19/03/2014
CARBOHYDRATE ADDICTION:
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more of the body than of the mind, meaning biological factors are generally considered to be the main trigger for carbohydrate cravings (SO, IT IS NOT JUST IN THE MIND!)
Carbohydrate addiction is caused by an imbalance...an over-release of the hormone, insulin, when carbohydrate-rich foods are eaten. One of the functions of insulin is to signal the body to take in food (has been called the hunger hormone) and once the food is consumed, to signal the body to store the food energy in the form of fat.
Too much insulin (hyperinsulaemia) results in too strong an impulse to eat, too often, and a body that teds to store the food as fat.
These cravings are described as a compelling craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods; an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.
This is where the cycle of carbohydrates and cravings start.
High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the addiction like a drug. This results in high blood sugar and insulin levels which results in more cravings. The situation also results in higher levels of serotonin - a brain chemical that acts like Prozac. People eat sweets to get the sugar ‘high’.
Another contributing factor to overeating and sweet craving is stress. When we are tense, the adrenal gland produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol stimulates production of a brain chemical called ‘neuropeptide Y’.
This is kind of a carbohydrate craving switch. Aside from this, neuropeptide Y also makes the body hang on to the new body fat we produce. In other words, tension not only triggers carbohydrate cravings, it also makes it more difficult to lose any additional weight. Cortisol also stimulates insulin, which leads to blood sugar dips and fat storage.
It's a vicious cycle that feeds on itself, over and over.
The TLC-Program reverses this cycle and allows the body to restore its balance
