Curving Carb Cravings

Your nutrition is 80%-90% of your results in boot camp. If you show up and go through the motions of camp, you will be stronger and fitter and healthier, but the road to fat loss is a long slow one if you are a victim of sugar cravings.

As children, we start out with breast milk or formula for the first year of life. There is some sugar in breast milk, but it's not particularly sweet. Then we introduced babies to mashed vegetables, which are a little sweeter, then fruit which is sweeter still. Then dry cereal is introduced which is a simple starch. From there, they get biskets, cookies and then on their first birthday, a piece of cake.

I watched a one year old baby have their first piece of cake on their birthday 2 weekends ago. IT was interesting to watch them to from excited, to elated to slowly crashing and eventually into a sugar coma where the baby was just staring glassy eyed - all in a matter of minutes.

There are gummy vitamins, fruit drinks and so on. The sweets just keep getting sweeter and by the time a child is two, they are typically eating primarily simple carbs (dry cereal, graham crackers, pretzels, gold fish, etc). Then it turns into candy bars, sugary drinks (soda, sports drinks, juice drinks, etc), chips, cookies and so on. There is no shortage of junk food and it's replacing fruit, vegetables and lean meat.

The simple sugars are highly addictive. Children and adults don't want to eat a tomato or an apricot b/c they are not sweet enough. Their taste buds have become accustomed to artificial sweeteners. The great news is that your taste buds can change back and you can once again the enjoy the flavorful fruits and vegetables you were meant to consume.

The food logs are a good way to see how much simple carbs and sugars you are eating. The less you eat, the less you will want! I promise! Since sugar is more addicting then heroine, you have to wean off it the same way you would alcohol. Begin by eating less and less and then you will want less and less. You will be shocked to learn how you will begin to crave a salad or fruit instead of a cookie.

If you have specific questions about your diet, email me and I will help you. The following article will give you some more tips on Curving the Carb Cravings.


Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction By Christopher Guerriero, BS, CPT
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more of the body than of the mind, meaning biological factors are generally considered to be the main trigger for carb cravings. These cravings are described as a compelling craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods; an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.This is where the cycle of carbohydrates and cravings start. High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the addiction like a drug. This results in high blood sugar and insulin levels which results in more cravings. The situation also results in higher levels of serotonin - a brain chemical that acts like Prozac. People eat sweets to get the "sugar high."

Another contributing factor to overeating and sweet craving is stress. When we are tense, the adrenal gland produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol stimulates production of a brain chemical called "neuropeptide Y."This is kind of a carbohydrate craving switch. Aside from this, neuropeptide Y also makes the body hang on to the new body fat we produce. In other words, tension not only triggers carbohydrate cravings, it also makes it more difficult to lose any additional weight. Cortisol also stimulates insulin, which leads to blood sugar dips and fat storage.It's a vicious cycle that feeds on itself, over and over.

Food is not just a biological need; there is also an emotional element to it. Something in our emotional state, particularly a negative one evokes an urge for "comfort" food. By dealing with the issue behind the cravings, it produces emotional relief that can reduce or even eliminate the urge to overeat.

All in all, most experts agree that by eating enough wholesome foods at meals and by having a healthy afternoon snack, people can minimize their cravings for sweets.Here are recommendations to curb carb cravings.

1. Eat less but more often. Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep blood-sugar levels steady.Skipping meals causes blood sugar levels to drop, which leaves you yearning for processed carbohydrates and sweets for energy.

2. Be selective about the carbohydrates you eat. Avoid nutrient-stripped foods made of white flour, white rice, refined sugar and highly concentrated sweeteners. Look for foods rich in fiber such as fresh vegetables and fruits, which level off blood sugar.

3. Don't skimp on protein to ?make room' for large amounts of carbohydrates. Protein gives the body extended energy, helps balance blood sugar and keeps cravings at bay.

4. Limit your intake of alcohol, fruit juice and caffeinated drinks. These cause abrupt blood-sugar highs followed by troublesome blood-sugar lows, leaving you starved for energy.

5. Eat small portions of seasonal goodies AFTER protein-containing meals or snacks, if at all. If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, you'll experience blood-sugar lows that trigger the desire for more sweets.

6. Avoid becoming famished during shopping trips and while traveling. Carry protein-rich snacks such as nuts, hard-boiled eggs, nutrient-balanced energy bars or "vegetable greens" like those listed. These high-power foods are great when you feel your energy drop.

7. Get enough sleep. When the body and mind are well-rested, cravings for carbohydrates often vanish.

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These are all good tips. Choose the one you are willing to work on and commit to it today. Let me know how I can help you. Get the momentum going and you will begin to feel better about your choices before long. Get the food cravings behind you and fat loss becomes so much easier. Don't let sugar by a monkey on your back. Think of sugar as cocaine - white poison. Think of fruits and vegetables as nourishing and energizing.

Have an adventurous day,

Kelli