We crave those carbs because of the biological need our brain has for carbohydrates. The brain is the most energy demanding organ in the body and just like all cells in the body, the cells of the brain run off of glucose.
Before we can talk about craving carbs, we have to take a brief moment to talk about glucose. Glucose is a simple molecule that is the gasoline for the body. When you google glucose the word sugar is all over, there is so much hype and misinformation around this small and important molecule. The facts are this. Your cells need glucose like your car needs fuel. In this modern world of convenience there is a plethora of this fuel available. We flood our bodies with it and there is an overflow that our body converts to the only form of storage it has, fat.
Now here is the part that people don’t talk about. It is easy for your body to use the food you eat to make glucose right away. It is fairly easy, however very taxing on the liver, to store the excess glucose as fat. Your body can turn that fat back into glucose; however, it is not as easy as it was to store. Your body can also make glucose from protein; however, this causes the release of byproducts that can cause damage.
Just to highlight the complicated processes going on when you eat
Your body craves those carbs because it is the easiest and most efficient way to get glucose to the brain. When your brain is in need of glucose it makes you irritable and also can mimic the symptoms of depression. This is your brains way of telling you it is hungry. Then we crave those carbs!
Now it is not the carbs that are bad, it is the flooding of the system with them and overwhelming tendency to eat way more then we need. To stop this cycle and create healthy habits we need to stop starving our brain and also stop flooding the system. The best way to do this is to eat small meals throughout the day, with the regular small intake of carbohydrates. I think the best inspiration is results. When you are eating small meals throughout the day, your body stops storing so much, you start to see weight loss. Your brain is not starving for energy, there is no rush of dopamine causing the highs and lows. This in turn speeds up your metabolism, leading to more weight loss, and a new cycle arises. One where you feel energized and losing weight.
