Have you blown your diet recently?

Did you you blow your diet and quit eating only healthy foods, because you were set off in any number of ways? For instance:

• Did you endure a heartbreaking or stressful time such as the death of a loved one?
• Did you go through the painful breakup of your marriage or long-term relationship?
• Did you survive another painful scenario?
• Or were you simply tired, wired and tempted when you were out the Junk-Foods Jungle™, as I call it?

Those are only a few of the reasons you may have blown your diet.

In fact, you may have had one or more of 22 different reasons you blew your diet. So I’ve discovered while working on my next book, I blew my diet! Now what?

Whatever your reasons, you’re really disappointed in yourself.

“I blew my diet,” you inwardly groan or wail to your honey, colleagues or friends.

Of course, just about all of us—especially us females—totally get it.

That’s because every day, around the world, millions of people just like you are blowing their diets.

You’re overeating junk foods with refined white sugar, white flour, salt, unhealthy fats, and other sweeteners.

But shoving those unhealthy processed candies, chips, soft drinks, etc. into your mouth leads to disastrous consequences:

• First, you’re filled with guilt, remorse or self-loathing.
• You quickly pack on pounds.
• And then, over time, health hazards such as cancer, heart disease or type 2 diabetes hit you hard.

How do you stop your downward spiral?

Soon, it’ll be time to take back your power.

Right now, I’m hard at work to complete my next book, I blew my diet! Now what?

In it, I help you to Rebound After Relapse.

I’ll share more about the book later, but briefly let me tell you how this book came to be.

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Tired of having aggravating cravings for processed, sugary, salty, fatty sort-of foods or processed carbs? To get to the other side of your huge cravings, the first thing you need to do is listen to them, because your cravings can be your teachers.

You may be thinking, “Huh? Why would I want to listen to my cravings? They’ve only taken me down a dark path to bingeing desserts and processed carbs.”

But here’s the thing: To get to the other side of your cravings, you need to give them both the respect and attention that they deserve.

Here’s what’s interesting about cravings. They’re often smart—that is, if they’re not activated by environmental cues such as a brightly lit, enticing fast food restaurant, donut shop or fresh popcorn at the movie theater.

These days, I’ve come to respect my cravings now that my unhealthy cravings for processed carbs have vanished. (My sugar cravings have been long gone.)

Nowadays, the cravings I get are healthy so I listen to them. And that’s what I want for you, too. For instance:

• Sometimes I eat at strange times. For instance, today, I craved a lunch-like snack at 10 am. (My body evidently needed lunch early.)
• Then, from time to time, when I’m at Whole Foods, I crave Mom’s Chicken Soup—that’s actually the name—but I want no other foods. No salads. No vegetables. All I want is the soup. (I’ve come to respect this craving which I’ve gotten a lot since losing my mother. Clearly, this is a huge emotional craving, which strike around various holidays or birthdays.)
• In addition, sometimes I really crave free-range, organic meats. Or I may crave the reverse—I want is a nutritious vegetarian shake with half an avocado, protein powder, chia seeds, carob powder, cinnamon and no fruits. (That was my strange dinner tonight. Well, that and a sugar-free turkey stick.)

So here are 3 Easy Ways to Listen to Your Cravings and to determine if they’re unhealthy or healthy.

1. First, when you get a craving, ask yourself: “Is this a real bodily craving or an unhealthy, environmentally activated craving?” If it’s the former, then you can act on it. But often, especially if you’re out and about in our junk-food jungle, you’re just being triggered by seeing candies, cookies or chips, then you’re having an unhealthy craving.
2. Next, consider the consequences of acting on your cravings. Ask yourself, “Will eating this [fill in the name of the food] nourish and energize me or diminish and deplete me?” Then go a little further. Ask your inner guide, “Will eating those chips, crackers or candies make me angry or upset with myself?” You’re smart. You know exactly what will happen if you let your dangerous cravings rule you.
3. Now’s the time to act on your craving, but in a good way. Ask yourself, “What do I really crave?” Your inner guide is smart. It knows. So ask yourself, “Do I crave a walk outside near nature? Do I crave a conversation with a good friend? Do I crave sleep because I’m tired?”

See how your cravings can be your teachers?

Share your thoughts. Let me know how this worked for you.

Does your diet look like the question mark to your left or the one to your right?

Now, take a guess… What percentage of your diet do you think comes from processed breads, pizza, donuts, buns or chips?

So what’s your processed foods figure?

If you’re like most Americans, more than half of your diet comes from ultra-processed foods. So found a study in the peer-reviewed medical journal, BMJ during which 9317 were surveyed, more than half of people’s foods (57.9 percent) are “ultra-processed.”

The researchers, who were from the University of São Paulo in Brazil and Tufts University in Boston, defined “ultra-processed” foods as: “Industrial formulations of several ingredients, which besides salt, sugar, oils and fats, include substances not used in culinary preparations, in particular additives used to imitate sensorial qualities of minimally processed foods and their culinary preparations.”

What can you do when your cravings are making you want to gobble an entire package of cookies or crackers?”

“Delay, Distract & Detach to Crush Your Cravings.” – Connie Bennett, The Cravings Ninja

One of the most simple, but powerful strategies to prevent yourself from overeating, gaining weight and then regretting what you’ve done is to Delay, Distract and Detach.

Almost anyone (even your kids, under your guidance) can master this process. And always, an hour or two later and the next morning, you’ll feel so relieved that you didn’t cave into your cravings!

I first learned the magic of Delaying, Distracting and Detaching in 1998 when I kicked sweets and simple carbs on doctor’s orders. I used this remarkable technique again in 2012 when I got Crazy Cravings after the death of my mother. And to this day, I love this powerful process, because it’s so super-simple, effortless and darn effective.

Now discover 7 ways this Delay, Distract, Detach Strategy can become your remarkable ally to pull the plug on your cravings.

1. When that bag of cookies or chips calls out to you, first delay and distract for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes. Soon, you’ll be able to detach from your craving and realize that you really don’t want to stuff your face with cookies or chips; you’d much rather lose weight.
2. This easy technique allows you to temporarily ignore and then focus on what you’re really craving. Ask yourself: “Am I just thirsty? Do I need protein? Did I get enough fat today?”
3. Think about how doing nothing will make you powerful and in control. While you Delay, Distract and Detach, realize that you’re taking positive, health-promoting action by taking simple inaction.
4. Talk about a great time to do chores around the house or office! When you Delay and Distract for 5 to 15 minutes, you can Detach while you wash the dishes, hang up clothes in your closet or organize papers on your desk.
5. When a craving hits, instead of caving in, you can take some vital me time. Go for a brisk or stroll in nature or around the block. Talk to a co-worker or loved one. Or watch a fascinating 18-minute TED Talk. (Make sure no sugary, salty, fatty carb nibbles are on your desk.)
6. This simple Delay, Distract, Detach Process invites you to get in touch with your true feelings. What the heck is really going on that makes these quickie carbs so tantalizing to you? Are you stressed out, angry, nervous, hormonal or sad?
7. Remember that this easy simple Delay, Distract, Detach Process will help you take back your power and take pride in yourself within minutes! You’ll be so glad that you put off a short-lived, self-defeating, immediate gratification in favor of a long-term positive outcome. Trust me, it’s really exciting and exhilarating to feel in control of your cravings!

Now learn how to Delay, Distract and Detach.

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Millions of people are craving sweets and processed carbs and suffering from a blood sugar condition that just doesn’t get enough press.

I’m not talking about pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Rather, if you feel moody, tired, or confused, you may have low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.

The good news is that, unlike diabetes, in most cases, you don’t need insulin or other medication.

What’s so easy about hypoglycemia is that it’s very easy to manage, as I’ve discovered. (My condition is why I quit sugar in the first place.)

So, take a look at the list below to discover if you have any of these symptoms.

Which, if any, of these symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar do you have?

Exhaustion
Sudden fatigue
Nervousness
Anxiety
Irritability & moodiness
Waking up with a “hangover”
Weakness
Faintness
Headaches
Difficulty concentrating
The shakes (when hungry)
Mental confusion (“fog” on the brain)
Crying spells
Depression
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