control. The pancreas is put in a position where it constantly produces more insulin for the body. When this happens, blood sugar levels drop too low and terrible symptoms begin to appear.
This happens to many people when they have sugar cravings. These are the same type of cravings that an alcoholic suffers from, except they are on a much lower level. They are, however, exactly the same in the root cause. Both the alcoholic and the sugar addict have the same problem (and many Americans are technically addicted to sugar). They crave sugar because their bodies crave sugar due to an overproduction of insulin. The alcoholic prefers alcohol because it is the fastest way to get sugar into the bloodstream and his cravings are more intense.
The best way to overcome hypoglycemia is to switch to a hypoglycemic diet. This means eating foods that are very low in sugar and staying away from simple carbohydrates. Over time, your body will slowly adapt and your endocrine system will heal. This will help your pancreas control your blood sugar more effectively because it will no longer overreact to sugar.
The other common cause of alcohol cravings is called Candida. If you’ve ever taken an antibiotic, you have this very common yeast overgrowth. Candida is widespread, especially among Americans due to high sugar and processed food diets. When an alcoholic craves alcohol due to Candida, he is basically feeding the yeast what he wants. This temporarily stops the urge because the Candida has been fed. To get rid of this condition, I suggest doing a Candida cleanse. It’s a great way to eliminate this over-growing yeast from your body.
One final way and quick fix to help stop cravings for alcohol is to use an amino acid called L-glutamine. L-glutamine eliminates sugar cravings very quickly and is also a beneficial amino acid that your body needs anyway. You can take a 500mg capsule and open it up and just place it under your tongue and let it dissolve. You will find that the craving for alcohol will go away in a few minutes because you are actually eliminating the craving for sugar.
The best way to stop cravings for alcohol is to completely change the way you eat. By switching to a hypoglycemic diet and re-nourishing your body, you’ll be taking big steps toward fixing the problem. You’ll also want to make sure you address any Candida overgrowth in the process.
