It is very difficult to deal with the cravings for carbohydrate foods, because we are so used to them. There is a deeper reason to carbohydrate cravings than simply willpower. Dr. Atkins’ book mentions that carbohydrates can produce a surge of insulin the body, which can increase the blood sugar level. This causes people to crave more for carbohydrates. That is also one of the reasons why the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet becomes difficult for some people.

Carbohydrate cravings can make their presence felt in a number of ways. The most common way is to feel a very strong desire to put some carbohydrate foods in the mouth. When you do that, you will feel like eating more and more of the carbohydrate foods, especially the snacks that contain carbohydrates. This might cause a weight gain, and the Atkins program would become ineffective.

One more reason why it is difficult to overcome the carbohydrate cravings is that they are present everywhere around us. When you eat one of these high sugar or starchy foods, the cravings will only increase for more of them. The addiction to carbohydrates is much like an addiction to drugs. When high levels of carbohydrates are introduced into the body, high levels of serotonin are produced in the brain, which is the same chemical found in most antidepressants. That is the reason people might find themselves addicted to carbohydrates.

Most people consume carbohydrates as an answer to their tension and stress pangs. When in mental stress, people tend to eat more carbohydrates, because the adrenal gland creates more of the hormone cortisol when the brain is overtaxed. Cortisol can create cravings for carbohydrates.

All these factors do make it seem impossible that a person can live on a low-carbohydrate diet. The Atkins diet is one of the best ways to break this carbohydrate addiction, and live in a healthier way.

Even people on the Atkins diet will find themselves subject to several carbohydrate cravings, and this is more severe during the initial phases of the diet. Having small snacks containing protein several times throughout the day can definitely help to come over these pangs. But it is not good to skip meals, because that can increase a craving for carbohydrate containing foods.

The mainstays of the Atkins diet are proteins and fats. They provide the necessary energy in the body. Fats must be consumed in proper amounts. Some fats, like those present in omega 3 fish oil supplements are good for mitigating the desire for carbohydrate foods.

Some food cravings can cause dehydration. That is why it is important to keep consuming water intermittently. Most times, when you have water, you will find the craving gone.

It is important to break the addiction to carbohydrates if you want the Atkins diet to succeed. The cravings will happen, and they are only too normal, because our body is much too used to consuming carbohydrates. But the cravings should not last for more than a couple of weeks. It is necessary to overcome these urges and stay on the plan to see the results.

Darren Williger is a guitar playing, tea drinking, meditating, low carbohydrate eating, wine making sales maker who writes for MyLowCarbPages.com, and MindSatori.com.

It is very easy to cut down on the amounts of carbohydrates you consume when you check out the list of the acceptable proteins and vegetables in the Atkins list. But the Atkins diet is too different from the normal manner of our eating, and that is the reason why it will take some getting used to. American food is generally about carbohydrates, and that extends even to the snacks. The Atkins diet is too deviated from this kind of eating. Using some substitutes for the carbohydrate foods might stave off this situation though.

Sugar substitutes are the most important in this list. Now, sugar substitutes can be both good as well as bad, depending on the constitution of your body. Aspartame and Splenda may not be good for everyone. But they can be used in preparing low carbohydrate snacks. These can be used in making sweet snacks without actually having any carbohydrates in them. There is criticism, though. Some people find that they crave for real carbohydrates much more after having these artificial sweeteners. If you find that is happening with you, you will need to eliminate them from your diet completely.

One more difficult food to give up is bread. Bread is almost a staple food, a primary food, which people cannot do without. There are low carbohydrate breads available in the market, but more often than not, they will contain masked carbohydrates in them and some other stuff that you can certainly do without. If you have the time and the inclination, you can check out a recipe for making low carbohydrate bread yourself. That way, you can be sure what you are putting into the bread.

Pasta follows the list of common carbohydrates that people consume. Pasta is a favorite food for many people, but the thing that makes pastas delicious are the toppings that go with it. The toppings could be meat, vegetables or cheese, but people on the Atkins diet could also do well if they use squash as a substitute for the pasta. Spaghetti squash is a recommended option. It is a yellow gourd and makes a good replacement for pasta. Another option is zucchini. You can replace noodles with lasagna made with large pieces of eggplant. Since the meats and cheeses used are all low carbohydrate, they fit in well with the Atkins requisites.

Finding a substitute for rice becomes a bit difficult. Some people would use cauliflower, which is chopped into small pieces in a food processor. These are then cooked in a microwave without any water. They become like rice, and can be used in all kinds of rice dishes.

You can also substitute potatoes with cauliflowers. You will have to puree the cauliflower till it is smooth and resembles mashed potatoes in texture. Then add the topping you prefer, and you have something that looks like potatoes, but doesn’t have those harmful carbohydrates in it.

If you love pizzas, there’s no need to sacrifice them when you are on the Atkins diet too. You can make some Atkins permissible pizzas at home. Use low carbohydrates tortillas to make the crust, or you can use Portobello mushrooms to make the crust.

These are great substitutes for the normal carbohydrates foods that we eat. They look good, taste good and fit in with the Atkins plan.

Darren Williger is a guitar playing, tea drinking, meditating, low carbohydrate eating, wine making sales maker who writes for MyLowCarbPages.com, and MindSatori.com.

You can never know which foods contain sugars and which do not. In fact, most of the whole grain breads that we so commonly consume contain some form of the sugar or another. The consumption of sugar is quite predominant on a national scale in America. People who do not eat blatantly sugary foods like sweets might still feel a craving for sugars when they are on the Atkins diet. Most of the foods that seem to be healthy carbohydrate foods actually have sugar present in them. That is the reason why when you go on an Atkins diet, you feel something like withdrawal symptoms for them.

Sugar is deeply related with the energy levels of the body and hence the overall wellbeing of the body through the bloodstream. That is why the cravings are felt when the sugar levels in the body go down. This is compounded by the fact that our normal diet consists of foods that are high in sugar. Concentrated sugars in the food will proportionately increase the sugar levels in the blood too. That is why organs like the pancreas get confused and might release excess insulin to combat this increased level. Too much of this happening can trigger the onset of a pre-diabetic condition in the body. The reason behind this is the excessive functioning of the pancreas due to which it can no longer function normally.

The Atkins diet can effectively stop this vicious circle. That said, it is necessary to add that the Atkins diet will not stop the cravings that you have on its own. We are so much used to sugar-rich foods that it becomes very difficult to come out of the desire for them.

Planning does help, though. The point is to strike a balance with the protein, fat and the fiber present in the diet so that the blood sugar does not fall to drastically low levels. It is also important not to starve for long periods. This can be achieved by healthy snacks. The snacks help to actually keep the blood sugar at proper levels. Snacks like boiled eggs, nuts, seeds and cheese are permitted in the Atkins diet. These help to fight the sugar craving without actually having to eat the sugar-rich foods.

Most times, when a person gets sugar cravings, it is indicative of a nutritional deficiency. A craving for chocolate might indicate a deficiency of magnesium. These can be controlled by multivitamin supplements, which are good for people on an Atkins diet. You can also supplement your diet with zinc and chromium.

Brushing teeth is a surprising way to fight off sugar cravings too. If your are on an Atkins diet and are getting the pangs for consuming some sugar-rich foods, then you can stave them off by using the Listerine breath strips or by simply brushing your teeth. These help to benumb your mouth. Another very simple method is to drink two glassfuls of water. Keeping a full stomach helps too.

The common tactic of keeping all the sugar foods out of your reach is also helpful. Do not reach out for your refrigerator when you get those sugar pangs; instead go out and take a walk. You will find that you can forget your desire for sugar when you do this. Enlist your friends’ support to help you overcoming the sugar pangs. There are also Atkins diet forums on the Internet that can support you.

Substituting what you crave for with a low carbohydrate version of it works well too. You will find yourself less desirous for that particular food by doing that. Today, there is a long list of low carbohydrate products on the store shelves that you can use – you have low carbohydrate chocolates, ice creams, candies and yogurts. You can use these to stay more faithful to the Atkins diet plan without sacrificing your sweet tooth.

People on the Atkins diet cannot avoid the cravings for sugar. But these methods can help you to stave them off and remain loyal to your diet and thus to your weight loss regimen.

Darren Williger is a guitar playing, tea drinking, meditating, low carbohydrate eating, wine making sales maker who writes for MyLowCarbPages.com, and MindSatori.com.