Tag: Sugar Addiction

Too Much Sugar Can Kill You, Research Shows

Need another reason to kick sugar — other than that all those cookies and candies can make you fat?
Let me dish the facts to you blluntly:
Too much sugar can kill you.
That’s the conclusion of a new research study, published in the reputatble Journal of the American Medical Assocation.
The study found that Americans consume too much sugar and that their exess intake can lead to cardiovascular disease and death.
Now watch the CNN story about this study.
Wondering if the authors of this study can be trusted? Check out their impeccable credentials.
Quanhe Yang, PhD1; Zefeng Zhang, MD, PhD1; Edward W. Gregg, PhD2; W. Dana Flanders, MD, ScD3; Robert Merritt, MA1; Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD4,5
1Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
2Division of Diabetes Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
3Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
4Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
5Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
Are you ready to at least consider quitting the dangerous sweet stuff? Join the conversation. What do you think after learning that Sugar Can Kill You? Post your comment now.
Beyond Sugar Shock_RGBConnie Bennett is a former sugar-addicted journalist and author of the bestselling books, Sugar Shock, which was praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Beyond Sugar Shock, which was endorsed by Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Christiane Northrup. In 1998, after Connie quit sugar on doctor’s orders, all 44 of her baffling ailments vanished, including brain fog, depression, mood swings and severe PMS. For more than 15 years, Connie—who is acclaimed as The Sugar Freedom Guide—has helped thousands of sugar and carb addicts worldwide discover that Life is Sweeter When Sugar Doesn’t Seduce You™. Subscribe to her popular Sugar Shock Blog and like her on Facebook.

Sugar Shocker! Can You Believe It? Under Lock and Key

Since 1998, while quitting sugar on doctor’s orders, the subject has astounded and enthralled me. In short, I’ve been absolutely astonished by a variety of Sugar Shockers! Today begins a new Sugar Shocker! feature, which I’ll post from time to time. As you may know, I included a variety of Sugar Shockers in my first book, Sugar Shock (2007). Here’s the first such entry.
SUGAR SHOCKER!It’s hard to believe, but as William Dufty recounts in his landmark book, Sugar Blues, refined white sugar was locked up back in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and America.
At the time, the substance was so expensive (the equivalent of about $30 a pound or a year’s salary for the average working man) that it was considered a delicacy reserved for the very wealthy, and the nobility certainly didn’t want their servants stealing such an exorbitantly expensive substance.
To this day, Unani healers or hakims in Afghanistan reportedly keep sugar under lock and key, believing it to be a narcotic.
Excerpted from my book, Sugar Shock! How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life — And How You Can Get Back on Track (p. 133).
If you know of any Sugar Shockers, please let me know so I can feature it on this Sugar Shock Blog.
Join the convversation. What do you think about this Sugar Shocker? Tell us now.

Kids Get Sugar Savvy, Thanks to High Voltage (Kathie Dolgin)

On Friday, as I posted here, Katie Couric presented a fabulous episode, The Not-So-Sweet-Side of Sugar, which educated viewers about sugar’s dangers.
The epiisode began with some alarming information from pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig.
In the same episode, you can learn about One Woman’s Mission to Educate Kids About Hidden Sugars.
That groundbreaking health and fitness pioneer, Kathie Dolgin, aka High Voltage (seen to your left), has spent 12 years spearheading a program, Energy Up, which helps school children become what she dubs “sugar savvy,”
In the segment, Voltage then displays how much sugar is contained in a bottle of soda, a granola bar and a milk shake. (Like other health advocates, Voltage suggests that kids consume no more than 24 grams of sugar in 24 hours. That comes to 6 teaspoons.)
Watch the segment below to get Sugar Shocked.

Kudos to Katie Couric for Sugar Shocking America

If you’re addicted to sugar or are worreid that your kids are hooked, then you need to watch yesterday’s episode of Katie. (Watch this short segment below.)
In an enlightening epside, The Not-So-Sweet Side of Sugar, Katie Couric tackles a variety of aspects about our nation’s over-the-top sugar consumption.
In this firrst part of the episode, you’ll discover and get shocked by:
The humongous increase in sugar intake over the past few decades.
The fact that sugar is toxic and too much of it makes you sick and causes type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
How Americans are consuming triple the amount of sugsr recommended by the American Heart Association.
The legal battle between the Sugar Association and the Corn Refiners Association.
How the sugar industry was behind the U.S. move to the World Health Organization (WHO) to bury” a document” that recommended limiting sugar consumption to no more than 10 percent of calories.
How sugar has been added to low-fat foods.
How orange juice — often hailed as healthy — is loaded with sugar.
How food labels are confusing. Did you know that 1 tsp. of sugar is 4.2 grams?
Dr. Robert LustigNow take a few minutes to watch the first part of Katie’s episode, The Not-So-Sweet Side of Sugar, featuring anti-sugar advocate Dr. Robert Lustig, whose YouTube video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, has had more than 4 million hits.
FYI, you only need to take nearly 10 minutes to get educated. Check back Monday to watch more of this episode featuring Kathie Dolgin, aka High Voltage, who has been working hard to educate kids on Sugar Shock for the past 12 years..
Connie Bennett is a former sugar-addicted journalist, who is on a mission to spread the sour news about sweets. Ordered in 1998 to quit her favorite sugary treats, Connie is author of the bestselling books, Sugar Shock, praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Beyond Sugar Shock, endorsed by Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup and many others.

Do Carbs Make You Cranky? Laugh With Me at Me (Circa 1998)

Join the Conversation. Do you relate to my Sugar Shrew past? Please let us know.
Lately, thanks to David Perlmutter, M.D., author of Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar — Your Brain’s Silent Killers, we’ve been hearing a lot about how Carbs Can Kill Your Brain.
In short, sweets and carbs can make you fuzzy-headed, confused, and scattered.
What we don’t hear about often enough is that Carbs Can Make You Cranky.
To prove my point, I’ll introduce you to the frazzled, brain-foggy, sugar-addicted Connie of 1998.
C1_jekyll-hyde_72dpiActually, I’m answering a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) here.
That’s because people often want to know what I was like back in 1998, when I was in the throes of my sugar and carb addiction, before I let sugar go.
“How did sugar affect you?” they ask me.
Sure, I can rattle off my litany of 44 ailments — including mood swings, difficulty concentrating, severe PMS and heart palpitations — but today I’ll just let a cartoon illustrate my embarrassing, humiliating, mortifying plight,
This cartoon will show you how I hit lower than rock bottom.
Now, I invite you to laugh with me at the Ex-Sugar Shrew me.
While looking at this cartoon, bear in mind that this is NO longer me.
I’ve been mostly sugar-free since 1998.
One thing I’ve learned is that humor can be a powerful yet super-simple tool to help distance yourself from your challenges with quickie carbs and sugar.
Okay, maybe I didn’t literally gorge on red licorice while cowering in closets but this embarrassing image certainly captures the flavor (pardon the pun!) of my one-time addiction. Anyhow, now that I’ve kicked sugar, I urge others to discover the power of living sugar-free. —-Connie Bennett, “Sugar Shrew No More!” & Sweet Freedom Guide, © Copyright 2014, Sugar Shock Blog, www.SugarShockBlog.com (Feel free to share this, but kindly make sure to include the proper attribution.)
Bestseller Beyond Sugar Shock BS
Would you like some help to kick sugar? It would be my honor to guide you to let go of your dangerous habit.
Just check out my latest book, Beyond Sugar Shock: The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get Slimmer, Sexier & Sweeter.
By the way, you can let go of your sugasr habit at any time — you dont’ need to do it on January 1.
Join the Conversation! Okay, I feel naked showing this to you!
Do you relate to my Sugar Shrew past? Please let us know.

Savor the Sweetness of Watching Sunsets

Join the conversation. When was the last time you watched a sunset? Leave your comment now.
Lately, I’ve become completely hooked on watching sunsets fading over the ocean.
Never before have I been so enchanted and entranced by this remarkable daily natural phenomenon.
Sunsets are so soothing, beautiful and breathtaking.
And sunsets are truly sweet. Far sweeter and better for your health than sugar-laden candies, cookies or cakes.
So enjoy two of my many recent photos, taken on my iPhone. (Gotta get a better camera.)
Photos 1-17-14 032I invite you to join me in “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” at nature’s splendor.
Photos 1-17-14 033
I hope these sunset photos soothe you.
Join the conversation. When was the last time you watched a sunset? Leave your comment now.

Dr. Mehmet Oz Interview with Dr. Sinatra and Me

Join the conversation. What is your biggest A-ah from our interview with Dr. Oz? Post your comment now.
Dr. Oz artworks-000053231724-1txq1z-t200x200I just found this Oprah & Friends Radio Interview from a few years ago, when Dr. Mehmet Oz, along with Dr. Michael Roizen, interviewed Dr. Stephen Sinatra and me about our then-new book, Sugar Shock: How Sweets and Carbs Can Derail Your Life–And How You Can Get Back on Track.
Sugar Shock was my first book, which delves into the dangers of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
In this interview, you can listen to me share:
How sugar addiction is pervasive in this country.
How everyone is affected differently by sugar.
How sugar consumption can dampen your sex drive.
The truth about agave and brown rice syrup.
And more…
In the interview. Dr. Sinatra:
Offers the truth about statins.
Shares the scoop about salt.
Discusses coconut oil.
And more…
New to this Sugar Shock Blog?
Bestseller Beyond Sugar Shock BSBlog founder Connie Bennett is a bestselling author of Beyond Sugar Shock and Sugar Shock, which been praised by such acclaimed health gurus and celebrities as “America’s Favorite Doctor,” Dr. Mehmet Oz; as well as “Tthe Father of Motivation” Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Bernie Siegel, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraf, JJ Virgin, and Jimmy Moore. Connie’s sour-to-sweet story kicked into gear in 1998, when after reluctantlyly quitting sugar on doctor’s orders, all 44 of her baffling ailments vanished, including brain fog, heart palpitations, mood swings.
Now, 15 years later, the compassionate, self-mocking Connie is acclaimed as The Sweet Freedom Coach, and she has helped thousands of sugar and carb addicts worldwide discover that Life is Sweeter When Sugar Doesn’t Seduce You™. Connie is also an in-demand motivational speaker, a popular blogger (Sugar Shock Blog), a widely published journalist, a certified life coach, certified health coach, and tapping practitioner (now completing EFT training). Subscribe to this Sugar Shock Blog and like Connie on Facebook..
Join the conversation. What is your biggest A-ah from our interview with Dr. Oz? Post your comment now.

What’s Your One Word Theme for 2014?

Happy New Year to you, dear readers.
In this first blog post of 2014, I invite you to come up with one word that encapsulates your theme for the new year.
In 2014, what will the one word be that succinctly conveys your mission and passion, which will drive you forward to spectacular heights and glorious achievements?
Sunsets 12-27-13 003For 2014, my word is love.
I’m dedicated to love myself (even when I do things that aren’t in my best interest), love the Universe or Divine Guidance (God), love Nature (such as the nearby ocean), love my dear departed mother and father, love my family and friends, love my signficant other (well, the man that’s on the way!), and love for people, whose lives I have changed or am changing through this Sugar Shock Blog, my talk(s), or my books, Beyond Sugar Shock and Sugar Shock.)
And I also love, love, love Zumba (on the way to a class shortly), spinning, bicycling, and traveling.
I also love wonderful synchronicity. (Some people made this love symbol near the beach when a man was abouit to propose to his honey so I quickly took the shot in between a dying cell phone.)
Join the conversation.
Question: What is your one word for 2014 that will lead you to meaning and magnificence?
Post your comment here.

My Most Popular Blog Posts

Here you’ll find some of the most popular Sugar Shock Blog posts that I’ve written since founding this blog in June 2005. […]