Health Tip of the Week: Take Timed Breaths to Stop Cravings

This week, we will begin a new feature, “Health Tip of the Week.”
Specifically, today’s pointer is to help those of you who tend to battle but often cave into overpowering cravings — for sugar, coffee,cigarettes or other unhealthy behavior.
This tip will help you if you:
* Are a sugar addict
* Are overweight or obese
* Have type 2 diabetes
* Have an annoying habit of consuming refined carbohydrates
* Are going through sugar detox
* Need or desire to stay away from high fructose corn syrup-filled candies and pastries
* Want to get more healthy (just about everyone!)
So let’s pretend you’re in the throes of a yen for chocolate-covered peanuts, donuts or a sugary coffee from one of those specialty stores.
Or perhaps you’re near a bakery, vending machines or newspaper stand that sells candy bars.
Here’s how to quickly stop that craving so you don’t go into unpleasant sugar shock:
*

Halloween Tricks Kids Into Sugar Overload: Op Ed Piece

Are you re planning on passing out sugar-filled candies for Halloween tomorrow night?
If so, you should know that every time you hand out candies, you’re tricking kids into sugar overload.
Halloween isn’t just one night. It paves the way for bad eating habits year-round.
Read more about this in our opinion piece in today’s Newark Star-Ledger.

Halloween: Prevent Sugar Shock

Halloween can be a harrowing time for both kids and their parents, because on this holiday and the days or even weeks that follow, kids will often face major blood sugar highs and lows after pigging out on dozens of sugar-laden candies.
In other words, they’ll be hurled into sugar shock.
Let’s face it, no matter what kind of limits their parents may try to place on their children’s candy consumption, youngsters will often overdose on sweets, even if they have to do it in secret.
Unfortunately, that’s what Halloween means these days. It’s a nationally sanctioned “Sugar Overload Day.”
So how can you help your young trick-or-treaters not get wiped out, cranky, depressed, headachy or charged up from having too many candies?
The way to soften the blood-sugar-bouncing whammy and lessen sugar shock is to make sure that your children eat a healthy meal before they cavort aroundthe neighborhood trick-or-treating for candies.
For instance, before they head for the streets, give your children:

Halloween Cartoon “Shows” Sugar’s Reaction

Special thanks to Mike Adams and NewsTarget.com for this cartoon, which cleverly illustrates the dangers of trick-or-treating for candies on Halloween.
Consuming too much sugar can harm your kids in many ways, including causing them to gain weight, develop type 2 diabetes, and beven become more violent, according to a recent study in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Non-Drinkers More Depressed?

From time to time, findings from research studies make me marvel in disbelief. Such was the case when I recently discovered that scientists in Norway found that those of us who are non-drinkers are more depressed, AOL News alerts us.
Wait a minute? Even though alcohol has been linked to health hazards galore, from car crashes to alcoholism, if you don’t drink, you may get blue more often?
Although I was tempted to dismiss the results, I quickly learned that this is not a study at which you should sneer. The scientists, headed up by Jens Christopher Scogen of the University of Bergen looked at a whopping 38,000 people. (It’s always a good sign when thousands of folks participate in research.) What’s more, their conclusions were published in the medical journal Addiction.
So why the startling results?

New York-Area Residents: Break Free of Sugar this January at the New York Open Center

New York-area residents, would you like to release unwanted pounds?
Would you like to feel liberated from your sugar habit?
Would you like to boost your energy so you’re consistently full of verve and spunk?
Kicking or at cutting back on sugar and refined can quickly enable you to all of the above — and more.
Save the dates now!
You can catch a free introductory program on Tuesday, January 5 at the New York Open Center, which recently moved to cool new offices.
Then, learn how to begin Breaking Free of Your Sugar Habit by taking my four-week course, which runs Tuesday, Jan 12 at the pm EST when I speak at the New York Open Center.
Your seminars will be tasty, too. On all nights of my class, you’ll get a chance to taste sugar-free goodies from my friend Alicia O’Connell Cohen, founder of Kate’s Cookie Jar.
At my introductory talk and in my four-week course, you’ll:
* Learn how to begin to escape from the sugar influence.
* Find out about how your sugar habit can cut your life short and lead to diseases galore
* Enjoy participatory adventurcises™ (adventures that are exercises)
* Start to understand why you’ve been “using” sweets and how you can use that failure as a stepping stone to success
* Begin to confront your sugar truth
* Find out this is a great time to be in New York as you’re phasing out the sugar. (You’ll learn about the brilliant, new “Are you pouring on the pounds?” campaign from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
* Have a chance to take a fun, but serious SUGAR SHOCK! Quiz, that will reveal the extent of your reliance on sweets.
* Bond with other like-minded sugar addicts.
Readers of this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog who show up at my January 5 talk at the New York Open Center and sign up for the class will receive a special gift from me.
I invite you now to sign up for my four-week course at the New York Open Center, beginning January 12.

The Soul-Searching Food Journal™ — Forms to Keep Track So Your Weight Disappears

Did you know that research shows that if you keep a food journal, you stand a greater chance of losing weight and achieving better health?
Indeed, people who’ve happily peeled off the weight — “Highly Successful Losers™,” as I call them — report that one of their Smart Diet Habits™ is to “Keep Track Like a Lab Rat™.” (In other words, watch yourself as if you were a scientist conducting an experiment or monitor yourself as if you were your beloved pet.)
When you Keep Track, you don’t mindlessly shove nutrient-lacking non-food in your face. You think first, because you know you have to write it down — and possibly share it with an accountability partner.
To help you out, I’m sharing a food journal that I’ve created.
Feel free to share The Ultimate, Soul-Searching Food Diary™ with friends, co-workers, gym buddies, bosses, hairdressers, fitness trainers, loved ones and even frustrating frenemies. In short, spread the link love, as some like to say. (Of course, please provide the proper credit though, as indicated below.)
The Soul-Searching Food Diary™ — From Connie Bennett, Author, SUGAR SHOCK!
Name ________________________________________
Date _________________________________________
What did I eat and drink?
(Any sugary foods or drinks? Any refined carbs? Any artificial sweeteners? Any foods with gluten? How much salt? How did I I feel? Was I physically or emotionally hungry? (On the 1st line, state what you ate. On the 2nd line, jot down how you felt — tired, famished, angry, edgy, frustrated, furious, stressed out, etc.)
7 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
7 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
8 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
8 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
9 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
9 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
10 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
10 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
11 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
11 a.m. _______________________________________________________________
12 noon _______________________________________________________________
12 noon _______________________________________________________________

New York Area Sugar Addicts: Catch My Talk Thursday, Sept. 10 at the New York Open Center’s Open House

Would you like to become liberated from your sugar habit?
Would you like to feel energy on a consistent basis?
Would you like to release unwanted pounds?
And would you like to get along better with your loved ones?
Kicking or at least cutting back on sugar and refined can be a fast, effective way to achieve all of the above — and more.
Learn how you can be “reborn” by Breaking Free of Your Sugar Habit on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 pm EST when I speak at the New York Open Center, which is having an open house at its new facilities that evening. I am one of 9 speakers featured.
At my talk, you’ll:
* Learn how to begin to escape from the sugar influence.
* Find out about how your sugar habit can cut your life short and lead to diseases galore
* Enjoy participatory adventurcises™ (adventures that are exercises)
* Start to understand why you’ve been “using” sweets and how you can use that failure as a stepping stone to success
* Start confronting your sugar truth
* Have a chance to take a fun, but serious SUGAR SHOCK! Quiz, that will reveal the extent of your reliance on sweets.
* Bond with other like-minded sugar addicts.
Readers of this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog who show up at my talk at the New York Open Center and sign up for the class will receive a special gift from me.
Please note that Thursday’s talk is a free introduction to my four-week course at the New York Open Center, beginning January 12.
If you can’t make my talk on Sept. 10, you also can attend a free introductory program on Jan. 5.
Again, if you sign up for my Breaking Free of Your Sugar Habit course at the New York Open Center as a result of reading this blog post, please let me know at the open house, and I’ll give you a special gift.
Plan now to attend the New York Open Center’s open house on Sept. 10. I look forward to meeting you.

Sugar: The Bitter Truth With Dr. Robert Lustig

If you haven’t quit indulging in sugar and refined carbs, then you must see this informative, eye-opening, scary presentation from the nationally renowned Robert H. Lustig, M.D., professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF).
I predict that you’ll get shocked into taking action — i.e., removing sugar from your life for good.
Watch now and learn why he rightly believes that “high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both equally bad — they’re both poison.”
Incidentally, as I posted here, on the Sugar Shock Blog back in 2006, Dr. Lustig is a forward-thinking researcher, who made the news (in the San Francisco Chronicle) for his theories about our poisoned food supply.
Get ready for some fascinating information about:
* What he calls “The Coca-Cola Conspiracy.”
* How we have an epidemic of obese six-month olds.
* How the average person is consuming way too much sugar. (FYI, his figure of 141 pounds of sugar per year is too low — it’s really closer to 170 to 190 pounds per person.)
* The amount of sugar found in baby formula. (A lot! Of Similac Isomil, which contains 43.2% corn syrup solids and 10.3% sugar (sucrose), Dr. Lustig says, “It’s a baby milkshake.”
See his replies here to some questions.Listen now or anytime.

Sugar Addiction: Are You Committing Suicide by Sugar? Nancy Appleton Shares the Dirt on My Gab With the Gurus Radio Show: Listen Live or Later

Did you know that eating sugary foods and drinking sweet beverages can send you early to your grave?
Well, health expert and former sugaraholic Nancy Appleton — who’s been warning about sugar’s dangers since the 1970s — will appear on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show on Oct. 2j0 at 3 pm EST to dish you the dirt about America’s sweetheart, sugar.
Now, the friendly, enthusiastic, always-energetic Dr. Appleton has come out with a new book, Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction, which offers some startling information about this legal but dangerous, nearly ubiquitous, addictive white powder.
You’ll be shocked when you listen to this radio interview, which you can catch either live at 3 pm EST on Oct. 20 or later, here on this SUGAR SHOCK Blog, by clicking the player at the bottom of this post.
Some of you have asked me, “Connie, why do you promote other sugar experts and sugar books when you’ve got your own to publicize?”
Well, I strongly believe that all of us sugar authors and experts have something special and unique to offer. Together, we can give you the information and inspiration that you need to begin to remove sweets to live a happier, healthier life.
Besides, as my tormented, frustrated sugar-addicted clients often reveal, people yearn for lots of scary information and eye-opening facts from a variety of sources so they can get more motivated to conquer their overpowering addiction. For instance, when I kicked sugar back in 1998, Nancy’s book Lick the Sugar Habit was one of several that I read. I also appreciated having the books, Sugar Blues and Get the Sugar Out, to spur me to action. And now, part of what I’m doing is banding with other sugar addiction specialists to help serve you. For instance, I’m now working with fellow life coach James Hahn, II — also a former sugar addict. Together, we just launched our Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Social Network, which you’re invited to join.
NancyAppleton Back to Nancy. Of all sugar experts other than myself, she is hands-down my favorite. She has been my sweet, kind mentor for years.
I cannot rave enough about Nancy, my idol, who I had the pleasure of finally meeting in late April at a Food Addiction: The Obesity Epidemic Connection conference at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island. (You can watch a video here of me interviewing Jack LaLanne at the conference.).
Back to Nancy. For some four to five years, while I was researching and writing my book SUGAR SHOCK!, Nancy was incredibly kind, generous and helpful to me. She gave time to me and answered my many, many questions without hesitating and with no thought of herself. Her only goals were to get accurate information out to as many unsuspecting, sugar-addicts as possible.
When I was writing my book, Nancy has absolutely no way of knowing that SUGAR SHOCK! would sell well, and that years later I would finally be able to help her.
So I encourage now, go out and buy Nancy’s amazing new book, Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction.
To listen to the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show with Nancy either live on Oct. 20 at 3 pm EST — or later, at your convenience, just click on the player below or listen live at BlogTalkRadio.com.
For more news about upcoming radio guests, visit the Gab With the Gurus Blog.