The Dr. Lam Show
The Dr. Lam Show
How to Curb Your Sugar Cravings with Amy White
Are you constantly hangry or on the verge of prediabetes or diabetes and have no idea what type of diet you should be on? This episode with Amy White, a holistic nutritionist will go through what is the best way to eat to help you control your hypoglycemia and lose weight healthily.
3:30 - Food is information
5:20 - Cause of Sugar cravings and reactive hypoglycemia
6:20 - Don't eat carbs and fats together
10:24 - How to deal with sugar cravings
11:00 - Food Policy changes
14:00 - Substitutions
17:20 - How fast can people lose weight on a low-carb diet
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Welcome to The Dr. Lam Show. I'm Dr. Carrie Lam, and I have Amy White here with me. We're going to talk about insulin resistance, how to stop your sugar cravings and how to go from pre diabetes to not having diabetes. This means we will be talking about metabolic nutrition. Amy is a Board Certified holistic nutritionist and functional nutrition lifestyle practitioner,. She's worked as a nutritionist for over 12 years, including health and weight loss coach. During this time, she's really come to understand that most health and body weight issues are actually due to communication problem. Once proper communication with the body is restored, excellent health and happy body weight can be achieved natural result of living and enjoying everyday life. So welcome, Amy. We are so glad to have you here.
Amy White:Thank you. It's my pleasure. I'm excited.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:It's awesome to talk to like minded people, and I do see you do holistic nutrition, which is something that we've really done for a long time. I like to always ask our guests, how they came to this path of doing integrated functional medicine?
Amy White:I got into the nutrition world in my early 40s and before that I didnt know much, I didn't even know who a nutritionist was until my daughter had some gut issues. We navigated that ourselves, going down this rabbit hole, and I, read everything I could. Finally I said to my husband, that I have to go back to school, because I need to know everything. There's never any way to know everything, but you just keep learning. It's been great because now my daughter and my grandkids are all very healthy. It was an interesting moment in time for me because in my late 30s when I reached that point in my life as my kids were older and I felt I don't recognize myself anymore. I didn't feel good and didn't know what's happening. I was not fun to be around, was emotional and moody. During my nutrition degree, I realized how food impacts the body and what had been going on with my body and why I felt so horrible in my late 30s and early 40s. I was able to shift that for myself and now in my mid 50s I am way healthier, and happier and probably more fun to be around. I've seen people in their late 30s who have said to me, I know my best years are behind me, but I just don't want it to get worse. It doesn't have to be that way. You have to kind of know what to how to help your own body.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:How did you come out of it and how do you help?
Amy White:As you mentioned that whole communication problem. I always say you have to think of your body as an obedient three year old. They take everything very literally. The food is information. So what you're feeding your body, what you're eating is telling your body very specific things. So even though I thought I was eating well, and I was eating all the right things and doing all the right stuff, my body was getting this message that I needed to conserve energy, feel tired, sit still,. It's giving my body all these signals to hold on to that. Make sure you eat every hour and a half to two hours. That's what the food I was eating was telling my body and I was eating healthy food. I always have loved vegetables, tons of fruit, tons of grains. I was snacking on granola bars and rice cakes and all these foods that convert very quickly to sugar in your body. And, if you are just primarily running on sugar as your fuel source, you're gonna be in a situation where you're not going to be able to really burn body fat and you're going to have these highs and lows. So that would be where the mood swings and the energy crash is coming from. Sleep is pretty lousy. And you're constantly hungry. So that is what was going on. You know, I had to kind of switch it up and understand well, what foods are going to actually make me feel full? Which foods are going to make sure I have lots of energy all day? How am I going to sleep better? And that's what I figured out.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:That's very common in people that we talk to you. The sugar cravings, or the feeling hungry, we call it reactive hypoglycemia. Every two hours, they feel like they have to eat. We tell them that vegetables are great but sugar like the carbs, spike your insulin. And when you spike your insulin, that's what makes you have a sugar crash, because the insulin actually draws all the sugar into your cells really quickly, making you hungry again. So that biochemistry of your body is saying I'm hungry is basically because you have a sugar crash from eating too much sugar. Does that mean eating the sugar with some protein, avoiding sugar, including complex carbs, or vegetables, can burn through really quickly, or take protein or good fats? What do you recommend?
Amy White:So I never want to see carbs and fats together. So it's very interesting, I've really transitioned. For a long time, I followed a paleo diet, and then low carb, and then I did keto. I look at dietary principles as this spectrum and you can slide around on the spectrum. Now, if you're somebody who's dealing with chronically high insulin levels, so pre diabetic, maybe a type two diabetic, then I am going to look at this spectrum of dietary principles. And based on what's going on with you, I'm gonna want to start over here. So this is somebody who I would start over at keto or low carb, because we have to bring those blood sugars down, and manage that insulin. Now, that doesn't mean that you can't slide on this scale, once you get healthy, reach your body and health goals. Because maybe they have a weight loss goal as well, you know, maybe it's not just lab markers and how they're feeling. Maybe they also want to change their body composition. So there's other things going on there. And I also find that it depends on how long somebody has been insulin resistant, how long they've been pre diabetic or been type two diabetic. Sometimes, you know, if it's been a long enough time, you don't have a lot of wiggle room on that scale, you may actually have to manage those sugars always and keep that carbohydrate level pretty low. But other people can, you know, once they get healthy, there, you have some, some play. So I've actually gotten to a place where I am very much a proponent of protein, especially as women age, even men, people do not eat enough protein. So I like to have a protein target and then once my clients get healthy, and we're done with the sugar cravings. First things first, you have to manage the sugar cravings.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:yes.
Amy White:Once that's taken care of, then I like to look at carbohydrates and fats on a seesaw. Some people feel more satisfied and comfortable with more fat in their diet, in which case, then we'd have those carbohydrates lower, other people are going to feel a little bit better with more carbohydrate, and a little bit lower fat. So, it is not a blanket rule but a personalized one. And also it varies from day to day, sometimes, you know, I'll wake up and I'll just know it's gonna be a higher fat day as I am craving bacon, and other days I just want an apple or a salad. And so that's more of a higher carb day, in my opinion. Naturally, if you're eating higher carbohydrates, those are generally low fat foods. So when it comes to carbohydrates, and fats, you got to think of them on a seesaw. So typically, higher fat foods are generally low in carbohydrate and higher carbohydrate foods are generally low in fat. So what you don't want to do is take a high carb day where you're adding some sweet potato and or some squash or, extra fruit and then add lots of fat on top of it. So you don't want to have boiled red potatoes, with a bunch of butter and sour cream. These boiled red potato is so sweet all by itself, it doesn't need all that extra fat. This is something that I play around with clients where you can prioritize protein. So protein is the target and we play around with those carbs and fats in the second stage where we focus on balancing metabolic hormones. So, first, where's your blood sugar and insulin? Where are those sugar cravings? Because that's going to be the bigger indication.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Yeah, kind of what's going on? And how would you say you bounce people's sugar cravings or help them deal with a sugar craving?
Amy White:It's not a quick fix, it's more of I have to be willing to go there. So, you know, sure. I can throw food list or recipes at them, I can say eat this, here's a menu plan. But you know what, that's not really what's going to work for people. They need to understand what's going to work for them. So I like to really start with small little steps, like, call it food policy changes. So what are some of the things that you do that are kind of working against you and I can use myself as an example. I overeat. I eat the right food, but I eat a lot of it. I have little food sort of scripts, that without realizing it caused me to do that. And one of those scripts would be, oh, if I sit down in front of the television with food, I'm going to eat way more than I normally would, because I'm not thinking about it. So I read together my newest food policy, which is no food in front of the television. So I take my dinner, I sit at the table, I eat dinner, and then I can go watch TV, but no snacks, no food in front of the television. And that little tiny thing right there, you know, helps me not overeat. So stuff like that.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Right? mindful eating,
Amy White:Mindful for a second, I just created a food policy, so that I could be mindless, right. So I can just eat without having to think did I overeat? Well, no, in this instance, I'm not overeating. Because I'm not done. I've set my boundaries. So I'd like to get to mindless, but let's make as many automatic actions as we can. So they're simple. For people wanting to get off sugars, I ask, what can we use for? How do we swap? How can we use different types of sweeteners, different types of flour. What can we do to convert recipes that you like that will work. So now they're going to work better for your body.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Substitutions?
Amy White:The more we can do that fast, you kind of come off a sugar high in those cravings. And then all of a sudden, everything gets way easier. Because you're not hunting down that kind of food anymore. And you're feeling better about, eating more protein and more of the veggies etc.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:What are some most common substitutions that people really love?
Amy White:I have a treat, don't cheat guide for desserts. So I think my treat, don't cheat guide has six different desserts. And so in there, you learn what an alternative sweetener is, what alternative flours are, what does that mean? So instead of using regular white flour, you're going to use almond flour, or coconut flour, or my new favorite is using even a protein flour, like a whey protein. That is one of people's favorites, as I hate this idea of deprivation. I don't want you to feel like you're suffering. If you need to have dessert, let's make dessert work for you, as opposed to creating sugar cravings that are going to chase you for days or weeks.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Yes, a lot of times in functional medicine, we talk about eliminating, but I like how you are mentioning that eliminating is very hard. You want to create a habit and you want it to be mindless, so that you do it all the time. And the best way to actually be creating positive habits.
Amy White:Exactly. But it's so funny because that elimination thing is a big deal. But you can never say I don't want you to go out with those guys because I don't want you to eat grains. I'm going to be like okay, we're not going to eat grains but we're gonna eat this stuff instead. So there are options. One of the things that I share is one of my favorite recipes is my high protein lasagna. There's no noodles in it, but you use a high quality deli meat so either turkey or chicken mainly sliced as the noodles and then the rest is the same. I have never shared that recipe to people who haven't asked me for it, but it is so delicious and filling. And without the noodles you don't get a bellyache after you eat it and reach food coma,.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:That's great. Where can people find these recipes?
Amy White:So, the name of my company is the simplicity of wellness. So that's my website. If you go to my website, it will take you right into my free mini course. It's a five day health and nutrition course, where get into some of these concepts about creating, like a super simple habit, and understanding how your body uses fuel. So this is the initial process. The first thing I ask people to do always is to understand their why. I don't like doing this internal work myself but it's so important, because there's this idea of conflicting priorities. So the people that are struggling to make change, there's something else that you're really liking about the status quo that you're not recognizing. So you have conflicting priorities. I take you through this whole process of trying to identify, do you have conflicting priorities? What else is it that you really like that's holding you back from making change? And kind of trying to figure that out? It's interesting and important. If you're somebody who's struggling to actually make a shift. Yes, there's something holding you in place.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:And a lot of times, people think that they're already on the best diets, like you said, you're eating a lot of vegetables, and maybe the good fats, organic, but still, the weight won't come off. There's something else underlying that we usually go through. Whether it's the hormones, or whether it's the gut, and trying to make sure those are all doing well. And then the behavioral health, the mindfulness and what habits need to be changed is also important in dealing with total weight loss. Many people want to lose weight quickly and we know that is really not possible, but how fast do you see people actually lose weight if they switch to a low carb diet?
Amy White:Earlier we were talking about type two diabetes and pre diabetes. I run a group program called hangry, to healthy, and it's 12 weeks, because I've discovered working with one of my clients that 12 weeks tends to the time that really makes or gives people the ability to shift. Now, having said that, that doesn't mean you are dropping 20 pounds in 12 weeks, it means that you've now set yourself up for this long term achievement, but also maintenance. So what I see in 12 weeks, back to the pre diabetes is I have literally helped people go from having all the markers of type two diabetes in 12 weeks to perfect labs. So people come to me because their doctor wants to put them on Metformin. And they don't want to go on Metformin. And I'm like, Okay, so let's fix this. So your doctor doesn't feel like they need to, you know, pressure you about the Metformin. So that's typically what happens is they go back, they have their labs done, and their doctors, I will lose nothing to discuss because you're not pre diabetic anymore.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Yeah,
Amy White:And about the weight loss. In my 12 week program, I just talked to one of my clients the other day, she's down 15 pounds. And then another woman who's just coming on her one year anniversary, is down 55 pounds. So it just depends on the person but, a lot of people actually come to me who wants to lose maybe 10 pounds. And I do kind of refer to that a little bit as vanity weight. Right? Other people don't see it, but we feel it and it doesn't feel good. And when you're kind of in that vanity weight place, your body is actually very happy with everything. You can be incredibly healthy, your labs look amazing, you just maybe feel like you could look and feel better. And in that case, sometimes you have to be a little bit stricter. You're gonna have to track what you're eating, do little counting with your kitchen scale, you know things like that. If you're motivated and you don't have a conflicting priority, it can happen and it will work. But it's just so everybody's a little different. So but again, I'm not gonna lose 10 pounds in a month. I don't actually want to work with you, if that's your goal.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Your plan is not a quick weight loss plan but this is about lifestyle changes to make your insights healthy right? And to be able to do it at the root cause. So we're so thankful to have you here Amy White as we have learned a lot about how to go from hangry to healthy and how to stop your sugar cravings and how to reverse pre diabetes. So if you have liked the show, please like and subscribe and share and stay tuned for our next show on The Dr. Lam Show. Thank you.
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