How to Reverse Fatigue: Your 3-Step Plan to Feeling Awesome: Guest Post by By Yuri Elkaim

Note from Connie: Today, it’s my pleasuret to present a guest post from my colleague Yuri Elkaim, author of the new book, The All-Day Energy Diet.
Join Yuri and me tomorrow, when he joins my Gab with the Gurus Show to tell you how to get more consistent, steady energy. Remember, as with all of my shows, you can listen live or later.
600px_The-All-Day-Energy-Diet1 jpg speedilic ic Z0S9KqP__GHow to Reverse Fatigue by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, RHN
If you’re tired most of the time, then it means your body is crying for help. Low energy is a warning sign that something inside your body isn’t quite right.
Considering the amount of sickness and “overweightness” that has now engulfed our world, it’s no surprise that more and more, people are feeling exhausted.
What’s important for you to know is that when you improve your energy, you improve your health.
The most common question I get asked is, “Yuri, what’s the #1 thing I can do have more energy?”
Thankfully, the answer to that question is easy to answer. And it has nothing to do with shots of espresso or sugar-filled treats.
The secret to fatigue-proofing your body (and raising your overall level of health) boils down to optimizing what’s going on inside your body.
Yuri ElkaimLet me explain…
Each of us is at war, and we don’t even know it. The private war we each wage is a daily assault on our body by acid-forming foods such as alcohol, animal products, and refined sugars, as well as by bacteria, virus, fungus, yeasts, and molds.
We have entered what might be referred to as critical mass when it comes to this onslaught being waged against us by stronger and stronger killer bugs and poorer and poorer food choices.
Our immune systems are becoming weaker and over-taxed in this war. Even the medical profession’s first line of defense, the antibiotic, is becoming less and less effective against resistant new strains being created daily as the bacteria mutate.
Since Louis Pasteur discovered the germ theory of disease stating that germs are the cause of disease, time has corrected him. Even Dr. Pasteur himself noted in his dying words: “The germ is nothing, the environment is everything.”
The environment referred to in Dr. Pasteur’s statement is known as our biological terrain and refers to the health of our “internal” environment.
A major determinant of our internal health is the acid-alkaline balance within many of our body’s fluids, namely our blood.
Our blood is alkaline by design and acid by function – meaning that it produces acid as a function of metabolism. Maintaining proper alkalinity is therefore essential for life, health, and vitality.
Under ideal alkaline conditions, the red blood cells (RBCs) within our blood are able to deliver energy-producing oxygen to our cells. However, an imbalance of alkalinity creates a condition whereby our RBCs begin to clump together, making it more difficult for them to reach their ultimate destination and drop off that much needed oxygen to our cells.
And if your blood is sluggish, you will be, too.
Leading biochemists and medical physiologists have recognized pH (or the acid-alkaline balance) as the most important aspect of a healthy (and energized) body. They have long known that the maintenance of an alkaline pH in the tissues and cells is critical to our health.
For instance, Dr. Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize recipient, was the first to show that cancer cells cannot grow in alkaline environments.
Unfortunately, for most people, current lifestyle habits have created highly acidic bodies. The standard western diet is characterized by an overindulgence of all types of foods and drinks that disrupt our blood’s ideal pH balance. As a result, we feel less than ideal as we go through our days.
So how can you make your body (your blood really) more alkaline to stay healthy and energetic? Here are a few simple steps you can take immediately:
Eat and drink more greens. Green vegetables are the greatest source of alkaline minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and they deposit a large alkaline load in the body. They are pure energy, and they also give your body tremendous amounts of vital nutrients. The easiest way to benefit from their powers is to enjoy a fresh-pressed green juice or homemade smoothie at least once per day.
Limit your caffeine consumption. I know this might be tough, but caffeine is a huge contributor of acid and provides unnecessary stimulation in your body. Other than the quick “artificial jolt” that it produces, chronic reliance on this stimulant taxes your adrenal glands (which are needed to help you cope with stress) and wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels, both of which affect how you feel throughout the day.
Start your day with a glass of freshly squeezed lemon water. Lemon, although acid in nature, is alkaline-forming inside the body. It is also highly beneficial for cleansing your liver, the organ responsible for filtering toxins that circulate in the body. Happy liver, happy body.
Apply these simple steps and you’ll be well on your way to having more energy from the time you wake up until you call it a day.
Here’a one quick recipe to help you on your way:
Sprout Salad
Makes 2 servings
3 cups sprouts (broccoli sprouts, alfalfa, lentils, etc.) 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Splash of lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Combine sprouts and tomatoes in a bowl.
Whisk all other ingredients together. Combine vinaigrette with sprout mixture and serve.
Yuri Elkaim is a holistic nutritionist, fitness expert, and author of The All-Day Energy Diet. He is known for helping people enjoy all-day energy and amazing health in a very short period of time without radical diets or gimmicks. He’s on a mission to transform the lives of more than 10 million people by 2018. For more visit http://www.alldayenergydiet.com
Note from Connie: Remember to catch Yuri this week when he comes on my Gab with the Gurus Show to tell you how to get more consistent, steady energy. (As with all my Gab with the Gurus Shows, you can listen live or later.

Confessions of a Health Expert: Special Thanks to Sean Croxton

We’d like to hear from you. What is your Big Confession? It feels great to do! Join us! Together, let’s move on to create a glorious life. Talk to us now.
Last week, before heading out of town to hang out with some fellow health experts, I made what I consider My Big Carb Confession.
I finally came clean about how for months after my Mom passed away, when I was walloped by grief, anguish and symptoms of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), I quit walking my clean carbs talk.
What a relief it was to finally admit that I’d had a relapse! That freed me up to plunge into my big plans.
Indeed, admitting to you that I had flopped has now unleashed a new enthusiasm and excitement in me to serve you. In fact, not only am I back to eating cleanly (and have been for a year), but I’m also working on an exciting new book to help you Tame Your Cravings™.
In case you missed My Big Carb Confession, here’s a summary of what I shared:
After my mother died, for months, I did lots of what I now call Heartbreak Eating™ or Heartbreak Bingeing™ of refined carbs, as well as salty cheeses and oily nuts. (FYI, this wasn’t just emotional eating. Heartbreak Bingeing — which is fueled by colossal,gut-wrenching, profound pain caused by huge loss, abuse, or even betrayal — is far more intense, frenetic, and frantic than emotional eating.)
Although I cavorted with carbs in a big way — shoveling in movie popcorn, onion rings, and corn nuggets — I did, however, continue to steer clear of my old sugary favorites, which I’d quit in 1998, as I reveal in my books, Sugar Shock.and Beyond Sugar Shock.
My Heartbreak Eating had led me to pack on 20 extra pounds. .
What’s more, for months, due to the intensity and ferocity of my grief, PTSD, and anguish, I kept ignoring what I know well, which is that processed carbohydrates quickly convert to sugar in your bloodstream, which is why, for years I’ve been calling them quickie carbs, fast carbs, culprit carbs and much-like-sugar carbs.
In short, all those fast carbs I’d been inhaling had been sending me flying in and out of Sugar Shock, or more accurately, Carb Shock. Hence my many symptoms of depression (and how!), mood swings, crying spells (lots of them), insomnia, and big brain fog.
Of course, grief over the loss of a loved one is tough enough to face, but when you eat crappy carbs, you exacerbate your many ailments, which is what happened to me.
Anyhow, for about a year, I’ve been back to eating cleanly, thanks to lots of healing work and workshops, including grief counseling, therapy, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), energy work and many cool tactics, which I’ve created or discovered to help me confront those Crazy Carb Cravings™.
I’m also happy to report that I’m close to my weight loss goal. I’ve shed 18 of the 20 pounds I gained doing Heartbreak Eating, and I’m now working off the additional inches to get back to my previous slim, toned figure.
Making My Big Carb Confession.was a huge deal for me. I was embarrassed to admit that I fell offf the wagon and that I was no longer doing what I encourage others to do.
Sen Croxton UW For months, I’d been thinking about coming clean about my carb relapse.
That’s why I need and want to thank the amazing Sean Croxton, whose Confessoins of a Health Blogger post finally gave me courage to make My Big Carb Confession.
I urge you to get on Sean Croxton’s mailing list. Sean is a passionate health and fitness professional, who is dedicated to revolutionizng the way the world thinks about health.
His Underground Wellness videos and Underground Wellness Radio are quite popular, and I encourage you to listen to these exciting programs, where you can catch Sean interview such top names in health and fitness such as Paul Chek, Mark Sisson, Dr. Robert Lustig, Julia Ross, and Cynthia Pasquella..
Anyhow, thank you, Sean, for inspiring me to join you in making My Big Carb Confession.
We’d like to hear from you. What is your Big Confession? It feels great to do! Join us! Together, let’s move on to create a glorious life. Talk to us now.

Announcing “Beyond Sugar Shock.” Tweeter Wins Contest

Amazon Sug Sh 51RDZ7DBVAL._SL110_ Thanks to the many amazing people, who kindly submitted suggestions on this Sugar Shock Blog, on the Facebook Smart Habits Fans page and via email, my next book, the follow-up to Sugar Shock, now has a title.
Drum roll… I’m pleased to announce that my next book will be called Beyond Sugar Shock.
The subtitle is The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get a Slimmer, Sexier, Sweeter Life.
The winner of the Name My Next Book Contest is the innovative, kindTwitter user @RHfan58, Donna, who was sweet enough to tweet me five suggestions for the book title. (She suggested Beyond Sugar, but as far as I’m concerned, adding Shock to the title was a no-brainer. (Donna, please reply to my personal message on Twitter so I can give you your gifts.)
As I shared previously here and also here, Beyond Sugar Shock will provide a six-week, step-by-step program to help you escape from sugar shock. This book is designed to help you if you’re a sugar addict, overweight, obeseor plagued by headaches, headaches, depression, “brain fog, fatigue, low libido or severe PMS.Hay House images
Beyond Sugar Shock is coming to you, thanks to my new publisher, Hay House, which is the international leader in self-help and transformational publishing.
Let’s face it, kicking sugar can be tough to do even though you know that kicking it can help you to lose weight, get more energy, boost your libido, prevent or reverse diabetes and live longer.
Therefore, in Beyond Sugar Shock, you’ll get valuable tools and tips that will make letting go of your sugar addiction simple – and even fun. In it:
* You’ll get a mind/body/spirit approach to breaking free.
* You’ll undertake simple, interactive adventurcises™ (my word for adventurous exercises), which will drive you to important self-discoveries..
* You’ll get several dozen ways to stomp out your sugar cravings.
* You’ll discover your sugar color code. (Yes, we’re all different in our relationship with sweets, and this knowledge will empower you to make the right choices for you.)
* You’ll detox gradually so that your body, mind and even soul won’t go into shock as you move beyond your sugar obsessions and towards a better life.
* You’ll get healthy meal plans and tasty recipes from a nutritionist and exercise physiologist.
* You’ll learn to Enjoy a Sweeter Life Without Refined Sweets™.
* And much more.
In Beyond Sugar Shock, you’ll get many tried-and-true tactics — ones I created, starting in 1998, when I kicked sugar on doctor’s orders and ones recommended by dozens of other health experts. You’ll also benefit from my 12 years of coaching or connecting with sugar addicts around the world.
Donna, the winner of the Name My Next Book Contest, please contact me so you can get:
* Your one hour of private, strategy session coaching with me
* Complimentary admission to my upcoming Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks program, which begins Sept. 7, includes access to a private website (http://www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com) and provides at least 42 audio messages. ($177 value but now priced at $97)
* An advance copy of Beyond Sugar Shock (of course).
* A special thank you post you on this Sugar Shock Blog
* A mention on the Acknowledgments page of Beyond Sugar Shock
* And my profound gratitude
Free Teleseminar on Tues., Aug. 31 at 8 pm Eastern to Everyone Who Submitted Ideas
As previously announced, everyone who submitted a title suggestion is now invited to a free, thank you teleseminar. It will be held Tuesday, Aug. 31 at 8 pm Eastern. During this call, you can get your questions answered, possibly get selected for laser coaching, get tips to break free and more.
Those who attend the call live also will have a chance to win:
* A half-hour laser coaching, strategy session with me. (Two winners will be picked.)
* Admission to the upcoming Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks program, which begins Sept. 7. (One winner will be selected.)
Again, thank you very much to those of you who participated in the recent Name My Next Book Contest. (http://tinyurl.com/NameMyNextBook-AfterSugarShock)
Now that I’m knee deep in working Beyond Sugar Shock, please tell me what would you like to see in my next book. What do you crave, need or desire?
Please share your thoughts here and on Facebook, in the Smart Habits Fans or in the new Beyond Sugar Shock & Smart Habits Community on The Blog Frog.
Again, thank you so much to the many wonderful people, who partcipated in the Name My Next Book Contest.
Stay tuned for details about the free teleseminar for all of you on Tues., Aug. 31.

Great YouTube Video from “Beat Sugar Addiction Now” Doc

I invite you to check out this really cool YouTube video from cutting-edge physician, Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, who is author of the exciting new book, Beat Sugar Addiction Now!
People often ask me why do I recommend other sugar books when I’m author of the bestselling book Sugar Shock!
I suggest that you buy other books about sugar (as well as mine, of course), because each book offers a different perspective. In fact, I think Beat Sugar Addiction Now! is a good complement to my book, and it contains some fabulous insights so that you can find out which of four sugar types you are.
FYI, recently, I’m a fan of Dr. Teitelbaum’s, and recently I presented a program with him on “12 Tips to Let Go of Your Sugar Addiction” so you can lose weight, boost your energy and get rid of that “monkey” on your back.
You can sign up up here and get a link to listen to the audio replay of our program together.
Now watch Dr. Teitelbaum’s cool YouTube video.

Reader Writes: “SUGAR SHOCK! Changed My Life.” What Are Your Questions?

Often, I receive emails from readers of my book SUGAR SHOCK! Whenever I do, I’m so touched and honored that I’ve been able to help people from around the country and world.
Here’s a comment I received tonight from Ben in Massachusetts:
“Sugar Shock! changed my life. I [finally] got off sugar. For the first time in my life, I only eat non processed foods and no sugar. I feel calm all the time and [I’m] constantly energized. I feel great. It’s easier to concentrate and exercise as well. …God bless you.”
Ben then asked a few questions, which I’m answering soon in a Frequently Asked Questions project that I’m completing.
What would you like to know about sugar’s dangers, quitting sugar or carbs? Please post your questions here.

New Year’s Resolutions: 10 Simple Steps to Stick to Them

Now that it’s a new year, are you wondering how how to stick to your new year’s resolutions? I’m here to help you.
In particular, I’d like to serve you if you’re seeking to shed excess weight, to create smart habits and set aside such health-harming habits as over-consuming sugar, coffee or diet soda, as well as procrastinating, smoking, being habitually late, obsessively checking emails or nail biting.
First off, know that you CAN Break Free of Your Bad Habits (what I call “Babits™”) for good.
Wondering why you would want to do that? Well, take the case of sugar. Indeed, as I recounted in my book SUGAR SHOCK!, just after quitting sugar and refined carbs on doctor’s orders in 1998, ALL 44 of my ailments, from crushing fatigue to brain fog, completely disappeared! I was amazed!
You, too, can learn that licking sweets (pun intended) and other health-robbing substances, as well as unproductive habits, can help you to:
* Shed excess weight,
* Get consistent energy,
* Boost your moods,
* Calm you down,
* Become more spiritual and centered,
* Increase your passion and productivity,
* Reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer or hypoglycemia,
* Manage these conditions, if you have them,
* Rev up your libido,
* Reduce your PMS symptoms,
* And so much more!
In short, removing sugar and other negative patterns can help you get a Life That Rocks!™, you leave room for positive activities to fill their place. Here are 10 smart steps, which can help you break free of your babits™ (bad habits) and allow you to replace them with smart habits.
1. Congratulate Yourself. To begin your journey to health and wellness, I invite you to pat yourself on the back. You may wonder why you would want to do that, especially if you’ve spent years abusing your body. You want to applaud yourself, because the mere fact that you’re beginning to look at your sugar addiction or other bad habit is big! The first step to break away from sweets, refined carbs and other babits™ is to NOT beat up on yourself. Granted, you may have gobbled or guzzled high-calorie nutrient-poor sugary foods and drinks over the years, but now is a time to be gentle with yourself, to treat yourself with compassion and to take pride that you’re taking the much-needed first step to treat your body with love and care. Go ahead: Lavish some praise and kudos on yourself now that you’re finally confronting the bad habit that’s been plaguing you—perhaps for years. Share your excitement in your journal or in a heart-to-heart conversation with a loved one. Then imagine that you’re at the starting line of a race like a runner athlete and that you’re ready to make a massive positive shift. Please also remember to acknowledge and celebrate your every little accomplishment. For example, when you make it through a meal without sugary foods, diet soda or caffeine—or if you at least consume less of them—take pride and applaud yourself. After all, each time you make healthier choices, you get closer to more energy, a trimmer body and a better life.
2. Move With Your Mind & Mantra. Before you begin to try to kick your sugar addiction or another babit™, it’s time to embark on Seven Smart Starter Habits (through Step #8) to cement your confidence that good health, inner calm and new patterns await you. That’s because whenever you seek to remove an old habit and replace it with a new one, your work begins before you even try to make changes. In other words, before you begin to “diet” or make important lifestyle changes, you want to convince your mind that you CAN succeed. Begin each day knowing in the depth of your being that you’ve already licked your unhealthy habit. To get both your subconscious and conscious mind to accept that you’ve succeeded—or are on the path to succeeding—create an easy-to-repeat phrase, affirmation or mantra such as “I, [Your Name], choose only nourishing foods and drinks, which keep me slim, toned and healthy.” Repeat your positive statement at least 30 times a day. Make sure to say it in the morning, right after you wake up, and in the evening, before you go to sleep. Repeating it about 10 to 20 times before meals also can help. Back in 1998, when I finally kicked sugar, repeating my mantra enabled me to succeed. Now, my clients find this technique effective, too.

Conquer Your Sugar Addiction With Me, Starting Jan. 5, at the New York Open Center

Since the new year is coming soon, if you live near New York City, I invite you to plan now to break free of your sugar habit so that you may be able to:
* Lose weight
* Finally make peace with sugar and refined carbs
* Feel free
* Get more energy on a consistent basis
* Become more productive
* Walk your talk by consuming only healthy foods and drinks
* Tap into your spirtuality
* Be unfazed when desserts and sweet snacks abound
* Feel exhilarated and excited about your many projects
* Relish moving your body in a way you’ve never done
* Enjoy more enriching, satisfying relationships
* Boost your libido
* Learn to meditate away your sugar desires
* And much more
New York Open Center – 04 – Meditation Reserve your space now for Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 6 pm when you can get inspired and educated during my free introductory class at the New York Open Center.
Now, sign up for the four-week course at the New York Open Center from Jan. 12 to Feb. 2.
Let me know if you’ve signed up for this program, because I have special gifts for people who’ve enrolled to help you get through the holiday season.

New York-Area Residents: Break Free of Sugar this January at the New York Open Center

New York-area residents, would you like to release unwanted pounds?
Would you like to feel liberated from your sugar habit?
Would you like to boost your energy so you’re consistently full of verve and spunk?
Kicking or at cutting back on sugar and refined can quickly enable you to all of the above — and more.
Save the dates now!
You can catch a free introductory program on Tuesday, January 5 at the New York Open Center, which recently moved to cool new offices.
Then, learn how to begin Breaking Free of Your Sugar Habit by taking my four-week course, which runs Tuesday, Jan 12 at the pm EST when I speak at the New York Open Center.
Your seminars will be tasty, too. On all nights of my class, you’ll get a chance to taste sugar-free goodies from my friend Alicia O’Connell Cohen, founder of Kate’s Cookie Jar.
At my introductory talk and in my four-week course, you’ll:
* Learn how to begin to escape from the sugar influence.
* Find out about how your sugar habit can cut your life short and lead to diseases galore
* Enjoy participatory adventurcises™ (adventures that are exercises)
* Start to understand why you’ve been “using” sweets and how you can use that failure as a stepping stone to success
* Begin to confront your sugar truth
* Find out this is a great time to be in New York as you’re phasing out the sugar. (You’ll learn about the brilliant, new “Are you pouring on the pounds?” campaign from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
* Have a chance to take a fun, but serious SUGAR SHOCK! Quiz, that will reveal the extent of your reliance on sweets.
* Bond with other like-minded sugar addicts.
Readers of this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog who show up at my January 5 talk at the New York Open Center and sign up for the class will receive a special gift from me.
I invite you now to sign up for my four-week course at the New York Open Center, beginning January 12.