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One of our Journeys Metabolic members recently said: “I never knew there would be so much freedom in eating this way!” This was after she experienced a remarkable change in her hunger and cravings. She used to feel constantly hungry and obsessed with food. She felt like she had no control over her appetite and her weight. She felt like a prisoner of her own stomach.
But that all changed when she discovered low carbohydrate nutrition. She learned how to eat foods that nourished her body and satisfied her taste buds. She learned how to balance her blood sugar and hormones. She learned how to burn fat for fuel and feel energized. She learned how to free herself from hunger and cravings.
Does this sound too good to be true? It’s not. It’s based on science and proven by experience. In this blog post, I will explain how low carb nutrition can help you achieve the same freedom and well-being.
Let’s first understand that hunger and cravings are not your enemies. They are natural signals that tell you when and what to eat to stay alive and healthy. But what if these signals are distorted and misleading? What if they make you crave foods that harm you instead of nourish you? That’s what happens when you follow the typical western diet that is loaded with sugar and processed carbs. These foods deprive you of the nutrients you need and mess up your hormones that regulate your appetite and metabolism.
One of these hormones is leptin. Leptin is made by your fat cells and it sends a message to your brain’s hypothalamus to say: “I’m full. Stop eating!” But when you have too much fat in your body, your leptin levels are too high and your brain becomes resistant to it. This means that your brain does not get the message and keeps telling you to eat more. This is called leptin resistance and it is linked to obesity and many other diseases.
Another hormone that is affected by your diet is insulin. Insulin moves glucose (sugar) from your blood into your cells for energy. But when you eat too much sugar and carbs, your blood sugar levels spike and your insulin levels go up. This makes your cells less responsive to insulin and more likely to store fat. This is called insulin resistance and it can lead to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other health problems. Insulin resistance and leptin resistance often go hand in hand and create a vicious cycle that makes you gain weight and feel hungry all the time.
But there is hope. If you want to break the cycle and experience the freedom that low carb nutrition can offer, I invite you to try a Mediterranean low carbohydrate eating plan.
This is a way of eating that emphasizes plant-based foods, healthy fats, and moderate protein, while limiting sugars and starches. This way of eating can transform your metabolism and your hormones. By cutting down on carbs, you lower your blood sugar levels and your insulin needs. This makes your cells more sensitive to insulin and helps you overcome insulin resistance. This also allows your fat cells to release fat into your bloodstream, where it can be burned for energy by a hormone called lipase. This process also restores the communication between your fat cells and your brain. When your fat cells produce leptin, your brain hears the signal and tells you to stop eating when you are full. Our members who have followed this eating plan have reported amazing changes in their hunger and cravings. They say things like: “I no longer need the donut,” “I thought you were crazy, but I do crave salads,” and “Food is no longer the primary driving force to get me through the day.”
Low carb nutrition can also influence other hormones that affect your hunger and satiety. One of them is ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that is made in your stomach and small intestine. It is the one that makes you feel hungry, and also tells your cells to store fat instead of burning it. The problem is that when you go on a typical calorie-restricted diet, your ghrelin levels go up and make you feel hungrier and crave more food. This is why many people regain the weight they lost after they stop dieting. However, when you follow a low carb nutritional plan and enter ketosis, your ghrelin levels go down and make you feel less hungry and more satisfied. Ghrelin also plays a role in your reward pathways. It stimulates your brain’s amygdala to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good when you eat certain foods. This can lead to food cravings and addictions. When you eat less carbs and more fat, you reduce the effect of ghrelin on your reward pathways and break free from the cycle of emotional eating.
Another hormone that is important for your hunger and satiety is GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide). GLP-1 is produced in your small intestine and helps regulate your insulin function, slow down your digestion, and reduce your stomach acid production. All these actions help you feel full longer and eat less. Low carb nutrition can boost your GLP-1 levels and enhance its benefits for your appetite and metabolism. GLP-1 is so powerful that there are drugs that mimic its effects, such as Trulicity, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy. These drugs are used to treat diabetes and obesity. But why take a drug when you can achieve the same results with food? Eating a low carb diet that is rich in fiber and phytonutrients can naturally increase your GLP-1 levels and help you control your hunger hormones.
Imagine eating nutritious foods not because you have to, but because you want to. Imagine feeling free from guilt, fear, and regret. Imagine feeling satisfied, nourished, and energized. That’s the freedom of eating nutritious foods. And you can achieve it with the right science and strategy. Join me and others who are living this way, and say: “I never knew there would be so much freedom in eating this way!”
