1675Avoid Carb Cravings!

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Sep. 29, 2003

Craving Carbs? Avoid The Cave-In!


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by Dr. Nancy Tice
eDiets Physician and Psychiatrist

So, you want to start a low carbohydrate diet, but cravings keep
getting the best of you. What can you do? Carbohydrate cravings are a
matter of biology and not just willpower.

A carbohydrate craving can be described as a compelling hunger,
craving or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods; an escalating,
recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food or
sweets. In addition, carbohydrate act-alikes (sugar substitutes,
alcoholic beverages and monosodium glutamate) may trigger intense or
recurring carbohydrate cravings and/or weight gain.

High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the
addiction like a drug. They produce correspondingly high blood sugar
and insulin levels, which lead to even more cravings. They also
produce higher levels of the brain chemical serotonin. In sensitive
people, particularly those who may have low serotonin levels to begin
with, a carbohydrate binge is the equivalent of self-medicating --
just to get the sugar "high."

To help break this cycle, eating regularly is important. If too many
hours have passed between meals, your blood sugar will drop. Your
body will crave carbohydrates. These are the foods that will provide
the quickest supply of energy. However, by the time your sugar has
dropped and you are starting to feel symptoms such as weak knees,
headache or extreme carbohydrate cravings, it is often difficult to
control what you eat. Instead of reaching for your planned snack of
low fat cheese and crackers, the candy bar in the vending machine
looks much more appealing.

Though many people recommend dealing with cravings by having "just a
little" of the food you crave, this is not always a great idea. While
it may work for some, this sets up a cascade of biochemical processes
in sugar-sensitive people that invariably translates to an
overwhelming desire for more of the same. For sugar-sensitive people,
one simple bite of a chocolate chip cookie is almost impossible. It's
like an alcoholic having just one drink. Notice, by the way, that
it's nearly impossible to binge on steak or buttered broccoli but
relatively easy to binge on sugar or starch.

Biology isn't the only reason we eat. Food is powerfully connected to
our emotions. For many people, the mere thought of a favorite food
evokes strong associations that blend image, senses, emotion and
memory into a mixture that is nearly impossible to separate into the
different parts. And, this is exactly the trap that many folks
attempting to change their eating habits fall into. In other words,
when you've just had your heart broken, green beans and baked fish
aren't going to cut it if ice cream has been the soother and
comforter of old.

Some of us eat when we are tense, but tension hurts our weight loss
efforts in several ways. Tension not only triggers carbohydrate
cravings, it also makes it more difficult for us 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. The more we try to ignore a feeling, the
stronger it grows. It's so much easier to deal with an issue while
the emotion is still in a "fixable" stage. But, our denial system is
incredibly effective in shielding us from honestly facing ourselves.

Denial stems from a fear of admitting, "Yes, this bothers me." The
consequences of this admission are even scarier "Now I must take
responsibility for making changes to correct the situation." But
honestly admitting to ourselves, "Yes, this is the emotion underneath
my food craving" is such a tremendous relief! That emotional relief
then reduces, or even eliminates, the urge to overeat. If the food
you crave is associated more with pleasure and immediate
gratification than it is with pain, it's going to be hard to stop
eating it. So, now the question has to be, "How does that short-term
pleasure stack up against the long-term pain and guilt of eating food
that keeps you fatter than you want to be?"

So, what are some practical things you can do?

1. Practice waiting. Postpone your instant gratification when hunger
hits. Tell yourself you'll wait 15, or better 30, minutes to eat.
Chances are good if your cravings are only stress-related; they'll
disappear when you allow yourself to become distracted.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Don't skimp on protein and fat to "make room" for large amounts of
carbohydrates. Protein and fat give the body extended energy, help
balance blood sugar and keep cravings at bay.

5. 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.

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

7. Avoid becoming famished during shopping trips and while traveling.
Carry protein-rich snacks such as nuts, cheese strips or hard-boiled
eggs. These high-power foods are great when you feel your energy
drop.

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

Dr. Nancy Tice is a psychiatrist with extensive experience
furnishing medical information and writing articles for online
services. She did her medical training at The Albert Einstein College
of Medicine in New York. She moderates her own support group
called "Rx for Success," writes articles for the eDiets newsletters,
holds online meetings and answers questions in our Expert Interaction
section. To ask Dr. Tice a question, click here

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