How to Overcome Carbohydrate Addiction

As silly as it may sound, many of us are actually addicted to carbohydrates. What may seem like a "sweet tooth" could be a real, clinical addiction. Let me explain more clearly, have you ever noticed that just after you've enjoyed a big, heaping bowl of pasta that you are suddenly craving ice cream or a brownie? Yes, that is your carbohydrate addiction kicking in.

While it's difficult to tell what triggers these cravings in each of us individually, there are a few theories. First of all, carbohydrate cravings are thought to be triggered by low levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is what makes us "feel good" on a daily basis and if we don't feel good, we try to do something to compensate. In turn, we indulge our cravings and eat a giant burrito or some cake in hopes of finding some comfort. Although, these foods do increase the amount of serotonin in our brain and makes us feel good, it is a short lived high.

Before you know it, all of the carbohydrates that you have just consumed cause your body's insulin levels to raise and then drastically drop since our bodies process carbohydrates very quickly. When our insulin levels drop so drastically, our body thinks that it is famished and in turn, we crave more carbohydrates to compensate. This is a vicious cycle and exactly how an addiction is born.

I can relate to these feelings because this is something that I have struggled with my entire life. Even though, I will always be a "Carb lover" and have a t-shirt saying so to prove it, I have found some ways to curb my addiction.

Here are some tips that my also help you as well:

Sleep! I am listing this first because have you ever noticed that when you pull an all-nighter or toss and turn all night that you are especially hungry the next day? This phenomenon is because lack of sleep causes your serotonin levels to decrease and your body is trying to do whatever it can to compensate since you are essentially running on empty. Therefore, it is important to get at least eight hours of rest per night and if worries are keeping you awake you should definitely consult your doctor for treatment options.

Eat more Protein. Whenever you sit down to eat a meal, try to fill up your plate with mostly veggies and protein and just a bit of a carbohydrate rich food. I will explain what kinds of carbs to eat in just a bit. Make sure to eat your protein/veggies first since in reality, they are the filling foods. Who knows, you may not even want the carbs after that. If the meal you are eating is basically a carb fest, such as your typical Sunday pasta, you will just need to make a few changes which I will explain.

Change how you eat carbs. These changes that I have been talking about involve what carbohydrates you eat. There are bad carbs and then there are good carbs. Bad carbohydrate foods are things like white bread and ice cream, while good ones are foods like black beans and brown rice. Whenever you are cooking your meals, plan accordingly. Instead of having mashed potatoes, make mashed cauliflower. Instead of having classic macaroni and cheese, make whole wheat penne and throw in tons of broccoli with cheese. There are so many ways to trick yourself into cutting carbs. Good carbs are released into your system much more slowly and will not cause your insulin levels to spike and therefore, will not make you even hungrier!

Eat enough. Do not let yourself get starving before you finally decide to eat. This is what typically leads you to overindulge in the first place. Aim to eat five small meals per day to combat hunger and keep your insulin levels normal. As time goes on, you will discover what works best for you.

Discover the problem. Perhaps your carbohydrate addiction is so much more than just loving sweets. If you are clinically depressed, have an anxiety disorder or any other mental illness, the serotonin levels in your brain are probably off. Exercise can be a huge help to combat this problem but it may not be enough. You may need to take an antidepressant or SSRI that raises the serotonin levels in your brain in order to combat your extreme cravings. You will want to discuss this with your doctor of course, but sometimes an underlying problem needs to be addressed before an addiction can be overcome.

Addiction comes in all forms and can be very difficult to overcome due to underlying problems and simply habit. By following these tips, I hope you are able to enjoy some relief and possibly overcome your addiction. Remember that your doctor is your advocate and will probably be willing to help you with this matter. Most importantly, take things one day at a time and remember to enjoy life!