You might be surprised to learn that food can be addictive and act like a drug in your body, but it’s true.

Some of the most troublesome food addictions include:

Sugar cravings (chocolate, cakes, lollies, biscutes, pasteries), carbohydrate cravings (bread & pasta).

Refined sugar has very little to recommend it. Once consumed it rapidly goes about increasing your blood glucose and insulin levels and giving you a short lived energy burst. Sadly, when it’s effects wear off you are dumped back down again. In the meanwhile unstable blood glucose levels can create headaches, irritability, tiredness, an inability to concentrate and feelings of being faint or shaky. Even worse high sugar diets can predispose you to Type II Diabetes Mellitus.

You may wonder then why we crave sugar in the first place? Isn’t glucose meant to be good for us? Don’t we need it for our brains and to power our muscles during exercise?

The answer is Yes and No.

All carbohydrates break down to glucose. That includes all grains, fruits and produce made from sugar. Clearly there are good and bad carbohydrates. The difference is the rate they covert to glucose. Refined carbohydrates such as added sugar or cakes, biscutes, white bread, white rice, etc., have a high GI Factor. This means that they are coverted to glucose very rapidly. Therefore, the side-effects mentioned above are far more likely to occur with these types of sugar products.

Complex carbohydrates have a low GI Factor which mean that they covert to glucose much slower. This gives you sustained energy without the sugar highs and lows. This group includes wholegrains, vegetables and fruit.

If you want to exercise effectively, eating complex carbohydrates in conjunction with protein is optimal for energy.

We used to think that the brain needed glucose to function. In recent years we’ve learnt that the brain is more than happy to run on ketones which are made from the breakdown of fats. Energy converted from fat is almost double that of carbohydrates and proteins.  Good fats are those of the omega 3 and 6 variety found in fish, nuts, seeds and advocados, olive oil and eggs.

Craving sugary foods for a quick fix is usually a sign of an underlying health condition such as: fatigue, mineral/vitamin deficiencies, yeast infections, low iron levels, hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), Type II Diabetes or emotional problems ie anxiety or depression. Often it presents during the later phase of the menstrual cycle. Craving carbohydrates and sugars to ward of PMS is a common finding among women. This is a form of self-medication to help offset the estrogen deficiency and balance moods, energy and emotions.

Sometimes its just a habit that once formed is difficult to break. Often its a lack of real food in the diet to sustain your appetite between meals.

Whatever the cause it’s worth having it checked out if it becomes more of a persistent craving. Call Getting Well Naturally today 8683 9487.

Your ability to lose weight largely comes down to the food choices that you make. The more heavily processed a grocery item is, the more it costs you to buy. For instance, a box of cereal costs over $5.00 and might last you a week max. It’s loaded with ingredients and additives not to mention a cardboard box and plastic inner bag. Compare this to a bag of quick cook oats. You can buy a 750 g bag of oats which would make you breakfast for a approx 3 weeks for a less an $1.00. This is seriously the best value and most nutritious breakfast cereal on the planet. It’s also minimally processed in comparison to a box of cereal. There’s no added anything. Just 100% oats which are a great source of B vitamins for mood, energy and metabolism. It also contains minerals and essential fatty acids such as Omega 3′s.

Best of all, in terms of herbal medicine, oats act as a nervine. This means that they nourish and tone the nervous system and reduce stress. To make oats into porridge it’s just a 1/2 cup or less of oats to a cup of water and cook. This rich, creamy mixture is also fantastic for stabilizing blood glucose levels and keeping you fuller for longer. Oats were originally used as the first medicine for diabetes. It was known as the oat cure. In addition to being a source of complex carbohydrates, oats are also a source of protein, the building blocks of the body. Oats are also a source of fibre which is essential for weight loss as a bowel that moves daily reduces additional weight from fecal matter. Oats are also a source of Beta-glycan which reduces cholesterol. It makes good nutritional and economic sense to eat foods which are minimally processed.

Fruits and vegies are another classic example of foods which are very cheap to buy in comparison to processed foods and yet the difference in price and nutrients is staggering. The empty calories in a couple of slices of white bread pale in comparison to an apple/pear.

White bread has been so refined that vitamins such as folate and B1 have had to be added back in to make up for the the absolute lack of nutrition that the refining process has created. White bread breaks down to a very simple sugar – glucose which causes a spike in blood glucose and insulin levels. In someone who is insulin resistant (significantly overweight) this means that the glucose will be converted into more fat stores as the body is unable to process it effectively.

In comparison, apples and pears while also a source of glucose, contain large amounts of fibre which slows down the absorption of glucose and helps to stabilize blood glucose levels. This reduces the risk of diabetes and weight gain. They also fill you up for longer. Interestingly, apples and pears also act as prebiotics in the gut. This means that they produce beneficial bacteria which assists with immunity, maintaining the pH of the blood, reducing cholesterol and creating some B vitamins. Bowel function is also greatly assisted, lessening the risk of bowel cancer.

Vegetables are very economical to buy and can really bulk up a meal. If you spent $30 a week on fruit and vegetables you would be astonished at how many meals you could create. It you combined this with $25-$30 worth of meat, fish and eggs plus $20 worth of nuts, you would have the basis for multiple meals and snacks. In these economically challenging times, a diet based on wholefoods can go a long way towards achieving a healthy weight and bank balance.