20 ways to curb carb cravings.

By Dr. Joyce Johnson.

Cravings are all about blood sugar levels. If your levels remain consistent throughout the day, your eating patterns will be, too. Your blood sugar levels can fluctuate according to your food choices and frequency of meals. Research at the Canadian Centre for Functional Medicine has shown that people who have difficulty controlling their appetite spend much of their day on a “blood sugar roller coaster.” Basically: when blood sugar spikes and plunges fast, it’s hard on your body, contributing to the complications of diabetes, heart disease and circulatory problems. This sparks cravings for sweets or carbs even when you’re not hungry. Eating high glycemic foods, simple sugars, fats and carbs over an extended period of time creates insulin resistance and puts you at the front of the line for that roller coaster.

 

People with insulin resistance need more than willpower: you need to overcome your sugar and fat cravings. If you are insulin resistant, your body doesn’t respond as it should to the “stop eating” messages related to insulin secretion and blood sugar levels. Controlling these cravings will put you well on your way to long-term weight loss success. So take action and take control

 

1. Skipping meals is a no-no. Keep hunger at bay by eating three small meals and three snacks evenly distributed throughout the day. By eating on a regular schedule and within the required calorie limit, you will not enter an “energy deficit” state and crash due to lack of required nutrients.

 

7. Add protein. Incorporate lean protein such as egg whites, chicken breast or low-fat cottage cheese in your carb-rich meals, especially at breakfast and lunch. It will take your body longer to digest the protein, which balances and buffers the release of sugars from the carbohydrates in your blood stream, avoiding the blood sugar crash that will have you craving more food. You can also get a protein boost from other sources by using whey powder, or dietary sources like meat and fish. ients.

 

13. Take your time. Try to wait 15 minutes before giving in to a craving. Engage in another activity like taking a brief walk or making a phone call. Even a tiny distraction can help stave off a craving.

 

15. Set small goals. People have a limited capacity for self-control. Setting too many goals or expecting miracles overnight is overwhelming. Instead, set small, easy-to-achieve weekly goals, such as cutting back on potato chips or pop.

 

9. Fibre. Increasing your fibre intake with a supplement before every meal can dramatically restore the body’s ability to control and balance blood sugar levels. A soluble fibre supplement can help stop cravings and reduce appetite by dramatically reducing the speed of sugar digestion and levelling blood sugar. If you’re under 50, opt for at least 25g daily.

 

 

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