6 Ways to Handle Carbohydrate Cravings When You Have Type 2 Diabetes

As you know, with type two diabetes, you always to need to focus on the amount of carbohydrates that you take in during the day.

We know right off the bat that we need to limit it. So things like cakes and cookies and candies and ice cream and all of those really yummy things probably need to go. In fact, they absolutely need to go! But do they all have to go at once?

You can probably step it down a little bit, but probably do it sooner rather than later, kind of a band-aid ripping off approach. Then there's things like breads and pasta and stuff like that. Things that really taste good, really tough to just stay away from.

But the question for you is: How important is it for you to control your blood sugar?

Hopefully the answer to that is it's really important.

So when you are dialing down those foods or eliminating them completely, oftentimes you're going to have cravings for them.  We're wired for sugar, it tastes good, it feels good. So it's going to be a bit of a challenge, shall we say, to eliminate them or reduce them in your diet.  So here's six ways to handle your cravings:

1.  Make sure you eat three regular, good meals a day.  By that, I mean, meals that are moderate to low in carbohydrate and the right kind of carbohydrates like vegetables and beans and lentils and whole grains and things like that.

Make sure you get enough protein. Protein is going to be very important as well as fat. Anything that you can add that's good fat, like olive oil, Walnut oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, all of those are really good oils. Of course, if you have a nut allergy, stay away from nut oils.  You want to make sure you have an adequate amount in your diet. I know that fat gives you more calories than carbohydrate and protein, but it does two things. It gives you flavor and it gives you satiety so you feel full longer. That's number one.

2.  When you're feeling hungry, drink water.  You could very easily be dehydrated. So drink water first and then see how you feel. If you still feel hungry, then you can decide, am I hungry? if so, then maybe you should go eat something.

3. Go for a walk. Get up from your desk, get up from your chair, whatever you're doing and go for a 10 minute walk. You can go outside, walk around the block, walk around your house, walk around the building, whatever it takes to kind of break the thoughts about food.

4. Ask yourself, why are you looking for food?

Is it because you're hungry? Or is it because you're bored? A lot of people eat out of boredom and they're not aware of it. They just automatically reach into the fridge or go find something to eat because they're either looking for a distraction.

I suggest making a little project box that are has some things in it that you can do for 10 or 15 minutes that will fill that gap between the project you just finished and the one you're about to start. Or to take that break you need for a little bit of distraction. I like to do the jumble puzzles. I have a daily calendar that has a new puzzle. I just take that out and work that for five or 10 minutes and it satisfies me. Then I can move on with the work I need to do.

5.  Keep snacks with you.

So I'm talking about nuts and seeds, perhaps some sliced vegetables with nut butter on them. You might have a piece or two of fruit, but be cautious because fruit has, in addition to the fiber and the vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates. So you want to be careful and definitely stay away from dried fruit. It is concentrated sugar.

6.  If you're in a situation at work, somebody just brought in pizza or is celebrating a birthday, or if there's a big meeting and there's croissants and pastries everywhere, try to walk away from the temptation, maybe go back to your desk or go somewhere else or have your own food that you can eat so that you can participate in whatever you're doing, but not necessarily with the food. I know that's not easy, but it's something to try.

We're going to talk more about cravings and how to handle them in our next talk.

If you have a question about your diabetes, I would be happy to work with you. If you want to take advantage of a free health chat, you can get on my calendar and we can talk for 20 minutes or so, and I'll see how I can help you. Click here to schedule.

Thank you so much for listening.

Dr. Elaine

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.