"And avoid the comfort eating "

Great advice, but not so easy to do. I gave up sugar long ago. I still love eating pasta. I convinced myself that it is okay to eat pasta if I drown it in hege amounts of garlic powder. I have now managed to stay away from pasta for a few days, but it is very difficult for me. My body doesn't like a low carb diet.

"Wurtman, director of the Program in Women's Health at the MIT Clinical Research Center, and colleagues have found that when you stop eating carbohydrates, your brain stops regulating serotonin, a chemical that elevates mood and suppresses appetite. And only carbohydrate consumption naturally stimulates production of serotonin.

"When serotonin is made and becomes active in your brain, its effect on your appetite is to make you feel full before your stomach is stuffed and stretched," said Wurtman. "Serotonin is crucial not only to control your appetite and stop you from overeating; it's essential to keep your moods regulated."

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/wurtman-0225.html