Tag: sugar cravings

An Apple Cider Vinegar Dose a Day Can Keep Your Cravings Away

Join the Conversation. Have you tried the following Cravings Calmer? Let us know if it worked.
If you’re like most women and many men, your overwhelming cravings for sugary, salty or fatty processed foods often taunt you.
At times, you may even feel that those chocolate donuts, onion rings or pretzels are actually calling out to you, “Eat me! Eat me!”
Of course, we both know that such thoughts are prepostrerous. Doesn’t matter.
In fact, for the past 16 years — since I reluctantly quit sugar and refined carbohydrates on doctor’s orders — many sugar or carb addicts have used this exact same language in bemoaning to me that they feel ruled by their urges for “bad foods.”
It’s time for good news. You do not have to be at the mercy of what I call your Crazy Cravings™.
Today, let me share one simple way to calm your cravings.
To begin, let me remind you of an old adage. It’s one many of us were told by our mothers or parental figues. It goes like this: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Well, thanks to research, I’ve come up with a new twist on this idea. As I put it, “An apple cider vinegar dose a day keeps your cravings away.”
Apple cider vinegar, made from fermented apples, is high in acetic acid, which is why you get that sharp, tangy taste.
This acetic acid helps increase your satiety, which means you get fewer and less severe food cravings for hours after you have consumed apple cider vinegar with a snack or meal.
Let’s now look at a study, which backs up this assertion.
The Scientific Research
Swedish researchers at Lund University found that cravings were significantly lowered in a group of people, who consumed two or three tablespoons of vinegar in water, with a piece of wheat bread compared to group who did not. (Please note that I don’t recommend the bread, because it can rasie your blood sugar levels.) The study used regular vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is better because of its higher acetic acid level and more palatable taste.)
The Simple Steps
Apple Cider Vinegar1) If you feel a craving coming on, before a meal, drink a glass of water mised with one or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Because the flavor is so powerful, it’s easier to drink when you add water. The apple cider vinegar I prefer is Bragg’s Liquid Amino.
2) If drinking the diluted liquid is still too potent for you, just add some apple cider vinegar to your salad or other food.
3) Repeat as necessary throughout the day if your cravings persist.
How It Works
The acetic acid in the apple cider vinegar acts on the body’s glucose and insulin responses. This, in turn, increases your satiety (your feeling of fullness).
That’s why you get fewer and less severe food cravings for hours after you’ve consumed apple cider vinegar with your meal or snack.
How It Works: Acetic acid in apple cider vinegar acts on the body’s glucose and insulin responses and this in turn affects satiety.
Join the Conversation. Have you tried the following Cravings Calmer? Let us know if it worked.
Are your friends gripped by cravings? Feel free to share this post. When you do, please include the following: Former sugar-addicted journalist: Connie Bennett, CHHC, CPC, ACC is author of the bestselling book, Sugar Shock!, which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Christiane Northrup. Her latest is Beyond Sugar Shock, which was endorsed by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and others. Connie is a certified life coach, certified health coach, experienced reporter, and host of the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show, which is available on iTunes. The former sugar and carb addict is now dedicated to helping people around the world to Break Free of their Addictions to Babits™. (Bad Habits).

My Most Popular Blog Posts: What Did I Forget?

Here’s a list of my some of my most popular posts on this Sugar Shock Blog. Please check back, because I’m still adding to this list. (It’s taking a while to compile all the hot posts since I founded this Sugar Shock Blog in early June 2005,.
Weight Loss Assistance
CLS May Reduce Stubborn Fat Around the Middle
How Not to Pig Out on Thanksgiving;
Musings and Commentary
Shame on Reporters Critical of Cookie Monster’s New Moderate Habits
Holiday Help
7 Tips to Squash Your Sugar Cravings this Holiday Season
5 Ways to Indulge Over the Holidays Without Gaining Weight
‘Tis the Season to be Stressed: 7 tips to Relieve Holiday Stress
Relieve Holiday Stress: Holiday Gift to You from Debra Berndt and Me (Audio Program)
5 Tips to Soften Halloween Sugar Shock
The Sour Scoop About Sugar
Sugar at “Safe” Levels Can be Deadly;
The Inside Scooop about Agave (I don’t recommend it)
iHigh Fructose corn Syrup: Some Scary Facts to Consider Before You Gulp Down Soda & Other Foods (with 3-minute video)
146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health (Guest column from Nancy Appleton)
Reformed Sugar Addict Alec Baldwin Interviews Dr. Robert Lustig;
The Fallacy of Diet Foods
Study Shows Diet Sodas Are Linked to Weight Gain
Tips to Let Go of Sugar or Pile off the Pounds
Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings (Creatively Procrastinate)
7 Tips to Help You Squash Your Sugar Addiction
Slipped? Destroyed Your Diet? 7 Tips to Get Back on Track
Humorous Takes on the News
Michelangelo’s David Returns to Italy After Touring the U.S.
Help to Shop
Stumped when Shopping? Some Sugar-Free Foods By Brand
Social Media
The best time(s) to post on social media
Get Social Media Secrets with Mitch Meyerson
Woo-Hoo, Feel-Good Tunes
Listen to Woo-Hoo, Feel-Good Tunes
Listen to Guests on My Gab with the Gurus Shows
Lose Weight with Best-Selling Author & Spiritual Activitist Marianne Williamson (she spoke about her then-new book, A Course in Weight Loss; she wasn’t running for Congress yet;
Anita Moorjani: On Cancer, Near Death & Treasuring Our Magnificence
Other Health Posts
Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar): Do You Have It?
Anita Moorjani: On Cancer, Near Death & Treasuring Our Magnificence;
Hyperactivity and Mental Woes Linked to Soda Consumption
Take Charge of Your Stress & Sleep: Two Keys to Live Life Well
Salt: The Forgotten Killer: — The AMA & CSPI Urge Crackdown On the White Powder, But What About The-More-Dangerous Substance, Sugar?
Other
Are You Among the 85 % of People With Low Self-Esteem? It Can Lead to Weight Gain & More
My Sweet, But Stringent Standards & Disclosures
Did I leave out your favorite posts? Let me know which one(s) to include.
Connie Bennett is a former sugar-addicted journalist and the author of two bestselling books, Beyond Sugar Shock and Sugar Shock, Connie’s sour-to-sweet story began in 1998, when she quit sugar on doctor’s orders. Her doctor blamed all 44 of her strange ailments (baffling brain fog, ferocious fatigue, horrible headaches, embarrassing mood swings, severe PMS, etc.) on her habit of eating hard candies, red licorice, refined crackers, and other quickie carbs. While releasing her sugar and carb addiction, Connie created many simple tactics to make letting go of sweets an easy, exciting adventure.
Since 2001, Connie has been helping thousands of sugar addicts worldwide through her Sugar Freedom Now Course, speaking, and coaching (she is a certified life coach, certified health coach and EFT practitioner). She founded this Sugar Shock Blog on June 7, 2005.
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Sugar Addicts: Get Secrets to Go Mostly Sugar-Free – 15 Years of Sweet Success

Sugar addicts and carb junkies, I bring you hope!
Indeed, this is a BIG week for me. It’s been 15 years since I bid bye-bye to my sugar addiction — mostly — yes, I wasn’t totally perfect.
So let me help you now.
If you’re tired of being a sugar or carb addict and are fed up with gaining weight, getting spaced out, or have other health issues, discover Secrets to Let Sugar Go by listening anytime to this special Gab with the Gurus 15-year-mostly-sugar-free-iversary Show with my sugar-free mentor Roberta Ruggiero.
Back in 1998, I was so blessed to find Roberta, who, after dealing with her own issues of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, went on to found The Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, Inc. She also wrote The Do’s and Don’ts of Hypoglycemia: An Everyday Guide to Low Blood Sugar, which has been acclaimed by the American Library Association as “one of best lay medical books public libraries.”
In our special Gab with the Gurus Show, you’ll first learn our startling stories. You’ll discover:
How when Roberta simply changed her diet by quitting sugar and those quickie carbs (processed carbohydrates that are metabolized quickly), she personally overcame 10 years of illness during which she saw dozens of doctors, endured countless medical tests, took thousands of pills and even underwent electric shock therapy!
How when I finally let go of my sugar addiction — very reluctantly, though — presto, ALL 44 of my ailments (including crippling headaches, difficulty concentrating, awful PMS, excessive fatigue, cold hands and feet, embarrassing mood swings, scary heart palpitations, etc.) vanished! Wow!
How most people are consuming too many sweets whether they know it or not, especially if they eat foods in boxes, cans or jars. That sugar or quickie-carb habit can be deadly, leading to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and an early death.
On our Gab with the Gurus Show, you’ll also find out Secrets to Go Mostly Sugar-Free. While I share some tactics in my book, Beyond Sugar Shock, Roberta and I go into more depth on this program, and we give you the personal touch, of course, because you get to listen to us chatting.
Among the Secrets to Go Mostly Sugar-Free, you’ll discover:
How it’s okay to be imperfect. In fact, not expecting that you’ll do everything “right,” frees you up to succeed marvelously.
How most people around the world — whether they know it or not — are eating far too much sugar (roughly 170 to more than 200 pounds per year) and/or quickie carbs (possibly as high as 200 pounds), thereby paving the way to diseases galore.
How you can take your slips and turn them into successes. You’ll realize that your so-called “failures” lead you to lasting success.
How you want to change your relationship with those persistent cravings. (We’ll talk about how to embrace them — yes! — and how they can become major allies.
How to take one of your absolute worst habits — something almost all of us do — and turn it into one of your biggest foolproof tools to bid your sugar addiction farewell.
How some people are wise to let a little sugar (some tastes here and there) into their lives. (You’ll discover that I’ve modified my stance over the years.)
How, for many people, a few tastes can turn into a binge and they’re better off to say sayonara to processed sweets.
How before I quit sugar, first I binged on candies for three weeks after my doctor’s orders to “Quit sugar or die young.”
How it’s imperative that you keep track. Roberta discusses how it’s very important to keep a symptom diary. (That way, you’ll know what happens when you eat sweets. You want to get a clear message about how too much sugar leads to symptoms.)
How you need to be prepared, wherever you go.
How you can have fun replacing those sugary treats that you used to adore.
How it’s vital to get support and learn about success stories.
And much more.
Listen to internet radio with Gab With the Gurus on Blog Talk Radio
Share your bigggest Ahahs! about this Gab with the Gurus Show.
A very special thanks to B. Eco Chic and founder Bethany Gonzalez Moreno for this sugar image with the poison symbol on it. This photo accurately demonstrates how sugar can kill you over time. I highly recommend that you find out about B. Eco Chic now and get on the mailing list for this blog.

Letter to Anne Lamott: Tempted by Sweets or Quickie Carbs? Read Me First! 10 Ways to Continue to Savor Sugar Freedom!

Letter to Annie Lamott
Tempted by Sweets or Quickie Carbs? Read Me First! 10 Ways to Continue to Savor Sugar Freedom!
For the past six weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of doing text-coaching with talented writer Anne Lamott, who I had the pleasure of meeting after the fabulous talk she gave at her church to launch her new, fabulous book, Help, Thanks, Wow. Anyhow, as a Sugar Freedom Coach, I don’t want to leave Annie in the lurch with no encouragement while I’m away for 10 days on a transformational retreat. So I came up with a way to support Annie while I’m gone. I wrote her this letter, which she now has given me permission to share with you.
Dear Annie,
I really want to be there for you while I’m off healing and taking back my power. (As you know, I desperately need to go on this transformational retreat until Feb. 10 to recover from My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom, which, as I shared with you and on my Sugar Shock Blog (www.SugarShockBlog.com) and my new Bittersweet Blog, www.BittersweetYear.com), was utterly grueling, draining and heartbreaking.)
To support and stand by you so you can continue to Savor Sugar Freedom, I’ve decided to create a 10 Ways to Continue to Savor Sugar Freedom Checklist for you. I invite you to bring this along with you wherever you go so you can whip it out if temptation strikes.
Whenever health-harming, tempting sugary non-foods—what I call Sweet Baddies (certainly not “goodies” or “treats”)—seem to tauntingly plead, “Eat me, eat me,” I urge you take the following steps first.
1) Follow Your Own Smart Advice. Holler Help!
Put a Sugar Freedom spin on the wisdom you eloquently impart in your book, Help, Thanks, Wow. When you can’t quit obsessing about a gorgeous cupcake, a chocolate-chip cookie or whatever sugary non-food or Sweet Baddie you want right away, lean on God, divine intelligence, or, as you playfully put it, “Howard.”
Just imagine: You’re so close to shoving a Sweet Baddie in your mouth. Your favorite dangerous, culprit-carb non-foods—which, for you and many others, are sure-fire gateways to glutting, depression and Sugar Slavery—keep taunting and tormenting you. They seem to be whispering, “It’s time to stop feeling deprived. Go ahead, put one in your mouth. Now.”
Annie, when temptation like this strikes, it’s time to prove those Sweet Baddies wrong! Let Providence whisk you to Savory Sugar Freedom instead.
You might want to pray like this. “Dear God, I could use a hand. Please help me. I feel out of control when it comes to [name of Sweet Baddie you want]. I know that I shouldn’t have them, but I want them anyhow. Please, Divine Wisdom, show me exactly what steps to take so I have the strength to turn away from [type of Sugary Temptation]. And, God, please help me to remember that this [cake, cookie, etc.] is so very bad for me and can lead to overeating, self-loathing and disease.”
2) Eating Sugar Makes You Unspiritual.
Over-indulging in sweets, as you’ve been discovering, makes you so much less than you can and want to be. Specifically, sugary non-foods can take you down a path to non-spirituality. They can rob you of your sublime, divine-loving essence. People who haven’t gone sugar-free (or close to it) don’t understand this subtle connection, but you “get it.” So please ask yourself before you cave in to sweets or culprit carbs, “Is a piece or bag of [name of Temptation] worth straying off the spiritual path?”
3) Remember How Clear-Headed & Better You Are When You Limit the Sugar.
As you know, eating lots of sugary non-foods can muddy up your thinking, mess with your moods and strip you of your power. When a sugary non-food is bugging you, instead delight in how wonderful you feel when you stick to such wholesome foods as lentils, organic veggies, organic meats, and healthy fats. Now ask yourself, “Is this [Name of Sugary Temptation] really worth losing my clarity, energy, and peace of mind? Wouldn’t I rather be my best self?”
4) Revel in Your Former Success & Then Challenge Yourself to Recreate it.
Think of the accomplishment of which you’re the most proud. Is it that you’ve stayed away from alcohol for so long and enjoyed sweet sobriety? Perhaps you’re delighted that you made your last book deadline? Now, stretch yourself. Realize that, “Hey, if I did [quit alcohol or whatever else you picked], then I can surely stay away from sugar, even if it is addictive.” Annie, you can even have fun and quip, “I continue to choose Savor Sugar Freedom. It’s a piece of cake!” (Pardon the pun!)
5) Do Sugar Procrastination. (Delay).
As we’ve discussed, one very effective sugar-avoidance approach is to procrastinate on purpose. By that, I mean delay eating your temptation of the moment. To refresh your memory about this simple tactic, just read this blog post I wrote about the power of delaying. http://www.sugarshockblog.com/2011/05/delay-away-your-sugar-cravings-.html
6) Write Away Your Cravings and Have Fun With It.
One of the most powerful ways to kick your pesky cravings is to get in touch with the feelings behind them. Journaling is highly effective, research shows. So take 10 minutes before you put anything sugary in your mouth and write about it. And be playful, too. You, of all people, could write the most amusing, entertaining, enlightening Sugar Danger poems or musings. When I return, I’ll look forward to reading what you write. (Even if you weren’t a writer, I’d recommend this. Jotting down your thoughts and feelings is that powerful. Anyone—writer or not—can do it.) Also, read this article I wrote about cravings. http://www.healyourlife.com/author-connie-bennett/2013/01/wisdom/inspiration/craving-sugar-and-carbs
7) Power up with PFF.
As you know, one sure-fire way to become vulnerable to sweets is to skip eating something healthy when you get up in the morning. Temptation also has a way of getting to you when you don’t re-fuel your body at least three times a day with ample protein, fiber, and fat. So make sure to fill up regularly on those quality foods.
8) Ask Yourself the 5 W’s & 1 H.
Of course, knowledge is power. So whenever you’re tempted, ask yourself the questions every journalist needs to answer when writing a story. You want to discover the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. In doing your sugar discovery or Sugary Soul Searching, ask yourself, “Who do I become when I indulge? What is it I really want? When do my sugar cravings get most powerful? Where could I go instead (someplace more nurturing and fulfilling)? Why, oh why, do I want those sugary non-foods? And how would eating those Sweet Baddies make me feel? (Read more about this process in pages 65 to 66 of my book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which I gave you.)
9) Scare Yourself with the Sour News. Then, Create Your Sugar-is-My-Foe List.
Whenever you really, really, really want something sugary, I urge you to get the sour news first. Just take out Beyond Sugar Shock, and read Chapter 3, which tells you about “The Big Preventable Killers: Your Sweet Tooth Can Kill You.” Then write down 5 Reasons Why Sugar is My Foe. In other words, what are the worst things that can happen to you when you eat the sugary stuff. Then rewrite your reasons to avoid Sweet Baddies on a 3-by-5 index card and carry it with you wherever you go so you’ll remember why it’s important to overcome those cravings.
10) Text Me & Then Text Yourself, Too.
Finally, since I can’t read your texts for the next 10 days, text me anyhow when you’re having a challenging time. Just pretend that I’m there on the other end of the phone and that I’ll be replying shortly. Then, until I return on Feb. 10 or 11, reply to yourself with what you think I’d say. Now, if you’re unclear as to how I’d text-coach you, pull out your copy of Beyond Sugar Shock, shut your eyes and open a page. That’s what I’d say to you. In other words, your inner wisdom will guide you to the exact page with the exact information you need. (By the way, I do this technique a lot with your book, Help, Thanks, Wow and with books by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Louise Hay, and Dr. Ken Druck. Just trust that you’ll be guided to get the advice or guidance you need. It has worked every time for me.)
11) Share your challenges on my Facebook page.
If or when something sweet tempts you, just rely on people who understand how dangerous it is to go down that sugary path. Post something on Facebook—on both my (www.Facebook.com/SmartHabitsFans) and your (www.Facebook.com/AnneLamott) fan pages. I’ll bet you that someone who “gets it” will write to you with just the wisdom you’re seeking. Make sure to dash me an email each time (marked high importance) so that I can read these inspirational words upon my return and thank the person.
Annie, I know that you can continue to Savor Sugar Freedom.
Remember, you have the power to say no. Remind yourself that eating sugar and other quickie carbs is a choice. It’s yours to make—or not make. What you put in your mouth helps create your future and the way you handle it. Why not choose the path of joy, inner peace, and health?
I’ll be with you in spirit and rooting for you to continue to Savor Sugar Freedom. Talk to you soon.
Warmly,
Connie
Connie Bennett
P.S. Since you like to share your musings and inspirational thoughts on Facebook, feel free to post this entire letter from me to you. It would be my honor to help your sugar-addicted fans. And feel free to take tidbits and tweet them, too.
P.P.S. Thanks again for your very kind words and letting me share them here.
“I was so sick and tired of feeling sick and tired beyond my sugar. With the help of Beyond Sugar Shock and Connie’s smart, caring text-coaching, I am beginning my 6th week of being off sugar. To me, that is a miracle. I feel so much happier and healthier, more energetic and free.” …I most like to know you are on the other end of the phone and get my texts, help me through temptations, remind me what works and why I am trying a new way of life.” –Anne Lamott

Embrace Cravings as Your Allies, Not Enemies

Are you hit by cravings in the morning, afternoon, and night, as well as in between?
How-to-fight-sugar-cravingsAnd do you detest when your cravings for sugar, carbs or something rich get the best of you? Especially when the number on the scale keeps getting higher?
What if you changed your attitude about your cravings?
What if instead of dreading them, you welcomed them and even invited them in?
Just think how much easier your relationship with food would be if you embraced your cravings as your allies!
You want to welcome your cravings, because they’re giving you valuable messages. And once you decode your cravings, you’ll be able to give yourself what you really want.
Confused? Discover 20 messages your cravings may be telling you.
Just read my new article on Heal Your Life, “Craving Sugar and Carbs? Make them your allies instead!”