SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Swim Across Hudson for Diabetes -- Donate Now!

Congrats to Brian Friedman for swimming handcuffed across the Potomac and Hudson rivers last week to raise money to raise public awareness about diabetes, a clever, attention-getting event that I announced here.

As I mentioned previously, Brian is a member of my free, online KickSugar group, and we're proud and happy to have him setting an example to others about the joys of exercise -- but please don't do his handcuffed-swimming stunt!

Brian reports to fellow KickSugar members:

"Yes, I did it! Well sort of. I swam across the Potomac. But for traffic reasons, I swam a mile on the Hudson waterfront. Yes I was handcuffed. No I didn't get any strange skin rashes.

"I swam to raise the public's awareness of the epidemic of diabetes. We are all at risk. Our lifestyles and eating habits are what is increasing the occurrence of this disease. That is why groups such as this one are so important.

"My thing is exercise and [finding food] along the edges of the grocery store. You do what you have to. I swam handcuffed. Not a useful skill, nor very difficult. But if one person saw or read about it and got out and exercised then it was worth it. I wish you all the best in your fight to Kick Sugar."

Well done, Brian. I just contributed to the ADA now myself in honro of your tremendous feat and your efforts to raise people's awareness about diabetes.

My blog readers, join me. Donate to the ADA, too, in honor of the very-much-alive Brian! Then, tell him about your donation on his blog or e-mail him directly.

Fish Oil Can Benefit Diabetics

There's now compelling evidence suggesting that omega-3 fats may be especially helpful to people with diabetes, eDiets.com reports.

It sure seems like we can't hear enough good things nowadays about fish oil's benefits to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, help curtail inflammation, inhibit cancer growth and help alleviate depression.

Just make sure that when you do take fish oil that you use a high-quality product. I take Pharmax Finest Pure Fish Oil or Vital Choice's Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Oil Capsules.

Dr. Bennett Supporters Launch Website & Obese Endocrinologist Fesses Up

Supporters of Dr. Terry Bennett have launched a website on behalf of the 67-year-old New Hampshire doctor, who got into legal squabbles over his blunt advice to an obese patient.

Patients and friends jump to his defense with a cartoon (below), his bio and a statement which insists:

"Terry Bennett helps patients whether they have insurance or not; he helps patients whether they can afford his services or not! He makes house calls when needed. When you call his beeper 24/7 you speak with the Doctor! That’s why he has 10,000 active patients at his Rochester practice.

"Terry is a 'good-old-fashioned doctor' – he is a dinosaur in this age of 5-second medicine. He cares about his patients, he cares about making them all well. He truly believes in the words of the great Greek Hippocrates – 'First, do no harm!' Dr. Bennett is brash, outspoken and most of all a truth-teller! And that is how he got in trouble!"

Dr. Bennett, as I noted here previously, got into trouble because he didn't mince words and rather pointedly warned his patient of the impending doom resulting from being obese.

What's the big deal?

Well, reportedly, Dr. Bennett then told his female patient that both her and her husband's obesity could be life-threatening. He also warned her that obese women generally live longer than obese men and predicted that she'd outlive her spouse. According to to Portsmouth Herald and CNN, he also told her that if her husband died, no one would want her except maybe a black man. (Dr. Bennett denies the latter alleged comment.)

He also offered weight loss advice to stay away from bread, pasta, cereals, rice, potatoes and alcohol and sugars.

Apparently riled up at his brashness, the obese female -- who saw him several times -- filed a complaint with the New Hampshire Board of Medicine even though the doctor sent her an apology letter. Then, the matter went to the Attorney General's Administrative Prosecution Unit, which proposed that Dr. Bennett take a medical evaluation course and admit he made a mistake. He's now under investigation from the Medicine Review Committee.

Meanwhile, this week, the Portsmouth Herald reported that Dr. Bennett was contacted by an attorney from the New Hampshire Malpractice Joint Underwriters Association, which is planning to udnertake the cost of his defense.

Dr. Bennett -- who has a medical degree from Harvard University and a master's from the Harvard School of Public Health -- told the Rochester News that this is the second complaint filed against him during his years in practice as a physician and that "the previous case was dismissed without merit after the patient who filed it was 'deemed incompetent' following a stroke."

Granted, Dr. Bennett was crass in predicting that if her husband died, the woman would have trouble being alone and getting a man. If he did make the black man comment, that was in really bad taste but certainly not cause for a lawsuit.

Dr. Bennett now insists, "they picked the wrong guy because I am not going away; I will not shut up."

Gwyneth Paltrow Rightly Snubs Nose at Cup-a-Soup

First The New York Daily News, and then Slashfood, unfairly blasted Gwyneth Paltrow for reportedly showing disgust and sneering, "Who eats this stuff?" when spotting a box of Lipton's Cup-a-Soup on the set of "Dealbreakers," a short film she just finished directing.

This is entertainment news? Talk about a ridiculous, uncalled-for non-story! Simply stupid gossip.

Wait, there's more.

Lloyd Grove of the Daily News dished more unnecessary dirt and jumped to an outrageous conclusion, "...it sounds like she can't resist trying to control the food intake of perfect strangers."

Oh, give me a break.

The columnist then writes that when a production staffer admitted that his kids love the processed, additives-filled soup, Paltrow -- who follows a macrobiotic diet -- reportedly retorted, "I would rather die than let my kid eat Cup-a-Soup."

Can't say I blame Gwyneth for trying to set the guy straight.

Interestingly, while we read these quotes from the actress, we never learn the source of these alleged comments. So we're talking silly hearsay.

But let's just say that the media account was true. Let's assume that the Academy Award-winning actress wasn't exactly empathetic to the junk-food-reliant folks around her, but to say the actress that gets "irrationally dramatic around convenience foods," as Slashfood put it, is simply overstating it.

The remark also reveals a supreme ignorance on the part of the reporter.

OK, now let's take a look at the object of Paltrow's aversion:

One envelope of the Asian Beef Noodle flavor Cup-a-Soup has 70 calories, 1 gram of fat, 680 grams of sodium, 14 grams of carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugars and 2 grams of protein.

The list of ingredients gets even more scary. Among others, it contains maltodextrin, modified corn starch, enriched egg noodles, sugar, monosodium glutamate and yeast extract.

Can you blame Paltrow for her "eeww, not-for-my-child" reaction?

So we're talking about a processed, sodium-packed, simple carb soup, complete with all sorts of chemicals, including the much-maligned and feared MSG. Can you really call this food?

Wait, if you meander around the the Cup-a-Soup website -- which invites readers' comments -- you'll see that it basically tells you that this processed, MSG-containing food is the perfect antidote to the 3 p.m. slump.

Here's the website's sales copy:

"Beating the 3PM Slump never tasted so good! From exotic Spicy Thai Chicken to classic tomato with Croutons,Lipton® Cup-a-Soup® has 7 great varieties designed to help you bump the 3PM Slump and help you sail through your busy afternoon. Which will be your favorite? Try them all!"

Experts, I'm sure, would argue that the company has no right to call the website "A step-by-step guide to diagnosing, treating and preventing the 3PM Slump."

Sure, if you eat it, you could get a blood sugar rise, but as nutritionists and doctors tell us, this spurt will probably be swiftly followed by another slump.

But let's get back to Paltrow. Sure, she was a little heated in her reaction, but she made sense. I completely agree with her sentiments.

Perhaps one could call Paltrow a little fanatical about her desire for quality foods. Big deal. (Hey, others might use the same word to describe me, too.)

But these silly scribblings from the columnists make them sound like they're even more fanatical in their defense of junk food such as Cup-a-Soup! (It sounds like she hit a sore spot with them.)

First The New York Daily News, and then Slashfood, unfairly blasted Gwyneth Paltrow for reportedly showing disgust and sneering, "Who eats this stuff?" when spotting a box of Lipton's Cup-a-Soup on the set of "Dealbreakers," a short film she just finished directing.

This is entertainment news? Talk about a ridiculous, uncalled-for non-story! Simply stupid gossip.

Wait, there's more.

Lloyd Grove of the Daily News dished more unnecessary dirt and jumped to an outrageous conclusion, "...it sounds like she can't resist trying to control the food intake of perfect strangers."

Oh, give me a break.

The columnist then writes that when a production staffer admitted that his kids love the processed, additives-filled soup, Paltrow -- who follows a macrobiotic diet -- reportedly retorted, "I would rather die than let my kid eat Cup-a-Soup."

Can't say I blame Gwyneth for trying to set the guy straight.

Interestingly, while we read these quotes from the actress, we never learn the source of these alleged comments. So we're talking silly hearsay.

But let's just say that the media account was true. Let's assume that the Academy Award-winning actress wasn't exactly empathetic to the junk-food-reliant folks around her, but to say the actress that gets "irrationally dramatic around convenience foods," as Slashfood put it, is simply overstating it.

The remark also reveals a supreme ignorance on the part of the reporter.

OK, now let's take a look at the object of Paltrow's aversion:

One envelope of the Asian Beef Noodle flavor Cup-a-Soup has 70 calories, 1 gram of fat, 680 grams of sodium, 14 grams of carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugars and 2 grams of protein.

The list of ingredients gets even more scary. Among others, it contains maltodextrin, modified corn starch, enriched egg noodles, sugar, monosodium glutamate and yeast extract.

Can you blame Paltrow for her "eeww, not-for-my-child" reaction?

So we're talking about a processed, sodium-packed, simple carb soup, complete with all sorts of chemicals, including the much-maligned and feared MSG. Can you really call this food?

Wait, if you meander around the the Cup-a-Soup website -- which invites readers' comments -- you'll see that it basically tells you that this processed, MSG-containing food is the perfect antidote to the 3 p.m. slump.

Here's the website's sales copy:

"Beating the 3PM Slump never tasted so good! From exotic Spicy Thai Chicken to classic tomato with Croutons,Lipton® Cup-a-Soup® has 7 great varieties designed to help you bump the 3PM Slump and help you sail through your busy afternoon. Which will be your favorite? Try them all!"

Sure, if you eat it, you could get a blood sugar rise, but as nutritionists and doctors tell us, this spurt will probably be swiftly followed by another slump.

But let's get back to Paltrow. Sure, she was a little heated in her reaction, but she made sense. I completely agree with her sentiments.

Perhaps one could call Paltrow a little fanatical about her desire for quality foods. Big deal. (Hey, others might use the same word to describe me, too.)

But these silly scribblings from the columnists make them sound like they're even more fanatical in their defense of junk food such as Cup-a-Soup! (It sounds like she hit a sore spot with them.)

Stumped When Shopping? Some Sugarfree Foods By Brand (Article)

I created the following Sugarfree Shopper's Guide after receiving repeated requests in my free, online KickSugar group to provide such a helpful list.

You see, repeatedly, people in KickSugar would ask me: “Can you give me a list of sugarfree foods?”

Generally, people are considering cutting back on sweets to lose weight or just feel better but they don't know what packaged foods you can find that don't contain added sweetenerst. Indeed, it can be rather frustrating to examine food labels to find the ones with the least or no sugar. Well, for months, I worked on this list for you.

So, at long last, here it is. Now you, like me, can become a Savvy Sugar Sleuth(TM).

Please note:

1. I am providing this list as a public service only to Sugar Kickers everywhere.

2. Products containing artificial sweeteners are NOT included.

3. This is not a complete list so if you want to recommend other products, please post your comments here. (Here's this items' URL: http://www.sugarshockblog.com/2005/09/stumped_when_sh.html.)

4. Please carefully read food labels before buying all products, even if they're on this list, because the manufacturer may have changed the ingredients and even added sugar after I examined the label.

5. Also, if you're serious about steering clear of added sweeteners, make sure to buy only the specific items I've cited. Many of the companies whose products I list make several versions of the same product, but generally most of them do contain sugar -- so make sure to only purchase the one that I've specifically tracked down for you.

6. As I write this, I do not have a relationship with any of these companies or products mentioned although I'm open to it, because I like to promote sales of healthy, quality, sugarfree foods.

7. You may not be able to find all of these foods at your local grocery store, but most of them are available at health food stores such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats or specialty stores such as Trader Joe's.

8. Please make sure that you eat moderate portions.

9. If you have allergies, make sure to avoid appropriate foods from this list. Inf act some experts suggest refraining from grains completely, but I'm realistic: I know that many Americans will eat them anyway so I might as well give you a list of the more healthy ones to select. (I am, however, a fan of eating grains sparingly or moderately.)

10. I encourage you to pass this article all around the Internet and distribute it wherever you like. All I ask is that you provide the proper copyright credit, which is: Copyright (c) 2005 Connie Bennett. This is from the SugarShockBlog.com. http://www.sugarshockblog.com/2005/09/stumped_when_sh.html

Happy eating!

Again, please remember to e-mail me names of other foods which you think should be on this list. (After all, I pulled this list together all by myself -- of course, more heads are better than one!)

Sugarfree Breads

• The Baker Linseed Wheat Free Organic Bread, Sunflower Seed Organic Bread, Four Grain Organic Bread

• Damascus Bakeries, 4 Whole Wheat Pitas

• Food for Life, Ezekiel 4:9™ Sprouted Grain Tortillas (This is the only Ezekiel bread I could find that doesn’t contain malted barley, a sweetener.) (http://www.food-for-life.com)

• French Meadow Organic Woman’s Bread with Soy Isoflavones, Men’s Bread, Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread, Summer Bread, Sunflower & Flax Bread, Country Sourdough Pizza Crusts, Sourdough Bagels, Brown Rice Bread, Peasant Rolls, Sprouted Bagels with Ezekiel 4:9 Grains, Health Seed Spelt Bread (recommended by dietitian Gittleman and others. (877) NO-YEAST (http://www.frenchmeadow.com/healthspelt_sell.htm, http://www.frenchmeadow.com/woman_sell.htm, http://www.frenchmeadow.com/nut_men.htm)

Perricone's New Diet Book Released

Strong anti-sugar advocate Dr. Nicholas Perricone has just come out with his Perricone Weight-Loss Diet: A Simple 3-part Program To Lose The Fat, The Wrinkles, And The Years.

Although I haven't read his new book yet, I know that Dr. Perricone recommends a way of eating close to what I follow -- and have for years now.

In fact, as he told me when I interviewed him for my upcoming book, SUGAR SHOCK!, Dr. Perricone suggests steering clear of sugary, starchy avoid foods -- that means sugar, breads, pasta, desserts, snack foods, etc.

"Foods made with sweeteners and/or flour are pro-inflammatory and cause spikes in our blood sugar and insulin levels," he explains, noting that such foods will cause your body to store fat rather than burn it.

"They will also rob you of your youth, beauty, energy and mental acuity. These foods also cause a rise and then drop in serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ hormone, leaving you depressed."

Dr. Perricone advises eating foods that are anti-inflammatory and high in anti-oxidants, including brightly colored fruits and vegetables. He also advocates foods rich in anti-inflammatory omega 3 essential fatty acids, such as wild Alaskan salmon (his and my favorite) and other cold water fish such as sardines, anchovies, herring, trout, halibut, as well as flax seed and walnuts.

To be upfront, I haven't yet read Dr. Perricone's new book so I don't know the specifics of his diet, but I suspect that it comes close to the one that I'd recommend. (But I still do need to read the book and see if I agree with everything.)

You can catch Dr. Perricone this Thursday, Sept. 29, on NBC's "Today" show, between 7:00 and 10:00 AM Eastern Time (check local listings).

Not that you need my best wishes, but good luck with the new book, Dr. Perricone.

By the way, if you're not sold on salmon, try Vital Choice -- absolutely the most tasty and delicious salmon I've found anywhere.

Vital Choice is the brand recommended by Dr. Perricone, as well as Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Christiane Northrup and many environmental organizations, because the seafood is sustainably harvested and tested regularly to make sure it's free of harmful contaminants such as mercury.

Healthy Schools Summit Report

This just in from PR Newswire. I quote verbatim from the first half of the press release, which is titled, "Childhood Obesity: A Serious Challenge That Demands Serious Response, Frist Tells Healthy Schools Summit 2005 -- New School Wellness Policy Requirements Can Transform School Health, Sen. Harkin Says."

"WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling childhood obesity a "problem of epic proportions," U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) today applauded attendees at the Healthy Schools Summit 2005 for their grassroots efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity in the nation's schools. "This is a serious challenge that demands a serious response," Frist said.

"The Healthy Schools Summit is a gathering of 600 local leaders from all 50 states and the District of Columbia who are part of Action for Healthy Kids, a non-profit organization addressing the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school. First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush is honorary chair of the Summit.

"The federal government can and must support your work, recognize excellence, and encourage proven strategies to address childhood obesity," Frist told the group. "The government can't be at every dinner table in America. It can't be on the sidelines of every grade school gym. That's why we need you. We need actions that can be implemented in every community in the country," he said.

"First cited estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that one out of every three children born in America in 2000 will develop diabetes. The problem is even worse in minority communities, he said. "Half of the African-American and Hispanic babies born in 2000 will be afflicted (by diabetes) in their lifetime. That's a disease for which there is no cure, it irreversible. And it's compounded by a host of chronic ailments -- kidney disease, heart disease, blindness," Frist said.

"U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) also lauded the Summit attendees and urged them to continue pushing for changes in schools across the country. "We need to return to the days when our public schools were special places, commercial- free zones that fed our children nutritious food, and saw to it that recess and physical education were a part of every school day. Schools should be a sanctuary, not just another marketplace hawking junk food and sugary sodas," Harkin said.

Get a complete program agenda for the Healthy Schools Summit 2005 at the Action for Healthy Kids website.

Let's just hope that all this wonderful rhetoric translates into something viable and effective.

What's the Story With Maple Syrup?

What's the story with maple syrup? Evidently, inquiring, health-minded folks want to know.

Specifically, after I offered maple-syrup-drinking actress Rachel McAdams advice from some experts, my blogging colleague Mark over at Calorie Lab played devil's advocate recently and posted the following comment:

"This page names maple syrup as one of the "worlds healthiest foods," rich in manganese, zinc, and antioxidants: (I'm running for cover.)"

Mark, no need to run for cover! I welcome informed discussions, and I'm open to contrary opinions (as long as people are polite about it).

In fact, as I recently posted, I like it when readers and fellow bloggers keep me on my toes, as Sean Gallagher puts it in his astute piece, In Defense of Citizen Journalism.

To get you an answer, I turned to two folks.

First we'll turn to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, M.A. C.N., C.N.S., author of Living the Low Carb Life and "Weight Loss Coach" for e-Diets.com and iVillage.com.

"I would certainly not call it one of the world's healthiest foods, nor do I know anyone in any tradition who would, including people like Ayruvedic physicians and traditional Oriental Medicine practitioners, who have no problem with carbs.

"But the organic B grade maple syrup, which has been less processed than the A, does have some nutrients. But it's still a sugar and behaves like sugar in the body, for those who need to be aware of that. Nutritionally, though, it beats the white stuff."

And now we'll hear from a food-industry insider:

"In moderation, maple syrup is OK. But it's hard to use for anything other than sweetening pancakes or beverages.  It will give anything a maple flavor.

"It is at least 85% SUCROSE by weight of available sacchardies in the 71% solids being typically consumed. The rest is water. The sucrose IS metabolized, just like white sugar.

"As to antioxidants and health benefit claimed, please -- this is not true. The stuff is BOILED at over 212 degrees F, for very long periods of time -- and closer to 230 degrees F -- to thicken after getting from the trees. There are no reasonable or even detectable nutrients, vitamins or bioavaialble minerals left in it. The likelihood is that the zinc measured is from the sap tins and boiling process containers, not the tree.

"Another problem is many cheaper syrups are illegally cut with corn syrup or HFCS to boost profit.  Or in the case of maple syrup, Aunt Jemima (as an example), are now branded only as pancake syrup, and have little, if any real maple syrup in them."

Did the Savvy Sugar Sleuths answer your question, Mark?

Contrary Viewpoints on Bloggers (Citizen Journalists)

Thought I'd share this very enlightening piece, "In Defense of Citizen Journalism," from reporter/blogger Sean Gallagher, senior editor of Ziff Davis Internet's vertical enterprise sites

Gallagher presents a thoughtful look -- one's that's both measured and opinionated at the same time -- about how bloggers (citizen journalists) do have a role to play in present-day journalism.

He maintains:

"Citizen journalists keep us so-called professionals on our toes, and get subjects into play that might otherwise never see the light of day."

What I like about this column is that Gallagher is able to present the point of a professional journalist, who blogs both professionally and personally -- a vantage point that I also take. He writes:

"...I'm getting really tired of journalists who spend their column inches, air time or page impressions bashing "citizen journalism" and weblogs. It reminds me of the way my teenager tries to rest away the game controller from his 'tweener brother, yelling, "Give me that, you're not doing it right!

"To say that information from any source on the Internet is to be treated skeptically is like saying that pit bulls might bite. It's been pretty well established that anyone with a computer can, and will, create a Web site, post to Usenet or a discussion board, or otherwise pollute the Web and other streams of information with hearsay and libel..."

Gallagher notes that there are "plusses to having that fire hose of unfiltered content.

"It's not that I don't use those established sources of media; they have their purpose. But there's stuff on the fringes that just doesn't get picked up by them because, well, they just don't have the reporters, the budget, the space or the advertisers to justify them doing so.

"So, let a thousand flowers of thought contend. Citizen journalists keep us so-called professionals on our toes, and get subjects into play that might otherwise never see the light of day. Just remember: Pit bulls sometimes bite."

Thanks, Sean, for your interesting points. One word of caution, though: As Gallagher also observes, it's important to carefully decide which bloggers (citizen journalists) are to be trusted and which ones are to be regarded with skepticism.

Meanwhile, check out another different point of view in "Citizen Journalism is Dead" from Vincent Maher, who teaches multimedia journalism at the New Media Lab at Rhodes University's School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Wal-Mart Sells Splenda Rip-Off

Always Low Prices reports that Wal-Mart has landed in a sticky situation by selling its artificial sweetener Splenda -- but selling it at three quarters of the price and under a different name, Altern.

While the no-calorie substance has now been speedily yanked from Wal-Mart store shelves, Splenda's manufacturer, Tate & Lyle, learned that the sweetener was supplied by none other than one of its own plants.

The Telegraph in the U.K. aptly observes:

"When something is as successful as Splenda, everyone will go out of their way to try to copy it, and there's plenty of sucralose in China if you know where to look. Tate & Lyle will fight it, but the appearance of Altern must be the first of many attempts to knock Splenda off its pedestal. Revenge is sweet, and it is only a question of time."

What fascinates me is that as Splenda's sales soars, rarely do you hear about the sweetener's dangers. As I've suggested previously, I urge you to learn about some of Splenda's reported health woes:

• See mercola.com's "Is Splenda Making You Sick? Find Out Some Common Reaction Symptoms," the dangers of Splenda (sucralose), and testimonials from people, who've experienced post-Splenda reactions.
• Read Generation Green's letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Splenda's misleading marketing campaign.
• Visit TruthAboutSplenda.com, which -- while sponsored by the rival sugar industry -- presents some compelling research. 
• Check out SplendaExposed.com from toxicologist Dr. Janet Starr Hull.
• And glance at the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center.

Please think carefully before you indulge in this allegedly symptom-free artificial sweetener.

• See mercola.com's "Is Splenda Making You Sick? Find Out Some Common Reaction Symptoms," the dangers of Splenda (sucralose), and testimonials from people, who've experienced post-Splenda reactions.
• Read Generation Green's letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Splenda's misleading marketing campaign.
• Visit TruthAboutSplenda.com, which -- while sponsored by the rival sugar industry -- presents some compelling research. 
• Check out SplendaExposed.com from toxicologist Dr. Janet Starr Hull.
• And glance at the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center.

Hypnosis Helps You Say No to Cookies, Candies & More

Wouldn't it be nice if donuts aren't enticing, vegetables are appealing, and your sugar cravings are a distant memory?

With the help of hynosis, all of that may be possible.

Indeed, CNN reports that more and more patients are turning to hypnotherapists to help control their eating.

For instance, Jean Fain, a psychologist who uses hypnosis at Harvard Medical School's Cambridge Hospital, has found that In the past five years, her roster of weight-loss clients has doubled.

See CNN's full article.

Diet Book Based on Da Vinci. What Next?

Come next April, yet another diet book -- this one from a baker in Portland, Maine -- will hit bookstores nationwide.

This book by Stephen Lanzalotta capitalizes on the wild popularity of the bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code.

Say what?

Yeah, Associated Press reports that the book, The Diet Code: Revolutionary Weight-Loss Secrets From Da Vinci and The Golden Ratio, comes from a "baker who lost half his business to the low-carb craze."

But now the baker reportedly got a lot of dough (a six-figure advance) for a deal with Warner Books (a division of Time Warner Group).

Interestingly, this baker's book is allegedly based on mathematical principles of the Golden Ratio, a formula used by Leonardo Da Vinci.

The baker's literary agency, Marly Rusoff & Associates, Inc, describes the Diet Code as "a revolutionary and unique Mediterranean-style eating program that uses this ancient numerical sequence to link together the proper proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to boost the metabolism and spark weight loss."

Of course, it should come as no surprise that the baker urges dieters to eat bread -- whether the diet is derived mathematically or not.

CBC Airs Shocking "Big Sugar" Documentary

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is now airing an eye-opening documentary, "Big Sugar: Sweet, White & Deadly."

Thanks so much to Anita in my free, online KickSugar group for telling us about this film. Here's what she wrote to my group:

"I wanted to tell you that I watched Part 1 of the CBC documentary on sugar. It was unbelievable. Did you know that in the US, the 3 major sugar companies are all subsidized by the government?  Yup, only country in the world where that happens.

"They interviewed the head of one of these companies (run by a family in Florida). They have a sugar farm in the Dominican Republic.

"His workers on his farm eat only once a day, are prevented from growing their own vegetables and, if they are recruited from Haiti, often are never given back their passports. The reporter indicated that this man's one son lives in an $8 million U.S. house while the other lives in an $11 million U.S. house in Florida.

"Meanwhile, their workers in the Dominican have to cut, BY HAND, one tonne of sugar cane PER DAY in order to get their daily wages. Their kids often help out in order to make the quota.

"If there ever was a reason to kick sugar, the human rights issues are enough.  I am so disgusted after seeing this.  (And the CBC is known for its journalistic integrity. So this isn't made up.

"Part 2 of "Big Sugar" will be this Tuesday, Sept 27 from 9-10 EST."

Thanks, Anita, for sharing!

Now, here's the description from Galafilm, which produced the documentary.

"Written and Directed by Brian McKenna

"Big Sugar explores the dark history and modern power of the world's reigning sugar cartels. Using dramatic reenactments, it reveals how sugar was at the heart of slavery in the West Indies in the 18th century, while showing how present-day consumers are slaves to a sugar-based diet. A lost chapter of Canadian history is discovered, illustrating how 18th century sugar lobbyists in England used blackmail and bribes to determine the fate of Canada."

Can't wait to get ahold of a copy of this extraordinary sounding documentary!

Man Urinates Into Soda! Yuck! And You Thought Soda Was Bad!

High fructose corn syrup-laden soda already can do a number on your body if you drink them excessively.

But if you thought soda was bad for you, it could get worse.

A Pix Convenience Store worker in Deltona, Florida admitted that he urinated into a soda bottle, which made the poor customer who drank from it violently ill.

Talk about tacky, disgusting and stomach-turning.

Thanks to SimplyDumb for alerting me to this.

Handcuffed Swimmer Tackles Hudson River To Fight Diabetes

Brian Friedman -- a member of my free, online KickSugar group -- is swimming handcuffed Friday morning across the Hudson River to fight the diabetes epidemic.

Why handcuffs?

Well, Brian, 43, wants to get the point across that people with diabetes "feel shackled by the disease."

Earlier this afternoon, Brian casually announced his intentions via e-mail to my group, when Myra, my astute KickSugar Assistant Moderator, quickly alerted me to how he's using his athletic prowess to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. I immediately tracked down the swimmer through his EscapeFromDiabetes website and reached Brian on the phone.

He was recuperating from another swim -- this one across the Potomac -- on Tuesday morning.

'Course most folks won't be able to tackle such a rigorous exercise regime, much less without the handcuffs.

But Brian has experience testing the waters. In fact, he's a fitness trainer, who, last year swam handcuffed from Alcatraz to San Francisco in 54 minutes and 20 seconds (a world record, he says).

If you want to see Brian swim, go to either Weehawken Harbor in New Jersey at 7 a.m. Friday or to Surfside 3 Marina at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street and the Hudson River) in New York at 8 a.m. (when he expects to arrive). 

Brian is crossing the Hudson River in honor of his grandfather, "who developed type 2 diabetes in the 1960s and, had both legs amputated in the '70s and that's the way he lived the rest of his life until he passed away in 1989.

"I remember visiting my grandfather when I was in high school, and he couldn't be an active person any longer. It was a major production for him to even go to a restaurant.

"The sad part is that when my grandfather got successful he loved to eat and pretty much his only exercise was going to Giant games," says Brian, who believes that his grandfather's poor lifestyle habits helped trigger his diabetes.

Brian -- who notes that diabetes is the # 1 cause of non-traumatic amputation -- is now horrified that young people are getting diabetes in record numbers.

"I just want to do some small thing to motivate people to change their lifestyle -- to get outside and work out, whether it's running or hiking, and eating better," adds Brian, who claims that he's a "below-average athlete" -- that's pretty hard to believe when you look at his photo.

For those of you into sugary foods, Brian says that exercising banishes his desire for them.

"When I'm exercising a lot, I don’t have sugar cravings. When I do get a sweet tooth attack, I am happy with an apple or a banana.

This Blog Cited Again in Kalyn's Blog

Thanks to Kalyn Denny, who mentioned this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog on her Kalyn's Kitchen blog, which she generally devotes to dishing out tasty recipes of healthy foods.

Kalyn was intrigued by the guest column from Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. listing 146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health.

You're right, Kalyn, in this blog, I tend to focus on news and current research about sugars and artificial sweeteners and political gesturing around sweets and trends, etc. I also offer tips to people seeking to quit their sugar habit.

Perhaps I should post recipes here from time to time. What do people think? Should I do that? I'd like your input!

Spotlight on Some Cool Health Blogs

Although this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog focuses primarily on the dangers of sugars and refined carbs and related subjects such as obesity and diabetes, I'm always intrigued when I find some evidently well-researched health blogs from seemingly reliable sources.

So today, thanks to the Public Health Advocacy Institute's blog, I followed some links to several cool blogs, about which I was previously unaware. Thought you'd enjoy the fruits of my clicking away. Check out:

• Effect Measure from "Cervantes" and "Revere." Their description is enough to intrigue you (well, me at least!): "In epidemiology an effect is the endpoint of a causal mechanism. An effect measure is an estimate of the influence of a particular factor on a population's health. The Editors of Effect Measure are senior public health scientists and practitioners. Their names would be immediately recognizable to many in the public health community. They prefer to keep their online and public lives separate to allow maximum freedom of expression. Paul Revere was a member of the first local Board of Health in the United States (Boston, 1799). The Editors sign their posts 'Revere' to recognize the public service of a professional forerunner better known for other things." From this blog, I found a number of other interesting ones:
• Code Blue Blog from "an M.D. holding defibrillator paddles at the emergency CPR of American health care." Winner of the 2004 Medical Blog Awards "Best Clinical Sciences Medical Weblog." (See the interesting three-part series about "Mammographic Serfdom.")
• Healthmonger - "a student led public health blog." From 8 graduate students in public-health related fields. Described as "the first concrete offspring of the Defining the Future of Public Health progressive student summit that was held at the Boston University School of Public Health in April of 2005." (See "A Hippocratic Oath for Public Health.")
• The Rest of the Story Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary. From Michael Siegel, a professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at the Boston University School of Public Health. (Read the horrifying post, "New Study Finds Popular Kids More Likely to Start Smoking,")

Maine Wants Junk Food Income

Money -- not good nutrition -- seems to be on the minds of some adults working or volunteering for school districts in Maine.

Indeed, they're fretting over potential lost income from sugary Skittles, Mountain Dew and other junk food sold at after-school football games and band concerts, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Interestingly, the state has one of the most ambitious anti-obesity initiatives in the country, with soda and candy sales taboo during school hours.

But school officials and some parents are worried about losing the hefty proceeds from those nutrition-lacking nibbles at after-school events. The funds go toward letter jackets and end-of-the-season parties and other items they can't otherwise afford.

It's simply shocking and disconcerting to me how some adults are more focused on making money than feeding their kids well.

Splenda Crunches Into Cereal Market

Thanks to Mercola.com for alerting us to the fact that Tate & Lyle recently announced the launch of two new Splenda-filled "cereal ingredient solution sets" -- ENRICH 701 and ENRICH 702, according to a press release from PR Newswire.

Dr. Mercola and other experts have been consistently trying to alert the public to Splenda's potential dangers.

Calling Splenda a "harmful, `anything-but-a-sugar product,' Dr. Mercola makes an interesting point:

"Just reading the words solution sets when it comes to something you eat doesn't sound like anything you'd want to put in your mouth, does it?"

For those of you who consume sucralose-flavored products, I urge you to read about it first.

Some compelling research points to the fact that it may cause health woes, rather than just a close-to-sugar taste.

France Bans Vending Machines From Schools

A new law in France that went into effect Thursday bans all vending machines from schools in France, a move to tackle the country's growing child obesity problem, BeverageDaily.com reports.

But the law -- which bans any food or drink, including fruit and bottled water, as well as Coca-Cola and Mars bars -- is controversial and some think it goes too far.

It's interesting to see how other countries also are attemping to address their burgeoning obesity problem. Alas, the U.S. isn't alone in its problems of growing girth.