Craving for control: Part 1
by Ashleigh Katzenmoyer
We all have cravings for certain foods such as bagels, chips, cookies, chocolate, donuts, pizza and fast foods. For most of us, eliminating these favorite comfort foods is not only unimaginable, it feels almost impossible to "feel" satisfied without these refined carbohydrates.
Cravings for these refined carbohydrates such as pastries or junk-food are common. One of the most recurrent causes of carbohydrate cravings is our body’s ability to suffer from low blood sugar. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is defined as a serum glucose level (the amount of sugar or glucose in your blood) below 60 mg/dL. The body regulates its level of glucose, a primary source of energy for the brain, muscles, and other cells, by the actions of different hormones such as insulin, glycogen, and epinephrine. Insulin’s job in our bodies is to decrease the amount of glucose in the blood by causing it to be stored or used by other cells in our bodies. When we eat too many refined carbohydrates (white breads, pastas, pastries, etc.) blood sugar rises quickly, and when blood sugar levels drop, the urge to eat processed carbohydrates intensifies.
One trigger, which may contribute to food cravings, is stress. Epinephrine, or adrenaline, also known as the stress hormone, is made in the adrenal gland and in certain cells in the central nervous system. When stressed, our bodies attempt to boost the brain’s production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which produces a feeling a satisfaction or pleasure.
Individuals faced with uncontrollable carbohydrate cravings should try eating a diet that is low in sugar and has a balanced distribution of protein from low-fat animal sources and vegetables. Eating healthy fats like adding olive oil to a meat dish, avocado to a salad, or having a handful of organic almonds or nuts as a snack, will assist in keeping blood sugar at an even level and help prevent extreme carbohydrate cravings.
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