Author name: Connie Bennett

Connie Bennett is a former carbs-addicted journalist, health coach, and bestselling author of I Blew My Diet! Now What?, Sugar Shock, and Beyond Sugar Shock.

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Speed Dating, Not! Attend “Speed Shrinking” Events, Thanks to Author Susan Shapiro

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For many, speed dating events are a painless way to meet your potential paramour.
Author Susan Shapiro — who credits a psychoanalyst with helping her to quit smoking, drinking, pot, gum and sugar — has devised an innovative spin-off concept to help fans, friends and friends of friends learn about therapy and coaching.
Susan has created “Speed Shrinking” events — think speed dating with shrinks and other self-help gurus.
Speed Shrinking events are being held to coincide with the publication of Susan’s debut novel, Speed Shrinking, a humorous account about how self-help guru Julia Goodman develops a cupcake addiction when feeling abandoned by her therapist, best friend and husband. Frantic to slim down and find help before a major national TV appearance, she desperately goes on a shrink shopping spree, seeing 8 in 8 days to find a new analyst. (Amusing scenario, right?)
SpeedShrinking-NewQuote (3) As mentioned here earlier, Sue’s first “Speed Shrinking” event — in which people could chat for 3 minutes about their sugar challenges, writing goals or other issues with eight self-help types — was held earlier this month at Knickerbocker Bar in New York City. You can also read about the event in Publisher’s Weekly and also at the Pomp Lives blog. (I was fortunate enough to be included, too.)
On Wednesday, Wed., Aug. 26, you can attend another fun, helpful Speed Shrinking Book Party and Free Head Shrinking at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. The event is a benefit for the Housing Works, which helps homelessness and AIDS.
The Speed Shrinking events are brilliant book promotional gimmicks, from my perspective as a fellow author.
Susan points out that in her novel, Speed Shrinking “features a shrinkoholic heroine, who sees eight shrinks in eight days… So in order to recreate her experience for readers, I’m throwing a series of speed shrinking parties filled with my brilliant author guru friends.”
Those on hand to do Speed Shrinking on Aug. 26 include:
* Susan Shapiro (of course), who will be available to chat about her book, Speed Shrinking
* Psychologist Diana Kirschner, author of Love in 90 Days
* Sociologist Jon Fast, author of Ceremonial Violence
* Sherry Amatenstein, LMSW, author of The Complete Marriage Counselor: Relationship-Saving Advice from America’s Top 50 + Couples Therapists (upcoming)
* Yours truly, Connie Bennett, author of SUGAR SHOCK!
* Derner Institute Psychotherapist Jay Crosby
* Manuscript doctor Paula Derrow, editor at Self magazine and author of Behind the Bedroom Door;
* Vatsal Thakkar, M.D., Director of the Graduate Medical Education Wellness Team at the NYU Langone Medical Center and author of two young adult textbooks on psychiatry.

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Apologies to Happy, Healthy Diners, Dreamers & Doers in the City™: Meetup.com Shut Down My Group, Much to My Surprise

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Members of my Happy, Healthy Diners, Dreamers & Doers in the City™ group on Meetup, I apologize profusely!
Unfortunately, much to my surprise, the Happy, Healthy Diners group was completely shut down.
I was completely shocked!
Frankly, I’m at a loss as to what to do, because I have no way of contacting the near-200 members in the New York City area to let them know about our planned September dinner.
Not only was the Happy, Healthy Diners group closed, but all members were removed, and a Meetup staffer has told me that there’s no way of finding them.
Right now, I’ve chosen to take the high road and not gripe in detail, but suffice it to to say that I’m very upset, because I received no advance warning. (The one warning that I did finally find after combing through all my emails was sent on Sunday, but since I was in my life-coach training all day Sunday, I never saw that email after the group was closed.)
At present, I’m uncertain as to what I will do regarding using Meetup again.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I do hope that you continue to be helped, educated and inspired by this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog, the Gab With the Gurus Blog, the new Smart Habits Blog and my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show.
What are your thoughts about Meetup?

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Happiness: How to Have it Through All Seasons — Tips from Marci Shimoff

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Marci Shimoff is a master in being happy. The teacher in The Secret is helping millions around the world to achieve that often-elusive state of joy.
Marci, who is author of Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out, has all kinds of jewels to share with you, many of which she shared a few months back when she was on my ab With the Gurus Radio Show..
In fact, I e you to listen to Marci on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show.
Anyhow, recently Marci emailed her list with thoughts about summer being her favorite time of year and how hiking up a mountain gave her “that special flavor of happiness” she experiences in these warm months.
But, she points out though that “lasting happiness isn’t dependent on balmy weather.” “In fact,” she writes, “research shows people living in warm, summery spots are not necessarily happier than those living in colder climates. According to one study, the four happiest places on earth are Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland—not exactly tropical paradises.
“The implications of that are pretty amazing: positive emotions open us up!,” Marci writes.
So, how much positivity do we need?” she asks.
“…The secret,” Marci maintains,” lies in internalizing the well-being and freedom you feel during summer (or whatever your favorite season is) and bringing it to everything you do.”
Marci Shimoff then offers three ways “you can use the happiness perks of summer to create an ‘invincible summer’ within yourself year-round:

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Sugar Addiction: Get Help to Break Free, Beginning January, at the New York Open Center

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Are you struggling with a sugar habit?
If so, you can get help to conquer your habit by attending my four-week seminar at the New York Open Center, beginning January 12. The program runs through Feb. 2.
Join me for a complimentary introduction on Jan. 5.
Here’s the description of my program at the New York Open Center:
Do you “need” a candy bar or soda just to get through the day? Are you yearning to lose weight for good? Would you like to improve your moods, banish brain fog, triple your energy and boost your libido? You can peel off pounds, gain energy and improve your relationships just by kicking sugar and refined carbohydrates. But removing culprit carbs can be challenging. Join “Smart Habits Girl” Connie Bennett, author of the best-selling book SUGAR SHOCK!, who will show you that breaking free of your sugar habit can be fun, exhilarating and life-changing. In this four-week course, you’ll participate in empowering exercises, eye-opening discussions and coaching scenarios to discover how to identify your tempting triggers and well-meaning saboteurs; how to soothe and nurture yourself in healthy ways; how to use the “5 Ds” to squash your cravings; how to save money on food; what to eat; how to “say no with sass”; if you should quit cold turkey or phase out sweets; how to find hidden sugars; how to release your bingeing-self-loathing cycle; if sugar substitutes are safe; and how to find sweetness naturally.
Here are some other exciting events you may want to attend.
* Oct. 16: Debbie Ford–The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: Connecting to Your Soul’s Purpose
* Oct. 2: Gary Zukav & Linda Francis- Living an Authentic Life: Making Your Life Count
* Oct. 3 & 4: Living Courageously
* Oct. 12: Karen Armstrong–The Case of God
* Oct. 13: Deepak Chopra–An Evening with Deepak Chopra: Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul
* Nov. 6 & 7: Islam, Sufism and the Heart of Compassion- A Conference (Special Early Bird Pricing if you register by October 8th)
* Nov. 13: Marianne Williamson 11/13: The Spirit of a New World and Nov. 14: Miraculous Living
For additional information or to register by phone, please call 212-219-2527 x 2

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Author Susan Shapiro Shares “Speed Shrinking” Parties With Seekers

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Author and writing teacher Susan Shapiro — who freely admits that therapy helped her personally quit sugar, smoking, drinking, pot and gum — has come up with an innovative way to get buzz going about her debut novel, Speed Shrinking, and to quickly help people with their issues.
Susan has created “Speed Shrinking” events — “think speed dating with shrinks” and other self-help gurus, she explains.
SpeedShrinking-NewQuote (3) The first such Speed Shrinking event in New York City earlier this week (held at the Knickerbocker Bar) served a double purpose.
The event was a Speed Shrinking book launch party, and it was a fun way to allow a group of self-help experts/authors “speed shrink” the 100 or so attendees.
Those and helping Diana Kirschner (Love In 90 Days), Sherry Amatenstein (The Complete Marriage Counselor), Jonathan Fast (Ceremonial Violence), Frank Flaherty (The Elements of Story), Sherene Schostak (Surviving Saturn’s Return), Elizabeth Maxwell (Food for the Soul) and yours truly (SUGAR SHOCK!)
Read about the event in Publisher’s Weekly and at the Pomp Lives blog and see our photo below.
Speed Shrinking 8-3-09 – DSCN2161 ed On Wednesday, Wed., Aug. 26, also in New York City, you can attend another fun, helpful Speed Shrinking Book Party and Free Head Shrinking at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. The event is a benefit for the Housing Works, which helps homelessness and AIDS.
Even if you can’t make these fun events, you can read Susan’s novel, Speed Shrinking, which humorously recounts how fictional how self-help guru Julia Goodman develops a cupcake addiction when feeling “abandoned” by her therapist, best friend and husband. Frantic to slim down and find help before a major national TV appearance, Julia desperately goes on a shrink shopping spree, seeing 8 in 8 days to find a new analyst.
If you’re in New York, I hope to see you Wednesday, Wed., Aug. 26, at the Speed Shrinking Book Party and Head Shrinking event at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe.
If you’re in another part of the country, I invite you to read Speed Shrinking and to catch our upcoming my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show, when Susan will be my guest. (You can listen below).

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Twitter: Are You Following Me Yet? Catch Up Via Short Updates

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Many of you write to me often, asking for more posts, more information, more links to medical studies, more tips to kick sugar and more words of inspiration — in other words, you want more!
Usually, you can get a variety of fun things to read here, at the Sugar Shock Blog — unless I’m off at a conference or vacationing, as I was recently.
But you also can get more frequent, shorter tidbits from me as all.
Just follow me on Twitter to get quick, 140-character updates from me. FYI, I’m known on Twitter as the “Smart Habits Girl.”
If you haven’t signed up for Twitter yet, you should It can be fun, helpful and eye-opening. Just form your own account at Twitter.com to see what it’s all about.
So follow me on Twitter, where I post regularly (unless I’m on vacation, as I was recently).

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Are you an Outdoors Lover? Learn About Lyme With “Under Our Skin” Insiders

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Do you spend time outdoors? If so, you need to learn about Lyme disease on today’s Gab With the Gurus Radio Show at 3 pm EST today.
You can listen live or later. (See link below.)
Thanks to Blog Talk Radio for featuring this show, on which I’ll interview Andy Abrahams Wilson, director of the documentary, Under Our Skin, and the film’s senior producer Kris Newby.
Also appearing on the show is park-ranger-turned author Jordan Fisher Smith, who’s had his own bout with Lyme disease.

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Britney Spears: Does She Have Low Blood Sugar & a Sugar Addiction?

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Britney Spears may be a victim of the blood sugar blues, according to the National Enquirer, which attributes a source stating that she collapsed while rehearsing..
The 27-year-old singer suffers from low blood sugar, according to the Enquirer source, who revealed that Britney’s father has been trying to keep her condition a secret.
I’m baffled. Why would Britney’s father want to keep it hush-hush that the singer has low blood sugar?
Having low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is not a condition you want to hide, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of it.
Millions of Americans have low blood sugar, including Nichole Richie, as I also mentioned back in 2007.
In fact, more people have low blood sugar than have diabetes, but many experts believe that low blood sugar can lead to type 2 diabetes.
The good news for people with low blood sugar is that you can have a perfectly normal life, but you will need to take good care of yourself.
If you have low blood sugar, you should quit sweets and refined carbs, eat frequent meals and get plenty of rest, among other things, as I explained in Sugar Shock! (I learned all of this myself in 1998, when I was deep in the throes of my sugar addiction and suffered from many confusing ailments, including feeling faint and low on energy.)
If Britney Spears does have low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, this might explain her alleged interest in sweets, diet pills and alcohol.
Back in 2007, I posed the idea on this Sugar Shock Blog that Britney might be a sugar addict. I even posted a press release about it. I raised the issue again here.

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Off Vacationing to Walk My Talk: Do You Take Time for You?

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Lately, I’ve been striving to walk my talk. Sure, I stay away from sugar and refined carbs and work out, but I just work too hard and don’t take enough time for me.
So I’m off on vacation now taking some much-needed time for me.
Back on July 13 to help you again.
Do you walk your talk? If so, I encourage you to do so. I’m already feeling much more invigorated and ready to give back.
By the way, if you have sugar issues, did you know that I offer coaching (of course, my time is limited).
If you’re fed up with your sugar issues, it would be my honor to help you break free of your sugar addiction. And I know we can do that together!

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