If you are caught up in the carb cravingyou already know how difficult it is to consume the right quantities of bread and pizza. Yet an exaggerated consumption of these foods particularly rich in sugars, even complex ones such asstarchincreases the risk of developing disorders, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. But because often the desire for bread and pizza becomes irresistible? «In most cases it depends on small mistakes that are made at the table, he explains Nicoletta Bocchino, nutritional biologist. «Often, for example, we exaggerate with the consumption of bread because it is brought to the table menus poor in nutrients capable of immediately giving satiety like vegetables and protein foods, including meat and fish. Another mistake we tend to make is to overdo it within the meal foods particularly rich in glucoseincluding sauces and gravies, which stimulate even more the desire to introduce sugar throughout the day”, explains the nutritionist, who here suggests what to do to appease the exaggerated desire for bread and pizza.

Against carb craving: the solutions

«The first thing to do at the table to counteract the exaggerated desire for bread and pizza is to ensure that blood sugar levels do not undergo too sudden changes which favor the excessive production of insulin, a hormone that stimulates the desire for sugar-rich foods, suggests the nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino. «First of all, you can choose a bread or pizza made with wholemeal flours, which thanks to their fiber content are assimilated more slowly and guarantee a greater sense of satiety. Then, to reduce the risk of consuming excessive quantities of bread and pizza, at the beginning of the meal you can eat foods that slow down the assimilation of sugars such as vegetables. «Before consuming pizza, for example, you can choose a mixed salad instead of the classic plate of chips, rich in starches which risk whetting your hunger even more and creating addiction.

Mistakes to avoid

If you’re craving bread and pizza, Also pay attention to the combinations that are done at the table. «For example, combine pasta with bread in the same meal increases the desire to consume sugars. Even savory foods, including pesto, broth preparations, ready-made sauces and cured meats, can often contain them”, explains the expert.

Another mistake that must be avoided to stay away from the exaggerated desire for pizza is pair it with beer, wine or carbonated drinks: their sugar content increases the desire to consume them in large quantities. «The easily assimilable sugars they are rich in increase the glycemic load of the meal and stimulate the production of insulin, the hunger hormone.