Last week I was doing a Facebook live with my friend JJ Virgin when something slipped out that she and her audience really responded to.
She asked me why some carbs seemed to trigger cravings more than others. Lots of her people tried to get rid of all carbs, but they noticed that doing so made the cravings even worse.
They were also surprised that many ‘healthy’ complex carbs like rice cakes or popcorn could also seem to trigger the cravings.
I told her my simple rule for cravings: wet carbs good, dry carbs bad.
What is a wet carb?
One that has water incorporated into the cell membranes. Some examples of wet carbs are:
- Oatmeal
- Squash
- Legumes
- Whole grain brown rice
- Boiled potatoes
- Bulgur
- Sweet potatoes
What are dry carbs?
Quick examples of what dry carbs are:
- Chips
- Crackers
- Rice cakes
- Popcorn
- Cookies
- Pretzels
- Granola
- Cereal
Have you ever sat around watching TV and thought about sneaking off to the fridge to polish off the leftover lentils? Probably not. But what about those blue corn chips? What does the ad say, bet ya can’t eat just one?
If you’re too low in good carbs, your blood sugar will drop and you’ll crave carbs that boost it. These will be either sugar or dry carbs. Eat enough good wet carbs, enough veggies and enough protein and your cravings might all but vanish.
