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The holidays are filled with warm meals, family traditions, nostalgic flavors, and cold-weather comfort. For many people, this season is also when cravings show up the strongest, especially cravings for sweet, salty, or carb-rich foods. If you’ve ever wondered why your appetite shifts as the season rolls in, you’re not alone.
Cravings aren't a sign of failure or lack of control. They’re often your body’s way of signaling that it needs energy, stability, minerals, or emotional grounding. Research shows that cravings tend to intensify during times of stress, irregular routines, and environmental changes, all of which the holiday season brings in abundance.¹²
Absolutely. Cold weather increases energy needs, holiday meals tend to be richer, and routines become unpredictable. Studies show that skipping meals or shifting eating times increases reward-driven eating and amplifies cravings for high-calorie foods.¹
Cravings are messages. They may point to a need for quick energy, emotional comfort, hydration, or mineral support. They also arise from sensory cues, smells, memories, and traditions that activate the brain’s reward pathways.³
They’re not “willpower issues”, they’re often physiological signals shaped by environment and routine.
While cravings are multi-factorial, research suggests that low magnesium, low electrolytes, and inconsistent glucose availability can increase the desire for sweet or carb-heavy foods.⁴ Magnesium deficiency has been associated with impaired glucose regulation and a heightened desire for quick energy foods, especially under stress.⁴
Holiday schedules, sleeping in, skipping breakfast, late dinners, grazing on appetizers all create gaps in nourishment. These gaps cause blood sugar to swing, and when it drops too low, the brain seeks fast fuel in the form of sweets and starches. Studies show that meal skipping increases reward-driven cravings for high-calorie foods.¹
Your body isn't misbehaving, it’s trying to stabilize itself.
During winter, the body uses slightly more energy to maintain warmth. Combined with reduced sunlight, comfort-seeking behavior, and slower metabolism from inactivity, cravings for warm, dense, energy-rich foods make perfect sense. Mild cold exposure is associated with an increase in caloric demand for thermoregulation.²
While the holidays bring joy, they also bring stress, travel, finances, expectations, or social dynamics. Elevated cortisol has been strongly linked to cravings for sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods as the body looks for fast, comforting energy.³ Sleep disruptions amplify this effect.
Cravings under stress are normal, they’re biochemical, not personal.
Cravings often intensify when your mineral balance shifts. This is especially true for migraine-prone or highly sensitive individuals whose nervous systems rely heavily on electrolyte stability.
Low Magnesium → sugar + chocolate cravings
Low Sodium → salty snack cravings, fatigue, low appetite clarity
Low Potassium → sudden hunger, irritability
Low Water → “hunger” that is actually dehydration
Low B1 → carb cravings + afternoon crashes
Travel, alcohol, extra coffee, richer meals, and emotional stress deplete these minerals quickly. When minerals fall, the nervous system asks for “quick fuel,” which often feels like a craving for sweets. Research shows magnesium deficiency is associated with increased sugar cravings and glucose instability.⁴
Instead of trying to “fight” cravings, it helps to understand what they’re pointing to.
Here are supportive, science-informed strategies, no restriction, no guilt, just clarity and balance:
Long gaps without food drop blood sugar and trigger the brain to search for fast, sweet energy. Eating balanced meals every 3–4 hours helps prevent the crash-and-crave cycle.
Many cravings — especially late-day sugar cravings — are actually dehydration cues or signs of mineral imbalance. Proper hydration helps regulate appetite and blood sugar more effectively.
Magnesium supports glucose regulation, mood stability, nerve conduction, and energy metabolism — all factors tied to cravings. When magnesium or sodium is low, the brain pushes you toward fast carbohydrates. Refilling these minerals can reduce cravings dramatically.
When your sweet tooth hits, a gentler alternative can help satisfy cravings without causing a sharp spike and crash.
Alternatives like RxSuga (a low-glycemic sweetener) and It’s Just Allulose are sugar substitutes that’s keto-friendly and nearly identical in taste to real sugar, and offer sweetness with a much smoother impact on blood glucose. These options are especially helpful for:
holiday baking
coffee and tea
sauces and glazes
everyday sweet cravings
They allow you to enjoy sweetness without the sharp spike-and-crash cycle that traditional sugar often triggers.
This isn’t about restriction, it’s about choosing tools that support stability.
Protein and fats help regulate appetite hormones and keep blood sugar steady. This reduces reactive cravings and supports clearer hunger cues throughout the day.
Holiday cravings often arise from memories, rituals, and emotional associations. Awareness helps you choose what you truly want, instead of reacting automatically.
Cravings typically peak within an 8–12 minute window. A short walk, deep breaths, stretching, or a warm drink often reduces the craving’s intensity.
Cravings are invitations to check in with your body.
They can point to:
A need for nourishment
A lack of minerals or hydration
Emotional or stress-related hunger
A tired or overstimulated nervous system
A disrupted routine
During the holidays, when all these factors come into play and sensory cues collide, cravings naturally increase. With awareness and nourishment, you can honor your body while still enjoying the season!
If you’re working on reducing sugar or navigating cravings this season, these resources may help:
Is Sugar a Migraine Trigger?
https://www.healthbyprinciple.com/blogs/news/sugar-migraine
The Science of Natural Sweetness (Honey vs. Maple Syrup) https://www.healthbyprinciple.com/blogs/news/maple-syrup-vs-honey-nature-s-sweet-choices
Fasting Do’s and Don'ts https://www.healthbyprinciple.com/blogs/news/fasting-do-s-and-donts?_pos=1&_sid=ff700ad53&_ss=r
Magnesium 101 — Why It Helps With Cravings, Energy & Balance https://www.healthbyprinciple.com/blogs/news/magnesium-supplements-101
Healthline: What Food Cravings Mean — https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/craving-meanings
Healthline: How to Stop Food Cravings — https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-stop-food-cravings
Healthline: Nutrient Deficiencies & Cravings — https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutrient-deficiencies-cravingsPsychology of Food Cravings — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7399671/
Cravings & High-Fat/High-Sugar Foods (White et al., 2002) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6186388/
Meal Skipping & Reward-Driven Eating (Appetite Journal) — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666313004781
Stress, Cortisol & Cravings — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938419301179NIH: Magnesium Fact Sheet — https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
NCBI: Cold Exposure & Energy Balance — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232851/
American Heart Association: Why Do We Crave Food? — https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/07/26/where-do-food-cravings-come-from-and-can-we-stop-them
Piedmont Healthcare: 7 Things To Do When You’re Having a Food Craving — https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/7-things-to-do-when-youre-having-a-food-craving
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