Cravings Decoded Part 3: Carb Confusion

When you’re eating like you’re carbo-loading for a marathon, it’s time to tune in to your body instead of silencing that voice with food.

We all have experienced the comfort of a big bowl of pasta or a warm piece of bread, but what we often forget is that what we emotionally crave can’t be found at the bottom of that bowl. It’s time to tune in to your primary foods again. Take an inventory of what’s going on when you are craving this? How strong is the craving? What time of day is it? How does your body feel? Is there a pattern to this? Personally, my carb cravings spike when I forget to choose a loving perspective. When I approach a situation or interaction from a mindset of lack, my body internalizes it and goes with it. Yet another reason why gratitude is the only attitude for your mind, body, and overall health. 

For those of you who want the science behind the craving, let me start by saying carbs are not bad. Most of the carbs we see are simple carbs that are over-processed and deformed. The simple sugars in these readily available foods lead to weight gain because our cells can’t handle the amount of glucose, so we store it as fat. 

Complex carbohydrates (in foods like veggies and whole grains) get digested and turn into glucose at different rates depending on the amount of sugar in it. When you eat a complex carb with a long chain of sugars, the body processes the sugars by breaking the chains and releasing the fiber into the bloodstream. This slow release means the sugar is absorbed into the blood at a steady rate for many hours, providing lost-lasting energy. This is nothing like eating a candy bar where you get a rapid rise in glucose with an accompanying crash. The takeaway: Stop avoiding carbs like it’s the plague and eat complex carbs like whole grains, veggies, etc. My fave? The sweet potato. Wash it, stab it with a fork, nuke it for 5. Dunzo! 

The Takeaway: When you have the self-love to give your body what it wants in a healthy way you’ll never feel like you’re depriving yourself again. Cravings be gone!