SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Declare Your Sugar Independence!

As we near Independence Day, wouldn't it be nice to achieve Sugar Independence, too?

Getting over a sugar habit can enable you to:

• Feel liberated
• Get more energy
• Lose weight
• Get along better with loved ones
• Enjoy yourself more
• Find your sense of calm
• Become more confident
• Concentrate better
• Have a stronger libido
• Accomplish more
• And so much more!

Let me help you reach Sugar Independence.Just listen and get inspired by these Successful Sugar Kickers.

Learn how getting over their sugar addiction helped them to feel liberated.

There's nothing more motivating and exciting when you're trying to get over a sugar habit
than to listen to or read about Sugar Kickers and how they succeeded.

FYI, these were preview calls for my Fast-Track, Kick-Sugar Countdown Program.

Go ahead. Listen to these liberated people now.

If you become liberated from sugar, your life will dramatically change.

When you break free from sugar, you can find a deep-seated sweetness in all aspects of your life -- but that doesn't necessarily mean the sweetness from foods.

Just listen now to how the lives of these Sugar Kickers became sweeter in so many ways just by
kicking sugar.

Remember, you CAN kick sugar and have a life of sweetness, too!

I have high hopes for your success and wish you a sweet holiday weekend.

By the way, if you get tempted over the holiday weekend by candies, cookies or ice cream, just listen
to these people tell you how getting over your sugar addiction is the first step to having a better, sweeter life.

Did you know that I work with people privately to help them break free of sugar and other unhealthy habits? My schedule permitting, I'd be happy to work with you, too.

Lyme Disease: You Can Get Bitten in the City & Country: Learn About this Controversial Infectious Disease With "Under Our Skin" Creators

Do you spend time outdoors? If so, it's important to pay attention to this blog post. You could unknowingly be the target of a tick, who could give you Lyme disease.

Right now, I'm concerned, because people quickly reading this New York Daily News article may falsely conclude that you can only get Lyme disease in wooded or rural areas in such areas as Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island and Westchester County.

That's not true. You can get "Bitten in the City," which is evidently what happened to me last year at this time. (You can learn more about Lyme disease and my horrible experiences in last year's radio show, on which several renowned experts shared their insights and info.)

Of course, there's considerable truth to the statement in the Daily News that "city dwellers have less exposure to ticks," as Dr. David David P. Calfee of Mount Sinai tells reporter Katie Charles, but it's false that "Rocky Mountain fever is the only disease known to be transmitted in all five boroughs."

Anyhow, in my opinion, more than 417 New Yorkers got Lyme disease in the city last year. (The New York Daily News News cites another figure -- 538 people.)

Let me repeat: It you spend any time at all outdoors -- i.e., most Americans -- you MUST learn about this infectious disease. Again, I urge you to to listen to last year's radio show, which featured Pamela Weintraub, author of the book, Cure Unkown; Pat Smith, president of the Lyme Disease Association; Dr. Bernard D. Raxlen; Dr. Steven J. Bock; Dr. Qingcai Zhang; author Rebecca Wells ("Ya-Ya" novels) and Kris Newby, senior producer of the “Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease.”

Next, I encourage you to tune in July 14 at 3 pm EST to my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show for a special show about Lyme disease in which Andy Abrahams Wilson, director/producer of the poignant documentary, "Under Our Skin," and Kris Newby, the film's senior producer. The film is now playing at selected movie theaters nationwide.

Together, they will open your eyes about the mistruths and controversies surrounding this fast-growing, infectious disease. (Special thanks to Kris for alerting me to this Daily News article cited above and for consistently providing me with lots of background information about this tick-borne illness.)

Again, let me insist! All Americans need to know about tick-borne illnesses. You see, as many as 2 million to 3 million people around the country, according to some experts, have Lyme disease, but they and their doctors don't know it.

That's because people with Lyme disease are often misdiagnosed as having a variety of other illnesses such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, lupus, ALS, lupus, arthritis or even psychiatric disorders.

Read more about this incredible documentary in this Vanity Fair article.

You can listen to this show live Tues., July 14 at 3 pm EST or later, at your convenience.

Incidentally, because of my horrific experiences with Lyme disease, I've written an op-ed piece, "Bitten in the City: How a Tick Made a Mockery of My Memmory," which will soon be published in a major newspapers. Details coming.

Plus, I'm now writing a book about Lyme disease. The  working title is: "Bitten in the City: Facts & Fallacies about Lyme Disease." Stay tuned for announcements about it.

Remember, on July 14, on the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show, the creators of "Under Our Skin" will educate you about this horrifying, horribly misunderstood, controversial disease.

Sugar Addiction Could Lead to Macular Degeneration

As my book SUGAR SHOCK! reveals, eating too many sweets and refined carbs leads to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and many other illnesses.

But did you know that a diet high in sugary foods can also make you blind?

Yes, high-sugar diets can significantly contribute to vision impairment. In particular, you can get  Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which is now the # 1 cause for vision loss in the United States.

The following is a post that was contributed by LensShopper.com.

Sugar Addiction Could Trigger Macular Degeneration by Anders Wedin, OD.

Research shows that excessive sugar consumption is a contributing factor to AMD. At Tufts University, 4,000 people between 55 and 80 years old were studied to test the alleged connection. The results strongly indicated that high blood sugar levels increased the risk of AMD.

I'm betting you don't really know about AMD. Well, it’s a very serious eye disease that often develops over a longer period of time, but you rarely show symptoms in its early stages.

This disease affects the macula of the eye, which is the part that controls your central vision -- you know, the part that you need to read books, watch TV, or drive.

Every year, more than 200,000 Americans get AMD -- or about 30 % of Americans over age 75. Not all reported cases lead to complete blindness, but advanced level AMD patients will experience blurriness and blind spots right in the center field of vision. 

To date, according to experts, AMD has no outright cure.

However, many foods that can help decrease the risk and slow the progression of AMD.

The reason we contacted Connie and her Sugar Shock Blog is because the most important action you can take to avoid Macular Degeneration is to stop eating high sugary foods altogether.

Other foods that can help include vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and leafy greens; salmon and other kinds of fish; liver (though not too much); whole grains and walnuts.

In other words, to reduce your risk AMD, dump your sugar addiction!

Anders Wedin, OD is the in-house optometrist at LensShopper.com, a consumer guide to buying contact lenses and general eye care information.

Note from Connie: I hope this provides you with some more motivation to kick sugar. Not only could you lose weight, get more energy, manage your diabetes if you overcome your sugar addiction, but you also could prevent becoming blind in later life.

Michael Jackson: Did Drugs Do Him In?

Like millions of fans, I'm filled with sadness about Michael Jackson's sudden death.

What caused his cardiac arrest and untimely death at age 50?

Speculation now abounds on a variety of websites such as TMZ that daily Demerol injections of other drugs led to his demise.

For instance, People delves into the topic, as does Fox, which reports about his daily injections.

Dr. Kevin Pho also talks about the drug connection on his KevinMD blog.

Thankfully, some nice tributes also are popping up all over, such as this one on the Huffington Post from Deepak Chopra, who was a friend.

Sneaker Saturday: Join Us & Spread the Word on Twitter, Facebook & Beyond in this Fun, Worldwide Exercise Event

Do you work out regularly or are you one of those who neglects to move your wonderful body even though you know that it's good for you?

Well, this Saturday, a group of us are starting the First Sneaker Saturday, a fun fitness event, which you can join no matter where you live.

Sneaker Saturday -- which I encourage you and invite you to heavily promote on your blogs, on Twitter and Facebook using this: #SneakerSaturday -- is about whatever you want it to be.

It's your choice as to how you celebrate Sneaker Saturday.

The only recommendation is that you slip on a pair of your favorite sneakers and get moving. Your body needs physical activity, and even if you've been a couch potato all week, your body will be grateful to get out and about!

So what do you plan to do on Sneaker Saturday? Share what you'll do.

In other words, Sneaker Saturday is for us to inspire, excite and encourage each other to get out there and exercise. Plus, it means we'll share what we're doing -- what kind of physical activities.

For me, Sneaker Saturday will mean hopping on my bike (wearing my New Balance Sneakers -- love those shoes!) -- and riding down to the Statue of Liberty, weather permitting. It's the most exhilarating, refreshing bike trip!

On Sneaker Saturday, I may also pop by the gym to do some weights and work out on the elliptical machine. I'm excited, because I've been sick for over a week and I finally have my energy back so I can get back to my workout routine.

How did Sneaker Saturday come about?

Well, earlier this week, after attending day one of this amazing 140 Characters Conference, the idea hit me while having dinner with a bunch of amazing people, including renowned blogger and social media expert Robert Scoble, #140conf organizer Jeff Pulver,  "Adventure Girl" Stephanie Michaels, PR whiz Candice Best, comedian Heather Gold, Ari Rabban of  Phone.com and other hip tweeters.

The Twitter wizards at the table, especially Stephanie, were talking about all the events during the week during which people tweet using hashtags -- days like #FollowFriday, etc.

It was amusing to hear how almost every day of the week had a hashtag. (In Twitter lingo, that means the number sign is used in front of a subject that's followed by many people.)

Well, this got me thinking -- why don't we have a day designated to fitness, health or nutrition? Those of us who are health enthusiasts would love such a day!

Anyhow, I ran the idea by a number of cool tweeters at the #140conf, and they said that it was certainly worth a shot.

That night (Saturday), the concept so appealed to me as a way to encourage people to get people fit in a way that's fun for them on the weekend that the minute I got home after our fun night, I got on Go Daddy and quickly reserved the domain, www.SneakerSaturday.com (site to come). By Sunday, I became even more excited.

So will you join me in spreading the word and in helping to evolve this fun fitness event, which you can do anywhere around the world?

Just share what you're planning for Sneaker Saturday. Or talk about what it means to you.

Please help me to make this a fun, worldwide 52-week phenomenon.

I'm back after my first Sneaker Saturday fun. Took an exhilarating, serotonin-producing, rainy, hair-curly bide ride. Had a blast nonetheless and made it to the Statue of Liberty.

The challenges I faced in the trip exemplified what we authors, marketers, speakers, health experts, bloggers, marketing people, tweeters, etc. need to do: We need to lean on each other for help.

You see, while almost at Battery Park, the bike trail was closed off and there appeared to be no way to get there so I could see the Statue of Liberty (my destination).

I tried to go another way. Didn't work. I was about to give up when I saw a jogger going another direction. So I asked him and then a traffic cop for help. Lo and behold, they told me about a route I'd never tried -- one that, incidentally, was so OBVIOUS!!! It just goes to show that you need to ask for help to get somewhere.

What did you do for #SneakerSaturday

Please tweet about your #SneakerSaturday experiences. And follow me on Twitter @SmartHabitsGirl

Overeat No More With Former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler, Low Carb Expert Dr. Keith Berkowitz & Sugar Guru Dr. Nancy Appleton

Are you eager to escape from your runaway overeating? Tired of being enslaved by your love of sugary, fatty, salty processed foods?

Help is here.

Join us on Tuesday, June 23 at 3 pm EST when my guest on the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show is former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler, author of The End of Overeating.

You'll learn about his how he met with top scientists, physicians and food industry insiders to learn why we Americans have lost control over our eating habits.

He'll even tell us about his late-night forays into garbage dumpsters to retrieve the all-telling ingredient labels at various restaurants, which The Washington Post reveals.

You'll next hear from the acclaimed low-carb proponent, Dr. Keith Berkowitz, who will also help you to get rid of that stubborn fat.

Dr. Berkowitz is author of The Stubborn Fat Fix: Eat Right to Lose Weight and Cure Metabolic Burnout Without Hunger or Exercise.

• This exciting Gab With the Gurus episode will conclude with my mentor Dr. Nancy Appleton, author of Lick the Sugar Habit, telling you about how people are trapped and consumed by their sugar addiction.

In particular, my friend Nancy will discuss some of the compelling people and comments that you'll find in her new video, Sweet Suicide.

Nancy -- who I've had the pleasure of interviewing several times  previously (most recently in January) on my Gab With the Gurus Radio segments -- is one of the original anti-sugar pioneers, whose book Lick the Sugar Habit, helped me kick the substance back in 1998.

The former sugaraholic, who, over the years, has accumulated the massive list, "146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health," will reveal eye-opening new things about sugar's deadly properties..

Remember, as usual, you can listen to this show live or later, at your convenience.

Get details here about the show or listen below.

Hich Fructose Corn Syrup: Get the Truth about This Sweetener

By now, you've probably heard all kinds of mistruths about high fructose corn syrup.

Please don't be deceived by the plethora of propaganda coming from the Corn Refiners Association.

See what the experts have to say. Thanks to Mike Adams of Natural News for putting together all these eye-opening quotes about HFCS.

FYI, thanks, Mike, for including a quote from SUGAR SHOCK!