Eliminating Carb Cravings

We’ve all experienced it at one point or another, for some of us it’s daily, for others, monthly, yet others seem to have it completely under control except for the holidays! Carbohydrate cravings otherwise known as carb cravings!!!

WHAT CAUSES THE CRAVINGS?

There are many causes to carb cravings:

1. Hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar)

2. Insulin resistance

3. Emotional eating 

     - Stress

     - Boredom

     - Anxiety

     - Fear

     - Eating for comfort

     - Eating disorders

     - Depression

4. Imbalance of hormones

5. Low levels of serotonin

6. Allergy (Generally allergic to the food we crave, sounds crazy, but true.)

7. Visual stimulus (Just like yawning, you see someone else eating, and feel you must eat, too.)
8. Not enough healthy fats in the diet

THE MAIN CULPRIT - LOW BLOOD SUGAR

I think the biggest factor contributing to carb craving is an imbalance in blood sugar. Blood sugar MUST be maintained at ALL times. You see, when your blood sugar drops to low levels, you will immediately begin to experience cravings for not only carb’s but for the worst kind: refined. processed, packaged garbage! Your body is sending a signal to the brain to get help, and get it immediately. Processed, refined, ‘foods’ (I have a hard time calling it food), is the quickest way to bring blood sugar levels back up, and also the worst!

When someone consumes a high glycemic (GI) food, which all processed, refined foods are generally high GI, it shoots the blood sugar up, only to have it drop as low, or lower than before the processed carb was consumed. It creates another urgency to eat more crappy carb’s, and the viscious cycle goes on.  Now if you happen to be one of the thousands who already have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), this will spell disaster for you, and your health and fitness programs. By the way, hypoglycemia is just a step away from diabetes.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE HYPOGLYCEMIA

Go to your doctor and ask to be tested. They can perform both a finger prick test, as well as, a fasting test performed generally at a hospital. Also, look for these common signs of hypoglycemia:

1. Excessive thirst

2. Carb cravings

3. Water retention

4. Mood swings

5. Confusion

6. Headaches

The answer: Eat regular small, nutritious, fiber rich, nutrient dense food, real food, upon waking, and every 2-3 hours after! DO NOT go any longer than 3 hours without eating!!!! Keep food in your car, your desk, your handbag, your anything you can think of. Keep cash with you at all times in case you’re in a fix. If all else fails, do what I do, carry around protein meal replacement powder for safety, as they are better than nothing, and will hold you over until you can get a bite of some real food! Stay away from white flour products.

 SECOND CULPRIT - INSULIN RESISTANCE

Insulin resistance is what occurs in a person who does not yet have hypoglycemia, but indicates they are well on their way. Insulin resistance will cause the same cravings, same effects of fat storage and messed up signals in appetite. 

THIRD CULPRIT -  EMOTIONAL EATING

As you can see from the emotional eating list above, we all fit into at least one of those categories, at any given time. Children can be trained at an early age to comfort themselves with food, sweets particularly, high GI, refined, processed garbage. Johnny got an ‘A’ parents reward with food. Sally comes home with a skinned knee, parents take Sally for an ice cream, sounds silly, but this type of behavior becomes reinforced time after time. How many times have you gone to the kitchen out of boredom? Mad? Happy? Sad? It makes no difference, as carb’s have become a HABIT. The good news is HABITS CAN BE BROKE!!!! 

The answer: First off, distinguish whether you are truly hungry or not. Ask yourself when the last time was you ate, etc. If you find you’re not really hungry, try one of the following:

1. Distract yourself. Read a book. Watch a movie. Wash your vehicle. Clean the house, garage, go for a hike, bike ride, study up on a topic that interests you, etc.

2. Learn to talk it out. Talk with your spouse, significant other, or trusted friend. The sooner you can talk about what’s ‘eating’ you, you’ll stop eating your problems!

3. Face your fears. That’s right. Choose something you fear, and face it straight on, over and over again, until the feeling of fear is something that’s recognized, dealt with, and gone!

THE OTHER CUPLRITS

1. Hormones - Changing hormones can leave a woman (or man, for that matter), craving carb’s up to a week before her menstrual cycle is due to begin. Women need to be extra vigilant in maintaining regular meals, with a high amount of fibrous vegetables, and plenty of water. Be sure your protein sources are plentiful, as well as, your healthy fats, as the three of these (veggie carb’s, protein, and fat), make a strong foundation for which cravings don’t have a chance, because you'll feel full and satisfied. Leave any of the three out, have too little, or poor sources, and you could be in trouble.

Too many women I know either go on a rampage prior to their Time of the Month (TOM), or they try to completely starve themselves. Keep in mind, as a female you don’t want to dip below 1,200 calories a day, for males the minimum is 1,500 calories/day. Also, be mindful of sugar, salt, and caffeine, as all can trigger a carb craving response. Ditto artificial sweeteners.

2. Low serotonin - Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate body temperature, sleep patterns, and sexual drive. However, when a person is under heavy stress, serotonin levels tend to drop.

   Signs of low serotonin:

     - Mood swings

     - Irritability

     - Depression

     - Lack of vitality

    - Difficulty sleeping

Many people find by simply changing to a healthy meal plan, and getting outdoors, fresh air, sunshine, and enjoying activities helps to naturally raise serotonin levels.

3. Allergies - Yes, sometimes the very food we crave, we are allergic to. The only way to tell is to remove the food from your diet for a month or so, see an allergist, or someone who does Meridian Stress Assessments (MSA). 

4. Visual stimulants - Every time you lay eyes on food, drink, a picture of either, a person eating or drinking near you, the smell of food or drink, etc., it can trigger a response similar to emotional eating. At this point, as with emotional eating, you need to decipher what is a real need and what is not.

WHY ATHLETES HAVE AN ADVANTAGE

Readers of my blog are generally getting a hefty dose of exercise. Athletes  exercise to their advantage. Exercise is known to curb the appetite. As athletes are burning calories off, they’re also burning away unnecessary sugars that could spike blood sugar. Use exercise to your advantage folks, in every way, shape and form. If you’ve had a little indulgence Friday night, it might not feel great exercising first thing Saturday, but you’ll help to burn yourself clean again!

ARE THERE SUPPLEMENTS THAT CAN ASSIST THE PROCESS?

You know how I feel about supplementing. Supplements are to be used for a specific purpose, not as a crutch. The following is a list of items people have found helpful in helping them on the road to being carb crave free.

1. Chromium picolinate: General dosage is 200 mcg/day.

2. 5 Htp: 50-100 mg. 1-2 hours before bed. (Could also help relax you)

3. Protein : Salmon, flank steak, egg whites or whey protein. (25-40 gms. per serving)

4. Enzymes: If you find you have a hard time digesting a particular food, dairy, for instance, take an enzyme that will help assist in the breakdown, thus helping to eliminate cravings.

5. Fish Oil: Be sure it’s from a good, reliable clen .

6. Muilti-vitamin: It can help to cover bases if you’re making changes in your diet.

Others have claimed glutamine, and creatine have helped them with carb cravings, but there is no scientific studies backing these theories.

There you have it! 
Bon Apetite!

Green Foods

WHAT ARE GREEN FOODS?

We all know of green foods such as: peas, avocados, green grapes, green peppers, spinach, zucchini, asparagus, celery, kiwi, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, artichokes, green beans, collard greens, Swiss chard, turnip greens, kale, and the like. These foods are all nutrient dense, generally high in fiber, and satisfying. They’ve been known to aid in the elimination of toxins, improve skin conditions, and strengthen the hair and nails. Some people even claim green foods keep you looking younger, longer.

There is also another group of green foods: blue green algae, chlorella, barley grass, wheat grass, kelp, and spirulina. These are the green foods one typically purchases in powdered, capsule, or tablet form.

WHAT ARE THE NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF GREEN FOODS?

1. Many green foods have a rich supply chlorella.

2. Chlorella is rich in protein.

3. Chlorophyll

4. Carotenoids

5. Vitamins

6. Minerals

7. Omega’s

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THESE GREEN FOODS?

1.   Support bodily functions.

2.   Boost energy levels.

3.   Facilitate elimination of toxins.

4.   Facilitate elimination of heavy metals.

5.   Support cellular metabolism.

6.   Balance pH of the blood.

7.   Can help reduce high blood pressure.

8.   Helps reduce LDL (otherwise referred to as ‘bad cholesterol).

9.   Boosts the immune system.

10. Aids in healing the digestive tract and wound healing.

11. Encourages regularity.

12. Protects the liver.

13. Detoxifies the body of pesticides.

14. Detoxifies the body of chemical pollutants.

15. Has been found to reduce symptoms of asthma, arthritis, and allergies.

HOW DO GREEN FOOD(S) HELP ATHLETES?

1. They are rich in nutrient dense carbohydrates.

2. Good source of vitamins.

3. Good source of minerals.

4. High fiber.

5. Enzyme rich.

6. Antioxidant rich.

Some studies confirm green foods help in recovery time by aiding digestion, flushing the gut with nutrients, while at the same time, cleaning house, helping with elimination, and thereby boosting energy, and flushing lactic acid at the same time. As you know, just flushing the system of waste allows your body to recover faster, wounds heal quicker, and energy levels increase. Since these foods are high in antioxidants, they help to decrease inflammation, which many athletes find as a Golden Nugget, rather quickly.

This is why it’s crucial to be eating in such a way as to benefit the blueprint of the human body. We are not meant to eat packaged, processed, refined things. We are created and designed to run on good clean, raw (for the most part), foods. With clean eating you’ll find breathing is easier, and exercising is more enjoyable. 

IS GREEN FOODS FOR EVERYONE?

Not necessarily. If you’re taking any type of anticoagulant, you’ll want to check with your physician before beginning a green foods regimen, as green foods tend to be a good source of Vitamin K, which could interfere with the effectiveness of your coagulant.

For everyone else, I suggest the same as any other supplement, begin slowly, watch how your body responds. If you experience gas, abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea, or have any type of allergic reaction, reconsider the amount you are taking, or move to a Plan B, which is eating plenty of the green foods listed at the top of this blog. If you’re an athlete, which I’m assuming you are, mix your green foods with these foods to get a strong nutritional foundation:

1. Acai Berry (100% acai, powdered)

2. Bananas (best when they have brown specks on them)

3. Oranges

4. Greek yogurt

5. Oatmeal (cooked under 120 degrees)

6. Salmon ( 2-3 days a week)

7. Tuna (once a week)

8. Sweet Potatoes

9. Blueberries

10. Flank steak

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING GREEN FOODS or GREEN SUPPS

1. Be sure your product is organic.

2. Look for a product with the least amount of fillers, and/or additives, if you are purchasing a supplement.

I believe green foods should be a part of every athletes healthy meal plan, so long as they can tolerate it. I like the taste myself. I mix my greens in with my electrolyte powders, add to protein shakes, blend and mix with Greek yogurt, add to homemade soups, etc.

Go Green!

More Doesn't Mean Better

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
Athletes from all walks of life go through it. They begin an exercise regimen, begin seeing and feeling the results, are motivated to do even more, and soon find themselves in the doghouse, feeling tired, run-down, burnt-out, or ill. Do not be mislead, for more does not necessarily equate to better, as with anything else in life, moderation is the key. On the other hand, we've got the athlete who has not eaten properly from months to years, whether it's a 'dead' food diet, not eating enough calories, or not getting the proper ratios of both macro and micro nutrients. When these athletes push themselves into the 'more is better' mentality, they soon run amuck with over-training, and serious health issues.


RECOGNIZING THE FINE LINE
So how does one know when to push it, and when not? To begin with, any experienced athlete will tell you you must log everything!!!!! Yes, everything! This means your entire training regimen, exercise(s) performed, reps completed, weight used, intensity, sets, how they felt pre-workout, post-workout, hydration levels, faithfulness to meal plans, and rest/sleep cycles. Recording the time of day everything was completed is also beneficial. This information is an essential tool to your future progress, if progress is on your agenda! If you're like me, you've got a family, many children, work, other commitments, and of course, play time! How will you ever know when to push yourself if you don't know where you've been? It doesn't take long to track these things. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I assign my clients this homework for themselves, yes, it's required of them, and they come back to me with some outstanding results, both in the workouts, and in the creativeness of their logging. My latest surprise was a client who has an iPhone application that sends her training log directly to my e-mail, I love it!!!! No paper!!!! See what you can come up with.


SO I HAVE THE INFORMATION...NOW WHAT?
Begin evaluating your stats. Have you hit a plateau in the last couple weeks? If so, push-it!!! Yes, now is the time! If you look over your stats and see you haven't gone up in weights, reps, sets, intensity, etc., it's time to do something new, or push into the 'more' zone. Proceed with caution, listen to your body. I know of people who have been counseled by their trainers to do a second cardio session each day, five days a week, sometimes even six! Is this really necessary? I've never seen an athlete get burnt out faster! Don't get me wrong, there are times, depending on the specific goal you are heading for, that more cardio is the key, but I find more and more people becoming obsessed with two cardio sessions a day. If you need to push yourself more, by all means, do more, but do it gradually, stay in tune with your body, continue to log everything. On the other hand, when you look at your stats and see you've been hitting the weights daily, heavy as possible, doing all out cardio sessions six days a week, and you've been feeling fatigued, this is NOT the time to push yourself into 'more'. Your body is telling you it needs rest, it wants time to rebuild, rejuvenate, and heal. Period.


WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
When athletes push themselves into more is better, they generally begin experiencing a drop in testosterone, and cortisol levels begin to increase. This alone will immediately begin to thwart the best of all efforts, as exercise performed becomes counterproductive when these hormones begin to spin out of control. Muscle mass begins to decline, anxiety begins to take over, athletes experience a drained feeling when exercising, and restlessness when they go to bed at night, counterproductive. Low testosterone equals brittle bones, muscle loss, and increased risk of heart attack.


WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP MY BODY PRIMED?
I'd start with a good meal plan to eliminate any unnecessary belly fat, or overall bodyfat. I do not suggest doing anything such as an HCG diet, as HCG is lethal in my book!!!! Aim to lose the fat slowly but surely. Be sure you're eating consistently, as in every 2-3 hours. Drink plenty of water. Next, I'd look at your specific circumstances and determine if and what supplements would be of value to you. Be sure to include essential fatty acids if you're not eating fatty fish such as salmon, regularly. To beat boredom, try something new for your workout, if you've been using machines, go to free weights. If you've been performing single joint movements, try compound movements, you get the picture. Finally, be sure to rest when you need to. Take a 15-20 minute power nap if need be. Get a sufficient amount of sleep at night. 


WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE MY CORTISOL LEVELS?
Stay calm, do not overreact to situations. Get plenty of rest/sleep, as we all deal with life much better when fully rested. Take a day off, heck take a week if need be, and restore yourself. Keep your body fat in check, as nothing starts to cause stress as much as looking in the mirror and not liking what you see. Keep your immune system primed with foods rich in Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as, B Vitamins. Slow down. Every time you feel rushed to do something, sit down and sip on a full glass of water. Listen to soothing music, read, or find some other restful activity you enjoy, to do before retiring for the day. If you're a caffeine junkie, you might consider bagging the habit, as it immediately shoots cortisol levels up.


I hope you find this helpful. Have a wonderful day, and a super workout! 

Focus: Where's Yours?

So your one hour of planned gym time became subject to a last minute emergency, leaving you with a mere 15-20 minutes. What will you do? Call it off completely, or take advantage of the time, even if it is for just 15-20 minutes?

MY ADVICE

Go for it! However, you must be FOCUSED before you walk in the door, to obtain the results that will benefit you most. For instance, which would be better, a casual but steady pace on the treadmill, say walking, or all out high intensity interval training (HIIT) on the stair master? Think about what you'd like out of your workout before going into your workout. Yes, begin with the end in mind.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS?

Simple. FOCUS. Assess what your needs are, prioritize them. Do you have a lot of pent up energy and/or emotions that would benefit from HIIT? Or would you rather go at a steady pace and simply unwind mentally, physically, and perhaps even emotionally? Going into a workout mentally fatigued and trying to push yourself further will generally leave you feeling greater stress and restlessness than when you entered the gym. Be sure to assess and evaluate yourself as a 'whole', meaning mentally, physically, and emotionally. Many times, we head for the gym with nothing more than a 'physical' mindset, never considering what would best suit our needs for the long-run, meaning for that particular day, rather than just our allotted gym time. 

STAND BY YOUR DECISION

Don't second guess yourself. If you're feeling particularly sore, run-down, or mentally fatigued, pay heed to these signals and respond accordingly. Use the time you have wisely and remain fixed on your objective. Stay focused!!! You'll accomplish much more by staying on task, than multi-tasking mentally while you're physically working out. Ditto for anything you desire to achieve in life. Where you put your focus, energy follows, it's Universal Law. How many times have you played a game when you were a child taking a long road trip, and your parents told you to see how many red cars, and trucks you saw? Suddenly you realize there are a lot of red vehicles. It seems there must be more red vehicles than any other color, but just out of curiosity you decide to start counting white vehicles, only to realize there are just as many to be found. Where you put your focus, energy follows, ideas come, the miraculous comes forth, and what started off as an impossible feat, has now become an item you cross off your bucket list becuase you have indeed accomplished it.  Stay focused!!!

EXPECT RESULTS

As you learn the art of fine tuning your focus to one objective at a time, for a given length of time, you will be amazed at the sudden increases you begin making. You can only expect success as you focus on your goals. This does not mean you can only have one goal at a time, it simply means, plan your time accordingly for each goal you have. Set that time aside. Know what you will be doing with the alloted time BEFORE beginning, and stay entirely focused on its results until your time is up.

Best to you!