I meet so many people who are just starting their Brian Warrior journey, and a lot of them readily admit that they crave carbohydrates—typically the high-glycemic refined kind, such as cookies, bread, and pasta. Getting over carb cravings is one of the first major steps to enhancing the health of your brain and body.
Refined carbs lack nutrients and are low in fiber, and they sabotage your health in numerous ways, including:
- Spike your blood sugar, followed by a crash
- Cause insulin resistance
- Trigger inflammation
- Are highly addictive
These junk carbs work on the neurotransmitters in the brain to keep you coming back for more even though you know they aren’t good for you. For example, they raise serotonin levels and increase feelings of well-being, especially in people who are naturally low in serotonin. To put it simply, eating simple carbs keeps you addicted to simple carbs!
Healthy Carbs for Life
However, carbohydrates are not the enemy. They are essential to life, and I do not recommend eliminating all carbs from your diet. Low-glycemic complex carbs, which are found in unprocessed plant foods such as vegetables, boost your health in the following ways:
- Improve blood sugar regulation
- Promote healthy insulin function
- Fight inflammation
- High in fiber
- Chock-full of enzymes and nutrients
In addition, low-glycemic complex carbs are not addictive., so you can eat them without the temptation to overeat them.
My Favorite Carbs
Some of my favorite complex carbs, which I recommend to Brain Warriors, are sweet potatoes. They can be a wonderful addition to the diet for most people as they are very high in beta-carotene, manganese, b-vitamins, vitamin C, and fiber, and have been found to improve blood sugar regulation. Other carbs that fuel your brain and body include yams, pumpkin, and butternut squash, in addition to many veggies (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus) and fruits (think blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries).
If you want to make the switch to healthier complex carbs, try these nutrient-dense substitutes for some of your favorite high-glycemic carbs, like “Easy Squash Pasta” and “Sensible Sweet Potato Mash”—free recipes you can find on my website.
If you’re having a hard time making the switch from refined carbs to complex carbs, Craving Control can help boost your willpower. Want 21% off? Enter TANA21 at checkout. It’s that easy!
