Make Friends with Carbs <3
A little something about me - I love a little something sweet every day.
But, I don't consider myself a sugar craver anymore. I used to be! I used to dive headfirst into a bag of cookies, a box of muffins, or anything filled with sugar.
Today, I look at it a little bit differently. I consider my body a carb-burning machine, and when I fuel my body the right way, I'm easily satisfied with a little taste of sweet here and there. Like a square of dark chocolate or a bowl of cherries.
Carbs have been vilified in the nutritional world over the last decade or two.
They became villains after the low-fat '80s and '90s when we enjoyed sugar-ladened (but fat-free) cookies, candies, and frozen yogurt as much as we wanted. As long as it was fat-free it was considered "healthy".
Today, things have flipped - now, as long as it's low-carb it's considered "healthy".
But, all of this is just food fashion propaganda. Yes. It's food fashion AND it's wrong.
The truth is, there's NOTHING wrong with carbs as a whole. But, refined sugar and flour are definitely a problem. These are the foods that cause insulin spikes, inflammation, and weight gain (which we ate lots of in the '80s).
Healthy whole foods, like potatoes, have been put into the "bad" category unnecessarily because they're starchy carbs. But...that's as wrong as it was to shun avocados during those ol' low-fat days.
CARBS ARE NECESSARY FOR YOUR BODY TO RUN PROPERLY! (sorry for all-caps yelling) I feel like we've collectively forgotten about how important carbs are to the body.
For some people, a low-carb diet feels great. For you, I say - go for it!
But for many others, a low-carb diet can cause a slowdown of energy, lowered thyroid function, hormonal imbalances, and digestive issues (carbs are full of gut bacteria lovin' fibre). Women's bodies tend to react louder to a low-carb diet compared to men, but it affects all of us.
Your body knows it needs some carbs to run properly, so it triggers sugar cravings. It tries to tempt you into eating more of this important macronutrient by luring you toward cookies, bread, and whatever sugary delight you love. These aren't sinister cravings, they're just your body trying to find balance.
In my soon-to-be-released book on Undieting, I take you on a deep dive into the world of macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein) so you can fully understand what they do in the body. I also tell you about the food politics that drives these different fashionable food trends...and show you how quickly styles change (bell-bottoms anyone? :)
In a nutshell, your body is always looking for balance...and your cravings can be a guide toward what your body is looking for. If you're a sugar craver, try adding some more healthy whole food carbs, like sweet potatoes, potatoes, or beans to your diet and see how your body reacts.
Chances are...your body will show you some big-time love <3. And those cookies won't seem quite as tempting.
xo Lisa
P.S. You can pre-order your copy of my new book “Undieting” today! It hits the shelves on Sept 29th!