5DPT Q&A: Quitting Carbs is Hard!

I have seen several online discussions lately about the difficulty of giving up a processed carb snacking habit. In response to that conversation I've pulled this article from our 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin archive. Transitioning our diet from simple carbs to processed carbs is not a simple matter of will power. There are powerful biological forces at work making this a difficult, but not impossible, endeavor. Read the article below.

For more FAQ's from our bulletin link here: 5DPT Bulletin January 2014

 

Q: Why can't I just quit carbs cold turkey without the 5DPT?

Blame it on your biology   

Have you ever had a particularly bad snacking day only to find yourself the next morning promising to give-up snacky-carbs for good, cold turkey, right now. And by noon that will-power is forgotten as you reach for the snack of choice. And then the self-blame begins: "Why am so weak? Why am I a failure? Why don't I have will-power?"  I've lived this scenario more times than I care to admit and I know I'm not alone.

But it turns out we aren't just a bunch of weak-bellied carb-addicts. There is a biological reason that motivates the reach for the snack: our body has become accustomed to digesting and using processed carbs as it's primary source of fuel. Withdrawing them cold turkey puts the metabolic process in panic and serotonin levels drop. "You may be powerless to resist baked goods, pasta, and their carb cousins," according to Wurtman and Marquis in "The Serotonin Power Diet. "The reason for this specific, very tough-to-ignore craving for carbohydrates is that your brain is forcing you to yearn for them so that it can produce serotonin."

With the 5 Day Pouch Test we methodically transition from fatty non-nutritional processed carbs to healthy complex carbohydrates found in grains, vegetables, and fruits. The body still produces serotonin from these carbs while benefiting from the healthy nutrients and fiber missing from processed carbs. While some cravings for carbs are experienced the biological trauma is not as severe as when processed carbs are withdrawn cold turkey without providing a similar replacement fuel.

For more FAQ's from our bulletin link here: 5DPT Bulletin January 2014