Category: Beyond Sugar Shock

Broke Your Diet? Give Yourself Compassion to Get Back on Track

Have you broken your diet?
Have your circumstances — whether due to to hearbreak, stress, trauma or grief — led you to ditch your resolve to eat eat cleanly so you can shed your dreaded excess weight?
Now that you’ve blown your diet, are you beating yourself up now for letting yourself go and mindlessly shoveling in unhealthy, sugary, fatty or salty unreal foods?
Woman shoveling plate in front of mouthPlease take a brief time out.
It’s time to hit the pause button.
Beating up on yourself after you blow your diet won’t make your life or your body better.
Instead, at this time, the first step you want to take to Get Back on Track is to Shower Yourself with Compassion.
Yes, it’s time to cut yoruself lots of slack.
Yes, you blew your diet. Yes, you gained weight. But probably had some darn good reasons for falling off the diet wagon.
It’s imperative to give yourself compassion after you blow your diet.
A year and a half ago, I learned a lot about the power and health ramifications of mindfully giving yourself loving-kindness, acceptance, empathy, and compassion after you blow your diet or do anything else self-destructive or counter productive.
Self-CompassionNewJacketIn fact, I decided to learn more about the power of compassion by attending a fabulous fsix-day workshop on Mindful Self-Compassion for Professionals with renowned self-compassion researchers and advocates Kristen Neff, Ph.D., and Christopher Geremer, Ph.D.,
You see, I needed to become compassionate myself, because I, too, had blown my clean way of eating.
You can read My Carb Confession here, where I reveal that I had a major relapse while healing from My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom.
At the time, after gaining 20 extra pounds, I was absolutely mortified.
I even hid out, especially from fellow health experts, because it was agonizingly difficult to admit that I’d fallen off the wagon since Ii’m a recognized sugar and carb expert, who has eating cleanly since 1998 (well, for the most part).
You derive many benefits from giving yourself self-compassion, according to Dr. Krisin Neff:
You reduce your anxiiety, depression, stress, desire for perfectionism, body shame, and fear of failure.
You also increase your life satisfaction, happiness, self-confidence, optimism, curiosity, creativity, and gratitude.
If you’ve blown your diet or are beating up on yourself for other self-destructive behaviior, I highly recommend that you check out Dr. Neff’s book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.
Stay tuned for more tips and tactics to help you Rebound After Relapse.
Join the Conversation: Have you had a diet relapse? If you like, share when and why, too.
About Connie: Since 1998, after kicking sugar and fast carbs on doctor’s orders and bidding 44 ailments farewell, Connie Bennett achieved acclaim as a health expert, Sweet Freedom Coach and author of the bestselling books, Sugar Shock and Beyond Sugar Shock. But in 2012, after the grueling, year-long traumatic terminal illness and subsequent death of her mother, Connie did massive Heartbreak Carb Bingeing™. The upshot? She gained 21 pounds. Oops! Now, Connie’s back to help you, too, Rebound After Relapse™. Sign up for Connie’s mailing list to get tips so you can Bounce Back After Relapse™. And stay tuned for Connie’s upcoming book and companion program.

My Carb Confession Triggered Your Tales of Relapse — Join the Conversation

Talk to us: Have you had a relapse? Were you embarrassed to admit it to others as I was? Let us know.
Recently, with great embarrassment and perhaps a bit of shame, I made what I call My Carb Confession.
Bittersweet_banner_final (2)I revealed that after the death of my mother and what I call My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom, for a number of months, Crazy Cravings™ pestered and pounded me while I was assaulted by grief, depression, anxiety, trauma, and the enormity of my loss..
As a result, I caved in and ate lots of crappy carbs (corn nuggets, movie popcorn, chips, etc.). The upshot? That led to a 20-pound weight gin. Aargh!
In short, for months, I’d become a Carb Fraud! But in the midst of my grief, I just didn’t pay attention.
For a while now, I’ve been really nervous, reluctant and hesitant to share My Carb Confession,.even though for over a year, I’ve been back to eating cleanly.
After all, I’m an author and speaker, who’s known for badmouthing sweets and quickie carbs.
But you were so supportive when I finally revealed my carb relapse.
Wow!
Little did I realize that My Carb Confession would resonate with so many of you.
So, I just wanted to say, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, for your kindness, consideration, and wonderful emails.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to share my profound gratitude.
I’m so relieved that you still respect me and my work to help you achieve Sweet Freedom.
FYI, as you may have read, I”ve now achieved Sweet Success. I finally shed all 20 pounds I’d gained during my trying times after my Mom passed away. My slim body is almost back!
Plus, now that my injured knee is healed and my sprained ankle are feeling better, I’ve been toning up doing weight resistance and high intensity workouts.
And, of course, I’m back to eating very cleanly — crappy carbs and My Crazy Cravings™ have gone bye-bye!
Again, thank you for supporting me during My Carb Confession.
By the way, stay tuned for some new tips and tools so you, too, can Rise Above Relapse™, as I now call it.
Have you had a relapse? Were you embarrassed to admit it to others as I was? Let us know.

Are You a Mindless Eater? Get Help Now in the Mindful Eating Summit (I’m one of the Guests)

It’s my honor to be included in the Mindful Eating Summit, which is presented this week by my friend and colleague, Susan Albers, Psy.D, author of Eating Mindfully and a Cleveland Clinic psychologist.
For this amazing Mindful Eating Summit, Dr. Albers has interviewed 20 of the world’s top leading eating experts, who share information that you won’t hear anywhere else.
In the Mindful Eating Summit, the experts (of which I’m one) teach you how to boost your nutrition, end mindless overeating, and stop feeling guilty when you eat.
You’ll have a chance to learn tools, strategies and techniques you can apply right now to eat healthier.
Plus, you’ll discover the cutting edge science that is shaping the world of nutrition and how you can apply it right now.
Here are a few of the presenters in the Mindful Eating Conference, all of whom offer their own rich, in-depth perspective on health, wellness and mindfulness:
Dr. Brian Wansink Director of Cornell Food & Brand Lab and best-selling author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
Evelyn Tribole Award-winning registered dietitian an author of Intuitive Eating (co-author)
Dr. Jim Painter Producer of Portion Size Me, a documentary about fast food and health and featured on CBS’s Early Show
Margaret Floyd, author of Eat Naked.
Dr. David Katz, author of Disease Proof and contributor to O, the Oprah Magazine
Dr. Daniel Siegel, Professor of at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center.
Dr. Alan Christianson specializes in natural endocrinology with a focus on thyroid disorders.
Jonathan Bailor, author of The Calorie Myth
Trudy Scott, author of The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution and the upcoming Anxiety Summit in November
And yours truly.
MindfuleatingyouWhen you sign up for the Mindful Eating Summit, you’ll also receive a free ebook, The Emotional Eater’s Tool Kit, so you can start taking charge of your eating right now.
The Mindful Eating Summit is presented by Susan Albers, Psy.D., a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in eating issues, weight loss, body image concerns and mindfulness. Dr. Albers conducts mindful eating workshops across the country. She is author of six books about mindful eating, including EatQ: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence and 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food.
Catch all of our interviews now. Just sign up for the Mindful Eating Summit.

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.

My Crazy Cravings Confession

Join the Conversation: Have you ever been thrown off course by your Crazy Carb Cravings™ or other bad food urges? Post your comments now.
It’s finally time for me to come clean.
Bittersweet_banner_final (2)Two years ago, while reeling from the death of my mother, my traumatic Bittersweet Last Year with her, and many gut-wrenching revelations, I quit walking my clean-carbs talk.
In short, I suffered a carb relapse. Oops!
Yes, I was human.
Thankfully, I did not totally fall back into my old sugary ways of 1998, before I kicked sweets and processed carbohydrates on doctor’s orders.
Instead, I flew off my clean-carbs wagon.
You see, after losing my mother, absolutely demanding, overpowering, downright insatiable Crazy Carb Cravings™—my new phrase for them—struck me out of the blue.
Oh, how did those salty, crappy carbs call out to me often!
“Connie, eat me, eat me, eat me,” they seductively pleaded!
Of course, I’m joking—as I now can do, now that I’ve conquered my cravings—but at the time, that’s certainly how it felt.
I’m sure you can relate. Many of my clients have felt trapped by this very same challenge.
Culprit carbs weren’t my only captors. Rich, salty, creamy cheeses and oily peanuts and almonds beckoned, too.
Frankly, I was startled, flummoxed and unprepared.
For nearly 15 years, I’d been mostly shunning nutrient-lacking, fiber-stripped sugary nonfoods and refined carbohydrates and enjoying near-perfect health.
Not only that, but since 2002, I’ve been quite outspoken about the dangers of sugar and processed carbs (which I dub quickie carb, toxic carbs, culprit carbs, and much-like-sugar carbs).
What’s more, I’ve even helped thousands worldwide to release their addiction to both sugar and quickie carbs, and I’ve written two acclaimed books about the subject, Sugar Shock and Beyond Sugar Shock,
But suddenly, after Mom died, it was as if I’d never been a sugar and carb expert. Grief, anguish, and turmoil were my new constant companions.
Frankly, I was disoriented and ill equipped to handle the intensity, ferocity, and irrationality of my overpowering, Crazy Carb Cravings™ and urges for other “bad foods.”
Do you relate to my plight?
Do you feel stricken by or have you ever been waylaid strong, potent cravings that throw you completely off course, doing self-destuctive things against your best intentions?
Why Did I Fall Off the Clean-Carbs Wagon? Blame My Dark Night of the Soul
You may wonder, as I often have, “How could I, a sugar and carb expert, have stopped walking my clean-carbs talk?”
It’s now evident that I was recovering from a year, if not longer, of being badly TAGGED™.
That’s the acronym I coined, which stands for Traumatized, Anguished, Gripped by Grief, and Emotionally Devastated.
In addition, I was reeling from Mom’s unintentional mistreatment of me.
Mom’s abuse stemmed, in part, from the stage 4 lung cancer. As it was spreading to my mother’s brain, I’d helplessly watched in agony as my once polite and polished mother often switched into someone I began calling “Cancer Mom” (behind her back, of course).
Cancer Mom was this ornery creature, who frequently became angry, cruel, and unreasonable. That’s putting it very mildly.
How BITTER It Was: Cancer Mom’s Unintentional Abuse
Thankfully, I’ve now processed my considerable pain, but let me give you a flavor of the heartbreaking agony and rejection I faced for a year at the hands of my dying mother, even though I’d loyally uprooted myself to stand by her after she became terminally ill.
The day I moved for my mother set the tone for My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom.
My mother—who had been eager for me to relocate across country to be with her—irrationally kicked me out of her home the very afternoon I showed up on her doorstep!
Imagine my shock when Mom gave me the boot after I’d hurriedly rushed to her side—after getting off the plane from New York City, where I’d been living for a decade—so we could spend our last New Year’s Eve together!
Dumbstruck and devastated that my own mother would refuse to see me, I spent the evening sobbing and aimlessly wandering the streets while bringing in the new year.
At the time, I couldn’t fathom why my own mother so angrily spurned me the day I arrived. Now, in hindsight, I recall that my normally strong, proud Mom was having a bad day. For instance, her throat hurt a lot when she swallowed.
Perhaps more importantly, though, my independent, accomplished Mom just didn’t want me to see her so vulnerable. In fact, she absolutely HATED seeing me cry so I always had to hide my tears from her. Plus, since the cancer made her so confused and erratic, it must have seemed right to her to send me away.
In short, My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom was utterly brutal and usually heartbreaking.
On another occasion a few months later, Cancer Mom flat out refused to invite me for dinner at a gourmet restaurant with three of her closest friends.
Her absurd reason? “Connie, you’re boring,” she illogically declared.
Then she thrust the knife in even deeper.
“You have nothing interesting to say. All you can talk about is sugar,” she irrationally, adamantly claimed. Ouch!
By the way, only a month or two earlier, you should have seen the look of fierce pride on Mom’s face when I’d excitedly opened boxes of my then new book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which had just arrived from my publisher, Hay House.
Anyhow, during My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom, I was often faced with Cancer Mom’s ferocious venom, which sent me sobbing and speed walking.
To put it mildly, the abuse went on and on and on…
Over time, Mom’s irrational rage, which she often hurled at me, was really tough to take, especially because I’d relocated across country to be there for my mother during her terminal illness, and I truly loved my mother more than anyone else in her life, as I share on my Bittersweet Year blog.
Thankfully, SWEET Greeted Me, Too
All said and done, I’m glad I hurried to Mom’s side at the end of her life. It was the honorable, right, loyal, daughterly thing to do.
Thankfully, sandwiched between all the bitterness, Mom and I shared many fabulous times together. In fact, I often accompanied my mother as she fulfilled an impressive bucket list of films, operas, plays, dinners, visits to the farmer’s market, trips to the beach, etc.
In her final months, I learned a lot from my mother. In fact, I invite you to see my Huffington Post blog post abouthow Mom Taught Me How to Live and Die With Courage, Spirit and Spunk.
Fast forward a year. After Mom died, when I didn’t need to be on my best behavior anymore, I plunged into My Dark Night of the Soul.
That’s when, as Eckhart Tolle describes it, you experience “a collapse of a perceived meaning in life…an eruption into your life of a deep sense of meaninglessness.
“Nothing makes sense anymore, there’s no purpose to anything,” Tolle explains.
I Was Humiliated That I Wasn’t Walking My Clean-Carbs Talk!
Somehow losing my Mom unleashed a torrent of unresolved issues, pain over being betrayed, etc.
Because I’m so committed to healing and growing from my ordeal and getting back to serving you, I’ve undergone extensive therapy, and I’ve pursued many other ways to heal, including grief counseling, therapy, hypnosis, Heartmath™, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
I’ve also taken workshops on compassion, mindful eating, healing your heart, rituals, etc.
But I invite you to imagine my shame, embarrassment, and humiliation that I wasn’t walking my clean-carbs talk.
Beyond Sugar Shock — Intl Bestseller — 6a00d834520ed269e2019b0154ee08970b-320wiThere I was, a recognized sugar and carb expert, certified health coach, certified life coach and author of two acclaimed books about the subject, Sugar Shock and Beyond Sugar Shock, but I was now falling off the wagon over and over again!
Crazy Carb Cravings™ began to seize, control and rule me!
Simply put, I felt like a fraud.
Despite my repeated efforts to get back on track, my unhealthy food splurges went on for months—maybe not on a daily basis, but often enough to make me realize that I had lost carb control.
Finally, after moving to a peaceful area and warmer climate some 500 miles away from where Mom had spent her final, difficult year, I began to regain confident, calm, carb control.
Wait, there’s more.
I Didn’t Look Like I Was Walking My Clean-Carbs Talk Anymore Either
Much to my horror, my Crazy Carb Cravings sent me careening down a deep, dark path.
What was particularly embarrassing was that I just couldn’t hide my carb relapse.
Within nine months of losing Mom, I’d quickly packed on 20 pounds. In short, I didn’t even look like I was walking my clean-carbs talk!
In fact, at a book signing for my then new book, Beyond Sugar Shock—which, as I shared earlier, thankfully, Mom saw published three months before she died—I was carrying an extra 19.4 pounds.
In fact, before my book signing, I worked hard to find clothes to hide my excess weight.
You, too, may have at least once gone on a challenging shopping expedition to find clothes to hide your weight gain, right?
If you have—or are going through such a challenge now—keep reading this Sugar Shock Blog and sign up for updates, because I’ve now developed or discovered cool tools to help you triumph over your Crazy Cravings.
Crazy Carb Cravings™ Hounded and Harassed Me
It was utterly awful.
Of course, I knew better than to eat those crappy carbs!
Although I wasn’t eating sugar—I was determined to never go back there again—I did a brilliant job of ignoring the sour facts.
I flat out overlooked the truth, which is that highly processed carbohydrates quickly convert to sugar in your bloodstream.
Duh!
Indeed, processed carbs, once they move into your bloodstream, behave like sugar.
In short, refined carbs = sugar.
That’s why, for years, I’d dubbed processed carbohydrates much-like-sugar carbs, quickie carbs, fast carbs or culprit carbs.
But amidst my grief, heartbreak, and depression, I just didn’t want to think about the sour truth.
I just couldn’t face it.
And I certainly didn’t want to confront what I know well and had researched extensively—that fast carbs can, like sugar, trigger weight gain, mood swings, headaches, anxiety, and even heart disease, cancer, or type 2 diabetes.
My Crazy Carb Cravings™ Were a Manifestation of My Profound Pain
Now, in hindsight, it’s evident why I suffered from such Crazy Carb Cravings™, which, as noted earlier, no longer haunt me. Yes, I’m free of all cravings!
But after Mom passed away, My Crazy Carb Cravings and other urges for unhealthy nonfoods were a manifestation of my profound pain, which I badly needed to process.
So while I was grieving my loss, resolving my conflicting feelings, and facing my depression, anxiety and despair, I did what I now call Heartbreak Eating™, or more accurately, Heartbreak Bingeing™.
That kind of overeating is far more intense, frenetic and frantic than emotional eating.
Clearly, My Crazy Cravings wouldn’t let me go until I healed.
Have you, too, been plagued by Crazy Cravings while mourning the death of a loved one, your divorce, the end of a relationship or the loss of a job?
My Big Discovery: Oh No, I Was in Carb Shock, Too!
About a year ago, while healing, I made a huge discovery, which actually embarrassed me, because I know better.
One day, I began to study the ingredients labels of foods I’d been devouring in my pain.
Amazon Sug Sh 51RDZ7DBVAL._SL110_ (2)I turned to page 12 of my first book, Sugar Shock.
There I found all the symptoms I’d been experiencing. It was déjà vu!
Sure, I hadn’t been eating sugar, but those fast-acting carbs had been delivering the same awful symptoms, which had plagued me back in 1998.
Because I’d been repeatedly Heartbreak Bingeing™ quickie carbs, I was suffering from many ailments that were uncannily like those of Sugar Shock.
Indeed, I’d been suffering from:
Mood swings,
Crying spells,
Melancholy,
Depression,
Angst,
Irritability,
Brain fog or Difficulty concentrating
Insomnia (or nightmares if I did sleep),
Overwhelming fatigue
Restlessness
Nervousness
And more.
Yikes!
In other words, I’d been flipping in and out of what I now call Carb Shock!
And sure enough, my Heartbreak Bingeing of quickie carbs had been making My Dark Night of the Soul far worse than it would have been if I’d been carefully choosing all that I put into my mouth.
Yeah! I’ve Now Lost 19 (of the 20) Pounds of Grief Weight
Because I so wanted to reclaim my peace of mind and get get back to serving you, I’ve done many things to heal, as noted earlier, from therapy to EFT.
Thankfully, with the help of those valuable healing valuable tools, I’ve been eating healthily for about a year, with a few short, grief-triggered slips on some holidays, birthdays or anniversaries.
As a result, I’ve also finally peeled off almost 19 of the 20 pounds I gained, and I’m getting toned again.
Woo Hoo!
The Inevitable, Frustrating Weight Loss Plateaus
Although I’m really close to my earlier weight (still have some inches to lose though), shedding my 20 excess pounds has been very slow. In fact, I’ve had a number of plateaus, which were very frustrating.
I believe that it’s s taken me so long (a full year) to shed those 19 pounds, because that my cortisol and adrenaline were sky high after all the stress, trauma, and grief I endured. Stay tuned for cool tools to bring your cortisol in check. (There’s a huge connection between cortisol and weight gain, as I reveal here.).
In addition, I suffered from a painful, debilitating knee injury, which prevented me from doing high-intensity workouts and weight training for four months.
To lose my grief weight, I learned a lot.
Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on Easy Tips to Rise Above Your Weight-Loss Plateau.
Soon, I’ll also share other valuable ideas and information so you can get practical tools to Calm your Crazy Cravings and heal from profound pain. Sign up now for Sugar Shock Blog updates to get these helpful posts.
My Time Out from Social Media
As you may have noticed, I’ve taken quite a bit of time away from social media, as well as this Sugar Shock Blog, or my blogs on Heal Your Life, the Huffington Post or Psychology Today.
Not only that, but I stayed away from events where I might run into fellow health colleagues.
Sometimes, you just need to retreat and regroup in order to come back stronger and better.
For my part, I wanted to get back my slim figure, calm demeanor, and peace of mind.
I felt that being active in socially and in blogging and social media kept me away from my highest goal, which was healing so I could come back stronger and better able to serve you.
Good News for You: My Exciting New Book Will Help You Tame Your Crazy Cravings™
Tadum! At last, I’m excited to announce that I’m ready to serve you again.
My pain is now your gain.
It’s strange. When I feel shattered, betrayed and broken, I get quite creative.
So now I’m finishing researching and writing my next book, which is tentatively called Tame Your Crazy Cravings™. (During my traumatic times, I started another three books, too.)
For my next book, tentatively called Tame Your Crazy Cravings—which I’ll formally announce soon—I’ll tell and show you how to let go of your irrational urges, which keep you hooked on unhealthy, sugary, salty, fatty foods, fast foods or quickie carbs.
Lately, I’ve come to realize that unless you rein in your Crazy Cravings, you’ll never lose weight. I’ve also become more aware of how when you’re suffering from a loss, death, or trauma, you’re more vulnerable to being blindsided by those irrational food urges.
When you release your Crazy Cravings, you’ll be able to:
Shed weight;
Boost your moods;
Become more productive;
Calm down and gain peace of mind;
Become happy; and even
Rev up your libido.
Sign up for Sugar Shock Blog updates to get new, easy tools, tactics, and techniques that can help you Calm Your Crazy Cravings so you can get the sweeter life you so richly deserve.
Stay tuned also for information about my exciting, upcoming Cravings Freedom Program™.
Thank You For Your Support.
At this time, I want to thank all of you, who’ve been sticking around and reading my periodic posts on this Sugar Shock Blog during my Dark Night of the Soul.
That means so very much to me.
I’m very grateful to you for your understanding, compassion and support for the past three years, while I stood by my dying Mom, went through My Dark Night of the Soul, took time to heal, wrote a new book, and prepared to help you again.
I also want to extend my profound gratitude to blogger Sean Croxton for inspiring me to come clean with you. Please see this post, too, in which I thank him for giving me courage to come clean with you about my carb relapse.
Now, please tell us if you, too, have ever been ruled by your Crazy Cravings.
Join the Conversation: Have you ever been thrown off course by your Crazy Cravings™ or other bad food urges? Post your comments now.

Are You a Mosquito Magnet? The Surprising Secret to Stop Them from Biting You

Are you one of those people, who tend to attract mosquitos, who bite you often?
I urge you to read this post to discover how to eat to keep the mosquitoes away.
Mosquito-vector-graphicsFor years, every summer, mostly beginning on 4th of July weekend, I used to be a major magnet for mosquitoes.
Lately, come to think of it, those biting critters have been leaving me alone.
But it wasn’t until this morning, when I received a fascinating email from the empowering Dr. Sara Gottfried that I realized why those annoying mosquitoes have been letting me be in peace.
Dr. Gottfried, as you may already know is a wife, mother of two girls (ages 8 and 13), friend, scholar, seeker, yoga teacher, Harvard-trained MD with 20+ years of experience, and author of the amazing New York Times bestselling book,The Hormone Cure:The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep and Sex Drive; Lose Weight; Feel Focused, Vital, and Energized Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol.
Anyhow, Dr. Gottfried — who’s s enjoying the holiday week in in rural Idaho at a ranch with her family, doing horseback riding, river rafting, hiking, and fishing — is happy to find that she’s “rarely getting bitten by mosquitoes.”
Guess why both Dr. Gottfried and I are being left along by the mosquitoes?
As Dr. Gottfried points out, her friend Alan Christianson told her recently, mosquitoes pick their subjects based on several things, including the level of ketones in your blood and sweat.
In other words, if you’re eating lots of sweets or refined carbohydrates — or what I call quickie carbs — those mosquitoes will like us.
But, on the other hand, as Dr. Gottfried explains, when “you restrict carbohydrates past a certain threshold (usually 25 to 100 grams of carbs per day, but this varies person to person), you produce more ketones and your body odor smells less fruity.”
In other words, as Dr. Gottfried concludes: “Ketones repel mosquitoes”” Not only that, but they may be Nature’s best mosquito repellent.”
That led Dr. Gottfried to restrict her carbs to see if thatt kept the mosquitoes from swarming. Sure enough, it worked.
A hah!
Lately, I, too, have been restricting carbs — not to repel mosquitos, but to shed the remaining pounds I’d gained after my mother passed away. (More about that later.)
Now, we all have one more reason to stay away from those compelling carbs — the mosquitoes won’t like us!
Thanks to Dr. Sara Gottfried for the heads up on this fascinating simple mosquito repellant!
FYI, here are some other ideas to be unappealing to bugs.
You also can increase your garlic intake to keep the bugs at bay.
You can eat other foods, especially one of my favorites, apple cider vinegar, which also help you repel mosquitoes.
You can douse on — or burn a candle — of citronella, which also keeps the bugs away.
Join the conversation. What have you done to keep the bugs away? Talk to us. We’d love to hear your experiences.
Special thanks to Vector Graphics for this fabulous artwork. If I’m supposed to pay, please forgive me, but I didn’t see any requirements to do so. http://www.vectors4all.net/preview/mosquito-vector-graphics.jpg

Are You a “Heavy User” of Salty, Sugary, Fatty Foods? Let Michael Moss Open Your Eyes

Join the Conversation: Are you a “heavy user” of salty, sugary or fatty foods?
Salt, Sugar, FatAre you hooked on salty, sugary or fatty processed foods?
If you wonder why certain packaged food products call out to you often, you must read the brilliant, eye-opening book, Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us from Pulitzer Prize-winning Michael Moss, an investigatve reporter for The New York Times.
Lately, while researching and writing my next book, I haven’t been able to put down the fascinating Salt Sugar Fat.. (Mostly, I’ve been listening to the book via CDs while en route to the gym, Whole Foods or bvusiness meetings. This book was so compelling that I’m now listening to all 12 CDs again.)
Frankly, I’m in awe of Moss and his investigative prowess. Over a period of three-and-a-half years, he interviewed hundreds of industry insiders, who revealed jaw-dropping, inside information about what our favorite food companies do to land space on grocery store shelves, crush the competition, boost the bottom line, please Wall Street, and influence our buying habits so we can’t pass up on foods with salt, sugar and fat.
For those of you, who find yourself frequently buying and eating certain processed chips, cookies or cereals, Moss sheds light on why this may be happening.
The captivating processed food substances you find on supermarket shelves “are knowingly designed—engineered is the better word—to maximize their allure,” Moss writes.
Michael-Moss_credit-Tony-Ce._V374823686_ (2)“Their packaging is tailored to excite our kids,” he continues.
“Their advertising uses every psychological trick to overcome any logical arguments we might have for passing the product by.”
Plus, their “taste is so powerful,” he writes, “we remember it from the last time we walked down the aisle and succumbed, snatching them up. And above all else, their formulas are calculated and perfected by scientists who know very well what they are doing.”
Indeed, those of you, who struggle to peel off pounds and hate that you can’t quit over-consuming your favorite sweet soft drinks, salty chips, or fatty cookies, you need to know that food scientists are actually using cutting-edge technology to calculate the “bliss point” and enhance the “mouthfeel” of your preferred foods so they’ll sell more, Moss explains.
Oh Goodness! Food Companies Call Big Buyers of Processed Foods “Heavy Users”
Perhaps one of the more scary revelations Moss makes in Salt, Sugar Fat is how the food industry regards its ardent customers.
In their board rooms and science labs, food industry insiders call you, their loyal buyers, “heavy users.”
No, I’m not talking about drugs, but, in light of recent food addiction research, that shows how the brain lights up on sugar as it does on cocaine, the term “user” is certainly apt.
And you wonder why your most intense, all-consuming, wild cravings for unnatural, packaged, sugary, salty, fatty foodstuffs swoop in on you often as if they were ravenous vultures waiting for their next dead prey to disembowel?
Sorry for the gross imagery, but as a former sugar-addicted journalist, my goal is not only to educate you, but to help you become strong, alert, and determined to lift your choose-healthy-food muscles when you’re at your favorite supermarket, as well as at drug stores, movie theaters and even hospitals..
By the way, just as I was about to put this post up on this Sugar Shock Blog, I discovered — while catching up on Dr. Oz Show episodes — that yesterday, Moss was featured in an awesome episode, Supermarket Secrets: How They Fool You Into Buying Foods That Make You Fat.
Watch The Dr. Oz Show episode with Moss now.
And bear in mind, as Moss told Dr. Oz, that “when you walk into the store, there are traps.”
With that in mind, it’s best to be prepared with “that shopping list, commit yourself to stick with it, shop when you’re full, shop with a clear mind,” Moss urges.
Let Michael Moss open your eyes now by buying his intriguing book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us.
Join the Conversation: Are you a “heavy user” of salty, sugary or fatty foods?

Taking a Quick Time Out to Write My Next Book to Help You

Join the Conversation: Have you ever written a book or wanted to write a book?
I’m taking a few days away from emails and the Internet during this Easter weekend and post-Passover time to work on my next book.
At present, I need to get back to writing, but let me briefly share that this book is the follow-up to my first book, Sugar Shock, which Dr. Mehmet Oz praised, and Beyond Sugar Shock, which was published by Hay House and was endorsed by many health and empowerment gurus such as Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Dr. Christiane Northrup and many others.
For my third book, I’m not going through a traditional publisher.
Instead, I’m taking the self-publishing route, and Balboa press Logo_MainI’ve signed up with Balboa Press, which is a division of Hay House.
My publishing contacts at Balboa Press are being so incredibly nice to me — I couldn’t be happier! — and they’re helping me implement some very innovative things. (More later.)
What’s really nice about self-publishing with Balboa Press is that I can speed up the timeline and schedule my book when I want it to come out.
I’ll announce the publication date soon, but it’s a pub date that may make you chuckle. Seriously!
Right now, I have to get back to writing my next book, but right now, let me share my fondest wish and deepest desire for this book — my mission is to help and serve people worldwide. Stay tuned.
Join the Conversation: Have you ever written a book or wanted to write a book?

Berries Benefit Your Brain

Do you regularly eat luscious strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries?
BerriesExciting new findings reveal that berries can boost your brain power.
Researchers writing in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, conclude that eating more blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other berries may help prevent age-related memory loss and other mental status changes.
Berries benefit your brain in several ways. They’re already known for their high levels of antioxidants, which are compounds “that protect cells from damage by harmful free radicals,” found the researchers, Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Ph.D., and Marshall G. Miller.
Research also shows that berries alter the manner in which neurons in the brain communicate. “These changes in signaling can prevent inflammation in the brain that contribute to neuronal damage and improve both motor control and cognition,” said ACS, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress.
This new study adds to the growing body of research, which has identified neurological benefits associated with consuming berries.
This sweet berry news emphasizes the fact that if you don’t eat refined sugar, you can still enjoy sweet foods — and benefit at the same times. Now that you have more reasons to eat berries, here are two ideas on how to consume them:
Try adding a modest portion (1/4 or 1/2 cup of blueberries, raspberries or other berries_ into a tasty, healthy, sugar-free Berry Cacao-Cado Protein Shake (as I did this morning).
Make your own yummy, sugar-free berry dessert, thanks to the new Dessert Bullet, as I shared earlier on this Sugar Shock Blog.
Join the Conversation: What’s your favorite way to eat berries? Share your thoughts now.
Special thanks to Natural News and reporter J.D. Heyes for the heads up about this new research.

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.