Hi Nic,
Food cravings mean that the body has its signals mixed up. When we
are exhausted or blue, we have low blood sugar and/or low serotonin,
and the body signals the brain that it needs a pick-me-up. This signal
causes a sugar craving or carbohydrate craving. Serotonin
is our basic feel-good hormone. If serotonin is low, we feel sad or
depressed. And hormonal imbalance or weak digestion can lead to low
serotonin. Unfortunately, sugars and simple carbohydrates release a
short burst of serotonin - we feel good for a moment, but soon return
to our low-serotonin state - then crave more sugar and simple
carbohydrates.
Insulin is responsible for maintaining stable blood sugar levels by
telling the body's cells when to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Being insulin resistant means your body stops responding to insulin, and instead grabs every
calorie it can and deposits it as fat. At the same time,
your cells cannot absorb the glucose they need, so they signal your
brain that you need more carbohydrates or sugars. The result is
persistent food cravings.
In this sharepost by David Mendosa called Lose Weight Without Starving, David explores this phenomenon. "High stress also hinders our ability to lose weight. It is easy to try coping by eating foods high in sugar or saturated fat. "These ‘comfort foods' raise our levels of endorphins and serotonin, our bodies' natural ‘feel-good' chemicals," writes David Spero, RN. "They make us feel more calm and more in control. But
the good feelings don't last long. Our blood sugars drop again when our
insulin response catches up to them, and pretty soon you feel worse
than before. You need another ‘fix.'"
Also, in this sharepost called How Eating Can Make You Hungry, David explains in more depth the ratio of eating carbs versus craving more.
Hope this helps somewhat. Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing!Vicki M