![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.4hourlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/How-to-Control-Slow-Carb-Sugar-Cravings-4-Hour-Body.jpg\")
<\/a>You know you’re in a war, right?<\/p>\nIt is you versus your sugar cravings, and sugar is\u00a0both armed and extremely dangerous.<\/p>\n
After a few months on the slow carb diet, you will start to build some leverage against sugar, but early on it is a dog eat dog world.<\/p>\n
So how do you win the fight?<\/p>\n
In a recent episode of The Tim Ferriss Show<\/a> while interviewing Naval Ravikant of AngelList<\/a> Tim broke away from the conversation and introduced two novel ways to cut back on sugar cravings while on the slow carb diet.<\/p>\n Here is the audio excerpt from the show:<\/p>\n\n You can\u00a0download the audio file here<\/a>.<\/p>\n As Tim points out:<\/p>\n “With sugar craving for people who wish to cut back on simple sugars. Two things are surprisingly effective for combating sugar cravings particularly if you have just gone onto a slow carb<\/a>, low carb, paleo or ketogenic diet<\/a>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I assume most of you know what sodium is, but what exactly are “branch chain amino acids?” Are they safe, effective and how do you go about implementing this into your already packed slow carb supplement routine<\/a>?<\/p>\n BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids, are among three of the nine essential amino acids for humans. Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot synthesize on its own and must get adequate amounts of through dietary sources.<\/p>\n BCAA’s comprise about 35% of the amino acids within muscle tissue. They are isoleucine, leucine, and valine.<\/strong><\/p>\n The name “branched-chain amino acids” comes from the structure of these compounds. They are the only amino acids that are not degraded in the liver, meaning they head directly into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n Part of what makes the BCAAs so special is how the body handles them. Typically, when you ingest amino acids\u2014either individually or as a whole protein\u2014they first travel to the liver. Here, the liver either breaks them down to use as fuel or directs them toward building and repairing muscle and other tissues.<\/p>\n BCAAs, on the other hand, tend to be spared by the liver and get sent directly to the muscles, so that the muscle can use the BCAAs directly for fuel or to build and repair itself.<\/strong><\/p>\n The more intense and the longer your workout, the more BCAAs will be used for fuel. So you can see how taking a dose of BCAAs before workouts can help you sustain your energy during a workout and train with more intensity from start to finish. You may not feel them in the same way as a pre-workout supplement, but first-time users often report that they BCAAs make their workout feel more pleasant and manageable.<\/p>\n A study from 2011 published in the journal of sports medicine and physical fitness<\/a> concluded that “BCAA supplementation increases resistance to fatigue and enhances lipid oxidation during exercise in glycogen-depleted subjects.”<\/p>\n Another study from the Journal of Nutrition<\/a> in 2006 stated: “The results obtained in this preliminary study indicate that the ingestion of 5 g of BCAAs before exercise can reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and muscle fatigue for several days after exercise.”<\/p>\n Now that we have seen how taking BCCA’s can help with muscle growth and fatigue how about sugar cravings, which was the original topic of this post?<\/p>\n As Tim points out: “when you take a few grams of branch chain amino acids your liver will convert a small amount of that to glucose. You can get that glucose hit without having to digest carbs.”<\/p>\n Not to mention, you can continue to supplement with PAGG<\/a> without the worry of problematic interactions.<\/p>\n There is no hard and fast rule here. \u00a0BCCA is sold in both tablet and powder form<\/a>. In order to obtain a 5-10 gram dose pre-workout you would need to use a powder supplement. \u00a0Optimum Nutrition<\/a> makes a decent product which can be added to any liquid. You can simply add a teaspoon as you see fit. Again, this\u00a0can be dosed with or without an intent to exercise.<\/p>\nTwo Ways to Cut Back and Eliminate Sugar Cravings While on the Slow Carb Diet<\/h3>\n
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Advantages of BCAAs:<\/h3>\n
This gives BCAAs a two-pronged relevance to athletic training.<\/h3>\n
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How BCCA’s can Curb Sugar Cravings<\/h3>\n
How to dose Branch Chain Amino Acids while on The Slow-Carb Diet<\/h3>\n