Do Carbohydrates control you?

Do certain foods have a vice grip on your cravings? Do you wake up in the morning with all the best intentions to eat healthy and avoid carbohydrate rich foods, only to have your hand in the bag of pretzels or goldfish by the end of the afternoon. Does this often lead to a night of "overdoing" it with sweets, crackers and ice cream? Do you wake up the next morning feeling hung over, cranky and in a complete brain fog? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing CARBOHYDRATE INTOLERANCE. or Insulin Resistance.

What is Carbohydrate Intolerance?

In a nutshell, it is when the body loses its ability to break down sugars and starches in a proper way and thus leading to major blood sugar swings. Often this is the result of a diet high in excess processed foods, sugars and starches and not enough healthy proteins, fats and complex carbohydrates. When you eat a simple carbohydrate alone, this leads to a quick spike in your blood sugar (BS) followed by a dramatic drop in BS leaving you hungry and craving more carbs. Blood sugar that is spiking and dipping all day leads to increased fat storage and intense cravings for more of the same types of foods. Up and down, down and up = FAT STOREAGE!

For fat loss you need to decrease your consumption of white carbs such as foods containing sugars and white flour. Primarily all processed foods! Try to follow the 5 ingredient rule! Avoid as much as you can, foods with more than 5 ingredients on the label, especially if you cannot pronounce the ingredient!

Link the healthy carbs that you do eat (fruits, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes etc.) with a lean protein and/or healthy fat. For example, a handful of almonds will blunt the impact of an apples natural sugar on your blood sugar. Research has indicated starting your day with a healthy fat may increase your metabolism!

Make sure to spread your lean protein intake across the span of the day to help level out blood sugar. Eggs in the morning, tuna on your salad at lunch, snacks of nuts and seeds, low fat or nonfat greek yogurt and a balanced dinner with lean protein and lots of veggies are all great ideas.

Last but not least LIMIT YOUR SUGAR INTAKE!! As hard as it may be for someone addicted to the white stuff, it will get easier. After about 2 weeks, you will notice a decrease in cravings for sugar and an increase in energy!

YOU CAN DO IT!