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“This program is the closest thing
there is to a silver bullet for the treatment of obesity.”
 —Dr.
Fox |
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Carbohydrate Addiction
You Can Lose
Weight in Spite of an Addiction to Carbohydrates
As many as 75 percent of overweight individuals,
plus many normal-weight people, are addicted to carbohydrates. It
is difficult to lose weight while struggling with an addition to carbohydrates.
Doctors specializing in weight loss through diet, exercise and support
may prescribe medications (such as phentermine) to relieve carbohydrate
cravings. Eliminating the cravings, along with behavior modification,
allows people to shed unwanted pounds.
What Is Carb Addiction?
Carb addiction is a compelling craving or desire
for carbohydrate-rich foods. It's an escalating, recurring urge to
eat starches, snack foods, junk food, and/or sweets.
Causes of Carbohydrate Addiction
- Insulin Release: Many comfort
and convenience foods are high in sugar and refined starches.
Eating too many of these foods can result in high blood-sugar
levels and elevated insulin levels, which in turn fuel more cravings.
These high levels also result in increased levels of the brain
chemical serotonin, which acts like Prozac. In other words, people
eat sweets to get a sugar "high." The scientific term
for this is post-prandial reactive hyperinsulinemia which
means too much insulin is released after eating. Over time, the
high levels of insulin in the blood cause the cells in the muscles,
nervous systems, and organs to begin to close down. Insulin is
no longer able to open the doors to these cells and allow food
energy (blood sugar or glucose) to enter. As a result, the body
becomes insulin resistant.
- Stress: Another contributing factor
to overeating and craving sweets is stress. When a person is tense,
the adrenal gland produces more of the hormone cortisol, which
stimulates production of a brain chemical called neuropeptide
Y. That chemical acts as a carb-craving switch and also makes
the body retain any new body fat that is produced. In other words,
stress triggers the carb cravings in the first place and then
makes it harder to lose weight. Cortisol also stimulates insulin
which leads to blood-sugar dips and fat storage as well.
- Emotions: Often negative emotions
evoke the urge to eat "comfort foods" that are typically
rich in carbohydrates. These foods bring a temporary emotional
relief, but the relief is often short-lived There is the negative
side effect of long-term weight gain.
How Some Weight
Management Programs Eliminate Carb Addiction
Dr. S. Ross Fox prescribes
the time-tested, FDA-approved medication phentermine (Fastin) to control
carbohydrate cravings for his patients on the Foxkins Diamond Program
for Weight Management. Eliminating carb cravings removes a huge obstacle
to weight loss. It is one key to how quickly and easily his patients
shed excess pounds to reach a healthy weight.
To learn more about controlling carbohydrate addition schedule your
free, no-obligation, 30-minute consultation
with Dr. Fox. You will learn how you can get the support you need
to quickly and easily reach and maintain your ideal body weight.
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