How Sugar and Flour Hijack Your Brain — And What to Do About It
- Lea Grace R. Famularcano, MD
- Apr 6
- 3 min read
Have you ever felt like you're eating on autopilot—reaching for the cookies or chips even when you're not hungry? You’re not broken or lacking willpower. Your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do… in a world that’s overloaded with ultra-processed foods.
The Real Reason You Crave Sugar and Flour
Refined sugar and flour light up your brain’s reward center like a slot machine. When you eat them, your brain releases a surge of dopamine—the same feel-good chemical triggered by addictive behaviors. This creates a cycle: eat sugar → feel good → crash → crave more.
But it doesn’t stop there. Over time, your brain becomes less sensitive to that dopamine hit, so you need more sugar or flour to get the same reward. And because these foods are stripped of fiber and nutrients, they digest fast—spiking your blood sugar and insulin, then leaving you tired, hungry, and craving again. It’s a perfect storm for insulin resistance and burnout.
And sugar and flour are hiding everywhere.
Common sugars: table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, honey, agave, maple syrup, brown sugar, dextrose, maltodextrin.
Common flours: white flour, all-purpose flour, enriched wheat flour, pastry flour, and even “healthy-sounding” ones like whole wheat flour when highly processed.
Where Added Sugar Hides: Sneaky Everyday Sources
Even if you’re not eating dessert, added sugars might still be sneaking into your day. Here are common sources that spike insulin and trigger cravings:
Beverages:
Regular soda (e.g., Coca-Cola, Sprite)
Sweetened iced teas
Sports drinks (e.g., Gatorade, Powerade)
Flavored coffee drinks (lattes, frappes)
Energy drinks (e.g., Red Bull, Monster)
Bottled smoothies and fruit juices
Packaged & Processed Foods:
Breakfast cereals (even “healthy” ones like granola)
Instant oatmeal packets
Flavored yogurts
Granola bars, protein bars
Ketchup, BBQ sauce, salad dressings
Bread and hamburger buns
Canned soups and sauces
Snacks & Sweets:
Cookies, cakes, pastries
Ice cream and frozen yogurt
Candy (chocolate and gummy varieties)
Muffins and donuts
Crackers and snack mixes with added sugar
Even items marketed as “natural,” “organic,” or “low fat” can be loaded with sugar under names like evaporated cane juice, malt syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or fruit concentrate.
Why It’s Hard to Stop (Even If You “Know Better”)
If you’re a busy professional juggling work, family, and a thousand tabs open in your brain, you’re likely reaching for quick fuel. The problem is that sugar and flour don’t satisfy—they stimulate. And once that neural pathway is lit, it’s easy to fall into the “one bite turns into the whole bag” trap.
So What Can You Do About It?
Here’s a quick plan to regain control:
Name the craving – “This is my brain asking for dopamine, not food.”
Pause and breathe – Cravings peak and fade within minutes. It really does. Ride the wave.
Swap instead of stop – Choose a protein-rich snack or something with healthy fat. These stabilize blood sugar and reduce urges.
Crowd it out – The more real, whole food you eat (especially fiber and protein), the less space sugar and flour take up—literally and neurologically.
As you do this, over time you will be more in tuned with your natural hunger signals and not driven by dopamine hits.
You don’t need to be perfect. But understanding what’s happening in your brain gives you power. This isn’t about restriction. It’s about reclaiming your energy, focus, and freedom.
DISCLAIMER: Lea Famularcano, MD is a medical doctor, but she is not your doctor. Topics discussed are purely informational only. She is not offering medical advice on this website. If you are in need of professional advice or medical care, you must seek out the services of your doctor or health care professional.
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