Posted on March 06, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

For those wanting to lose weight or drop that last persistent bit of body fat minimising carbohydrates may be proving difficult here are 5 ways to kick your carb cravings!

You might be training really hard but if you haven’t quite perfected that ever so important carbohydrate intake you might never reach your ultimate goal.

From minimising carbohydrates in your diet you will develop:

• Better motivation and brain function
• Easy weight loss and leanness
• Improved health
• Decreased inflammation your body
• Reduced stress and anxiety

Read on for our top 5 ways to kick your carb cravings!

1)    Extra spices and flavors

If your diet previously contained high levels of sugary and processed carbohydrates then at first eliminating them from your diet may be difficult however achievable if you prepare yourself healthy but tasty alternatives.

Making healthy tasty alternatives using spices such as cinnamon, mint, coriander, turmeric, garlic, onion, citrus, and berries and get those taste buds back into life!

2)     Healthy Alternatives To What You Are Craving

• If  you are craving sugary sweets eating cruciferous veggies such as broccoli or brussel sprouts should curve the craving, Who said brussel sprouts were just for Christmas Day?!

• If  you crave processed foods eating a meal with protein and good fats such as nuts and eggs will help.

• If you crave salty foods such as chips eat fish, spinach and sweet potato to help reduce the urge.

3) Get Sufficient Sleep

Lack of sleep increases the cravings to eat carbs. When people are tired they feel hungrier, make poorer choices on quality of food and eat more food as much as 500 calories a day. This combined with the fact that when tires your body’s insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance plunge and the body stays in the fat storage mode.

4) Deal With Stress

Carb cravings can significantly increase when stress is present. Serotonin, a brain chemical that makes you feel happy, is depleted when you feel stressed.  So there a strong craving if carbs to replenish it.

Secondly elevated cortisol levels associated with stress stunts the desire for non carb foods like broccoli and steak but you will happily crave a bagel or cake.

Manage your stress by using relaxation techniques and exercise.

5)    Reduce Hunger For Carbs By Improving Your Insulin Sensitivity

Most overweight people are insulin resistant, insulin doesn’t blunt appetite and you feel hungry. Studies have shown that not only does an individual’s degree of insulin sensitivity predict hunger in the hours after eating it also predicts the ability to lose body fat.

The best way to increase insulin health is to exercise – aerobic exercise, sprints and strength training all work!

By following these easy 5 ways to kick your carb cravings you can get one step closer to your desired body composition.

Check out our other blogs about sleep and stress

http://www.m8north.co.uk/blog/are-you-getting-enough-why-sleep-is-important-for-weight-loss/

http://www.m8north.co.uk/blog/stress-and-weight-gain/