SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Tips on Treating Instead of Tricking Yourself on Halloween

Just a quick reminder.

Halloween does NOT have to mean that you eat or horde candy, cookies and other sweets that could send your blood sugar levels soaring and put you into SUGAR SHOCK! There are two things to consider tonight.

1. First off, what are you going to give out to all those trick-or-treaters ringing your doorbell?

Please don't give out candies, cookies and other sweets. They'll be getting enough of that crap tonight! Why not try something different? Try giving out some non-food "treats" and little toys or party favors, which I suggested here previously?

Read about this fascinating study, which showed many kids were happy NOT getting sweets. If you have to give out food, why not pass out small bags of nuts, raisins or even packaged dried apples? They're certainly better than sweets.

2. How are you going to take care of yourself to make sure you don't binge or pig out on Halloween junk?

Here are some ideas to keep you focused tonight.

• Please make sure to keep some healthy foods with you at all times, particularly if you go out with your kids when they trick-or-treat. For instance, you could bring with you some almonds or other nuts (if you're not allergic, of course); sunflower seeds; some soy chips (just salted); a hard boiled egg with a whole-grain cracker (see my new, complimentary Sugarfree Shopper's Guide for some sugarfree brands) or some non-fat plain yogurt seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. Just make sure to have some foods ready ahead of time. If you're yearning for something sweet and tasty, just keep handy some apple slices, pieces of jicama, red peppers, baby carrots or other vegetables. Even dried fruits wouild be better than eating refined sugars.
• Have a plan of action if you feel weak on will power. Have a friend or relative (ore more) on tap to call if you feel tempted -- but make sure to set this up in advance.
• Make a list NOW about how you think you'll feel if you slip and eat a bunch of calorie-filled, nutrition-lacking junk. Keep that list with you at all times.
• Make another list of how you'll feel if you eat right tonight. Keep that list with the previous list.
• Write down an affirmation ahead of time to keep with you at all times. (You can create your own, which will make it more powerful, but it could be something like, "I, Connie, feel great about myself because I eat healthily tonight and all nights." Of course, substitute your own name.)
• When feeling sorely tempted, just delay 5 minutes, then another 5, then another 5.
• If you can, write to us here if you're struggling.
• You could floss or brush your teeth if you're having a tough time.
• And feel free to join my free, online KickSugar group and discuss your situation there, too.

Remember, Halloween only comes once a year. But if you pig out tonight on crap, you could feel repercussions that last much longer.

I do hope this helps those of you trying to stay away from sweets.

Special thanks to Myra, the assistant moderator in my free, online KickSugar group, for her continued support to members there (when I'm otherwise engaged) to help them say sugarfree.

If you're worried about tonight (or other nights), join my free, online KickSugar group now.

Get Spooked: On Halloween, Each Kid Will Get $31 Worth of Candy!

According to the Boston Herald, each potential trick-or-treater (aged 5 to 13), gets about $31 worth of candy per child tonight!

Now that's a scary Halloween fact!

Indeed, the National Retail Federation predicts that Americans will fork over $3.29 billion on Halloween this year, including $1.16 billion on candy.

But, as the Herald observes, the U.S. Census found that only 36.8 million potential trick-or-treaters -- kids aged 5 to 13 -- exist in this country.

So that comes to about 31 bucks of candy per kid!

That's an awful lot of candies making these children's blood sugar levels bounce around -- and sending them into SUGAR SHOCK!

What's more, much of this candy is laden with high fructose corn syrup.

In fact, the Herald notes -- as do a number of scientists and observers -- that as obesity has skyrocketed, so has our soaring consumption of HFCS.

To learn more about the perils of high fructose corn syrup, read Greg Critser's fascinating book, Fat Land.

Group Promotes Healthy Eating at Home

A group of parents and a coalition of mission-driven food companies have launched a campaign, Eat Smart Grow Strong, "to promote healthy eating at home."

What's different about this anti-obesity effort is that it shifts the focus from the schools -- where many anti-obesity initiatives take place -- and places lots of responsibility on the parents.

In fact, this program encourages and urges parents to take an active role in training their kids to eat better to help prevent childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes and other diet-related health problems.

Hurrah! It's about time parents band together to take a more active role in make their kids nutrition smart and savvy.

"Kids learn their eating habits at home, and those habits influence the choices they make at school, the mall, and everywhere else they eat for the restof their lives," said parent Susan Lamontagne, one of the campaign's creators and founder/principal of the Public Interest Media Group.

Eat Smart Grow Strong urges parents to:

• Share strategies with other parents to promote healthy eating on Parent Message Boards.
• Join healthy snack and supper clubs. (We've developed all kinds of healthy snack ideas we could offer.)
• Find quick, easy and healthy recipes for family meals.
• Play games to teach kids about nutrition.

Check out campaign's cute little creature -- a Super Market Spy -- scoping out the food labels. (I recommend that people become a Savvy Sugar Sleuth(TM).)

Kudos to the parents and food companies doing their part to make kids nutrition-savvy in the home first. Supporters include Annie’s Homegrown, Applegate Farms, Horizon Organic, Newman’s Own, Newman’s Own Organics and Whole Foods Market.

Gratitude goes to DiseaseProof.com, the blog from nutrition-oriented physician Joel Fuhrman, M.D. -- author of Disease-Proof Your Child -- for the tip about this campaign. And special thanks to DiseaseProof.com writer Henry Abbott for recently mentioning this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog, too.

Sugarfree Shopper's Guide for Those Stumped When Seeking Unsweetened Foods

Frequently, members of my free, online KickSugar group ask me: “Can you give me a list of sugarfree foods?”

Due to the overwhelming demand, after months of gathering information about products with no added sugars, I previously posted such a list, but since many of you keep repeating this same question, here again is your Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Sugarfree Shopper's Guide.

Now, like me, you, can learn the joys of being sugarfree and becoming a Savvy Sugar Sleuth™. (Special thanks to Amy of my KickSugar group for graciously volunteering to look up URLs for many of these products.)

Please note:

• I'm providing this Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Sugarfree Shopper's Guide as a public service to Sugar Kickers everywhere.
• This is not a complete list so you can play an important role to help expand this list. Just add your comments to this entry.
• Products containing artificial sweeteners are NOT included.
• 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. (See Trader Joes's interesting item on How to Read the Nutrition Facts Panel.)
• If you're serious about cutting out sugar from your diet, make sure to buy only the specific items I've tracked down for you. Many of the companies whose products I list make several versions of the same product, with most of them containing added sweeteners.
• Most of these foods are available at health food chains such as Whole Foods (178 stores in the U.S. and the United Kingdom) and Wild Oats Markets, Inc. (113 stores in 24 states and British Columbia), and perhaps at such specialty stores as Trader Joe's (over 200 stores in 19 states) and more.

• Please make sure that you eat moderate portions.
• If you have wheat or other allergies, make sure to avoid certain foods on this list. Some experts suggest refraining completely from grains, even if they're whole grains, but I believe that most Americans won't go to this length -- so if folks will eat them anyway, I might as well provide a list of the more healthy ones to select. (I'm personally a fan of eating grains sparingly or moderately.)
• You may freely distribute this article to friends, acquaintances, websites and Internet support groups, but you must provide the following copyright credit -- Copyright (c) 2005, Connie Bennett, SugarShockBlog.com and DBA Stop SUGAR SHOCK.

Healthy Halloween Treats Appeal to Kids

Stumped as to what to give to those trick-or-treating neighborhood kids seeking Halloween handouts?

How about trying something different by skipping the candy and giving out little toys instead?

Indeed, many kids find toys just as appetizing or tantalizing as sugary candies, according to a Yale University study examining our children's choices during our trick-or-treat holiday.

That's right. Half of 284 three-to-14-year-olds picked toys like glow-in-the-dark insects, stretch pumpkin men, or Halloween-themed stickers and pencils over such sugary candies as lollipops and fruit-flavored chews.

So, use some imagination and creativity when giving out goodies this Halloween. Remember that you don't have to give out something sugary to eat. You can hand out fun things to play with.

“As a society, we’ve gotten into the mindset that the only way to celebrate special occasions with children is by serving something sweet,” says Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D., principal investigator for the research paper, which was published in 2003 in the Journal of Nutrition, Education and Behavior.

“This study can reassure parents that children will respond favorably to non-candy treats,” adds Dr. Schwartz, co-director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders.

When giving out non-candy "treats," you can choose from a number of party favors, according to several toy stores, including Toys R Us, Children's General Store in New York City and Kay-Bee Toys.

Just ask the staff for Halloween party favors. For example, you could give:

• Mini boxes of Play-Doh from Hasbro (20 for $3.99). "A Halloween treat doesn't have to be sweet," Leigh Anne Cappello, vice president of marketing, told USA Today. By the way, if a kid mistakes the Play-Doh for candy, it's made from natural ingredients and is non-toxic.
• Halloween slinkies with a pumpkin face on it (75 cents)
• Plastic spider ring (25 cents)
• Glow-in-the dark insects and stickers
• Colored pencils
• Mighty Beans (6 for $1)

Interestingly, it sems to me that most toy companies could take much better advantage of this holiday to package some inexpensive Halloween presents. Why pass on this great marketing opportunity?

Join 21-Day Kick-Sugar Countdown Before Nov. 1 for Complimentary Membership

Feeling wiped out, woozy and weary of facing a frustrating "sugar addiction"?

If so, you could be in SUGAR SHOCK! and I'm here to help you.

Simply join my free KickSugar support group by next Tuesday, November 1, and you'll receive a complimentary subscription to my exciting, guided 21-day countdown program, which begins Jan. 5, 2006.

You'll get tips, tactics and interactive exercises specifically designed to help those of you who yearn to break away from your sugar or quickie-carbs habit.

To read more about the program, see my initial announcement.

This is going to be fun and exciting! I'd love to have you.

So join your free KickSugar support group now -- before November 1.

FDA Warns People That Several Glucose Meters Can Give Misleading Readings

The Food and Drug Administration is warning people that one of several glucose meters made by Abbott Diabetes Care can give misleading readings.

And, in some instances, mistaken readings have resulted in diabetics' blood sugar levels becoming dangerously high, the FDA said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The misleading readings occur when meters are accidentally switched to give a person's blood sugar level in the foreign standard of units, millimoles per liter, which results in a number that a diabetic can misinterpret as in the U.S. standard of units, milligrams per deciliter.

If a diabetic looks at an inaccurate reading, he can take the wrong dose of insulin or make incorrect dietary changes.

The switch can occur when someone sets the time and date on the meter.

The FDA also received reports that the switch takes place after a meter was dropped or its battery replaced, although the manufacturer hasn't confirmed this.

The Alameda, California-based Abbott Diabetes Care said 2.25 million people use these products, and they're not being recalled, and new glucose meters are being shipped with the proper unit of measurement locked in, the FDA said.

Nearly 21 Million People in U.S. Have Diabetes -- A 14 % Jump Since 2002

Devastating news on the diabetes front.

About 20.8 million Americans – or 7 percent of the U.S. population – now have diabetes, with more than 6 million of them unaware that they have the disease, according to the latest prevalence data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This disease just keeps spreading.

Indeed, a mere three years ago, when the CDC last tallied the number of people with diabetes, the figure was 18.2 million Americans. In other words, today, another 2.6 million people now have this disease.

Or, to put it another way, the incidence of diabetes has risen by more than 14 percent in a mere three years!

Furthermore, another 41 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes – the most common form of the disease – as well as heart disease and stroke.

This is absolutely horrifying. I hope it serves as an effective wake-up call to couch-potato, exercise-ignoring Americans, who have packed on excess pounds, eat horribly and take a nonchalant approach towards their health.

If you can avoid diabetes, then by all means do so! (Please read on...)

Bear in mind that diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

After all, diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage, warns Dr. Frank Vinicor, director of CDC’s diabetes program.

"Two-thirds of people with diabetes die from a heart attack or stroke,” he adds.

The American Diabetes Association also jumped to issue a press release, noting that these new stats "highlight the growing diabetes epidemic in the United States and reinforce the need for increased research and prevention."

The CDC reports the following highlights:

• 20.8 million people -- 7 % of the population -- have diabetes. (Diagnosed: 14.6 million people; Undiagnosed: 6.2 million people). Aged 20 years or older - 20.6 million or 9.6 % of all people in this age group have diabetes. Aged 60 years or older - 10.3 million or 20.9 % of all people in this age roup have diabetes.
• "Diabetes continues to be the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

• "In 2005, 1.5 million people aged 20 years or older will be newly diagnosed with diabetes.

• "Compared to non-Hispanic whites, diabetes continues to be more common (1.7 to 2.2 times more common) among American Indians and Alaska Natives, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

• "The risk of diabetes increases with age. About 21 percent of Americans aged 60 years or older have diabetes. This compares to approximately 2 percent for people 20 to 39 years old and about 10 percent for those aged 40-59 years.

• "The United States spends approximately $132 billion each year on diabetes – $92 billion in direct medical costs and another $40 billion each year in indirect costs because of missed work days or other losses in productivity.

For more figures, get the 2005 National Diabetes Fact Sheet here.

What's important to remember is that if you have pre-diabetes, you may be able to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes just by losing 5 percent to 7 percent of your body weight, the CDC's Dr. Vinicor said.

Of course, this means it's important to start exercising, too.

And, as I often point out here, it can be absolutely invaluable to cut back or cut out your intake of sweets and simple carbs and start getting more fruits and vegetables, as well as high quality protein and fats. Both eating healthily and getting physical activity are vital preventive tactics to take.

If you don't have diabetes yet, then please take care of yourself now!

Need some help to fight off pre-diabetes? Join my free, online KickSugar support group. (If you act soon, before Nov. 1, you'll get complimentary membership to my 21-day, kick-sugar countdown, which begins Jan. 5.)

"Health Drinks" Have 80 Percent More Sugar Than Soda

An interesting article from The Sunday Times in Scotland blows the lid on allegedly health-enhancing, probiotic drinks, because they contain up to 80% more sugar than cola!

In fact, the newspaper found that four varieties of these “friendly bacteria” drinks -- which claim to enhance the immune and digestive systems -- exceed the Food Standard Agency’s (FSA’s) benchmark for high sugar content."

Now, leading nutritionists and consumer groups are urging manufacturers to cut down on the sugar.

Hurrah to the Times for waking people up to this soaring sugar content. (According to the article, Yakult has 18g of sugar per 100g; Flora pro.activ raspberry, 12.3g; Müller Vitality strawberry, 12.6g' and Danone Actimel multifruit, 14.2g. Tellingly, Coca-Cola has less -- 10g of sugar per 100g.)

The sad part as that sales have been soaring of these probiotic drinks (up 65%) -- because consumers have been lured by these alleged health-giving properties -- they've been unaware of the high level of sugar they contain, nutritionists claim. The Times reports:

Miranda Watson, of Which?, formerly the Consumers’ Association, said she was concerned about the level of sugar in the products, which claim to “control blood pressure”, “benefit overall well-being” and contain “feel-good bacteria”.

“If a product is high in sugar, as these products are, then they should not be making health claims — it is misleading to the consumer,” she said. “If you pick up a product with a health claim on it then the assumption is that it will improve your health. If it is high in sugar then it won’t.”

It's not nice to fool consumers!

Alas, around the world, we're being mislead by food labeling. Gullible consumers snap up allegedly healthful foods and drinks that could be more harmful than helpful.

So, make sure you read those food labels of everything you buy!

By the way, we'll teach you how to read food labels as part of my upcoming 21-day kick-sugar countdown program.

Just join my free, online KickSugar group now -- before November 1 -- and the 21-day program will be a gift to you. After Nov. 1, it will no longer be complimentary. 

Coca-Cola Pushes Artificially Sweetened Coke Zero

Coca-Cola is new unveiling new TV commercials, a Wal-Mart promotion and "a school vending blitz" to promote Coke Zero, according to a document that the company circulated among bottlers, reports Caroline Wilbert of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Despite its relatively new commercial featuring a spinning Coke Zero bottle and the tagline "Real Coca-Cola Taste, Zero Calories, No Compromise," this product alarms me.

As its website indicates, an 8-ounce can contains not one, but two artificial sweeteners -- 58 milligrams of aspartame and 31 milligrams of Ace-K. Studies have linked both of these sweeteners to various health hazards.

Just read what Dr. Janet Hull, author of Sweet Poison and the new Splenda®: Is It Safe or Not? writes about the dangers of these sweeteners.

Frankly, I find it horribly sad that people either want -- or are being convinced that they want -- some sickeningly sweet, cold drink that's loaded with potentially, very unsafe chemicals.

Why can't people just learn to regularly drink water, herbal tea and/or water sweetened with a slice of a real orange or something natural like that?

Interesting Article About Fast Food

Check out this interesting article on AlterNet about "The Soul of Fast Food" by John Feffer.

Feffer, who's writing a book about the global politics of food, makes some telling observations about the mixed messages you find at fast food joints.

Love these clever observations:

"Put Ronald McDonald on the couch and he'd confess to a serious identity crisis. `What am I, doc?' he'd ask his therapist. `Apple slices and aerobics or French fries and couch potatoes? Can you tell me what healthy fast food is, Doc? I'm worried that I've become just another oxymoron of popular culture, like educational television and eco-cruises."

Connie's Tip: My New Snack Discovery

Quite often people ask me, "What's a good snack to eat if I want to stay away from sweets? What can I have instead of a candy bar, potato chips or an ice cream cone?"

Generally, I'll run down a list of some snacks that I love, but often, they're not easy transportable.

Well, I just discovered the coolest snack. It's called Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame.

For those of you in the dark about what I'm talking about, edamame -- which the company calls "The Wonder Veggie ™" -- is from the soy family.

What's so wonderful about this snack is that:

You can pack it in your handbag, backpack or fanny pack and bring it on a plane or on a day of running around.

You don't need to refrigerate it.

A quarter cup gives you such a wonderful balance -- you get 14 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 9 grams of carb (of which 4 grams are dietary fiber) and a measly 1 gram of sugars (it's naturally occurring.)

1/4 cup is only 140 calories.

It's a great source of protein -- it even contains all 8 essential amino acids and adds no cholesterol or trans-fats to your diet, as the package notes. 

It's also the only vegetable that's akin to both meat and eggs in protein content.

It's rich in calcium, iron, zinc and many B vitamins.

About the only minor drawback I can find is that the sodium content is higher than I'd wish -- it's 76 mg -- but it's not really only lightly salted -- not like peanuts or many soy nuts.)

It's a great source of soy protein -- it even contains all 8 essential amino acids and adds no cholesterol or trans-fats to your diet, as the package notes.

Let me know if you like this unique snack! FYI, I don't stand anything to gain -- right now, at least -- if you go out and buy this.

Cool, I just discovered that Seapoint Farms has six different types of edamame, and unless they changed the recipe, it has no sugar.

Bon appetit!

Fruit Loops to Spark Creativity?

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) informs us in its fall newsletter that Kellogg's has sent an "educational program," "Spark Creativity with Fruit Loops," into day care centers all around the country.

But, let's face it, this is really a marketing gimmick to get kids to eat the sugary cereal.

Basically, the company is giving out booklet with ideas for art projects that just happen to use Froot Loops and free boxes of the cereal. 

Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood condemns this kind of brand tactic which basically bypasses parents and aggressively targets children in preschools and day care centers. 

Kellogg's is not the only company to engage in this kind of practice.

"When choosing daycare for your children, be sure to ask them about whether they incorporate marketing into their curriculum," suggests the CCFC, which works hard to raise public awareness about how marketing harms children and advocate policies that will help protect children from corporate marketers.

Incidentally, we really must laud the CCFC, because it will not compromise its commitment to children by accepting corporate funding, so the group is reliant on private contributions. Click here to make a contribution now.

21-Day Kick-Sugar Countdown Program Kicks Off Jan. 5 -- Complimentary Until Nov. 1

Finally -- after months of being hounded by many of you -- you'll be able to participate (if you act fast) in my proven 21-Day, Kick-Sugar Countdown to help you to quit your unhealthy dependence on sweets and processed carbs.

Mark your calendars!

This 21-day countdown -- which begins Jan. 5, 2006 -- is specifically designed for those of you who are yearning to break away from your sugar or quickie-carbs habit.

You'll want to join our sugarfree adventure if you suspect (or know deep down that) your quickie-carbs-laden diet is wrecking havoc on your moods, relationships, libido, health, weight and/or much more.

I'll be blunt. This unique, highly anticipated coaching program is NOT for everyone. The unmotivated among you will hesitate---or maybe even feel paralyzed by fear.

Yep, licking sugar is no simple project. But, let me tell you -- as I discovered back in 1998 -- turning your back on sweets brings benefits galore, from better moods to greater energy to improved relationships to increased concentration.

If you say no to sweets, you could completely turn your life around.

My three-week program is ideal for you if any of the following ring true:

• You feel enslaved by your sugar and quickie-carbs habit.
• You're fed up with dragging along excess weight and tonnage.
• You're befuddled and besieged by irrational mood swings or anger outbursts that make your loved ones throw their hands up in despair.
• You're waylaid by ferocious cramps and severe PMS.
• Your beloved is frustrated by your low libido, especially after you cram carbs.

In short, your sugar highs are getting you down.

If you're all too familiar with any of the above, you can escape soon from the clutches of your overwhelming habit!

How? With powerful tips and tactics included in this innovative program.

Here's what you get in this 21-day countdown:

• Daily e-mails and/or audio messages from me.
• Fun, easy assignments and eye-opening participatory exercises to get you in the sugar-kicking mood.
• A weekly teleseminar with me and some amazing, surprise guests, who are experts in the field of health and personal empowerment. (Stay tuned!)
• Strategies to combat those sugar or carb cravings.
• A meal plan from a nutritionist.
• Surprise bonuses.
• And much more...

This 21-day program evolved because you asked! (In fact, for three years, my KickSugar group members and others kept been bugging me to organize this.)

For those of you who don't know about me, I've been where you are now. Oh goodness! How well I know the pain of being trapped by these destructive dietary habits! (Read my story here.)

By joining my program now, you'll get secrets and pointers that have worked for me. What's more, you'll get words of wisdom and ideas from many of the 250-plus experts that I interviewed for my upcoming book, SUGAR SHOCK!

If you join my free, online KickSugar group now --- before November 1, 2005 --- you get a complimentary membership to this 21-day countdown when it kicks off January 5, 2006.

That's right---because I want to help you so much, you'll be getting services valued at between $97 and $197, depending upon what level you join.

Don't wait! Join KickSugar group now, before Nov. 1, and get a complimentary membership to this 21-day countdown.

Candy That's Out of Sight Means Out of Mind & Mouth

Well, we knew this already, but now we have scientific proof to back it up. If you you hide candy from yourself, you have less of a chance of nibbling on those sweets.

I love it!

Researchers did a candy-jar study!

Their results: Out of sight is out of mind, as the Associated Press so aptly puts it.

Basically, here's what happened: secretaries who were given Hershey kisses for Secretary's Week ate more of them when the chocolate was kept in clear jars on their desks.

But, guess what, they ate less when the chocolate kisses were in opaque containers or placed a distance away.

"It should make us think about what we're doing" to undermine people's willpower," said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the weight control program at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and president of the Obesity Society, which held a conference where the research was presented.

Read more about the study here.

Diabetes Pill Linked to Deaths & More

Oh goodness.

A new diabetes pill that was moving towards government approval has been linked to deaths, heart attacks and strokes, researchers reported today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Kudos to the leading heart researchers from Cleveland researchers, who acted quickly to alert Americans to the fact that diabetic participants taking the new drug, Pargluva, had twice as many deaths and cardiovascular problems as those on dummy pills or a competing drug.

"This is the Vioxx that isn't going to happen," said Dr. Steven Nissen, who worked on the analysis with Dr. Eric Topol and a clinic statistician.

Of course, Dr. Nissen was referring to the popular painkiller that Merck had to pull from the market last year after it was linked with serious heart problems.

If the analysis is correct, this new drug could have caused a "public health catastrophe" given that 18 million Americans have diabetes, Dr. Nissen told the Associated Press.

The drug was developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck & Co. and it was endorsed by a Food and Drug Administration panel last month.

Talk about scary!

This latest incident just highlights the fact that the approval process for drugs is fraught with problems.

I'm always so baffled why people feel compelled, if not obliged, to find drugs to "cure" their ailments. Indeed, one of the best "treatments" for type 2 diabetes is to start eating better (get rid of those quickie carbs and sweets) and exercise often.

Mega Marketing Madness in British Columbia

BRITISH COLUMBIA--Since Tuesday, I've been hanging out, getting marketing ideas and tips galore, at a Small Seminars event here in gloriously beautiful British Columbia for a first-time, one-of-a-kind marketing conference.

The best way to sum up my three days here is: "Wow!" This is truly an opportunity of a lifetime.

What's so amazing is that our small group has had amazing access to some of the best marketing minds around. Some of the people who've been speaking here include:

• Mega marketer Mark Victor Hansen (Our small group of about 15 heard a remarkable all-day presentation with him on Wednesday. In fact, a couple of hours ago, I had breakfast with Mark, the co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul and co-author of The One Minute Millionaire. You'll hear later about these amazing ideas he gave me to get the word out about my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! work.)
• Alex Mandossian. (He's deemed "one of the top ten freelance direct marketers in America today" and he delivered an inspirational program on Tuesday. Yikes, on Tuesday, he put me on the spot to urge me to get off my butt and offer this long-awaited program, which you'll hear about shortly.)
• "Customer Catcher" Martin Wales (He just gave a jam-packed presentation with all kinds of awesome ideas.)
• "Powerful Promoter" Matt Bacak. (Matt's the guy who can build your mailing list by leaps and bounds. I attended an eye-opening conference with him last summer in Atlanta.)
• "Mr. Pro-Active" Randy Gilbert (Randy can help you get your book to hit the Amazon bestseller lists.)
• "Marketing Results Coach" Warren Whitlock (He's currently teaching us all about blogging and sending out press releases---both of which I already know how to do, which is why I'm writing to you now.)
• Seasoned PR guy Allan Thain talks soon, too.

By the way, major kudos to Michael and Elly Ruge for hosting this fabulous event!

Anyhow, my research assistant let me know that while I've been networking like crazy, apparently a few miles away, some fascinating studies were presented at the the 2005 Annual Scientific Meeting of NAASO, The Obesity Society. More later about these studies.

Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet Eases Alzheimer's

An intriguing study just came out in Nutrition and Metabolism, which shows that a low-carb, high-fat diet helped ease Alzheimer's disease in mice.

The authors of the study contend that insulin and the related hormone, insulin related growth factor-1 (IGF-1), are important factors to reduce the brain protein amyloid-beta, which is an indicator of Alzheimer's disease, as Food Navigator points out.

"You might say that fat is the bomb, and insulin (from carbohydrate) is the fuse,” says Richard Feinman, editor of Nutrition and Metabolism.

What's curious about the research---which was conducted by Samuel Henderson at US pharma firm Accera---runs counter to previous studies suggesting a negative effect of fat on Alzheimer's disease.

Check out the study's abstract in Nutrition and Metabolism and Food Navigator's story.

SUGAR SHOCK! Blog Named as # 1 Low-Carb Blog!

Wow! Just found out from my cyber buddy Jimmy Moore that this month's LowCarb Energy named My SUGAR SHOCK! Blog as #1 low-carb blog for 2005!!!

Gee, this is cool!

Jimmy tells us on his blog that LowCarb Energy described this SUGAR SHOCK! blog as "very well-written, sometimes edgy and always worth a daily read."

Whoah! I'm certainly smiling widely here.

What's more, the magazine describes this blog as among three that "draw us back time and time again with their freshness, insight and information."

Oh goodness -- I have a bit of a dilemma in terms of buying the magazine!

Right now I'm in the boonies of British Columbia at Shawnigan Shores B&B (beautiful here!) at an amazing, intimate marketing conference with all these gurus, so I can't really dash away to get a copy. (Won't leave Canada for the U.S. til Friday.)

So thanks, Jimmy, for letting me know! (See his blog item: LowCarb Energy Magazine Names The Best Low-Carb Blogs Of 2005.)

And congrats to articulate, passionate blogger, Jimmy, too, whose Livin' La Vida Low-Carb blog made # 3 on LowCarb Energy's list. (I've stated previously that Jimmy's blog often makes an entertaining, provocative read.)

And kudos to Katherine Prouty, whose Low-Carb Freedom was # 2 on the magazine's top 3 blogs.

Do go out and buy a copy of LowCarb Energy and check out page 8, where you'll find the item, "Best of Blogs 2005."

Let me know when you see the piece!

Thanks, LowCarb Energy!

Interesting Diabetes Webcast With Experts

Thanks to Myra, the amazing Assistant Moderator in my free, online KickSugar group, who routed this very interesting webcast to me.

Check it out (even though it's a couple of years old).

It's called Type 2 Diabetes: Is It More Than Just Blood Sugar? and it features experts talking about type 2 diabetes and oncoming clues that foreshadow the onset of the disease.

Participants include:

• Astrid T. Almodovar, MD, MPA
• Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, University Medical Department of New Jersey
  Jacqueline Salas-Spiegel, MD
• Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Columbia University School of Medicine

Let us know what you think of this.