Category: Support This Cause

Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch Weeks Kicks Off

Today, it’s my pleasure to kick off the Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch Week with some exciting interviews and activities.
Although the launch is officially on Tuesday, we’re getting an early start with the following:
Monday, June 4
Jill Lane image-displayMonday, June 4 at 9:15 am PDT: Interview with Jill Lane in Dallas. www.oneliferadio.com. Today, it’s my pleasure to be interviewed by Jill Lane, an expert in the fields of nutrition and exercise physiology. Jill — who is pasionate about helping pro athletes and high achievers attain max strength, quick recovery, heightened energy, sharp focus and optimal body fat for peak performance — was oversaw the meal planning and recipes, which are included in Beyond Sugar Shock. Some of her current and past clients include coaches and players from the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars and Cleveland Browns as well as a variety of tennis and golf pros. As I’ve discovered upon interviewing Jill, her colleagues say she is gifted at turning complicated biochemistry into simple concepts and action steps that produce success.
Monday, June 4 at 10 am PDT: My Gab with the Gurus Show focuses on vegetarianism and Meatless Monday. For the first day of the Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch Week, listeners will learn how going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, as well as reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources. My guests are a Meatless Monday representative; gourmet chef/health coach Alex Jamieson (who appeared on “Oprah” and “Super Size Me” Alex Jamiesonand is author of Living Vegan for Dummies and The Great American Detox Diet); and Judith Kinsbury, founder of the popular SavvyVegetarian.com blog. Both authors offer recipes, which appear in my book, Beyond Sugar Shock. In honor of Book Launch Week, Gab with the Gurus listeners will have a chance to a copy of my book, access to my Sugar Freedom Now Course, and even time with me. See this: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gabwiththegurus/2012/06/04/meatless-monday-alex-jamieson-savvy-vegetarian-go-beyond.
Diane Ray 11128promoMonday, June 4 at 11 am: The dynamic host and radio show veteran Diane Ray interviews me on her popular, fun “I Can Do It Hour!” on www.HayHouseRadio.com. If you haven’t listened yet to Diane’s inspiring show, you must! On this weekely show, you have a special opportunity to get entertained and educated each week by empowering, compassionate Hay House authors. In addition, you can call in and ask her guests questions. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m honored that Hay House is the publisher of my book, Beyond Sugar Shock .
First Week in June
HealyourlifelogoMy article, “My 14 Years Without Sugar: Reflections on a Sour Life Turned Sweet,” runs on www.HealYourLife.com. Stay tuned for the exact link. In the article, I tell how how I made the transition from sugar addict to Sugar Freedom Coach. For those of you struggling with your addiction, you’ll learn about just how bad it got for me.
MaryOKeefeHope, Healing and WellBeing Show: Catch my interview all week with Mary Treacy O’Keefe, breast cancer survivor and co-founder and President of Well Within, a nonprofit holistic wellness resource center in St. Paul, MN. Mary’s goals are to help people reduce their levels of anxiety and foster hope, healing and spiritual growth. Mary is also trained as a Cancer Guide and as a Mind, Body Skills facilitator by the Center for Mind Body Medicine in Washington, D.C. Mary’s first book, Thin Places: Where Faith is Affirmed and Hope Dwells, received Honorable Mention from the national Independent Publishers Book Awards. She is currently completing her next book, Meant to Be: Do Things Really Happen for a Reason?
Stay tuned for exciting activities on the official Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch Day on Tuesday, June 5, too.
You’re invited to spread the word on Tuesday, too, to all your friends, fans, colleagues and acquaintances about this book, which is designed to help sugar addicts worldwide.

Label Added Sugars, Urges Coalition of Health Organizations Such as the Environmental Working Group and the American Heart Association

Exciting news for those of us who monitor our sugar intake — and urge you to do so, too — for the sake of your health, weight, and moods!
A coalition of health organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, the American Association for Health Education, the American Heart Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and Defeat Diabetes Foundation are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clearly label added sugars on ingredients lists of packaged foods so that American shoopers find it easier to eat healthier.
“By showing ‘added sugars’ on the ingredients lists of foods, consumers will be better able to evaluate the foods they purchase,” the organizations wrote in a letter dated Feb. 23, 2012 to the Honorable Margaret Hamburg, M.D., FDA Commissioner.
“To ensure consumers have this important information, we feel that the term ‘added sugars’ should be listed as a single food ingredient with a paranthetical list of the specific ingredients that account for those sugars,” the letter contends.
The groups then go on to suggest that “added sugars should be listed by descending weight, in line with current regulations. The combined weight of the added sugars should be used to determine where added sugars rank on the food ingredients label.”
I cannot emphasize how great this would be!
Your life would be so much easier when you buy packaged foods. You’d find it easier to monitor your intake of sugar, which can cause you to age quickly, get heart disease, become depressed, and many other ailments. (You can read about sugar harms you in my first book, Sugar Shock.)
In short, if food labeling such as this went into effect, you wouldn’t be so easily deceived and duped by all those added sugars!
The welcome letter to the FDA Commissioner also cited the American Heart Association’s valuable national survey data that “overconsumption of added sugars contributes to obesity” and that the average American consumes 22.2 teaspoons of added sugars per day or the equivalent of 355 calories. (I believe for many, they consume far more than this.) The AHA recommends that women get only 100 daily calories from added sugars and men only 150 calories.
In addition, the letter states that while “a healthy, well-balanced diet contains naturally occurring sugars, the `empty calories’ from added sugars like high fructose corn syrup, sucrose and corn sweetener have a detrimental effect on our diets.”
Make sure to tell these organizations such as the Environmental Working Group, the American Heart Association, The American Association for Health Education, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and Corporate Accountability International how much you appreciate their hard work on behalf of your health.
Read the complete letter here.
Then go to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Facebook page and show your support for labeling added sugars.
And tell us what you think, too.

Praise for Beyond Sugar Shock: Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy, Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Etc. Endorsed My Upcoming Book — Pre-Order It Now & Get Complimentary Strategy Session

Advance buzz is building for my upcoming book, Beyond Sugar Shock.
This book — which is being published in June in the United States, Canada and Great Britain by Hay House — has been endorsed by a Who’s Who of health and empowerment experts.
Those who’ve praised this follow-up to my first book, Sugar Shock, include such empowering, motivational speakers and authors as Dr. Bernie Siegel, Brian Tracy, Dr. Joe Vitale, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraf, Janet Bray Atwood, and Brian Alman, Ph.D.
Dr. Wayne Dyer also recently endorsed my book, which you can read about here.
Nutrition gurus Dr. JJ Virgin, Dr. Oz Garcia, Dr. Jonny Bowden, Ann Cooper, Marc David, and Mark Sisson also said kind words about Beyond Sugar Shock, which offers you a fun, simple, compassionate six-week Mind-Body-Spirit adventure to easily and effortlessly release your sugar addiction.
In the book, I take you by the hand, so to speak, and coach you to Sugar Freedom so that by the time you finish the book, you’re now leading a life that’s sweeterlicious (that’s my word for delicious, combined with scrumptious, delicious, and of course, sweet).
Even fellow sugar experts have been kind enough to praise it–which gives me such profound joy.
I bow my head in gratitude to such amazing authors of sugar books or programs as Jeff O’Connell (to your left), Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, Richard J. Johnson, M.D., Jill Escher, and Kathie Dolgin (a.k.a. “High Voltage”), to whom I’m so grateful for writing endorsements for Beyond Sugar Shock.
These sugar gurus are on the cutting edge. Because of them, you’re getting educated, motivated, and convinced of sugar’s dangers. Kathie (High Voltage) has even aimed her sights on today’s youth — she’s running the first sugar-free school in New York City.
It’s also been an honor to have several authors published by Hay House (my publisher) offer endorsements.
A very special thanks go to Dr. Christiane Northrup (see photo to your left), Colette Baron-Reid, Dr. Ken Druck, Donna Gates, Lauren Mackler, and CarolineSutherland.
When you’re an author of a health book, it’s quite gratifying when highly respected medical professionals say kind things. Naturally, I’m now thrilled that the esteemed bestselling authors Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Carolyn Dean endorsed my book, as have Dr. Roberta Lee, Dr. Jill R. Baron, and acupuncturist Roberta Mittman.
Furthermore, I’m also humbled and thankful that one of my mentors and heroes, Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of the remarkable Institute for Integrative Nutrition (where I attended school to become a certified health coach), wrote the foreword to Beyond Sugar Shock. (Soon, you’ll be able to download an advance look at this foreword from Joshua.)
Furthermore, I’m thankful that several colleagues from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) — Jared Koch, Alex Jamieson, Stacey Morganstern, Carey Peters — who are all accomplishing amazing things — were kind enough to endorse Beyond Sugar Shock.
Much to my joy, the two people who helped me the most when I was a raging sugar addict in 1998 also endorsed Beyond Sugar Shock. To this day, I’m so grateful to Roberta Ruggiero, founder of the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, and Dr. Keith DeOrio, who were both instrumental in my succes.
Furthermore, amazing fitness gurus Kathy Smith (see left photo) and Patricia Moreno; relationship experts Dr. Diana Kirschner and Debra Berndt; and anti-aging expert Cynthia Rowland also praised Beyond Sugar Shock.
I am so grateful!
In fact, I owe this book to so many wonderful people, especially journalist Dana Kennedy. The founder of www.AYearWithoutCandy.com was kind enough to insist that it was time to get going with this book.
See all endorsements received to date below:
“If you are ready to love yourself and your body, abandon the wounds of your past, and free yourself from unhealthy addictions, then read Beyond Sugar Shock. Then, combine the information it contains with your new-found inspiration.” –Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of A Book of Miracles and Faith, Hope & Healing
“We are born loving sugar for its sweetness and its ability to help us store up fat for lean times. Times are no longer lean for most and too much sugar is ruining our health and our lives. Beyond Sugar Shock gives you everything you need to bring more sweetness and health into your life….. without the risk of sugar!” — Christiane Northrup, M.D., ob/gyn physician and author of the New York Times bestsellers:Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause (Photo above)
“Sugar is NOT good for your brain. It increases erratic brain cell firing, promotes inflammation and is clearly addictive. Beyond Sugar Shock can help you get sugar out of your life and replace it with health and vitality. It is a powerful program full of easy tips and tactics.” –Daniel G. Amen, M.D., bestselling author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, Magnificent Mind at Any Age, and Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
“If you’re a sugar addict like most people, you need to read Beyond Sugar Shock. This compassionate, comforting, uplifting book will change your life.” –Kathy Smith, International Fitness Expert (See above photo)
“This enjoyable book shows you how to change your diet, reduce your sugar intake, lose weight and enjoy greater energy than ever before.” –Brian Tracy, motivational speaker and author, Earn What You’re Really Worth “
“Connie Bennett’s Sugar Shock! is one of the best books ever written about the toll taken by excess sugar consumption, and Beyond Sugar Shock! is a worthy and logical follow-up. Anyone can use her six-week action plan to break their sugar addiction—and make no mistake, sugar is addictive, not to mention complicit in diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and an long list of other health calamities when consumed to excess. Connie is a true expert in the field, and this latest book of hers represents yet another major contribution. I give it my highest recommendation.” –Jeff O’Connell, Bodybuilding.com Editor-in-Chief, author of Sugar Nation (See above photo)
“Beyond Sugar Shock fearlessly tackles the nation’s Number One health crisis – the diabesity epidemic. Connie Bennett offers real life solutions, recipes, take-action programs and spot on science to help break the sugar addiction that is fueling our nation’s health epidemic. In the right hands, this book could change the course of America’s health with Connie Bennett’s unique 6-week plan for a slimmer, sexier and sweeter YOU!” –Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., C.N.S. author of The Fat Flush Plan and Fat Flush for Life
“Break free! This refreshing and enlightening book shows how to release sugar addiction easily. It can save your life. Read it!” –Dr. Joe Vitale, author, The Attractor Factor
“Beyond Sugar Shock ambitiously breaks new ground in the field of sugar addiction! Connie shows you how to bravely and easily shift away from negative and harmful thinking to positive and productive thinking to help get you healthier and happier. She will show you how to develop hobbies and activities that nurture and nourish you; and use cutting-edge techniques that lift you to a higher plane. You must read this book if you are serious about making a change in your health and lifestyle to finally live the life you want and more importantly, deserve!” –John Assaraf, New York TimesBestselling Author, The Answer and Having It All and featured in the featured in the Blockbuster Movie, “The Secret”
“As I’ve discovered myself, one of the keys to being happy is eating well, which includes limiting sugar consumption. But as any sugar addict knows, this is a tough habit to kick! In Beyond Sugar Shock, Connie Bennett shows you an easy and empowering way to say farewell to those `sweet poisons.’” –Marci Shimoff, NY Times bestselling author, Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason
“Connie has written another engaging book that makes the reader a participant in a fun ride to better health. Beyond Sugar Shock offers an engaging, interactive, approach to quitting sugar and losing weight in which the reader not only becomes an active participant but becomes the conductor to gain control of his or her own health. Bravo, Connie!” –Richard J. Johnson, M.D., Tomas Berl Professor of Medicine, Chief, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado, Denver, and author, The Sugar Fix: The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick
“If we as a nation are going to stop the obesity crisis, we must overcome our addiction to sugar. We have raised a generation of children, who think sugary cereals, chocolate milk, gummy candies and the like are part of every meal: This must change. We absolutely must overcome our sugar addiction, and Beyond Sugar Shock—with its powerful tips, stories and recipes—can help you. This book is an important tool in the fight against obesity.” –Ann Cooper, “The Renegade Lunch Lady” and author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children
“Beyond Sugar Shock masterfully shows us how to finally get control our sugar or carb addictions — and go from self-loathing to self-love.” –Ken Druck, Ph.D., pioneer of life coaching and author, The Real Rules of Life: Balancing Life’s Terms With Our Own
“Tired of being a sugar junkie? Ready to feel better instead of guilty? Then this book is for you. Connie Bennett, Sugar Freedom Coach extraordinaire, will show you how to ditch your sugar addiction by treating your body, mind and spirit with tenderness, compassion, and even humor!”–Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., integrative physician and author, Beat Sugar Addiction Now!
“Wow! Beyond Sugar Shock is a must-read book for millions of overweight and sugar-addicted people worldwide. At the end of this six-week program, you’ll wonder why you ever wanted sweets in the first place, because your life will be so much happier, fuller, and healthier without those nasty insulin-blasting non-foods.“ –Oz Garcia, Ph.D., Celebrity Nutrition Expert, whose clients include Oscar winner Hilary Swank and singer Roberta Flack
“It’s very easy and expected to become hooked on sugar and refined carbs. Just look at what the millions of overweight or obese Americans are eating and you’ll see why they stay that way. But breaking free of sugar’s hold can be incredibly tough. That’s why Connie’s book, Beyond Sugar Shock, is exactly what people need. Get this book and save your waistline, your relationships, your moods, and even your life.” –Brian Alman, Ph.D., Best-selling weight-loss expert and author of The Voice: Overcome Negative Self-Talk and Discover Your Inner Wisdom
“Quitting sugar is no easy feat, but Connie Bennett’s life-changing book, Beyond Sugar Shock, makes it simple, fun, and do-able. I’ll be recommending this book to my clients.” – JJ Virgin, Ph.D., Celebrity Fitness Nutrition & Fitness Expert, author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy co-star of the TLC reality series, “Freaky Eaters” (Photo above)
Now, let’s hear from some more distinguished, cutting-edge authors, who. like me, are published by Hay House. Indeed, I feel privileged to be in the company of dozens of dynamic, life-changing movers and shakers, including Colette Baron-Reid, Donna Gates, Caroline Sutherland, and Lauren Mackler (endorsements below), as well as Ken Druck (quote above).
“If you’re one of millions who feels trapped by your sugar and carb addiction, you want to get Beyond Sugar Shock from Connie Bennett, a former sugar addict-turned-life-and-health coach. This book will take you on a fun, exciting, transformative six-week adventure, from which you’ll emerge healthier, sexier, slimmer, and happier. Plus, you’ll finally feel free!” –Colette Baron-Reid, internationally renowned intuitive coach and author of the groundbreaking new book and program Weight Loss for People Who Feel Too Much and The Map: Finding the Magic and Meaning in the Story of Your Life
“’Avoid Sugar!’ That’s a reminder we can’t hear often enough—this substance is so bad for us! So why are you still eating it? Connie Bennett knows exactly how to help you break your habit. She struggled with and conquered the addiction herself. Now, her easy-to-read and solidly convincing book, Beyond Sugar Shock, is full of soul-satisfying tools you can implement immediately to nourish your natural, innate desire for a sweeter life. A must read!” – Donna Gates, author of The Body Ecology Diet and The Baby Boomer Diet: Body Ecology’s Guide to Growing Younger: Anti-Aging Wisdom for Every Generation
“Sugar is a DRUG! Sugar feeds cancer cells, robs you of vital energy, and keeps you hooked. If there is one item to leave out of your diet, it’s sugar! Connie Bennett shows you how to do it easily in her book, Beyond Sugar Shock.” –Caroline Sutherland, bestselling author of The Body knows…How to Stay Young
“Are you hooked on sugar and fed up with your excess weight? If you’re like most people, you’ve been trapped for years and keep failing over and over again. There’s good news for you sugar addicts. Beyond Sugar Shock is the only book you’ll ever need on the subject. Read this book, and you’ll release your addiction at long last—and be able to get a balanced, peaceful, delicious life in the process.” –Lauren Mackler, author of the bestseller, Solemate: Master the Art of Aloneness and Transform Your Life
“For many years, Connie Bennett has been on the forefront of warning us of the dangers of what she describes as SUGAR SHOCK! Now she’s taking us ‘beyond’ that on a journey to healthy healing from our sweet obsession with an effective six-week plan devised to help you beat your sugar addiction through a methodical path through your mind, body and spirit. It’s time to make life a lot more ‘sweeterlicious’ than it’s ever been before and to get inspired to make it happen for yourself as well through real-life examples of those who did and lived to tell about it.” – Jimmy Moore, founder, Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Blog & Podcast, http://www.livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog and author, 21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb: How The Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew
“There’s no more time to waste when it comes to empowering ourselves around diet and health. Connie Bennett has taken on perhaps the most powerful nutritional challenge of all – sugar – and has come out victorious. With an approach filled with the right ingredients – good facts, smart suggestions, and topped with a little Vitamin L, Love, Beyond Sugar Shock is a powerful tool for transforming your health, weight, and happiness.” –Marc David, bestselling author of Nourishing Wisdom and The Slow Down Diet and Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating
“Thank you, Connie, for continuing your important mission to WAKE America up to our S.A.D. relationship with SUGAR and what to do about it!!!!! Your new book, Beyond Sugar Shock, answers a huge hunger millions have for an easy way out of their horrible addiction. You’re changing people’s lives with your powerful, amazing books!–Kathie Dolgin (a.k.a. “High Voltage,” health and pioneer; sugar addiction expert; author of Energy Up, and founder of the Energy Up Voltage-Approved (EUVA) inner city health and wellness program, which is spearheading the first Sugar Free public school in New York City
“If you have a sugar addiction, who should you turn to for help? Someone who walks their talk and has been there too! In her book, Beyond Sugar Shock, Connie Bennett—a journalist and former sugar addict-turned-life-and-health coach, who runs the groundbreaking Sugar Freedom Now program—presents a brilliant, foolproof plan to rescue you even if you’ve been trapped for years.” –Janet Bray Attwood, – Co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Passion Test – The Effortless Path To Living Your Life Purpose
“Beyond Sugar Shock is fabulous!!! It’s loaded with secrets to for you to release your sugar addiction and create what Connie calls a Sweeterlicious Life. Follow this program and break free to real happiness and joy!” –Diana Kirschner, Ph.D., author of Love in 90 Days and Sealing the Deal: The Love Mentor’s Guide to Lasting Love
“Thank you, Connie for writing Beyond Sugar Shock. It’s amazing! I am telling everyone about it! I love how easy to read and yet how informative it is!” –Patricia Moreno, Founder, intenSati, and author of The intenSati Method.
“I’m so proud of Connie. When she came to see me in 1998, she had severe hypoglycemia exacerbated by her powerful sugar addiction. Now, 14 years later, she’s not only still sugar-free, but she’s a best-selling author, a renowned Sugar Freedom Coach, and acclaimed speaker. Her eye-opening first book, Sugar Shock, was brilliantly researched and eloquently presented. Now, in her follow-up book, Beyond Sugar Shock, Connie is giving millions exactly what they need—a simple, do-able plan that’s full of compassion and that bedside manner we doctors aspire to possess. As a physician for more than two decades, I’ve seen firsthand the many ailments and diseases sugar can cause and the incredible difficulties patients face in overcoming their sugar addiction—even though they know their carb addiction can be deadly. All sugar addicts need to read Beyond Sugar Shock. I’ll be recommending it to all my patients. –Keith R. DeOrio, M.D., D. Hom
“Beyond Sugar Shock is a must read for everyone who’s got a sweet tooth that just won’t quit. Connie will show you how to say no with sass, so you can say YES to more life.” –Stacey Morgenstern & Carey Peters, Creators of Holistic MBA
“Beyond Sugar Shock spells out the insidious and destructive nature of how sugar addiction robs you of your health. But once you discover that you are addicted you realize that stopping the addiction is not simple. Experts have shown that every effective health change always has better success with a concrete plan and this book does just that.” –Roberta Lee, M.D., Vice Chair , Department of Integrative Medicine, Continuum Center for Health and Healing, Beth Israel Medical Center, and author, The SuperStress Solution
“Connie Bennett’s Beyond Sugar Shock is a valuable and important addition to the growing literature on sugar addiction.” — Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, aka “The Rogue Nutritionist”(TM) author of Living Low Carb and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth (listen to Jonny talk about the healthiest foods on this Gab with the Gurus Radio Show)
“Connie Bennett’s determination to educate people about sugar’s devastating effects are nothing short of impressive! Since learning she had hypoglycemia in 1998, Connie has valiantly forged a campaign to empower millions so they, like her, can successfully triumph over their horrible habit. Now, in her latest book, Beyond Sugar Shock, Connie compassionately presents amazing tools that really work! To everyone who has a sugar problem—and that’s almost all of us—you must read this remarkable book!” –Roberta Ruggiero, President/Founder The Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, Inc. and author, The Do’s and Don’ts of Hypoglycemia: An Everyday Guide to Low Blood Sugar
“Kicking your sugar addiction is one of the most difficult challenges on the path to healthier eating. Beyond Sugar Shock provides you with a powerful and valuable program to do it once and for all.–Jared Koch, nutritional consultant and founder,Clean Plates, guides (in various cities) to the healthiest, tastiest, and most sustainable restaurants for both vegetarians and carnivores
“Connie’s new book, Beyond Sugar Shock, is written from her heart and soul. This amazing wan really walks her talk—and has since 1998! Now, let Connie help you kick sugar to the curb like she has countless others. I will definitely recommend this book to my audience—women and men, who use facial exercise to maintain their youthfulness. Let Connie transport you Beyond Sugar Shock so you can stay healthy and whole on the inside and have healthiness show on your face and body.” –Cynthia Rowland, anti-aging specialist and creator of Facial Magic® and Luscious Lips®
“Finally a book that teaches one to let go of sugar addiction by following a personal body, mind and spirit program that gets to the emotional core of sugar addiction, allowing those hooked on sugar to be their own best ally in letting go of a harmful substance.” –Brigitte Mars, author of Rawsome!, Addiction Free Naturally, The Country Almanac of Home Remedies and The Sexual Herbal.
“People crave sweetness in their lives, but as Connie Bennett wisely points out, you have many more choices than refined sugar. If you’ve substituted sugar for love, you can find out how to get the Real thing by following Connie’s 6-Week Plan.” –Carolyn Dean M.D., N.D., creator of the Completement Now! Online Wellness Program.
“Most people want to lose weight, increase their energy, gain muscle, reduce stress or just look and feel healthier. Of course, we all know that we need to eat fresh, organic, unprocessed food—and that means no junk! But, for most people, if you tell them to NOT do something, they want to do the exact opposite. That’s why Beyond Sugar Shock is so needed. Even if you do NOT want to quit sugar or reduce your intake of processed carbs, Connie Bennett will help you make your habit history—and easily, too! Get this book or risk being trapped in a sugar rollercoaster for years to come—or getting diabetes, cancer, and other deadly diseases.” –Mark Sisson, founder of Mark’s Daily Apple and author of The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation: A step-by-step, gene reprogramming action plan
“If you’re addicted to sugar, tired of feeling tired and blue, and just want to end the sugar cravings for good, Connie’s book is for you. With detailed lifestyle and food plans, Beyond Sugar Shock is a new way to improve your health, love your food, and enjoy your life without the pain.” –Alex Jamieson, certified health coach, healthy gourmet chef, and author (The Great American Detox Diet and Vegan Cooking for Dummies. Featured in the award-winning documentary, Super Size Me and appeared on “Oprah”
“Connie Bennett has done it AGAIN! More succinct and 100% empirically valid assistance on how to not be poisoned, by the food and beverage chain. We are grossly over fed in current western dietary intake, we are heavily under nourished. Connie provides straight forward FACTS and SOLUTIONS on how to take back your life and not be harmed by food and beverage companies and (and death profiteers and regulators harming you and your family). I STRONGLY recommend this book for anyone seeking how to make at least 100 years of quality life through good nutrition! –Russ Bianchi, Managing Director & CEO, ADEPT SOLUTIONS, INC., A Global Food, Beverage, Drug, Cosmetic, Flavor, and Functional Nutrition Product Development Corporation
“As a health expert and hypnotherapist, I know how tough it is for people to quit sugar and processed carbs. But Connie Bennett has made the process smooth, simple, and powerful in her book, Beyond Sugar Shock. You must read this book if you’re among the millions who can’t say no to cookies or candies.” –Mark Patrick, author of Wake Up Skinny
“Connie Bennett has done it again!! Beyond Sugar Shock gives us the tools and techniques to deal with our sugar addiction and affliction. She empowers us to move beyond our need for sugar, and in the process, she helps us create a life of balance and health. I can’t wait to recommend this book to my patients!” –Jill R. Baron, M.D., P.C., Integrative Physician and Weight Loss Coach
“Beyond Sugar Shock is a not your average healthy-eating book, but it offers a complete life transformation! Unlike other health books that just tell you about the right foods to eat, Connie Bennett helps you get to the root of your eating behaviors and heal the body, mind and spirit for lasting change. The book is informative, fun and easy to follow to make the shifts you need to live healthy and happy ever after.” –Debra Berndt, author of Let Love In: Open Your Heart & Mind to Attract Your Ideal Partner
“WOW!! Connie is so right on target. When you read this book, you’ll become a happy sugar kicker, too. It’s been three years since I gave up sugar, thanks to Connie and her fabulous coaching. I owe my freedom from sugar to her. You, too, will never have to go back to that pain. I recommend this book to all those who want energy, feel good, and reach their full potential.” –Dawn Strickland, D.C., CFT (chiropractor and certified fitness trainer) and former coaching client of Connie’s
“At last the long wait for the perfect follow- up to Sugar Shock is here! I have been waiting for Connie to add her wit, wisdom, insight, and research to a subject that is dear to my heart and is in need of up-to-date information, can-do strategies, and direct yet compassionate guidance. Thanks to this book, my patients, clients, and I will be rewarded with a definitive resource on how to win the sugar addiction war once and for all.” –Roberta Mittman, L.Ac., Owner, Park Avenue Center for Wellbeing, Wellness and Weight Loss Mentor
“As Connie shows, just cutting out sugar and processed carbs is the fast track to weight loss and vastly improved health. If that seems challenging, or even impossible, think again. This book will show you that even though sugar drugs and addicts us, anyone with the right tools can break out of Sugar Bondage forever. A respected pioneer in this field, Connie packages her considerable experience and knowledge with her always-spunky writing style in a motivating, readable, invaluable book.” –Jill Escher, author, Farewell, Club Perma-Chub: A Sugar Addict’s Guide to Easy Weight Loss, and founder, www.EndSugarAddiction.com
Also, make sure to read about Dr. Wayne Dyer’s endorsement, which just came in:
“I have taken the advice and guidance that Connie offers here and used it to reclaim my own well being. We have unknowingly and unwittingly become a nation of addicts, and here in this book you are given a blueprint for living a life of perfect health. Follow the easy-to-apply guidelines, and then you will be able to look in the mirror and say, `I AM finally living a healthy life.’ There is no greater feeling and it is your birthright. You were not designed to walk around in shock. A much needed book. –Dr. Wayne Dyer, beloved teacher and author of many bestsellers, including his latest, Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting
Now, would you be kind enough to help me build the buzz? Here’s how you can help.
Just “like” this page and spread the word to your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Send a link to this blog post to your sugar-addicted friends.
Next, pre-order Beyond Sugar Shock now, and contact me with your proof of purchase, and then get a complimentary 20-minute Strategy Session with me.
Thank you so much in advance for helping to build the buzz for Beyond Sugar Shock.
I’m deeply grateful for your help as, I hope, will be the millions I believe I can help with this book.

Food Addiction Program Featuring Dr. Robert Lustig, Michael Prager, Etc. Planned

Robert H. Lustig, M.D., whose YouTube video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, hit viral, and Michael Prager, author of the exciting book, Fat Boy, Thin Man, are among the fascinating experts I’ll have the pleasure of meeting and listening to in an exciting program about food addiction at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco next week.
Stay tuned for some compelling points that you’ll get from these amazing speakers.
These are the experts lined up.
Michael Prager, Author, Fat Boy Thin Man
Nicole Avena, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Eric Stice, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Oregon Research Institute
Dr. Vera Ingrid Tarman, MD., MSc., FCEP, CASAM, Medical Director, Renascent
Elissa Epel, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UCSF Department of Psychiatry
Robert H. Lustig, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, in the Division of Endocrinology at UCSF
Now read the enticing description:
Addiction is about brains, not just about behaviors. We all have the brain reward circuitry that makes food rewarding; it’s a survival mechanism. In a healthy brain, these rewards have feedback mechanisms for satiety or “‘enough.” For some, the circuitry becomes dysfunctional such that the message becomes “more.”
Michael Prager, author of Fat Boy Thin Man, will begin the discussion telling his very personal story of recognizing and then seeking treatment for his food addiction. Leading researchers and clinicians will discuss many aspects of this important topic.

Before You Indulge this Holiday Season, Consider Nearly 150 Ways Sugar Ruins Your Health

As 2011 winds down and we approach the holidays, we’re about to enter what I call the Season of Overeating and the Season of Sugar Gorging.
So before you over-indulge this holiday season, I urge you to learn the sour news. You need to know that when by continually chomping on delicious desserts, sugar can ruin your health in nearly 150 ways.
Suicide by sugar-pc2Below you’ll find an extensively researched list from my mentor and heroine, Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., author of Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction. Bear in mind that Nancy has been researching sugar’s dangers for more than three decades, and she found (and cites) medical studies to back up all of these claims on this list.
An avid researcher, Dr. Appleton is also the best-selling author of Stopping Inflammation and Healthy Bones. In addition, she lectures extensively throughout the world, has appeared on numerous television and radio talk shows, and maintains a private practice in San Diego, California.
Incidentially, to this day, more than 13 years after I quit sugar myself, I’m grateful to Nancy. In fact, her book, Lick the Sugar Habit, helped me quit sweets back in 1998.
Now review Nancy’s shocking list of nearly 150 ways that sugar can ham you before you continue to overdo it on sweets this holiday season.
144 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. (Reprinted with permission.)
1. Sugar can suppress your immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause juvenile delinquencey in children.
4. Sugar eaten pregnancy and lactation can influence muscle force production in offspring, which can affect an individual’s ability to exercise.
5. Sugar in soda, when consumed by children, results in the children drinking less milk.
6. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses and return them to fasting levels slower in oral contraceptive users.
7. Sugar can increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage cells and tissues.
8. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate and crankiness in children.
9. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
10. Sugar reduces the body’s ability to defend against bacterial infection.
11. Sugar causes a decline in tissue elasticity and function – the more sugar you eat, the more elasticity and function you lose.
12. Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
13. Sugar can lead to chromium deficiency.
14. Sugar can lead to ovarian cancer.
15. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
16. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
17. Sugar interferes with the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium.
18. Sugar may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration.
19. Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
20. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
21. Sugar can lead to an acidic digestive tract.
22. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
23. Sugar is frequently malabsorbed in patients with functional bowel disease.
24. Sugar can cause premature aging.
25. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
26. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
27. Sugar can lead to obesity.
28. Sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
29. Sugar can cause gastric or duodenal ulcers.
30. Sugar can cause arthritis.
31. Sugar can cause learning disorders in school children.
32. Sugar assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
33. Sugar can cause gallstones.
34. Sugar can cause heart disease.
35. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
36. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
37. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
38. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
39. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
40. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
41. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
42. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E in the blood.
43. Sugar can decrease the amount of growth hormones in the body.
44. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
45. Sugar increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which form when sugar binds non-enzymatically to protein.
46. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
47. Sugar causes food allergies.
48. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
49. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
50. Sugar can lead to eczema in children.
51. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
52. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
53. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
54. Sugar can make the skin wrinkle by changing the structure of collagen.
55. Sugar can cause cataracts.
56. Sugar can cause emphysema.
57. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
58. Sugar can promote an elevation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
59. Sugar can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.
60. Sugar lowers enzymes ability to function.
61. Sugar intake is associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease.
62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
66. Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
67. Sugar is the number one enemy of the bowel movement.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can make tendons more brittle.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
73. Sugar can adversely affect children’s grades in school.
74. Sugar can cause depression.
75. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
76. Sugar can cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
77. Sugar can increase the risk of developing gout.
78. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in the blood much higher than complex carbohydrates in a glucose tolerance test can.
79. Sugar reduces learning capacity.
80. Sugar can cause two blood proteins – albumin and lipoproteins – to function less effectively, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
81. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
82. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness, which causes blood clots.
83. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance – some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.
84. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
85. Sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.
86. Sugar can lead to biliary tract cancer.
87. Sugar increases the risk of pregnant adolescents delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
88. Sugar can lead to a substantial decrease the in the length of pregnancy among adolescents.
89. Sugar slows food’s travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
90. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stool and bacterial enzymes in the colon, which can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
91. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
92. Sugar combines with and destroys phosphatase, a digestive enzyme, which makes digestion more difficult.
93. Sugar can be a risk factor for gallbladder cancer.
94. Sugar is an addictive substance.
95. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
96. Sugar can aggravate premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
97. Sugar can decrease emotional stability.
98. Sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese people.
99. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD).
100. Sugar can slow the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
101. Sugar can cut off oxygen to the brain when given to people intravenously.
102. Sugar is a risk factor for lung cancer.
103. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
104. Sugar can cause epileptic seizures.
105. Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart is contracting).
106. Sugar can induce cell death.
107. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.
108. Sugar can cause antisocial behavior in juvenile delinquents.
109. Sugar can lead to prostate cancer.
110. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
111. Sugar can cause women to give birth to babies with low birth weight.
112. Sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia.
113. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the bloodstream.
114. Sugar increases the risk of breast cancer.
115. Sugar is a risk factor in small intestine cancer.
116. Sugar can cause laryngeal cancer.
117. Sugar induces salt and water retention.
118. Sugar can contribute to mild memory loss.
119. Sugar water, when given to children shortly after birth, results in those children preferring sugar water to regular water throughout childhood.
120. Sugar causes constipation.
121. Sugar can cause brain decay in pre-diabetic and diabetic women.
122. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
123. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.
124. Sugar increases neural tube defects in embryos when it is consumed by pregnant women.
125. Sugar can cause asthma.
126. Sugar increases the chances of getting irritable bowl syndrome.
127. Sugar can affect central reward systems.
128. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.
129. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.
130. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell cancer.
131. Sugar can cause liver tumors.
132. Sugar can increase inflammatory markers in the bloodstreams of overweight people.
133. Sugar plays a role in the cause and the continuation of acne.
134. Sugar can ruin the sex life of both men and women by turning off the gene that controls the sex hormones.
134. Sugar can cause fatigue, moodiness, nervousness, and depression.
135. Sugar can make many essential nutrients less available to cells.
138. Sugar can increase uric acid in blood.
139. Sugar can lead to higher C-peptide concentrations.
140. Sugar causes inflammation.
141. Sugar can cause diverticulitis, a small bulging sac pushing outward from the colon wall that is inflamed.
142. Sugar can decrease testosterone production.
143. Sugar impairs spatial memory.
144. Sugar can cause cataracts.
Go here now to find find Nancy’s extensive references, which back up the citations on this list.
To learn more about sugar’s dangers, I urge you to get Nancy’s book, Suicide by Sugar. I also invite you to read my book, Sugar Shock.
In addition, I invite you to learn more about sugar’s dangers by listening to a special Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on which I interviewed Dr. Nancy Appleton.
[“id”:”23194″,”data”:”http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogtalkradio.com%2Fgabwiththegurus%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Fcan-sugar-kill-you-slowly-author-nancy-appleton-te%2Fplaylist.xml&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx”,”name”:”23194″,”quality”:”high”,”wmode”:”transparent”,”menu”:”false”,”allowScriptAccess”:”always”,”src”:”http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogtalkradio.com%2Fgabwiththegurus%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Fcan-sugar-kill-you-slowly-author-nancy-appleton-te%2Fplaylist.xml&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx”,”flashvars”:”file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogtalkradio.com%2Fgabwiththegurus%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Fcan-sugar-kill-you-slowly-author-nancy-appleton-te%2fplaylist.xml&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded”]
Listen to internet radio with Gab With the Gurus on Blog Talk Radio

Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings (Creatively Procrastinate)

Here’s an article I wrote to help you those of you, who are sugar addicts or junk food junkies, who need help to sweetly say, “No, thank you!” when offered those tempting, unhealthy “treats.”
Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings™: Creatively Procrastinate to Ditch Your Sugar Addiction & Excess Weight
By Connie Bennett, MSJ, CHC, ACC, CPC
Whenever people meet me, join my Sugar Freedom Now program or work privately with me or read my book SUGAR SHOCK!, they almost immediately ask me (either in person or via e-mail), “How can I overcome my sugar cravings?”
It can be challenging to say “No, thank you!” when your favorite, tempting dessert is right there, in front of you.
Because it’s what you do in that very first one or two minutes that can make or break your diet, I’m determined to help you get over that “Must-Have Sugar Now! hurdle.”
Let me share a tactic that helped me on many occasions (back in 1998) and that now helps my clients and Facebook Smart Habits Noww fans.
One of the most powerful and effective strategies is so simple that you’ll wonder why you never tried it in the first place.
It’s this: Simply DELAY before you put any sugar or dessert foods in your mouth. That’s right, DELAY before you something that you’ll later regret such as when you look at your scale a day or two later or when your pants don’t fit anymore or when you become edgy and unfocused after your Sugar High.
Let’s be honest: If you do mindlessly nosh on those fast-acting sweets or much-like-sugar carbs™ into your mouth, won’t you become feel headachy, wiped out, spaced out, moody, depressed or even angry at yourself (and maybe your loved ones)?
Let me introduce you to the Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings Method™ (also called Do Creative Sugar Procrastination™).
Think about it: Most of us excel at putting things off or procrastinating, right?
We have every good intention to clear off our desks, donate old clothes, organize our drawers, ditch (recyle) those not-needed papers, help kids with their homework, throw out the garbage, etc.?
Clearly, all of us have things we’ve been planning to do but we just haven’t got around to doing it.
Well, I invite you to take a positive look at procrastinating. It can be a wonderful, Won’t-Have-Sugar-Just-Yet Strategy.
I hit upon this incredible simple technique back in 1998 when I reluctantly kicked sweets and refined carbs on doctor’s orders. To this day, I continue to be amazed at how easy, effortless, and darn effective it is to just delay.
What’s so wonderful about this Delaying Now Method is that people of all ages—unless maybe you’re a tot—can easily cultivate this tactic.
So, here’s how to do it: Just promise yourself to delay eating that tempting “treat” for a certain amount of time, say 10 minutes. You can do that, of course!
In other words, you will Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings for 10 minutes at a time. Then, you can delay over and over again — for another 10 minutes — for a while, like an hour even. It’s that easy!
Now think ahead to the next morning when you’re so relieved and proud of yourself that you didn’t cave into your cravings.
Here are 7 ways Delaying or Creatively Procrastinating becomes your ally to help you pull the plug on your unwanted sugar addiction. (Delaying is one of the “7 D’s” that I developed to help “Sugar Kickers.”)
First delay 10 minutes before you eat that cookie, candy bar or brownie that’s calling out to you. When you do that, you begin to detach from your destructive impulses.
When you delay for 10 minutes, then another 10 minutes, and another 10 minutes, your cravings will subside while you get involved with other things. At that point, you’ll also be able to put your cravings into proper perspective.
When you Delay Away Your Cravings, you’re taking powerful, positive, health-promoting action by simple inaction. Yes, doing absolutely nothing can be pivotal when you kick or cut back on sweets and quickie carbs. See how simple this is?
When you delay, you turn procrastinating into a useful, proactive skill. Procrastinating becomes a good thing!
When you delay, you can take time to find out which foods—if any—you’re really craving. Is your body really needing cookies, cake, and pretzels? Of course not! Your Amazing Body might instead be begging you for water, fresh vegetables and fruits, high-quality protein or healthy fats?
When you delay, you can get in touch with your true feelings. By putting your sugar binging on hold for 10 minutes or more, you can figure out what the heck is really going. Ask yourself, “Why do I feel like I must have these sweets now?”
When you delay, you’ll be so proud of yourself! You’ll be filled with a longer-lasting joy than the very short-lived, self-defeating immediate gratification you’d get from a cookie. What is your real goal? Are you seeking to shed excess weight, get more energy, concentrate better, improve your health and boost your libido? So delaying gives you a chance to think about what you really want rather than suffer the consequences of your moment of weakness.)
In short, simple delaying or creatively procrastiating is one of the most effective tools a successful Sugar Kicker can use.
Tips to Delay Away Your Cravings or Creatively Procrastinate
It’s time to learn how to put this in action. Shortly, you’ll become a Delaying Artist or a Creative Procrastinator.
The next time you want something sweet (that’s processed) or something white (as in a refined carb), delay for 10 minutes. That’s it — just 10 minutes. You can do that, right? Feel free to set a timer or look at your watch, clock or cell phone to keep you honest, so to speak.
Now, imagine that you’re stepping outside and leaving behind your obsessive sugary thoughts. Now, get going with some project you’ve been delaying.
After 10 minutes, if you still want sweets or quickie carbs, Delay Away another 10 minutes. Be creative while you delay. You may want to do the dishes, put away your clothes, organize your closet, color your hair, organize your CD collection, meditate, work out, fix your nails, etc. Doing these things can help you pass the time and pull the plug on your food thoughts.
Then challenge yourself for even longer! Wait 1 hour or even 2 hours, or maybe even the whole evening. Do something really fun in the meantime. Jump into that project that you’ve been putting off doing. Fill your time with satisfying activites that help you “forget” about the sweets calling out to you. (If you pick going to a movie as a way to delay, do NOT stop at the concession stand! Bring along your own water or snack.)
Finally, write about your experience in a journal or notebook. Just jotting down your feelings can be eye-opening, as many of my Sugar Kicker clients have revealed to me, and as I personally discovered years ago.
Ultimately, when you just delay or creatively procrastinate, you can learn a lot about yourself and the power of a focused mind.
To this day, I’m thrilled that I hit upon this Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings Tactic back in 1998 so that I could learn that Life is Sweeter Without Refined Sweets™.
Copyright © 2011, Connie Bennett, Sugar Shock Blog, Stop SUGAR SHOCK!™
Connie Bennett is the “Sugar Freedom Now Coach.” She is a former sugar addict and author of the bestselling book, SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley Books), which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Joseph Mercola and others. Her next book, The Beyond Sugar Shock Diet, will be published in 2012 by Hay House. Connie is also founder of the Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program (also called Sugar Freedom Now Course). Learn more at www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com. Connie’s Sad-to-Sour-Sugar Story began in 1998, when she reluctantly kicked sweets and quickie carbs on doctor’s orders, and all 44 of her ailments disappeared, including throbbing headaches, severe PMS, and mood swings. Nowadays, Connie jokingly dubs herself a “Sugar Shrew No More!” She has coached thousands of people around the world to Break Free of their sugar addiction and other unhealthy habits. Connie is a certified life coach, certified health counselor, certified vision board coach, popular radio host (Gab with the Gurus), journalist and essayist, who has contributed to many publications and websites and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning, Oprah & Friends Radio, and The Howard Stern Show. To get free kick-sugar tips and other updates, sign up for her free Motivating Morsels e-zine. This article first appeareed on the Sugar Shock Blog. Connect with Connie on Facebook in the Smart Habits Fans page or the Gab with the Gurus page.
Please note: You may publish the above article on your blog or website, but you must use this entire piece, including the above credit informationabove. Please contact us to let us know that you’re using this article.

Let Me Tell Your Story

Have you quit sugar and experienced amazing benefits? I’d like to tell  your story. I'm now compiling 250-to-300 word stories. Each Sugar […]

Exercise Helps Your Brain

A fascinating new medical study reveals that exercise improves your brain health. Specifically, as the research points out, "Increasing evidence suggests that […]

The Rats Who Preferred Sugar Over Cocaine

Here’s a Letter I Sent to My Mailing List, which is now making its way around the Internet.
Have you heard about the rats who found sugar or saccharin more tantalizing than cocaine?
That’s right, in a fascinating study, most of the critters studied — a whopping 94 percent — wanted
sugar or saccharin, NOT cocaine.
Sugar_humans_600 – cartoon
Anyhow, today, while doing some research for my next book, Beyond Sugar Shock — the follow-up to my first book Sugar Shock — I was reminded of this fascinating study from Dr. Serge Ahmed, a scientist with the University of Bordeaux in France.
Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Serge while on a ferry en route to a Food Addiction conference on IslandWood, Bainbridge Island to give fitness guru Jack LaLanne a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Incidentally, LaLanne, who turns 96 on Sept. 26, has been sugar-free for more than EIGHT decades.
(By the way, you can listen to a special radio interview I conducted with Jack here.)
Back to the glorious commuter boat ride with Dr. Serge Ahmed.
Just imagine: There I am, grateful to have the good fortune to hang out with one of the most fascinating scientists, who is studying my top area of interest, sugar addiction!
In fact, I’ve been so intrigued by the topic that Chapter 9, “Proof Pours In: New Studies Show That You Can Become Dependent on Sweets,” was the first one I wrote for my book Sugar Shock.
So there Serge and I are on the ferry. After practicing my rusty French on him, I asked Serge (in English this time so I wouldn’t miss anything) about his sugar addiction research.
Serge ahmed Now, just imagine Serge speaking with his adorable French accent.
He told me, “Connie, I was so surprised. We discovered that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine.”
You had to see Serge’s face to get a sense of this monumental discovery.
His eyebrows lifted. His eyes grew big. His face registered shock. He moved his hands about dramatically.
The next day, at the conference, Serge laid out his findings in more detail to the attendees of this event, called “Food Addiction: The Obesity Epidemic Connection.”
The title of Serge’s presentation told it all. It posed the question, “Is Sugar as Addictive as Cocaine?”
Ultimately, Serge and his research team discovered that intense sweetness “is much more rewarding and probably more addictive than intravenous cocaine.”
Or, to put it another way, the French scientists’ findings “clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and drug-addicted individuals.”
In the booklet presented to Food Addiction conference attendees, Serge concludes: “When society finally discovers that refined sugar is just another white powder, along with pure cocaine, it will change its mind and attitude toward refined food addiction.”
Hoebel At the same conference, I also had the pleasure of meeting renowned addiction researcher Dr. Bartley Hoebel of Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute, whose work I mentioned in a recent AOL News story about Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Garlin kicking sugar. What a treat!
As I discussed in my book Sugar Shock, Dr. Hoebel — who has been studying sugar addiction for 10 years — found that sugar can act on the brain in ways similar to drugs of abuse.
Dr. Hoebel’s rats even went into withdrawal symptoms within a half hour of being administered the opiate blocker naloxone.
Their “teeth started chattering,” Dr. Hoebel told me.
“They waved their heads back and forth. Their forepaws quivered. They acted anxious in a maze test. These are all signs of sugar withdrawal. They weren’t as pronounced as what we see with morphine, but it was withdrawal.”
What happened? Well, Dr. Hoebel thinks that “sugar triggered production of the brain’s natural opiates
or morphinelike compounds.”
Wait a minute!
But the rats didn’t have drugs. They just had sugar!
The rats would rather go into sugar shock than have cocaine!
So why am I bringing up these addiction studies?
Because, if you have an overpowering sugar habit, I want you to know that this addictive feeling is NOT all in your head. You actually can get hooked.
But more importantly, I’m here to bring you hope. You CAN cut out your pesky sugar or carb cravings.
Certainly, you can try on your own, but, well, it can be really tough, and frankly, I wouldn’t wish this cutting-loose-on-your-own on anyone!
That’s why for over 12 years — ever since I kicked sugar myself — I’ve been developing a program to
help you Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction — and to help you release your habit easily.
Alas, back in 1998, I used to be like those sugar-clamoring rats. (Are you, too?) But, thankfully, that’s history, and I no longer crave sugary foods. You heard me right. You should know is that I do NOT miss the substance. Honest!
So, my mission these days is to show you that you don’t have to be consumed by these gotta-have-
sugar-NOW feelings. You can achieve Sugar Liberation!
And, if you allow me, it would be my honor to take you to that delicious state of Sugar Freedom.
Just think: When you remove sugar from your diet (or at least cut back on your intake), you will get benefits galore! For instance:
* Your weig*ht could easily peel off
* You could become more cheerful
* You may concentrate better
* You may say bye-bye to severe PMS, infertility or a horrible menopause.
* You could get along better with loved ones.
* You could have a revved-up libido.
* You may have lots of energy — more so than you’ve had in years.
* And more.
And those are just a few of the many benefits!
Given that I used to be hooked on sweets myself, I don’t want you to be like those sugar-craving rats!
So it would be my honor to help you Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks.
Please note that next Tuesday, I again begin holding my Break Free Program, and I’d love to have you.
If you act by 1:59 pm EST next Tuesday, you can get in at the Pre-Fall Early Bird Rate. You’ll be shocked at how little you’ll pay for what you get. For instance, in this program, you’ll get:
* 6 live, hour-long teleseminars/webinars, during which you learn some 50 ways to combat sugar cravings, identify your Sugar Color Code, discover how to find Serene Sweetness™ and much more.
* 6 half-hour coaching sessions, where you get your questions answered, a fresh perspective on your personal situations, etc.
* 4 to 6 bonus programs with top experts in health and wellness.
* Short, inspiring audio messages from me each of the 42 days (actually, there are more.)
* A private, members-only website with lots of quality content, including three weeks of meal plans, a shopping list, recipes and access to fascinating audio downloads.
* And much more.
You may think that this program will run you around $400 to $700. But I’m offering this Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks program for the ultra-reasonable rate of $147. People hae been asking me why it’s so low (only about $3.50 a day for the 42-day program).
Most importantly, by offering this for such a reasonable price, my goal is to help as many people as possible around the world. I have other reasons, too, which you’ll learn about later. Sign up now and learn why else it’s priced so low.
It would be my pleasure to serve you and to guide you to Sugar Liberation. “See you” soon?
Warmly,
Connie Bennett
Author, Sugar Shock and (Beyond Sugar Shock, upcoming/Hay House)
P.S. Sign up now for this Pre-Fall Special of only $147 by Tues., Sept. 15 at 11:59 EST tonight. Just go to www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com
Special thanks to Mike Adams and NaturalNews.com for the above cartoon, which you can read about here.
You may republish this Sugar Shock Blog post, but please provide the following credit:
Connie Bennett is author of the bestselling book, Sugar Shock!, which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Marilu Henner and many others. She is now writing her next book, Beyond Sugar Shock, for Hay House. Connie is a certified life coach, certified health coach, experienced journalist, host of the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show, wwhich is available on iTunes. Connie is also a former sugar addict, who is now dedicated to helping people around the world to Break Free of their Sugar Addiction and Other Bad Habits (what she calls Babits™). Connie is founder of the acclaimed Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program, which next begins Tues, Sept. 14. Act now to take advantage of the Pre-Fall Special at www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com

Support my Team in Training 100-Mile Bike Ride for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

In late June, I invited you to make a donation to encourage my bold biking goal of riding 100 miles to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). As a participant in LLS’s Team In Training program, my goal was to go 100 miles (or at least 60) on my bike in the Seagull Century Race on Oct. 9 in Maryland.
But my training came to an abrupt hatl on July 4, when as I shared on this Sugar Shock Blog, I accidentally slammed head first into glass and when plagued by dizziness and headaches, I soon discovered that I was suffering from post-concussive syndrome.
Concussion cartoon The doctor’s orders were explicit: Drop out of the Team in Training program. In fact, he even insisted that I stop working out. (Yikes, was I bummed out.) To be honest, I haven’t followed his advice all the time. In fact, at the end of July, on my birthday, I went on a rigorous bike ride, only to experience a major setback, with the headaches and vertigo returning.
Anyhow, I’m now feeling a lot better, and I’m back to gently, carefully working out, and I hope to soon to re-enter the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s respected Team in Training program.
Now, even though I’m not back to my rigorous workout schedule, I invite you to an exciting Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on Sept. 8 at 2 pm Eastern with two Team in Training representatives.
All the while, my fundraising page is still staying up, and I still invite you to support me by making a contribution to this worthwhile organization.
Despite my head injury, I’m excited that I found a way to do one of my favorite things — biking — and to do good at the same time by raising money for an important cause.
Team-in-Training1-Schwinn Although I’m uncertain as to when I can start training again and wha date I’ll ride, but I still invite you to please use this link to donate online quickly and securely. You’ll receive a confirmation of your donation by email, and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. Of course, I’ll keep you up to date on my efforts, too.
Each donation — which you can make here — helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I hope that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.
On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.
Signature 6a00d834520ed269e2010535f793c1970c-800wi
P.S. I’d be grateful if you could forward this blog post this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well.
P.P.S. Would you be kind enough to visit my fundraising page now and donate to this worthwhile cause? All your contributions go straight to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Please make your contribution now.
And please join us on the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on Sept. 8 at 2 pm Eastern so you can learn more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program.
To get directly to my fundraising page, just go here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/seagull10/cbennetbqu