Practice makes perfect

Carb cravings.

There have been entire books written about this subject, but none of them ever went far enough. They all focused solely on weight loss, but taming your carb cravings can do much more for you than simply help you slim down. In fact, this may be your own personal “get out of diabetes free” card.

That’s right, craving carbs–in all their myriad, sneaky forms–is the second major warning sign that you’ve got prediabetes.

According to most studies, the most craved carbs include chocolate, chips, and French fries. No surprise there. They probably rank right up there on your own list of cravings. And there’s a specific reason why.

They’re loaded with sugar, salt, and the unhealthy kinds of fat–three substances that taste so good, they actually affect the reward system of the brain, which makes you want them even more. And what happens next in the body is where things get dangerous…

Simple carbs–such as the sugar in milk chocolate, the white flour in bagels and pasta, and the starch in potatoes–break down very quickly, providing you with a fast hit of energy. But because your cells are overwhelmed by such a large supply of glucose, they essentially shut down and try to ignore all the glucose in your blood. So your pancreas has to overcompensate by releasing more and more insulin to handle the excess glucose.

When that happens, your blood sugar drops rapidly–and your energy levels plummet. A wave of fatigue washes over you and you have the overwhelming urge to take a nap. But that’s not usually convenient, so your body begins to crave another quick hit of energy to bring your blood sugar back up. Your brain becomes practically obsessed with this mission. And before you know it, you’re reaching for a pick-me-up: a soda, a handful of pretzels, another cookie (or three).

This is how you get hooked on foods that aren’t healthy for you. But even though a biologic reaction causes the behavior, you have the power to correct it so that you won’t gain weight or get diabetes.

In fact you can get over this carb-craving hurdle that trips up so many people for decades in just three days.

In my report Dr. Fred’s 3-Day Sugar Cure, I outline the 72-hour program step-by-step. Of course, like any addiction, giving up sugar and refined carbs (which your body regards as sugar) can be tough. But in my report I also offer some tips for getting over the hump and making it as simple and easy as possible.

In the meantime, if you find yourself craving a bag of chips, a cookie, or a soda, take a deep breath and make a conscious choice not to give in. Try a handful of nuts, some celery dipped in peanut butter, or a few slices of deli meat and some cheese instead. Any one of these will keep you feeling satisfied far longer that what you were originally craving.

And remember, practice makes perfect. Developing new habits isn’t easy, but I will be here to help you every step of the way.