Blood Sugar Blues

Beyond Sugar Shock, Blood Sugar Blues

Consider Making a Donation to the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation on Cyber Monday

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Talk to us. Will you join me in making a donation to the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation?
I hope you had a wonderful, grateful Thanksgiving.
On Cyber Monday — or any day, for that matter — I invite you to make a donation to a worthwhile organization while you buy your holiday gifts.
HSFIn fact, i invite you to join me in donating to the worthwhile, non-profit Hypoglycemia Support Foundation.
Why am I encouraging you to donate to the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation?
Because this organization does amazing work to educate people about hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
This is a condition, which can manifest some 125 symptoms, including headaches, mood swings, heart palpitations, mental confusion (brain fog), excessive fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, cold hands and feet, and Crazy Sugar Cravings.
I personally have greatly benefited from the Hypoglyemia Support Foundation.
In fact, back in 1998, when I learned that I had hypolgycemia or low blood sugar, Roberta Ruggiero, founder and president of the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, helped me so much!
Indeed, thanks to Roberta’s unwavering support, encouragement, and patient explanations, I was able to follow my doctor’s orders to kick sweets and quickie carbs, to take back my health and to say farewell to 44 baffling ailments.
You’ve never met a woman more dedicated than Robera, who has been steadfastly dedicated for 34 ears to help people learn about hypoglycemia, which has been dubbed the “Great Imitator,” because people with this condition can manifest ailments that confuse medical professionals.
Did you know, for instance, that if you have hypoglycemia, your doctor can wrongly diagnose you for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, neurosis, migraines, Parkinson’s syndrome, chronic bronchial asthma, paroxysmal tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), rheematoid arthritis, cerebral arteriosclerosis (hardening of the brain’s arteries), menopause, mental retardation, alcoholism, hyperactive disorder, and even senility.
To learn more about the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation and its founder Roberta Ruggiero, listen to last year’s Gab with the Gurus Show, when I interviewed Roberta for my 15 years off sugar celebration. In this show, we share secrets to staying sugar-free.
Check Out Health Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Gab With the Gurus on BlogTalkRadio
Now, I invite you to make a donation to the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation.
Feel free to say that Connie sent you.
CB – pink shirtWho is Sugar Shock Blog founder Connie Bennett? Connie is a former pooped-out, fuzzy-headed, sugar-addicted journalist. After quitting sugar on doctor’s orders in 1998, ALL 44 of her baffling, crippling ailments (brain fog, PMS, headaches, etc.) vanished, and she became “reborn.” For the past 16 1/2 years, Connie has helped thousands worldwide release their sugar addiction and Get a Sweeter Life that Rocks™. She is the acclaimed, energetic, charismatic Sweet Freedom Guide, Bounce-Back-to-Your Best Body™ coach, a transformational speaker, sugar and carb expert, blogger, certified health coach, certified life coach, EFT practitioner, Gab with the Gurus host, and bestselling author of Beyond Sugar Shock, which was endorsed Beyond Sugar Shock_RGBby Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Dr. Daniel Amen, JJ Virgin, and many others. Her first book, Sugar Shock, was praised by such respected people as Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Christiane Northrup. Connie is now planning the first Sugar World Summit, which will feature the biggest names in sugar and carb addiction, recovery, mindful eating, compassion, weight loss, etc. She is also completing her next book, The Bounce Back Diet™, which will help millions blindsided by Crazy Cravings™ after a major loss (such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or end of a job) or another life-changing event. Get free gifts at www.Connie-Bennett.com

Beyond Sugar Shock, Blood Sugar Blues

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

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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.

Beyond Sugar Shock, Blood Sugar Blues, Connie Recommends, Help for Sugar Addicts

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

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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.

Beyond Sugar Shock, Blood Sugar Blues, Clever Takes on the News, Connie Recommends, Sugar Shockers

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

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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?

Blood Sugar Blues, Comments, Rants, Raves & Musings, Tantalizing Tidbits

Mom Berated & Fined $10 for Not Giving Child Grains

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Have you heard about the Mom, who was berated and then fined $10 for not including grains in her child’s school lunch?
Seriously! A mother had to fork over $10, because she didn’t add gluten to her kid’s allegedly healthy lunch.
To make the lunch more well-rounded, the school then added some gluten-filled Ritz Crackers.
Ritz CrackersI’m saddened, appalled, and disheartened to discover that children — many of whom may be allergeic or sensitive to gluten, grains and sugar — may be encouraged to eat the very foods that they should avoid.
Admittedly, this is only one such instance (and overseas, too), but I believe this incident exemplifies the problem worldwide.
Both adults and children here in the United States and abroad are often being brainwashed or programmed to eat potentially dangerous, processed grains.
Small wonder then that millions of children and adults worldwide are suffering from obesity, type 2 diabetes and early death.
To learn about the dangers of gluten on your brain, I invite you to listen to this recent Gab with the Gurus Show, during which I interviewed Dr. Perlmutter, author of the bestselling book, Grain Brain.: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar — Your Brain’s Silent Killers.
Listen now at your convenience.
New Health Internet Radio with Gab With the Gurus on BlogTalkRadio
Special thanks: I’m very grateful to Weighty Matters, Boing Boing,, as well as Mark Freuenfelder and Dr. David Perlmutter, for the heads-up about this sad carb catch.
Join the Conversation
What do you think of the fact that a school fined a mom for not giving he child grains for lunch?
Post your thoughts here.

Announcements, Beware of Hidden Sugars, Beyond Sugar Shock, Blood Sugar Blues, Catching Up With Connie, Connie Recommends, Help for Sugar Addicts, Holiday Help, Weight Loss Secrets

How to Skip Overeating This Thanksgiving: 3 Simple Tips for a Sweeter, Slimming Holiday

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Every Thanksgiving, being grateful often takes a back seat to over-indulging at family gatherings.
Gulping down fast-acting, processed carbohydrates, sugar-loaded desserts, and gluten-rich foods is far more common than pleasurably savoring the various culinary concoctions.
20101117-stuffingFor many, Thanksgiving means they’ll go into Sugar Shock and Carb Shock (as I dub it), and develop “Grain Brain,” as Dr. David Perlmutter puts it in his book of the same name.
In fact, I predict that on Thanksgiving, most Americans will overeat, especially those culplrit carbs.
It’s simply a given that you’ll over-indulge on this holiday. One gym even suggested that you “work out before you pig out.” Aargh!
It’s time to ignore the insidious programming that drives you to overeat on Thanksgiving.
Even if you’ve stuffed yourself at previous holiday feasts, instead this Thanksgiving you can achieve Sweet Freedom.
To begin the Sweet Freedom Thanksgiving Funcise (Fun Exercise), think ahead to the day after Thanksgiving,
Choose now not to get an upset stomach. Plan now not to pig out. Select the smarter choice — to savor the sweet holiday experience.
This Thanksgiving, you can easily shift your attention away from those cunning carbs and desserts, which most Americans over-consume and which ample research shows can contribute to more than 100-plus diseases and ailments, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and even an early death.
It’s time to take back your Sugar Power and Carb Control. This Thanksgiving, you can avoid being overly tempted by:
Cranberries, a super-healthy food that’s generally downgraded by adding gobs of sugar.
Yams or sweet potatoes, whose inherent nutrient-goodness is often destroyed on Thanksgiving by adding unnecessary brown sugar and marshmallows.
Stuffing, which generally contains gluten galore. (Use Dr. Sarah Gottlieb’s awesome gluten-free, sugar-free recipe instead.)
Pumpkin pie, which is a far cry from the delectable, nutritious, fiber-rich vegetable and weight-loss ally, as Dr. Jonny Bowden points out. The dessert you usually get a Thankisviing is weighed down by sugary, fatty ingredients; features a gluten-rich crust; and is slathered by whipped cream.
Gravy-sodden turkey.
Here’s a three-part simple way to skip over-indulging this Thanksgiving and take leisurely, sociable tastes instead. (I recommend you take two to four small bites maximium of each dish.)
But before you dig into those tantalizing carb creations, just ask yourself these three simple questions:
Would I rather overeat [fill in name of food(s)] tonight and feel sluggish, fuzzy-headed, and cranky tomorrow (for up to three days afterwards)? OR would I rather have a slim, healthy body and mind? (If you have weight to lose, this thought can stop you from over-indulging.)
Would I rather overeat those carbs or sweets or enjoy the good company of family and friends on this special day?
Wouldn’t I rather feel better about myself by shifting my focus from the carb-food to gratitude, which, of course, is supposed to be the whole point of this celebration? Remind yourself that night of list of “5 Things for Which I’m Most Grateful.”
This simple, three-part mental exercise can take your attention away from those potentially harmful carb substasnces and instead put you on the path toward feeling good and enjoying your life -– not just on this holiday but during the whole holiday season ahead.
Have a sweet, joyous and healthy Thanksgiving.
New to this Sugar Shock Blog? Connie Bennett is a former lethargic, dejected sugar-addicted journalist, who reluctantly quit sugar on doctor’s orders in 1998 after being pummeled by 44 strange ailments (brain fog, heart palpitations, mood swings, etc.). Now, 15 years later, the energetic, uplifting Connie spreads the word that Life is Sweeter When Sugar Doesn’t Seduce You™. She is recognized as the Sweet Freedom Coach, and she is a life coach, health coach, blogger, and motivational speaker, who has helped thousands of sugar and carb addicts worldwide. Connie is author of two bestselling books, Sugar Shock and Beyond Sugar Shock, which have been praised by many acclaimed health gurus and celebrities, including America’s Favorite Doctor, Dr. Mehmet Oz, as well as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Bernie Siegel, Mark Sisson, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraff, JJ Virgin, Katie Dolgin (“High Voltage”), and Jimmy Moore.
Subscribe to this Sugar Shock Blog and like Connie on her Facebook fan page.

Beware of Hidden Sugars, Beyond Sugar Shock, Blood Sugar Blues, Catching Up With Connie, You've Got to Be Kidding!

It’s Easy to Get Duped by Food Labels

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If you’re trying to cut out sugar or curtail your consumption of it to shed weight, manage your hypoglycemia or type 2 diabetes, or reduce your risk of heart disease, you need to read food labels if and when you buy packaged foods.
That’s because many foods may contain sugar, even if you don’t think they do.
And if you rush while shopping at the supermarket, you’ll never know about the hidden sugars.
After 15 years of being mostly sugar-free, you’d think I would have known better to catch sweetened foods.
But darn, I forgot to t follow my own advice last night, because I was really hungry and hurriedly snapped up a few items so I could hurry home to cook my dinner.
Sure enough, I got duped by tasty-looking crumbled goat cheese, which I’d been eagerly looking forward to adding to my salad..
It wasn’t until I got home and was close to opening the package when I realized my oversight.
My crumbled goat cheese contained sugar. In fact, it had 4 grams or 1 teaspoon, enough to cause havoc in my sugar-sensitive body.
Of course, if I’d taken a moment to read the label while still at the grocery store, I would have quickly caught the sugar and been able to buy unsweetened goat cheese instead.
No wonder people get so confused when buying packaged foods.
No wonder people eat lots of added sugars without even realizing it.
Tell us about your food label challenges. When did a food label deceive you?

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