Sugar cravings can be caused by the high rises and rapid drops in your blood sugar which occur when you eat any refined carbohydrates, not just sugar. Refined carbohydrates are the foods made with any of the sugars and starches that have been extracted or removed from their whole-plant sources.

A craving is something we cannot physically control, it is not just a want but it is a force that drives us beyond our usually sense. Smokers need to smoke because the nicotine addiction can be crippling and it is something similar when talking about sugar. If you feel the absolute dire need for sugar during the day you may be physically addicted to the substance for a number of reasons to do with you lifestyle and eating habits.

Eating fresh fruits is a much better way to give in to our sweet tooth, get the sugars our bodies need while also absorbing an array of other nutrients, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. The high consumption of sugar in the western world is leading to an increase in health conditions from diabetes to obesity.

Eating too much highly concentrated carbohydrate over a long period of time can cause an insulin insensitivity that can lead to diabetes and other health conditions. According to Dr. Rosedale, it can also lead to leptin insensitivity, so the message that leptin is sending out ("stop eating") is not being heard by the overweight dieter. In fact, when we have a liptin insensitivity, we tend to crave even more sugar, even though our bodies are desperately trying to get rid of, (or store as fat), the excess sugar we've just eaten a few minutes ago. And we go on craving sugar, even years after we've given it up - like the cravings that many ex-smokers get when they're around people smoking.

The hormone serotonin is the feel good part of our bodily system. Sugars release short bursts of serotonin making us feel good for a while but it quickly fades, this can be dangerous when our body has low serotonin levels as the short high we get from a sugar hit does not change the naturally low levels which lead to more and more hits of sugar to feel good again. Hormonal imbalanced and poor nutrition are the main culprits when it comes to serotonin levels and changing your diet and exercise to fix your metabolism is the only real cure.

Another good treat is a slice of seedless watermelon. A sliced piece of melon is filling, sugary tasting and totals a little more than 120 calories. You can eat 1 cup of sliced, seedless watermelon (50 calories) with sugar free Jell-O and light whip cream for a total of 80 calories. A piece of toast has more calories than this great tasting treat.

Try cutting a whole cantaloupe into small pieces and place it in a plastic container. Store content in the refrigerator and use for dessert or snacks. A cup of sliced melons is nutritious and contains only 50 calories.

Allowing yourself 1 cup of sliced melons or 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream helps you control portion and therefore calories.