Carbohydrate cravings are probably the number one reason why many people dread going on a diet. These cravings are will power’s public enemy number one. They many times are the reason why so many people constantly fail at dieting. It is important to first understand what is happening to you and to then know what you can do to help you overcome this powerful urge to eat carbs.

Typically, many of us develop a resistance to the hormone insulin. This is our sugar controlling hormone. To combat this resistance the amount of insulin released by your body tends to go up and creates a situation where all of a sudden your blood sugars go down in a rapid fashion. This dive in blood sugars creates an urge for you to get more sugars fast. The best way to do this is to eat simple carbohydrate containing foods like breads, candy, potatoes, or ice cream, to name only a few. By eating these things your blood sugar again increases and you feel satisfied. But, this same cycle continues throughout the day and can come back quickly (within hours). The most common times to get these carbohydrate cravings are between meals or at night.

Complicating the above hormonal imbalance is the fact that eating carbohydrates tends to increase your “feel-good” brain neurotransmitter serotonin. Thus, when you eat carbs you tend to feel better. The quest to regain this good feeling can become quite addictive and can make breaking the carbohydrate cravings very difficult.

So, what can you do? How can you break these carb cravings once and for all? First, you have to realize that it will not be easy. Quit looking for that magic pill that will solve problems for you without personal effort. Understanding what is going on with the increased release of insulin is key. You have to break this cycle of high insulin followed by low blood sugars. Here is your carb craving breaking game plan. If you follow it you should be craving free in as little as two weeks.

DO NOT skip meals and eat snacks! Period. Eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and snack. Your snacks should be low sugar foods like nuts, fruits, veges, or low carb protein bars.

Take breads, pastas, potatoes, and sweets out of your diet for now. You can add them back in a limited manner after you have broken the carb cravings.

Try taking a supplement that supplies the nutrients known to assist in sugar metabolism (chromium, vanadium, lipoic acid, niacin, fish oils, etc.). I like Diaxinol by Orthomolecular and Insinase by Metagenics.

Know that the supplement I suggest can definitely help in breaking carb cravings. No supplement will work without following the other suggestions found in points one and two. Good luck!