Why am I always craving carbs?

Why do I crave carbs?

Good old carbs! If you have a love hate relationship with them, you’re not alone, even if you’re not completely sure why. You might know that eating a lot of sugary foods makes you feel a bit groggy. You’ve probably been told to avoid them, eat less of them, they’re the worst thing for weight loss. Almost like carbs are somehow worse than the actual devil. Or worse for our health than illicit drugs. When, in fact, they are just food.

So, let’s start there. Let’s stop the demonisation of carbs. Or the demonisation of any food for that matter. Even the mighty broccoli is unhealthy if it’s the only thing you ever eat. There’s room for all foods in a healthy, balanced and (this is the key) varied diet.

And not all carbs are created equal. Carbohydrates can mean many things and when it comes to health it’s the type of carbs we eat that counts. Carbohydrates have many functions in our body, including:

·         Energy storage

·         Food for beneficial bacteria in the gut

·         Supporting the immune system

·         Helping balance blood sugar

Providing we are eating certain types of carbs! The carbs that help us in the above ways are whole grains, vegetables, fruit, beans & legumes. Adding a variety of these foods to your diet can help with all these things and also help to make you feel more energised.

That doesn’t mean carbs are bad. Just that there are different types of carbs that affect our body in different ways.

In today’s blog when I talk about carbs I mean processed carbs, such as doughnuts, white bread, soft drinks and cakes.

Let’s briefly get into the science of these simple carbs:

Carbohydrates are all made from single sugar building blocks, such as glucose. Glucose is our main source of fuel and is the preferred source of energy for our brain.

Sucrose is the carbohydrate most often added to processed foods, usually labelled as sugar.

Sucrose is broken down into it’s components of fructose and glucose, so it can be used as energy.

These sugars are digested quickly and easily by our body, which means that they are extremely efficient sources of fuel.

But, regularly eating too many of these high sugar foods can have a negative impact on our long-term health.

So, what happens when we eat these high sugar or high starch foods?

· You eat something high in sugar and your blood sugar rises rapidly. This causes our insulin levels to rise quickly.

· Glucose is used for energy and any excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscles. Our bodies can only store small amounts of glycogen, so any further excess is stored as fat.

· Your blood sugar and insulin levels drop quickly.

· Your energy levels drop and you feel exhausted.

· This is when you’ll notice yourself reaching for more sugar to give you that much-needed energy boost and the cycle starts again!

Blood sugar roller coaster

This can leave you feeling like you’re literally on a roller coaster, with your energy levels surging up and down! Being on this blood sugar roller coaster day after day can really affect our mood, our stress levels and long-term health, so it’s important to be aware of it.

Of course, cakes and sweet treats have a place in a healthy balanced diet. A bit of cake from time to time doesn’t hurt. Why not make your own - that way you’ll know exactly what’s in them and they’ll probably taste a whole lot better too. The less processed foods we eat, the better.

When we get our carbohydrates from whole foods, it’s a completely different story. Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains contain important nutrients that can support weight loss. Fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients are just some of the incredible health benefits of whole foods. And they are better for keeping our energy levels balanced too.

What can I do to curb my carb cravings?

Here are three, practical, nutrition tips that can help to curb your carb cravings:

·         Eat snacks and meals that contain all three macronutrients - so contain fats, protein and carbs - two really good examples would be whole grain toast topped with egg and avocado or yoghurt with fruit and nuts.

·         Choose whole grain versions of rice and bread as they contain more fibre, helping to slow the release of glucose into your bloodstream.

·         Focus on eating foods with a low glycaemic load (sometimes referred to as the glycaemic index or GI) as these foods are digested and absorbed more slowly into the blood stream, causing a slow and small rise in blood sugar levels. There are many foods with a low GL, including some fruits, non-starchy vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumber are just some examples), whole grains, beans and legumes and many more.

Carbs are not necessarily good or bad. What’s important is the type of carbs we eat most of. And just being aware of how you feel after you’ve eaten different types of carbs can help you to make different choices that in turn can help you feel more energised and less groggy. And often, the food choices that make us feel better are the ones that are healthier in the long term.

Found this helpful?

As a coach I help my clients to work on improving their nutrition. That on its own isn’t always enough though. So, we go a little bit deeper and look at what’s been holding you back from achieving your goals. I’ll help you create boundaries, build your confidence and start believe in yourself. This is where the magic really happens and when you start to make meaningful, lasting changes.