Tag: holiday season

7 Ways a Social Media Vacation Can Help You

TwitterJoin the Conversation. Are you taking a Social Media Vacation this holiday season? Post your comment here.
Are you taking a Social Media Vacation this holiday season?
Or are you worried that if you take time away from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram or your blog, people will forget about you or you’ll lose valuable momentum?
Lately, I’ve become a fan of taking becoming deliberately and intentionally “anti-social” on the Internet for a while in order to become more social later on, as I shared recently on this Sugar Shock Blog.
FacebookI contend that occasionally, you may need a Social Media Vacation. To begin, you need time off if youo’re facing family or personal emergencies.
But you don’t need to suffer your Dark Night of the Soul to step back from social media.
You need a Social Media Vacation at least twice a year for a few days at a time, I contend.
It’s simply not healthy to be “on” all the time.
For at least of the holiday season, I believe, you need to turn off your social media mind for a few days or even a couple of weeks for the sake of your health, relationships, and state of mind.
Here are 7 benefits of taking Social Media Vacations:
You can spend precious time with loved ones, who you may not see enough.
When you’re absent from social media, you can become more fully present in your life. For instance, you’ll better enjoy your significant other, children, siblings, nieces and nephews, friends, etc. Plus, you’ll have more fun and be more open to new, exciting experiences.
When you’re not distracted by social media and you’re not overly focused on the kinds of and number of responses you get on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram or your blog, you can get clearer about your long-term goals.
When you’re inactive on social media, youi “fill yourself up” in a way that food can never do. Like a car, you need to refuel and put healing, rejuvenating “gas” into your tank.
By giving yourself what you need — necessary R & R — you can emerge with more energy, passion, and enthusiasm to share valuable information to your fans through social media.
You also can gain valuable perspective, insights, and ideas by turning off your social media brain.
Social Media Vacations, like regular vacations, are good for your health. For instance, when you take vacations — something most Americans don’t take enough — you’ll gain better focus and relieve stress..
Learn more here about how Social Media Breeaks can help you when your heart is breaking.
New to this Sugar Shock Blog?
Bestseller Beyond Sugar Shock BSBlog founder Connie Bennett is a bestselling author of Beyond Sugar Shock and Sugar Shock, which been praised by such acclaimed health gurus and celebrities as “America’s Favorite Doctor,” Dr. Mehmet Oz; as well as “Tthe Father of Motivation” Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Bernie Siegel, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraf, JJ Virgin, and Jimmy Moore. Connie’s sour-to-sweet story kicked into gear in 1998, when after reluctantlyly quitting sugar on doctor’s orders, all 44 of her baffling ailments vanished, including brain fog, heart palpitations, mood swings.
Now, 15 years later, the compassionate, self-mocking Connie is acclaimed as The Sweet Freedom Coach, and she has helped thousands of sugar and carb addicts worldwide discover that Life is Sweeter When Sugar Doesn’t Seduce You™. Connie is also an in-demand motivational speaker, a popular blogger (Sugar Shock Blog), a widely published journalist, a certified life coach, certified health coach, and tapping practitioner (now completing EFT training). Subscribe to this Sugar Shock Blog and like Connie on Facebook..
– See more at: http://www.sugarshockblog.com/#sthash.tvCR8MMx.dpuf.
Join the Conversation. Are you taking a Social Media Vacation this holiday season to become more energized, enthusiastic, and refreshed. Post your comment here.

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.
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Get Your Gift: Be Calm this Holiday Season

This holiday season, wouldn’t it be nice NOT to be stressed out?
To give this a more positive spin, would you like to be calm, relaxed and refreshed?
Break away from your worries.
Join creative visualization expert Debra Berndt, the Love-Mind Expert, and me for 3 soothing, guided visualizations. This is our holiday gift to you.
Claim your gift now. Just listen here (below), or go to our replay page.
Relieve Holiday Stress with us now.
You’ll feel renewed and rejuvenated after hearing Debra’s soothing voice and meditation. Now learn about her amazing s Complete Relaxation Set (9 MP3s) and Weight Loss Set (4 MP3s).

Relieve Holiday Stress With Us & 3 Tips to Calm You Down

During the holidays, millions get stressed out and anxious. In fact, research shows that people overwhelmed and anxious more now than any other time of the year.
As we all know, being stressed out can lead to overeating or binging, short tempers, neglecting exercise, arguments with your loved ones and ignoring your needs.
To help you out, I’m presenting a life-changing teleseminar, Relieve Holiday Stress on Wed., Dec. 2 at 8 pm EST, with Debra Berndt, an acclaimed master of creative visualization and author of the upcoming book, Let Love In: Open Your Heart and Mind to Attract Your Ideal Partner.
Our Release Holiday Stress teleseminar on Dec. 2 at 8 pm — which is free to attend live and also available via audio replay — may help you to:
* Lose or maintain weight;
* Be happier throughout the holiday season and beyond;
* Relax around your family and friends;
* Curb your sugar cravings;
* Find love or get along better with your partner;
* Feel good about your body no matter what;
* Be calm when you’re short on funds;
* Attract money;
* Exude confidence; and
* Become the master of your life by dissolving your stresses
In addition to presenting this Release Holiday Stress teleseminar, we’re also offering 3 Tips to Calm You Down now:
1. Transform your thoughts. While you may not be able to alter your circumstances, you can change the way you think about them. For instance, when you start to get upset about about your annoying Aunt Jean, who is prying into your love life, or your cousin Cindy, who keeps urging you to try her apple pie and other sugary “goodies,” take a deep breath and interrupt your negative thoughts. Then, see these circumstances with rose-colored glasses. Your Aunt Jean and cousin Cindy are just showing that they love you. Tap into how they feel for you. Be thankful that they’re so concerned, even if the way that they show it is misguided. Now, see your situation calmly, with gratitude instead.

Release Holiday Stress on Dec. 2: Free Teleseminar

Let’s face it: The holidays aren’t necessarily jolly for millions of people.
Research shows that this holiday season causes people to experience much more stress and anxiety than the rest of the year.
Take heart. Help is on the way!
Learn to Relieve Holiday Stress on Dec. 2 at 8 pm in a calming, life-changing teleseminar with master hypnotist Debra Berndt.
Hurry now to join this Dec. 2 teleseminar which is expected to fill up quickly.
Make sure to order your replay now, too, so that you can listen to this program over and over again when your holiday worries abound.
Debra Berndt Debra and I are holding this Relieve Holiday Stress program to help you, because research shows during this time of year you most need help.
In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) found that nearly half of all women in the United States experience heightened stress during the holidays, which puts their health at risk.
For instance, many of you women – and, of course, you men – become burdened by:
* That annoying, but well-meaning parent, sibling, cousin or distant relative;
* Worries about weight and how you look;
* Marital strife or loneliness, especially if you don’t t have a significant other;
* Money woes;
* Health problems;
* Insecurities about giving the right gifts (and wondering if you have the money to buy them);
* The loss of your loved ones (either recently or in previous years);
* The depressing economy; and
* Credit card debt.
No wonder many of you are tempted to pig out at family gatherings, holiday feasts, work parties and other functions!
You’re not alone. Women – and, of course, men — rely more on unhealthy behaviors to manage stress during the holidays. In all, 41 percent of women use food and 28 percent use alcohol, according to a 2006 study.

Quickie Holiday Sugar Support Begins Dec. 11 — Conquer Cravings & Pitfalls in 15-Minute Chunks

Now that the holiday season is upon us, you could easily go hog wild and grab the sugary foods and drinks.
I don’t intend to be mean — I’m just realistic — and I want to prepare you for the tricky situations you’ll encounter.
For instance: You know how you’re at your family’s house and the sugar temptation hits you strong and you don’t know what to do?
Or how you get so stressed out before a work party or family function that you shove candies and cookies into your mouth?
Well, because people have been asking me to give them extra support around this time, I decided to help you out during this season by offering Quickie Holiday Sugar Support.
The idea is to give you four, 15-minute, group coaching calls to help you overcome holiday pitfalls and to raise your sugar awareness.

Lose Weight, Tone Up, Manage Stress, Find Gifts & Save Money This Holiday Season — Fr*ee Gift-Giving Tips

The holiday season is among the most stressful times of the year. Traps and obstacles galore lie in wait for you that could pack on pounds, disrupt your sanity and turn you into a stressed-out mess.
During this time, you may worry about where to find inexpensive, but great gifts; how to prevent weight gain; how to politely turn down sugar-pushing, carb-obsessed hosts at festive gatherings; how to deal with nosy, meddling relatives; how to keep your cool with loved ones; and how you’ll have the energy and stamina to get through the holidays.
Rest assured. We’ve got you covered.
You’re invited to attend a five-session, simultaneous teleseminar and webinar program that’s designed to help you Thrive (Don’t Just Survive) This Holiday Season. In this Thrive (Don’t Just Survive) This Holiday Season five-part program, some of America’s top fitness, weight loss, gift-giving and stress-management experts will teach you how to breeze through the holidays as a peaceful, energetic, focused, with-it, slim (or slimming-down) person who can rise above the muck. Check out the exciting lineup planned to bring you peace:
Session 1: Nov. 19, 2008, 5:30 to 6:30 pm Eastern
First Program is Free to All (Feel Free to Spread the Word)
“How to Pick Clever, Well-Priced Gifts That Show You Care”
With “The Gift Guru,” “Super Shopper” & Consumer Advocate Robyn Freedman Spizman
Attend this First Program for Free! Click Here to Learn How to Join Us.