Carbohydrates are one of our most important foods, they are key in regulating blood sugar and providing energy to the whole body. Without carbohydrates, we would break down high-quality protein in our body to maintain kinetic energy. So how do carbohydrates circulate in the body?
When you consume carbohydrates, especially processed ones, blood sugar quickly rises, and insulin levels rise rapidly as well, directing the calories consumed to the liver, muscles, and fat cells. Unfortunately, only fat cells have the almost unlimited ability to store calories among these cells, so shortly after, the calories in the blood decrease, the body depletes the available fuel, and you quickly feel hungry after a meal. When fat cells receive too much energy, there isn’t enough energy left to provide for the brain, which constantly monitors the calories in the blood. When the brain sees calories dropping, it triggers hunger and cravings. Therefore, when fat cells grow, we end up feeling hungry. This repeated cycle ultimately leads to weight gain.
The key is actually to consume the “right” carbohydrates to stay healthy. Therefore, having a meal of noodles or bread for lunch every day is not wrong. The issue lies in our frequent intake of highly processed carbohydrates. They can cause rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar, leading to weight gain and even metabolic syndrome. Most people’s cravings for carbohydrates are not about the taste of the food itself but a biological impulse to restore blood sugar levels by eating. This is related to insulin. Processed carbohydrates trigger more insulin secretion compared to any other food.
Eliminating cravings for carbohydrates doesn’t mean completely cutting out carbohydrates, but rather reducing highly processed fast-acting carbohydrates and eating more high-quality carbohydrates with high fiber and low added sugar, such as legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. If you’re unsure where to start, these 8 tips can help you:
1. Avoid starch-containing carbohydrates for a week. This includes all pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, as well as pizza, wraps, fries, cookies, and cakes. By reducing the intake of starchy carbohydrates and replacing them with foods that have a lower impact on blood sugar, you can achieve more stable blood sugar control and better manage your appetite. For breakfast, you can have eggs and berry yogurt, yogurt as a snack, chicken salad with beans for lunch, an apple as a snack, and fish and vegetables for dinner.
2. Reduce sugary candies and sugary beverages. These sugary carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream, providing a lot of sugar but no additional nutrition.
3. Add some fats. Many high-fat foods are tasty and do not trigger insulin release, making your blood sugar more stable. Examples include nuts, olive oil, dark chocolate, and full-fat dairy products. When you consume them, you won’t crave carbohydrates as much.
4. After the first week, gradually reintroduce high-quality starchy carbohydrates starting with breakfast. Having carbohydrates for breakfast can lessen the impact of carbohydrates consumed at lunch on blood sugar levels. This means that skipping breakfast makes it more likely for your blood sugar to spike. In other words, not only have breakfast but also include carbohydrates. You can opt for the least processed grains, starch-free vegetables, whole fruits, and legumes. Since they digest slowly due to their natural form. However, grinding them into flour and porridge can cause metabolic issues for most people. High-quality carbohydrate breakfast options include nuts, seeds, cornflakes, oatmeal; whole grain toast with scrambled eggs and berries; or yogurt topped with fruits.
5. After the second week, you can introduce high-quality starchy carbohydrates (i.e., least processed grains) for lunch.
6. Continue to limit starch-containing carbohydrates for dinner. When we consume carbohydrates during dinner, we are more likely to reach that blood sugar peak, and at that point, the body stores the food energy as fat rather than making it immediately available as energy. Consuming high-carbohydrate foods in the evening has a greater impact compared to consuming them earlier in the day.
7. Keep restricting refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white rice. It may be challenging to completely eliminate rice, bread, pizza, or sushi from your diet, but limiting the consumption of these foods to a few times a week is advisable.
8. Continue to avoid high-sugar foods. If you have a sweet tooth, keep your daily snacks within 100 to 150 calories, based on your goals.
