Too low carb?

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dancinrascal
dancinrascal Posts: 204 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I understand that everybody's body is built differently and has different needs, and I was wondering if maybe my lack of whole grains is contributing to my constant sugar cravings. I have eliminated grains because they upset my stomach on occasion (gluten sensitive), but was wondering if maybe I should incorporate more brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. into my diet. Thanks!

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  • Squatbenchrepeat
    Squatbenchrepeat Posts: 21
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    You do not need to cut those things out! Also, if you crave sugar then give yourself some sugar! If its a trigger food then buy a little not a lot. The more you crave the more you want, then the more you will eat.

    The key word is moderation
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Some people never take to low carb. Or some people do low carb AND low fat, and that's a disaster too.
  • caribougal
    caribougal Posts: 865 Member
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    My sugar cravings ended when I eliminated all grains and anything with added sugar. I get plenty of carbs from veggies, fruit, and an occasional square or three of super dark chocolate. When I want a treat, I now enjoy it without guilt because it's not based on an obsessive craving anymore.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    IMO (for whatever it's worth) you CAN go too low carb. Not because of cravings, but I don't think it's healthy to completely cut out any one major food group. As long as the carbs are whole healthy carbs and not refined sugar/flour and they are within a reasonable amount a day then I think they are good.

    I also think (again, take it for what it's worth) if you eat lots of 'fake' sweet stuff thinking that it will help replace the real stuff you aren't doing yourself any favors. You need to cut out that junk and let your taste buds learn to love naturally sweet things that are REAL foods like oranges, baby carrots, raw string beans, etc.
  • dancinrascal
    dancinrascal Posts: 204 Member
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    thanks! I never really had sugar cravings until I cut out a majority of my grains, and fruits and sorbet don't quench my cravings. I am going to try to incorporate more whole grains into my diet.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    I understand that everybody's body is built differently and has different needs, and I was wondering if maybe my lack of whole grains is contributing to my constant sugar cravings. I have eliminated grains because they upset my stomach on occasion (gluten sensitive), but was wondering if maybe I should incorporate more brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. into my diet. Thanks!

    Whilst wholegrains are not bad it's fine to eliminate them, and you can easily still get a diet that contains a balance of all the macro and micronutrients your body needs for health. Eliminating grains doesn't automatically make you low carb - aren't you eating vegetables, beans, lentils and milk? These are all good sources of carbs, the beans and lentils are the best substitute being a rich source of carbs, fibre and minerals. Whilst healthy, fruit is not a direct replacement for wholegrains nutritionally and some fruits or an excess can actually worsen sugar cravings.

    If you are not eating these foods you are probably having cravings because you are depriving your body. Be sure you are eating protein and healthy fats at each meal and snack and enough overall calories, plenty of fibre and mineral rich foods - these combine to confer satiety and keep your blood sugar stable. Don't understand why you cut out all grains if you think you are gluten sensitive - only wheat, rye and barley contain gluten.
  • schmenge55
    schmenge55 Posts: 745 Member
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    Carbs = fuel so you do want to have them. I have no gluten, at least not on purpose and eat 55-60% carbs
  • dancinrascal
    dancinrascal Posts: 204 Member
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    Eliminating grains doesn't automatically make you low carb - aren't you eating vegetables, beans, lentils and milk? These are all good sources of carbs, the beans and lentils are the best substitute being a rich source of carbs, fibre and minerals. Whilst healthy, fruit is not a direct replacement for wholegrains nutritionally and some fruits or an excess can actually worsen sugar cravings.

    If you are not eating these foods you are probably having cravings because you are depriving your body. Be sure you are eating protein and healthy fats at each meal and snack and enough overall calories, plenty of fibre and mineral rich foods - these combine to confer satiety and keep your blood sugar stable. Don't understand why you cut out all grains if you think you are gluten sensitive - only wheat, rye and barley contain gluten.
    [/quote]

    I guess it would be appropriate to say that I have gone "low grain". I read a bunch of things about how grains are bad for you, but ever since I cut them I have been craving sugar. I never really ate large quantities of sweets, but they are now more tempting than ever.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    I guess it would be appropriate to say that I have gone "low grain". I read a bunch of things about how grains are bad for you, but ever since I cut them I have been craving sugar. I never really ate large quantities of sweets, but they are now more tempting than ever.

    Assuming you have replaced the grains with an equivalent serving of beans and lentils then I have no idea why you are craving sugar. If you haven't then you may be low on overall calories/ fibre/ minerals/ have not increased your protein and fat intake accordingly?

    Oh unless you were previously eating a lot of processed/ refined/ high glycaemic index grain products before, they behave much like sugar in the body, so you *may* be dealing with an addiction/ withdrawal.Without far more information it's difficult to say.
  • hellraisedfire
    hellraisedfire Posts: 403 Member
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    try adding one thing to your diet at a time. have brown rice, and see how you feel. after a few days if you still feel okay, try another grain, like quinoa. always wait a couple days when you're adding new stuff back into your diet, you never know what might upset your stomach. :)
  • dancinrascal
    dancinrascal Posts: 204 Member
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    I eat a lot of veggies, but I think I may need to increase my protein a little bit as well as healthy fats. I seem to be on the low side!
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Need more data.

    How long have you been low-carbing? If under 3 weeks, give it some time.
    Why are you low-carbing? It works better for the obese than for people who need to lose 2.8 pounds (per the ticker on your page)
    How much are you eating? What are you eating? If you ain't eatin' carbs, you gotta eat fat. Try eating meat, or if you're a vegetarian, some legumes.

    I see that last month you mentioned eating a Special K bar. For me, consistently avoiding processed food like that helps to keep me from getting super hungry.

    I've been doing moderate carb for a while now with some success & it has actually helped to reduce my sugar cravings. Though they do still rise up from time to time.

    Good luck!

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