There’s nothing more reassuring than being home sick and finding all kinds of kudos from folks you don’t even know.
So here I am, feeling quite cruddy, but I’m being cheered quite a bit as I’ve been catching up on e-mails and finding some truly heartwarming comments that came to me out of the blue from readers, who e-mailed to let me know they’re appreciating my book SUGAR SHOCK!
They’ve also been writing me quite a bit to ask questions after reading my book. And a third group of people I’ve heard about, thanks to thanks to Google alerts.
It’s just so exciting to know that after five years of working so incredibly hard on SUGAR SHOCK! that my book is actually reaching and helping people. (Especially since working so hard and skipping sleep is obviously what made me sick now.)
Just listen to some of these wonderful remarks I’ve received:
* Etie, who heard Dr. Ronald Hoffman interview me for his "Health Talk" radio show, said: Basically, you were inspiring, motivating, knowledgeable, etc…What most impressed me is that I felt you most wanted to spread the word to all humanity, and make a strong movement to improve our collective health and well-being."
(Gee, that’s so nice of you to say, Etie! FYI, you can learn how to listen to the replay of Dr. Hoffman’s radio show here.)
* Adelino from Canada — who is not originally from America — said she "loved" the book. She next went on to say that this was "the best book I have read in my life." (I didn’t make this up! …Suffice it to say that I’m speechless. Thank you, Adelino!)
She continued — mind you, I did NOT correct her spelling and grammar: "Tank you. I have some dificulty to read and right [she meant "write"]. Inglish [English] is not my mother lenguage [language] but I [can] read [it]. Now I like to know if you are interessed for your book to be translated to Portuguese." (Interesting idea, but I think SUGAR SHOCK! should be translated first into Spanish.)
* Meanwhile, Stephen touched base to describe my book as "very informative and insightful." Then, he wanted to know where was this shopping list that I promised on page 280 of my book SUGAR SHOCK!
(Uh-oh. Caught! Thanks, Stephen and others, for nudging me to finally get the rather lengthy list up on my website. Previously, I only had foods by brand up on this blog. Anyhow, you now can sign up for the Stop SUGAR SHOCK!™ Sugar-Free Shopping List here.)
* Google Alert then notified me that Amy from All the World’s a Stage blog called SUGAR SHOCK! "my favorite book that I now own and read all the time to understand." (Wow! Thanks, Amy! She plans to do another post about my book in more detail.)
* Moreover, I heard from Maryann, who "loved" my book but wanted more support and information because she’s "still struggling with giving up sugar." Specifically, she and others contacted me to find out what’s up with my free, online, KickSugar group.
Alas, these e-mails about KickSugar were among the difficult e-mails to reply, because recently, after much agonizing, soul searching and consulting with others, I had to make the very difficult decision regarding KickSugar.
Given my tremendous time constraints, plus the fact KickSugar required so much energy and focus and and that I need to get out more and give talks, grant media interviews, write articles, and hold teleseminars, etc., I had to shut down KickSugar on March 9 as a discussion group.
But the good news is that KickSugar is still a thriving, free online home for all kinds of "goodies" (sugar-free, of course), By this I mean that you’ll continue to get valuable, inspirational tips, tactics and helpful, how-to articles. (In fact, you’ll get more info than before from me to help you break free from your sugar habit.)
So I invite you to join KickSugar now for support on a daily basis.
Wait, I have some more exciting news, too. If online chit-chatting is what you crave, I encourage you to check out the KickSugar off-shoot support group, StopSugarAddiction, quite recently founded with my blessing and support by Mark, a former KickSugar Assistant Moderator. Please note that StopSugarAddiction is NOT my group, and it’s unmoderated, which means that the info may not always be accurate.
BUT if you yearn for online encouragment and nurturing from like-minded, would-be "Sugar Kickers," StopSugarAddiction could come to the rescue. (You can join it by e-mailing StopSugarAddiction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. FYI, I am popping in there from time to time, when my schedule permits.)
* Then, Susan I. from Nevada contacted me to let me know that SUGAR SHOCK! "is so helpful and informative." And then she wanted to know, "Will you be having any more teleclasses?"
Thanks for your kind comments, Susan, and yes, I do, in fact, have more teleclasses planned and I also have a number of replays available.
- First off, you can listen to a complimentary replay of the SUGAR SHOCK! Virtual Book Tour with Dr. Stephen Sinatra and me.
- You also can tune for f*ree to the first five teleseminars I did last year as part of the Fast-Track, Kick-Sugar Countdown Program™. In them, successful "Sugar Kickers" (including popular blogger Jimmy Moore) tell you how their lives have improved by kicking sugar and refined carbs. Then, you also can order replays of another 10 teleseminars with some the most wonderful health experts out there — such notable people as Dr. Fred Pescatore, Dr. Nancy Appleton and Dr. Jonny Bowden.
- What’s more, you can learn how to squash stress rather than turn to sugar. Just check out the Don’t Mess With Stress™ for Sugar Kickers program that I conducted with renowned integrative physician Dr. Jill Baron.
In addition, coming up:
- You can join The 21-Day Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Countdown Diet™, which I’m offering as a four-week session, beginning Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
- You also can attend a Just Ask Connie telseminar to get your sugar questions answered. (Please note that the date for this program will be Tuesday, May 15, not Tuesday, May 1.)
- And another teleclass will teach you How to Write How-to Articles to Position Yourself as An Expert. (Yes, this program has nothing to do with sugar. It came about, because a couple of students at the Institute for Integrative Nutrittion, where I went to school, attended my book signing last Saturday and asked me if I could help them write articles for the Web. This program will feature acclaimed Publicity Hound" Joan Stewart, with my input. (Right now, April 30 is the tentative date.)
* Meanwhile, Mary, another student the Institute for Integrative Nutrition wrote me to say that she"really enjoyed" my recent talk in front of her class at IIN (of several hundred) and my book signing afterwards at Borders at Columbus Circle. She next wanted to know about how to buy SUGAR SHOCK! in bulk, because she has several sugar talks at gyms planned.
(That was one of the more easy questions to answer. I sent Mary the following info.)
* And Susan, another IIN student, who I actually met on the street in front of Bloomingdale’s (it was New York moment), also checked in to say: "I began reading your book on vacation and love it. I definitely don’t have the sugar reaction you do, but I realize now that it does affect me."
She then went on to explain how she and her husband were visiting Argentina, where white-flour and sugary foods abound, and she found siestas having an unusual appeal to her and her hubby, who would "konk out after lunch and wake up hours later." She also watched herself "getting restless and cranky at her husband for `being late’ and "pouting." (Sounds familiar! It’s straight out of Chapter One!)
Susan then continues: "After reading your book, I think I was experiencing a bit of SUGAR SHOCK!, as was he. We were able to patch things up pretty quickly and enjoy the night. The next day, after beginning your book, I told him I believed it was the sugar that had made me cranky. Luckily, he believes food correlates to mood, and so all was well again." (What a great story, Susan! Thanks for sharing.)
Well, you get the idea. By the way, these are only a few of the many, many e-mails I’m receiving.
While my readers are keeping me quite busy with their requests, etc., it’s so rewarding to know that people are finding this book eye-opening and motivating!
Keep writing, readers. I love to hear from you! (Back to bed now so I can get over this bug!)