Chronic Sweets and Food Cravings

WHY DO WE CRAVE SWEETS?
There are a few different reasons that a person may struggle with chronic food cravings (in this case, foods with many added sugars to them.) One reason could be a hormone imbalance. The hormones that are most likely out of balance are serotonin and/or insulin. Sweets are often associated with comfort or a “reward” that we feel is deserve. Our body sees sweets as serotonin, which is considered a “feel good” hormone. This is why we often crave sweets when we are feeling weary, stressed, or depressed. When we eat something sweet, our serotonin level will rise. Unfortunately, the increase does not last and we will most likely want more and more sweets soon after we take our first serving.

Some people crave sweets after a meal. Most likely the reason for sweet cravings at this time is because of an insulin imbalance. This is actually called “insulin resistance”. When a person eats a meal that consists of highly refined carbohydrate foods or a sugar-filled dessert, (refined carbohydrates refers to foods where machinery has been used to remove the high fiber bits, the bran and the germ from the grain. White rice, white bread, sugary cereals, and pasta and noodles made from white flour are all examples of refined carbohydrates. – Dr. Rob Hicks, BBC Health) their body will quickly turn the refined carbohydrates into glucose (sugar’s energy source.) Insulin is the hormone that helps the body move the glucose out of our blood stream and into the cells of our body so that it can be burned as energy for the body. If a person consistently eats highly refined foods or foods with a lot of added sugar, the insulin level in the body will consistently be high.

Unfortunately, the body eventually gets used to high insulin and may begin to resist it. When the body resists the insulin, the glucose stays in the blood and eventually is stored as a fat and the cells of the body are deprived of the energy they need to maintain health. The weakened cells in the body are what cause the body to crave sweets (comfort.)

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ELIMINATE THE CRAVINGS?
So what can we do to heal our body and eliminate the dangerous chronic sweet cravings? There are several options that a person has to heal the body and eventually eliminate chronic sweet cravings. I will break the options into two choices, evaluating the food we eat and making the necessary changes, and supplementing the body with certain nutrients.

FOOD IDEAS
I would be amiss if I did not mention the importance of a balanced diet. A good way to determine if your diet is considered balanced is by looking at the colors of the foods that you are eating. First ask yourself if the colors are natural or not. If they are not, they don’t count. If they are, look for some basic colors, for example red, yellow, green, orange, and brown. If you can say that you have eaten something that consists of these colors multiple times throughout your day, then you most likely have a balanced diet. If you do not see these colors on your table on a regular basis, it is your choice whether you are going to invite their help in your journey to feeling better or not. If you decide only to make one change, let me give you a suggestion, Fiber!

Many people immediately think of fruits and vegetables when they think of fiber. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of fiber. However, there are many other ways to get fiber into our diets. Some of them are even tasty. Fiber One is a brand name for a line of fiber rich foods. They have tasty cereals, granola bars, yogurts, and breads that are packed with fiber. You can get almost 50% of your daily-recommended fiber by eating just one bowl of their cereal. All of their products are low in calories and high in fiber, yet they taste great! Let me tell you why I have suggested fiber. The following is a list of reasons given by Doctor Sears M.D.

Fiber steadies your blood-sugar level. Fiber, especially the soluble type, found in psyllium, bran, and legumes slows the absorption of sugar from the intestines. This steadies the blood sugar level and lessens the ups and downs of insulin secretion. So a breakfast and lunch containing moderate amounts of soluble fibers, such as bran, fruit, and oats, can be especially valuable. Keeping insulin levels low and stable also helps the body store less fat, another perk for people trying to control their weight.Fiber slows fat absorption. Fiber may also slow down the absorption of fat from what you eat. This is another weight-control perk offered by a high-fiber diet. The stools of persons eating a high-fiber diet have a higher fat content than stools from someone eating low-fiber meals.Fiber reduces cholesterol. A diet high in soluble fiber, such as that found in oat bran, whole oats, psyllium, legumes, barley, fruit, and prunes, lowers blood levels of the harmful type of cholesterol (LDL) without lowering the good cholesterol (HDL) levels. As it travels down the intestines, soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gluey gel which picks up cholesterol and carries it out of the body. Yet, doctors caution, adding more soluble fibers to your diet is not a license to eat high cholesterol foods. High fiber diets are usually low in fat, too, and the cholesterol-lowering effects may be related to less fat in the diet as well as to fiber. Recent studies showed that eating an extra ten grams of fiber daily (the average American adult eats only eleven grams of fiber a day), decreased the risk of dying from heart disease by 17-29 percent."

SUPPLEMENTS
As I have already mentioned, serotonin levels in our body influence our food cravings. A few natural supplements can affect serotonin levels in our body. The first is an amino acid called 5-HTP. Taking a 5-HTP supplement half an hour before a meal can “turn off” cravings and hunger pangs by meeting the brains need for serotonin. 5-HTP is not a synthetic form of serotonin. It is actually a precursor to the amino acid in our body that creates serotonin. It aids in our body’s serotonin uptake, kind of like kicking things in gear when they have become too relaxed. 5-HTP can cause sleepiness at high doses. I recommend taking 50mg per serving throughout the day with 300mg being the maximum dosage in one day. There are Timed Release 5-HTP Supplements Available.

There are three different herbs that are known to help balance our body’s serotonin levels. They are known as adaptogenic herbs. Often times the reason that our body has hormonal imbalances is because of stress. Whether the stress is physical, emotional, or mental does not matter. Our body reacts to all stress in the same way. Stress weakens the adrenal system, which includes many hormonal functions of our body. Adaptogenic herbs are able to determine the needs in the body individually and work accordingly to balance the body. The three herbs that I recommend for people who struggle with chronic food cravings and addiction are Siberian Ginseng, Ashwagandha, and Rhodiola Rosea Root. These herbs can cause sleepiness if taken in higher dosages. I recommend 200-400mg twice per day.

In order for the body to be truly balanced, it needs to be provided with the proper nutrition. Realistically, it is almost impossible to meet all of our nutritional needs by just eating healthy foods. Supplementing with multi vitamins and minerals are often a very good solution. For chronic food cravings and addiction (particularly sweets cravings), there are certain vitamins that are helpful as a person tries to overcome the problem. All of the B vitamins are very helpful in rebuilding the body. Many people are deficient in B vitamins, especially women, mostly because of stress and birth control pills. B vitamins aid in the body’s metabolism as well as the wellbeing of the cells in the body. I recommend supplementing with a mega B complex supplement in addition to a multi vitamin. There are a handful of other vitamins and minerals that are very important in rebuilding the health of a person with chronic food cravings; by supplementing with a good multi-vitamin a person will meet these needs.

Researchers are finding more and more benefits to supplementing the body with Omega 3 fatty acids (often found in fish oil.) I highly recommend supplementing with Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids have many benefits. I will focus on the benefits related to our subject. Omegas 3’s are able to regulate the insulin level in the body and because of this; the body is able to use the fat that is stored in the body as fuel. So in short, Omega 3 fatty acids aid in many ways in the metabolism of fat. They have been found very helpful for people who are working on loosing weight. To determine if your body is deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids, ask yourself how much fish you eat. If you do not eat fish at least once a week, chances are your body needs Omega 3 Fatty Acids. The average dosage for Omega 3 supplements is 1 gram per day. For weight loss, I recommend 4 grams per day with 6 grams being the maximum dosage in one day. Fish oil can cause what are known as “fish burps” (burps that have a fishy after taste.) This will not last long. You can avoid this by purchasing high quality fish oil supplements collected from deep-water sea fish.

Overcoming chronic food cravings can feel like an overwhelming task. My suggestion is to start by deciding to clear your home of all sweets! For many people this step alone will take time to master. I have been through this journey personally, and I have learned that it is mandatory that I do not allow sweets into my home. By sweets, I mean anything that you would serve as a dessert or a sweet snack. Not necessarily, your table sugar, although I did this for a time to keep me from baking sweets. I have a little boy and a husband and they enjoy their sweets as much as I do (except they are not addicted) but they survived the sweet strike. After a month or two of no sweets and working on balancing my diet and supplementing I have been able to bring a few sweets back into the home once in a while. I am grateful for the Weight Watchers and Skinny Cow brand of frozen treats! They have low calories and high fiber. They are a good sanity saver on occasion. Don’t just clear your house of your sweets. Clear out everyone’s sweets! I took the chance to introduce new kinds of snacks to my preschooler. He now really likes bread and honey, whole-wheat honey bagels, yogurt, string cheese, baby carrots, tortillas and Hummus dip, and roasted and salted Pumpkin seeds.

There are many options to decide from of ways to overcome chronic sweet cravings and addiction. Start with one or two things combining steps if you want to, and then continue to move forward. In one sentence my suggestion would be: Step1: Remove sugar from your home and determine not to bring it into the home. Step 2: Introduce fiber into your diet on a daily basis. Step 3: Begin a regimen of supplements according to what you can do and what your needs are.

RESOURSES

www.AskDrSears.com Keyword: Fantastic Fiber
www.BodyBuildingForYou.com Keyword: Omega 3 Fish Oil & Weight Loss
David McEnvoy Copyright 2005
www.MDIdea.com Keyword: Griffonia Seed
www.WomenToWomen.com Keyword: Insulin

Claims and Warnings
Lena Baron is not a Medical Doctor. She will be considered a Nutritional Medicine Practitioner or a Holistic Health Practitioner in the Natural Medicine Industry. The suggestions in this article should not be replaced by the suggestions and prescriptions given by a Medical Doctor. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The statements made in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
August 2008

Freshen Up That Pizza

Sometimes I just feel like a really easy meal. You know, like a frozen pizza. But I can't stand the thought of consuming all of the fat that comes with it when there is often little nutrient value in most pizzas. So I have started to freshen up our pizzas.

I purchase a basic pizza like cheese or spinach garlic mushroom, or spicy chicken. Then I cut up all kinds of fresh veggies (mostly from our garden) like Peppers, cherry tomatoes, Squash, onions, etc. Then I add the low fat turkey pepperonis for my husbands sake:).

These pizzas are always delicious! If you can find one with whole wheat crust, you're all the more healthy.

Have Fun and be Daring and Creative! You might surprise yourself on how much you enjoy it!

Omelets: Eggs Are Your Friend!

For years eggs have been set on the health conscious person's "Danger" list. Hopefully, this is no longer the case in your diet. Eggs are filled with many needed nutrients that the body can not produce on it's own. The vitamin B's are among these nutrients. Eggs have several B vitamins which aid the body in the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Vitamin B's are also known for helping the Adrenal system (helping with stress and depression.) There are farmers who have started to feed their eggs Omega 3 rich diets (flax seed) which makes the eggs they produce rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Look for these in your grocery store, request them if they don't sell them yet.

According to WorldsHealthiestFoods.com an egg breakfast helps promote weight loss.
In a randomized controlled trial, 160 overweight or obese men and women were divided into 2 groups, one of which ate a breakfast including 2 eggs, while the other consumed a bagel breakfast supplying the same amount of calories and weight mass (an important control factor in satiety and weight loss studies). Participants ate their assigned breakfast at least 5 days a week for 8 weeks as part of a low-fat diet with a 1,000 calorie deficit. (Dhurandhar N, Vander Wal J, et al, FASEB Journal)

Compared to those on the bagel breakfast, egg eaters:
Lost almost twice as much weight -- egg eaters lost an average of 6.0 pounds compared to bagel eaters' 3.5 pound loss.
Had an 83% greater decrease in waist circumference
Reported greater improvements in energy

No significant differences were seen between blood levels of total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in either group, confirming what other studies (Ballesteros MN, Cabrera RM, Am J Clin Nutr) have shown, including a relative risk study presented at the Experimental Biology meeting: healthy people can safely enjoy eggs without increasing their heart attack risk. The relative risk study, a thorough scientific review of the major studies concerning heart disease causation, which was conducted by Washington, DC-based scientific consulting firm, Exponent, found that eggs contribute just 0.6 percent of men's and 0.4 percent of women's coronary heart disease risk.

I could give a whole list of reasons why eggs are good for you. But I just wanted to give you an idea of why it's not necessary to avoid such an easy meal maker.

Here are some ideas of how I use eggs throughout the week's menu:

Winter Squash Omelets (crookneck or zucchini): Mix several eggs in a bowl with pressed garlic (or garlic salt), sea salt, fresh cut up or dried herbs (basil, sage, chives, etc.), chopped red onions (optional) and a bit of olive oil. Slice desired amount of squash and mix in with the egg mixture. Pour mixture into a skillet and cook as an omelet or scrambled. This was a big hit at our table. It smelled as delicious as it tasted. We ate it as a side to a tasty steak and a salad.

Southwestern Breakfast Burritos: Crack desired amount of eggs into a bowl. Mix black beans, corn, salsa, southwestern seasoning (taco seasoning (or, chili pepper), onions, and fresh spinach in with the eggs. Pour mixture into a skillet and scramble. Place eggs on tortillas (tortillas made with sprouted grains are extremely nutritious and tasty.) Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the eggs, add a bit more salsa or Tabasco sauce to taste, and Enjoy!

Omelets For Babies (9+months): Crack desired amount of eggs into a bowl. Add any of the following; chopped squash, spinach, tomatoes, beans, cheese, colored peppers, tuna, anything else healthy you have in the fridge:). Mix all together and scramble in a skillet.

Chili Burritos With Eggs: Use scrambled eggs in your burritos if you're running low on meat!

Fiberful Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a delicious chewy, yet crunchy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. I created this cookie recipe so that I could eat a cookie with chocolate in it that I didn't feel as guilty about. And it worked! They were a hit all around! From the smell they emanated while in the oven to the chocolate craving they satisfied.

Fiberful Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 cups Fiber Cereal ground as finely as possible until it equals 1 cup. (Possible brands: Fiber One, Kashi, Oat Bran, All Bran, etc.)
OR
1 cup Bran Flour
1/2 cup Regular Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
3/4 cup Softened Butter
3/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs (try to find the eggs that market their omega 3 value!)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 cups chocolate chips OR Dole Raisins

Combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat butter and sugars in a bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until blended. Stir in oats and chocolate chips while stirring. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375 degrees F. 6 minutes. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

WHY FIBER?

"Fiber steadies your blood-sugar level. Fiber, especially the soluble type, found in psyllium, bran, and legumes slows the absorption of sugar from the intestines. This steadies the blood sugar level and lessens the ups and downs of insulin secretion. So a breakfast and lunch containing moderate amounts of soluble fibers, such as bran, fruit, and oats, can be especially valuable to a child who shows behavior and learning difficulties from blood sugar swings. Keeping insulin levels low and stable also helps the body store less fat, another perk for people trying to control their weight.

Fiber slows fat absorption. Fiber may also slow down the absorption of fat from what you eat. This is another weight-control perk offered by a high-fiber diet. The stools of persons eating a high-fiber diet have a higher fat content than stools from someone eating low-fiber meals.

Fiber reduces cholesterol. A diet high in soluble fiber, such as that found in oat bran, whole oats, psyllium, legumes, barley, fruit, and prunes, lowers blood levels of the harmful type of cholesterol (LDL) without lowering the good cholesterol (HDL) levels. As it travels down the intestines, soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gluey gel which picks up cholesterol and carries it out of the body. Yet, doctors caution, adding more soluble fibers to your diet is not a license to eat high cholesterol foods. High fiber diets are usually low in fat, too, and the cholesterol-lowering effects may be related to less fat in the diet as well as to fiber. Recent studies showed that eating an extra ten grams of fiber daily (the average American adult eats only eleven grams of fiber a day), decreased the risk of dying from heart disease by 17-29 percent."

Learn More on AskDrSears

Three Dangers You Can Avoid By Reading Food Labels

Hydrogenated Oils: Hydrogenated Oils, commonly known, as “Partially Hydrogenated Oils” have been the focus of numerous studies. The findings have been that they are extremely dangerous. Adding Hydrogen to fat not only destroys any “good fat” but it may also create a new type of fat called trans fat. What all of this boils down to is that we should not be eating chemically enhanced/changed foods. Doctor Weil, a M.D. who practices Nutritional Medicine says the following about Hydrogenated and Trans Fats, “Manufacturers love partially hydrogenated oils because they extend shelf life, but in my opinion they are dangerous. For one thing, these oils are sources of trans fatty acids (TFAs), which increase risks of both cardiovascular disease and cancer. TFAs are just as bad, if not worse, for the heart and arteries than saturated fats. They increase total cholesterol, raise "bad" LDL (low density lipoprotein) and lower "good" HDL (high density lipoprotein). Beyond that, TFAs may also have adverse effects on cell membranes and the immune system, and may promote inflammation and aging.”

High Fructose Corn Syrup: What is High Fructose Corn Syrup? “High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a recent invention of the food industry, made by an enzyme-mediated process. Old-fashioned corn syrup is less sweet and contains mostly glucose. HFCS matches sucrose in sweetness but is significantly cheaper. It has been considered a "revolutionary" food science innovation because it retains moisture and prevents drying, controls crystallization, and blends with other sweeteners, acids and flavorings. Manufacturers love it, and it has become the main sweetener used in processed foods today. Everything from soft drinks and juices to salad dressings, ketchup, jams, jellies, ice cream and many others contain HFCS. The body doesn't handle large amounts of fructose well. You can maintain life with intravenous glucose, but not with intravenous fructose; severe derangement of liver function results. There's also evidence that a high intake of fructose elevates levels of circulating fats (serum triglycerides), increasing the risk of heart disease.” Dr. Weil M.D.

Studies about the effects of HFCS and sugar have determined the following “Excess sugar depresses immunity. Studies have shown that downing 75 to 100 grams of a sugar solution (about 20 teaspoons of sugar, or the amount that is contained in two average 12-ounce sodas) can suppress the body's immune responses. Simple sugars, including glucose, table sugar, fructose, and honey caused a fifty- percent drop in the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria. In contrast, ingesting a complex carbohydrate solution (starch) did not lower the ability of these white blood cells to engulf bacteria. The immune suppression was most noticeable two hours post-ingestion, but the effect was still evident five hours after ingestion. This research has practical implications, especially for teens and college students who tend to overdose on sodas containing caffeine and sugar while studying for exams or during periods of stress. Stress also suppresses immunity, so these sugar-users are setting themselves up to get sick at a time when they need to be well.” Dr. Sears M.D.

Cottonseed Oil: As you read the labels on many foods that you and your children might love (like fruit snacks and cheese crackers) you will most likely find “Cottonseed Oil” on the label. This is a very unhealthy and dangerous food ingredient. Studies have shown a high level of chemical pesticides used on the cotton crops that cottonseed oil comes from. When asked if Cottonseed Oil is all right to eat this is what Doctor Andrew Weil M.D. has to say “Definitely not. As a matter of fact, in my book, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, one of the first things I ask readers to do is to go through their pantry shelves and throw out anything made with cottonseed oil. I regard it as unhealthy because it is too high in saturated fat and too low in monounsaturated fat. What's more, cottonseed oil may contain natural toxins and probably has unacceptably high levels of pesticide residues (cotton is not classified as a food crop, and farmers use many agrichemicals when growing it). Be on the lookout for cottonseed oil in packaged foods and avoid products that contain it. Manufacturers like it because it's cheap, and products that say "may contain one or more of these oils" and list cottonseed, will almost certainly contain it. I recommend using extra-virgin olive oil, a mostly monounsaturated oil with antioxidant activity, as the principal fat in your diet. We have a wealth of evidence showing that populations that consume good quality olive oil as a primary dietary fat have significantly lower rates of both heart disease and cancer than those that don't.”

Resourses:
http://www.drweil.com/

http://www.askdrsears.com/

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

This is a delicious lasagna recipe that I created so I could put all of our yummy garden veggies to good use. The best part of this recipe is that it is very versatile. You can add or take away almost any ingredient to suit your taste. And it was easy to make, healthy, and tasty!

Garden Vegetable Lasagna
Approximately 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

10-12 Lasagna Pasta Strips

Bring water to boil in a medium size sauce pan. Add a pinch of salt and 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil. Add pasta and cook al dente (try not to over cook. Al dente pasta is easier for our body to digest and use as energy.) Drain and set aside.

1 lb. Ground Beef or Shredded Chicken
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning OR Fresh Herbs (Oregano, Basil, Parsley, etc)
2 cloves Garlic (pressed or minced)
1/2 Red Onion chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped Bell Peppers (red, yellow, orange, or green)
1 small Zucchini finely chopped
1 small Crookneck Squash finely chopped
1 can of Tomatoes (juice and tomatoes) OR 1 1/2 pounds chopped fresh tomatoes (add 1/2 cup water if using fresh tomatoes)

Cook the meat in a good size skillet. Combine the above ingredients in with the meat and simmer until the rest of the ingredients are ready to start layering the lasagna.

2 eggs beaten (try to find the eggs that market that they have Omega 3 fatty acids)
3 cups low fat Ricotta or Cottage Cheese
2 tsp Sea Salt (optional)
Alfalfa/Broccoli Sprouts
1 cup Spinach chopped

Combine the above ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Using a casserole or cake pan or glass dish, begin layering the lasagna.
First Layer: Pasta
Second Layer: Cheese Mixture
Third Layer: Meat Sauce
Continue layers until just below the top of the dish
Sprinkle Mozzarella Cheese on top

Cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

This recipe is packed with natural sources of vitamin C as well as protein. If you find the eggs that have Omega 3 fatty acids in them then you will be feeding your brain and heart a special treat. Also, mozzarella cheese has almost 50% less fat then Cheddar or American cheese.
Summer Squash (zucchini and crookneck) are filled with great nutrients as well.

According to The World's Healthiest Foods website: "Summer squash is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C. It is also a very good source of magnesium, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, copper, folate, and phosphorus. In addition, summer squash is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, calcium, zinc, niacin, and protein."
Many of these nutrients are pain relieving nutrients as well as cell and tissue rebuilders.