The Craving & The Culture

Why Sugar Isn’t Just a Personal Problem

We’re taught to think craving is a failure of discipline. That reaching for something sweet means we’ve slipped, failed or given in.

But at Proper Standard, we see cravings differently.
We believe craving is data. It’s your body speaking. It’s your nervous system calling out for relief, for rhythm, for something that makes sense in a world that often doesn’t.

And for most people, the easiest thing to reach for—the most available, accepted, ritualised response—is sugar.

What Culture Tells Us About Sugar

Sugar has been marketed as reward, disguised as self-care, and embedded in how we celebrate, connect and cope.
From childhood birthday cakes to office cupcakes to a glass of wine at the end of a long day—it’s always there.

We don’t just consume sugar.
We inherit it. We ritualise it.
We rely on it—emotionally and biologically.

But the problem isn’t you. It’s the system that trained you to equate sweetness with safety, with connection, with comfort.

Clarity Is Calling

This week, we’re not here to demonise sugar. We’re here to understand it—fully, clearly, and without shame.

Because only when we understand what we’ve been conditioned to reach for can we begin to choose something different.

This is where clarity begins. Next week, we’ll explore The Sweet Lie itself.

But for now, we invite you to get curious—not critical—about your cravings.

→ Download The Alignment Briefing to start noticing what your body is really asking for.