When you want to lose weight, what is the first food you give up?
For many people it is carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, pasta, fruit and potatoes.
Avoiding foods high in carbohydrates can feel like an easy answer to weight loss. People can drop pounds fast if they stop drinking sugary drinks or eating refined foods such as cookies, donuts and candy.
For many people, these foods are comforting but also have a negative impact on their blood sugar and energy level. Nonetheless, totally avoiding carbohydrates rarely works over the long run. If you stop eating most or all carbs, hunger hormones increase and can cause intense food cravings.
People crave foods that are high in carbohydrates for many reasons and some reasons are even related to survival of the human race.
Understanding cravings
To better understand what drives us to eat foods rich in carbs, it helps to understand a little of the science behind carbohydrate digestion and cravings.
In the stomach and small intestine, carbohydrate-containing foods are broken down into smaller units called glucose. Under normal conditions, your body must have a steady supply of glucose to fuel the brain, heart and muscles. The minimum amount of carbohydrates needed each day is 130 grams (530 calories) for most humans (Dietary Reference Intake, NIH, 2005).
If you've ever gone on a very low-carb diet, you know that the body has to adapt to low carbohydrate eating, and it's not easy.
To properly follow a ketogenic diet, one must severely limit carbohydrates and experience the "keto flu" for a week or two while the body adapts to using fat and protein molecules for glucose in a process called ketogenesis. This promotes quick weight loss, but this way of eating is rarely sustainable and most people will go back to eating foods that contain carbs.
I am not suggesting that eating refined white bread, white rice, cake, cookies and candies is a good thing for your health. However, these foods can fit into an otherwise healthful diet.
Add whole foods
As a dietitian, I like to focus on what people should eat more of for good health, not what they have to give up. I encourage people to add more unprocessed or whole food carbohydrates to their daily diet.
Whole food carbohydrates include whole fruits, vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals. Try to make at least half of your breads and cereals whole grain such as 100% whole grain bread, brown rice and whole wheat pasta.
A few times each week, give yourself permission for a treat or fun food such as cookies, candy or ice cream for quick energy and psychological satisfaction.
If you are living with diabetes, you may need to watch your carbohydrate intake more than others.
Intuitive eating
I work with clients to heal their relationship with all foods, but especially with carbohydrate-containing foods. Intuitive eating promotes gentle nutrition, which means learning to honor hunger, fullness, and most importantly, satisfaction with food.
I tell my clients that satisfaction with the foods we eat is the "gravy" of intuitive eating. In other words, if a person is psychologically satisfied with the foods they eat, they are more likely to stick with a food plan. I help people learn to eat more whole food carbs and enjoy treats without binging on processed or sugary foods.
Finding balance
Gentle nutrition teaches people about the nutritional qualities of carbohydrates and the importance of eating some of those daily, especially whole foods. Gentle nutrition can include encouraging people to combine their favorite carbs with foods that contain protein and fat such as nuts, eggs, cheese, fish or meat. This will help decrease swings in blood sugar and prevent one from getting hungry as quickly between meals and snacks.
The key is finding balance and enjoying food. It is one of life's great pleasures.
Cathy Visser, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for the Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center and owns True for You Nutrition, LLC, a private practice in Olympia, Washington. She provides nutrition counseling virtually and in-person for residents of Washington and Iowa. She accepts most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. She has served as director of the Meals on Wheels program, health planner for the Skokomish Tribe and as a delegate to the Red Cross in Zambia, Africa. Learn more about nutrition on Cathy's website: https://trueforyounutrition.com/
