Choose My New Book Cover
Please help me choose the cover of my new book, I blew my diet! Now what? Vote now for your favorite of four awesome designs from the talented Pete Garceau.
Please help me choose the cover of my new book, I blew my diet! Now what? Vote now for your favorite of four awesome designs from the talented Pete Garceau.
Today it’s my pleasure to introduce Follow Friday, a new feature on my blog, which I’ll run two or more times a month. On Follow Friday, you’ll find out about awesome people, books, podcasts, non-profit organizations, healthy foods and other goodies.
I totally forgot to announce that I recently (on April 15) celebrated 17 years sugar-free.
Isn’t that entertaining — that eating healthy is so second nature to me that I simply overlooked my 17 years anniversary of being sugar-free, well, mostly.
Learn now about at least 7 Benefits from Being Sugar-Free.
Which of these seven reasons most appeals to you?
Join the conversation. What is your favorite way to consume dark chocolate or cacao? Talk to us.
In recent years, one study after another has shown that dark chocolate can be healthy for you.
Cacao beansNow, new Swiss scientists have discoverd that it can be helpful to eat 50 milligrams of dark chocolate two hours before a stressful event.
In short, dark chocolate can soothe your stress!
Pretty cool, eh?
Specifically, the new study, which was published in the Journal of the American Colllege of Cardiology, reveals that dark chocolate blunted increases in cortisol and epinephrine.
Cortisol, as you may already know, is often called the stress hormone, and epinephrine — which is better known as adrenaline — is a hormone released by the adrenal glands and its major action, together with noradrenaline, is to prepare you for your infamous fight or flight response.
Of course, that fight-or-flight reaction helps us humans, as well as animals, to mobilize our energy rapidly so we can deal with threats to our survival.
Meanwhile, as resarchers have been finding for years, dark chocolate — but not sugar-laden milk chocolate or white chocolate — is healthy in at least 9 other ways, too.
For example:
Dark chocolate is nutritious, containing such goodies as fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese, as AuthorityNutrition.com points out.
It can lessen cravings for sweet, salty or fatty foods. That’s certainly good news for sugar addicts.
Dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants. One study even called cacao a “super fruit” and found that it contains more antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavanols than other fruits tested, which included blueberries and Acai berries.
Dark chocolate may lower your risk for cardiovascular disease;
And it may improve your brain function.
It can even boost enhance your coronary circulation.
It also raises HDL (the good stuff) and lowers LDL
Plus, dark chocolate has achieved recognition as an anti-depressant and mood leveler.
Dark chocolate may protect your skin aginst the sun.
Cacao-powderNow, please bear in mind that I’m not urging you to rush out and get sugar-filled chocolate!
Ideally, you want to eat dark chocolate hat has a high cacao content, is high in fat (yes!), and low in sugar.
To get some guidance on what to get, check out Mark’s Daily Apple’s wonderful review of the 5 best dark chocolate bars.
Now, if you’re really into being sugar-free, I highly recommend that you nibble on unprocessed cacao beans (it goes great with nuts).
Or you can use cacao powder to make a healthy smoothie.
In fact, every morning I add 2 or 3 tablespoons of organic cacao powder from either Navitas Naturals or Sun Foods in my sugar-free, super-healthy Cacao-Chia-Protein Smoothie. (Stay tuned, because I’ll post a recipe sometime.)
Anyhow, it’s exciting to discover that cacao also can help you deal with stress.
Join the conversation. What is your favorite way to consume dark chocolate or cacao? Talk to us.
Do you you crave ice cream or sorbet but are frustrated because you just can’t find any frozen desserts that are s healthy — I mean, really healthy as in organic, no sugar, no dairy, no gluten, no agave, no added sugars and no artificial sweeteners?
Wouldn’t it be nice to easily, quickly get delectable, healthy frozen dessert that’s:organic, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low in calories and carbs and containing no artificial sweeteners, honey or other sweeteners?
I know that’s a pretty tall order, but you can actually quickly make this delicious dessert all by yourself, thanks to the amazing new contraption, the Dessert Bullet.
For instance, to your left is a photo I took of last night’s after-dinner dessert, Organic, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Raspberry Sorbet. (I added some unsweetened shredded coconut. Oh, and I placed the dessert on top of my wonderful Zeolite Earth Energy Plate from VibesUp )
I just love my new culinary gadget. Yesterday, I went to a local Bed Bath and Beyond to get my Dessert Bullet. (I didn’t want to wait it to arrive via mail even though it comes with a cookbook.)
Photos – 1-14-14 002Now, you can see today’s Frozen Blueberry Dessert, which I enjoyed for a late afternoon snack after having an organic hard-boiled egg. All I used to make this dessert were frozen blueberries (1 cup). Then I topped the dessert with some cinnamon, shredded coconut and some cacao nibs.
I love this invention! It’s great for those of us, who seek to eat healthily but are frustrated, because we can’t ever have sorbet or ice cream when dining out.
Wow, I can even make chocolate ice cream with this recipe! (I would divide it up into three portions so as not to take in too many carbs at once.)
Full Disclosure: I’m NOT being paid by the Dessert Bullet to mention this product, which I purchased last night at Bed Bath and Beyond in my area. I just like to share great products from time to time with readers. Learn about another great find, too, the NoOodle and The Miracle Noodle.
Join the Conversation: If you buy this incredible gizmo, what will you make first?
On this Gab With The Gurus show, Caroline Sutherland — who is Louise Hay’s personal health coach — will share tips on aging well, feeling your best, balancing your hormones and weight, and controlling your Candida and food allergies.
Have you heard yet about the exciting Sweeter Holiday Summit, which features 35+ experts, whose goal is to help you thrive, not […]
Nuttzo ef4efac4092338feb4e677dad1fa2311-1 I’m always on the lookout for healthy, unsweetened, organic foods that won’t put you into Sugar Shock so I can recommend them to you.
But more often than not when I’m introduced to a new food product, I get to about the second or third ingredient on the food label, and find that it doesn’t fit my stringent, healthy criteria.
In case you’re wondering, I will NOT recommend anything that contains any sugars or sweeteners, including as agave or honey. In addition, I will not advocate any foods containing artificial sweeteners.
Well, today, I’m excited! I just discovered Organic NuttZo, a yummy-sounding product that evidently has no sugar or sweeteners added.
Let me know what you think of it if you order it, too.
And please let me know about other healthy products that you think I should feature on this Sugar Shock Blog.
What’s one of the first thoughts that comes into people’s minds when they decide that they should kick sugar to lose weight, get more energy or boost their libido?
Many people get bummed because they focus on how they’ll be deprived.
They start thinking with longing about their favorite sweets.
Wait a minute!
Feeling bummed that you’ll never get to eat your favorite sweets again is NOT the way to health, happiness, weight loss, energy and a strong se*x dri*ve.
Think about it: Cookies, cakes and candies are NOT worth:
* Gaining a lot of weight
* Feeling moody
* Being wiped out
* Not wanting to get intimate with your honey
* Finding it tough to focus
* Getting diabetes, heart disease or cancer
* Looking older
* Dying before your time
So, Ditch those Deadly Deprivation Feelings!
Every time you begin to think “I don’t want to be deprived,” IMMEDIATELY instead think “I will feel so happy and fulfilled when I reduce sugar.”
Again, your goal is to focus on what you’ll GAIN – and we’re not talking about weight.
Have you seen my video yet on YouTube, in which I shared My ABC’s to Break Free of Your Sugar Habit and Other Bad Habits?
Here’s a companion article to give you more information and tips to release your bad habits or what I call babits™.
My ABC’s to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Other Bad Habits by Connie Bennett, CPC, CHHC
If you’re like most people, you’re often tempted by gorgeous, mouth-watering, nutrient-poor “treats”—dazzling donuts, colorful cereal or buttered bagels—and other bad habits such as excessive coffee-drinking, negative thinking, procrastinating and obsessive texting.
As I mentioned on my companion YouTube video, It’s certainly understandable if you feel tempted. Wherever you go and wherever you live, you’re inevitably bombarded by unhealthy foods, substances, thoughts and activities.
But I invite you to look inside and decide: Do you feel trapped or imprisoned by your sugar habit or other bad habit (what I call a babit™)?
And are you plagued by baffling health issues such as annoying weight gain, ferocious headaches or even type 2 diabetes?
I’m here to reassure you. You can escape from the prison of a bad habit.
In fact, I respectfully challenge you. Get out from under your sugar habit or other babits™ so that you can have a life that rocks!
You may be wondering WIFY (What’s In It For You?) if you overcome your bad habit. You can benefit in many ways!
You can get more energy, concentrate better, lose weight, become more productive, enjoy better relationships and so much more. And, as many clients have delightedly shared with me, if you cut out sugar and refined carbs, you even may be able to boost your libido!
So let me share my Double ABC’s to Break Free of Your Sugar Habit & Other Bad Habits (or what I call Babits™).(In my companion YouTube video, I share some of these tips. You’ll find more here.)
A is for Assume & Accept.
Just assume and accept that just about wherever you go, you’ll be tempted.
Your favorite aunt will nudge you to eat her favorite chocolate cake. You have to pass that vending machine at work. And no matter what, you’ll be taunted by candies galore while purchasing sundries at the local drug store.
But if you prepare for temptations—ones way more unhealthy than apples in the Garden of Eden—you can be prepared and always have healthy snacks on hand such as edamame (soy nuts), pumpkin seeds, hard-boiled eggs and sugar-free crackers or an apple (preferably organic) with almond butter.