Carbohydrate Cravings as a Symptom of Depression. If winter weather triggers carbohydrate cravings, you're not alone. Many people snack more on carbohydrate- containing foods in winter, sometimes in an unconscious effort to boost their mood, says Judith Wurtman, Ph. D, a former scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co- author of The Serotonin Power. Diet. How can you tell if your seasonal carbohydrate cravings are in the normal range or a possible symptom of winter depression? Carbohydrate Cravings: What's Known? If you're on a weight loss diet that emphasizes boosting protein and cutting down extremely on carbohydrates, that might explain your craving, whatever the season, says Evelyn Tribole, RD, a dietitian in Newport Beach, Ca., and author of Healthy Homestyle Cooking. She's seen this kind of carbohydrate craving in dieters she counsels. Wurtman, Judith Wurtman has long researched carbohydrates and their link to depression. The Wurtmans published a landmark article about it in Scientific American in 1. What they have found: These . What do food cravings mean? Some nutritionists and healthcare providers believe that certain cravings are meaningful. For example, some experts think that craving. While many carb cravers are overweight or obese, others may control their weight by exercising more, eating less at meals, or turning to low- fat carbohydrate foods such as popcorn without butter. Carbohydrate cravers seem to unconsciously turn to the high- carb foods to boost mood. In another study, the Wurtmans found that carbohydrate cravers reported being less depressed after eating high- carb snack foods, while non- carb- cravers said they felt sleepy after eating them. When carb cravers eat the high- carb food, they feel better in about 2. Wurtman tells Web. MD. That's because when you eat carbohydrates, you make more serotonin, the . Ask yourself these three questions: Are the cravings seasonal? The carb cravings associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have ups and downs by season, says Wurtman. That turmoil might be depressed mood. What time of day are the cravings strongest? Carbohydrate cravers are most likely to experience them in the late afternoon and evening, Abramson says. That could be because the kinds of emotions that tend to contribute to cravings get worse as the day goes on, he says, especially if your depression is mild. You may be caught up in the hustle and bustle of work and family all day, and then, when things calm down, become bummed out, for instance, that your spouse is paying more attention to TV than to you, he says. Continued. Carbohydrate Cravings: The Brownie Fan. Consider the carbohydrate craver once counseled by Wurtman, whose cravings were clearly out of control. In the summer, the woman worked in an office all day and regularly walked for exercise after work. But as soon as the days grew shorter and the temperature dropped, the women told Wurtman she would go home and hole up, too tired to go anywhere. One evening, feeling more depressed than usual, she got a craving for a brownie from her favorite bakery, four blocks away. She bundled up and walked to the bakery to get some brownies. She would buy them many times a week during the winter, Wurtman recalls. That's the nature of the craving. Here's how: Time your eating to accommodate your cravings. Experts agree the carb cravings grow stronger as the day goes on. So eat as healthfully as possible at breakfast and lunch, focusing on protein- rich foods, Wurtman says. Focus on carbs that are .
Food and Diet - Diabetes Education: Vegetarian, low carb, cravings, honey, sweets, protein, whole grain foods, and more.Try soups and stews with plenty of carbs, such as potatoes, in the winter, Tribole says. Besides filling you up and satisfying the carb craving, it can help when you don't feel like cooking. Scientific American, January 1. Learn more about the healthy, delicious food choices available on the Jenny Craig weight loss plan! In 1993, Wilson reviewed the scientific research on binge eating and found the. If winter weather triggers carbohydrate cravings, you may be suffering from seasonal depression. National Alliance on Mental Illness: .
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