SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Taking a Much-Needed Vacation

I'm completely wiped out from working so hard for so many years and am taking some much-needed vacation time. See you back on the 5th. 

Food Cravings Could Lead to Obesity

See this fascinating article from FoodNavigator.com about food cravings being linked to obesity. No time to write more about it.

It's Official. SUGAR SHOCK! To Be Published Soon - Foreword by Dr. Nicholas Perricone; Medical Consultant is Dr. Stephen Sinatra; Endorsements from Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Joshua Rosenthal, Dr. Jonny Bowden, Gov. Mike Huckabee & More

Tadum! It's finally official. I'm pleased to announce that my book SUGAR SHOCK! will be released by Berkley Books in January 2007.

I'm incredibly thrilled that a number of amazing people and pioneers have joined forces with me to get the word out about the dangers of over consuming sugar and refined carbs.

For instance, SUGAR SHOCK! will have a foreword by the renowned Nicholas Perricone, M.D., best-selling author of many books, including The Perricone Promise.

In addition, the acclaimed cardiologist and anti-aging specialist Stephen Sinatra, M.D. -- author of numerous books himself -- has come on board as medical consultant.

Actually, it was a literary match made in heaven, so to speak, to find Stephen, because not only is he personable and respected by his medical peers, but he's been warning his patients for 20 years about the dangers of sugar and refined carbs. So I was greatly honored that he decided to join forces with me to educate and motivate people.

In fact, when SUGAR SHOCK! comes out, Stephen and I will appear together to give interviews to the press. You'll see us, I hope, on all kinds of news shows.

Meanwhile, much to my delight, a number of recognized medical experts already have provided endorsements.

For instance, it's a thrill it is to have the much-acclaimed physicians and best-selling authors Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, etc.) and Mehmet Oz, M.D. (YOU: The Owner's Manual) say nice things about the book.

(I'm telling you -- first one, then the other -- made my day (week) when their comments came in!)

Meanwhile, the once-overweight Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas also endorsed my book. If you're not familiar with his story, it's quite an inpirational one. He peeled off pounds by kicking sugar, eating more healthily and exercising .

Now, he's playing an influential, leading role in getting people to realize that they need to change their sugary, sedentary ways. Not only does he now hellp bring about important new legislation that promotes a healthy liftestyle, but he's written a book advocating that you Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork.

I'm also so grateful to two other people, who said quite wonderful things about SUGAR SHOCK!

Firstly, I cannot rave enough about one of my favorite, go-to nutritionists Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. -- who has been graciously fielding my many, many requests from me over the years while I was working on this book.

It was truly exciting: Jonny kindly delivered a Wow! of an endorsement, too.

And I also found it especially gratifying that Joshua Rosenthal, founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition -- where I recently graduated as a holistic health counselor -- praised SUGAR SHOCK! as well.

Joshua is a man to watch. He is at the forefront a cutting-edge movement to educate people about healthy eating and healthy living. These students, in turn, will play an important role to educate the public. Anyhow, the fact that he said nice things about my book really touched me.

So, briefly, let me tell you how my book came about. The path from conception to publication has been a long one. SUGAR SHOCK! had its origins in spring 1998, when I kicked sugar on dotor's orders and was amazed to find that all 44 of my ailments vanished, including brain fog, crippling fatigue, mood swings, and heart palpitations.

Back then, while quitting sweets, I began researching the subject with a fervor. In fact, I became quite captivated with the subject. Anyhow, as I watched myself become transformed from a "Sugar Shrew" to "sugarfree sweetie" just by removing those offending "culprit carbs," I just had to know more. Hence, in August 2001, I began this book in earnest.

To be honest, researching and writing this book has been a challenging, at times frustrating, painstaking process. Of course, this is why I'm so incredibly jubilant that a little more than 5 years after I started it, my book will finally see the light of day!

And, to be frank, it's my greatest hope that this book will help millions.

Briefly, SUGAR SHOCK! is an expose about how over consuming sweets and processed carbs can lead to a whole host of problems, including heart disease, early aging, hypoglycemia, severe PMS, low libido, cancer, mood swings, depression, brain fog, and, of course, obesity. Ultimately, the book leaves you with hope for the future, and I provide all kinds of tried-and-true tips and tactics to help you break free of your sugar habit.

This book wouldn't have been possible were it not for the cooperation of hundreds of people around the world.

In all, I interviewed more than 300 medical experts, researchers, scientists, public health advocates, Wall Street analysts, attorneys and self-described "sugar addicts," who took time to explain and share their insights, findings, and conclusions. Then, I and a number of research assistants poured over one medical study after another to dig up the latest research that backed my theories. Ultimately, I was astounded at how much validation we uncovered. Of course, you'll hear more later, but I thought I'd whet your appetite a little first!

Stay tuned for announcements of more exciting endorsements from well-known people for SUGAR SHOCK!

SUGAR SHOCK! Blog Marks One-Year Anniversary This Month -- Be Among the First 10 People to Post a Comment To This Blog & You Will Win a Special Kick-Sugar Prize

Announcing: Special Kick-Sugar Prizes for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog Readers in Honor of One-Year Anniversary

I do entertain myself at times. It's simply hard to believe that I was so busy with book work, graduating from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and trying to take some desperately needed R & R that I simply forgot to wish my blog happy birthday on June 7!

So, seeing as I'm the one who missed my own blog's one-year anniversary, I'd like to be the first to wish my SUGAR SHOCK! Blog a healthy, thriving, huge-audience-reading future!

Wanna see how it all began? Here's my very first entry on June 7, 2005.

To celebrate the birth of my blog, I will give out 10 prizes to the first 10 people who post comments to this blog item:

• 5 winners get free downloads to my recent 10-week Fast-Track, Kick-Sugar Countdown Program™ tele-seminars, which featured such experts as Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman (Get the Sugar Out), Dr. Fred Pescatore (The Hamptons Diet), and Dr. Nancy Appleton (Lick the Sugar Habit).
• 2 winners will get free downloads to the two-part, stress-reduction tele-seminar program with progressive, cutting-edge, board-certified family physician Jill R. Baron. Get more info here about Dr. Jill Baron's Don't Mess With Stress™ Seminar
• 3 winners will get free memberships to my upcoming 4-week tele-seminar series featuring The 21-Day, Kick-Sugar Countdown Diet™. (This will include 4 workshops via phone, plus e-mail support, which include audio messages). Begins in September.

To win, you need to be the first 10 people to submit thoughtful comments to this blog about a topic I recently covered. (Please only apply if you haven't won an award previously from me.)

Don't worry: You don't need to be brilliant to win. Just share your ideas with us relating to a blog entry.

In honor of my blog's one-year anniversary, this is just a fun way to get you wonderful readers to help me make my SUGAR SHOCK! Blog a more exciting, provocative home.

Remember: The first 10 people to post comments will win. (But bear in mind no spamming is allowed and no making a remark just to send people to other websites is permitted, either.) I look forward to hearing from you.

Parents: Do You Know What Your Kids Are Eating At School? 23 States Get Failing Grades

Moms and Dads, do you know what your children are eating when they go to school?

Well, if you live in one of 23 states -- Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin or Wyoming -- you better listen up.

Chances are pretty good that when your children are off learning at school, they're spending your hard-eanred lunch money to down junk food galore -- sugar sodas and sports drinks (often very big ones), as well as other sugary, fatty, salty snacks.

Indeed, according to the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest -- which evaluated school policies regarding foods and beverages sold in campus vending machines, school stores and school fundraisers -- kids in those 23 states just cited eat horribly, leading the CSPI to give them a big fat F in its just-released "School Foods Report Card."

Another 15 states received Cs or Ds from CSPI. The only state to get anywhere near an awesome grade was Kentucky, which scored an A-minus, because school vending machines are filled with bottled water and dried fruit instead of soda and snack cakes. (Now that's pretty cool!) Meanwhile, only 5 states (Nevada, Arkansas, New Mexico, Alabama, and California) earned B+s, . and 7 states received Bs or B-s.

Frankly, I'm really saddened, disappointed and annoyed by this news about the proliferation of nutrition-lacking foods in our nation's foods.

Aren't school administrators, teachers, etc. paying attention? Can't they see how kids are sprouting out, not up right before their very eyes? Don't they read article after article or hear TV news story after news story about how our kids are getting diabetes at a younger and younger age?

The CSPI's nutrition director Margo G. Wootan concluded: "Although some local school districts have school foods policies that are far better than the state standards, far too many states allow way too much junk food in schools.

"With junk food tempting kids at nearly every other public place in America, schools should be one place where parents don't have to worry about what their kids are eating. States should continue to enact stronger nutrition policies, but since the school lunch program is, after all, a federal program, Congress should take action to ensure that all school foods are healthy."

Yes, what gives, America? Congressmen and Congresswomen, why aren't you paying attention? Why not offer our kids better food in the schools?

The CSPI also found that:

•  19 states limit added sugars and 12 limit sales of sports drinks (well, at least that's some progress)

•  10 states have nutrition standards that apply to whole campuses, entire school days and all grade levels (why only 10 states?);

•  9 states limit saturated-fat content of snacks, but only 7 limit trans fat, which CSPI nutritionists condemn as  "even worse for children's hearts and health" (why are fats being ignored -- trans fats are horrific!);"

•  5 states set limits on sodium (yikes, talk about neglecting another important item -- yeah, I'm not just into cutting back on sugar; salt intake's important to watch, too)

Of course, I'm always on the alert for excessive sugar content, and it's heartening to know that the CSPI has more optimism about soda being limited in the future. (The organization reports about an agreement I jubilantly discussed initially here and then raised questions about here and here):

"Sugary soda--the largest single source of teens' calories--is likely to be less common in schools in coming years, thanks in part to a voluntary agreement the soda industry made with former President Clinton, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and the American Heart Association. That announcement, which headed off a lawsuit planned by CSPI and various lawyers, is voluntary and might be hard to enforce, and CSPI says it should not forestall local, state, or federal action to ensure that soda and other sugary drinks, including Gatorade-style `sports' drinks, are removed from schools."

As you've read elsewhere, I'm not terribly fond of offering juice drinks, but, hey they are a lot better than soda. In fact the "CSPI recommends that the only beverages sold in schools be waters, seltzer, low-fat or fat-free milk, and unsweetened juice drinks with at least 50 percent fruit juice, and that beverage portion sizes (other than for water) be limited to 12 ounces."

"For snacks, CSPI offers some other good recommends -- it suggests "reasonable limits for saturated and trans fat, sodium, and added sugars. School food policies should apply to all grade levels, the whole school day, and everywhere on campus, according to the group," CSPI announced.

For more information:

• Read the full School Foods Report Card.
• Now, here's the School Foods Tool Kit.
• And here's a related press release, "Bipartisan Support on Capitol Hill for Healthier School Foods: Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act Introduced."

Thanks to my research assistant Jennifer Moore and Nubella.com.

Weird. Now that I'm learning about the shabby shape of foods served in the schools I realize that my little battle with a few pounds here and there (that I just wrote about) seems rather trite.

Actually, I'm pretty angry. We must take action to change school lunches.

So rather than be pissed off -- that isn't productive -- join me to take action and now!

Start off by making a donation to the Two Angry Moms, who are now producing a much-needed documentary about the abysmal state of school lunches across the nation.

You also could begin by watching you for # 1 -- yourself. So, if you need help kicking sweets, join my free, online KickSugar support group.

Interesting Weight Loss Info From Dr. Lark

Interesting timing. I just confessed to the world that I need to diet and lose weight, and then this item from Dr. Susan Lark arrived in my in box.

I'm not even sure how I got on her mailing list -- I know I joined at one point but I can't remember how I found about about her. (I believe someone who worked with her mentioned her. Or perhaps I saw her quoted somewhere -- she's been written about a lot.)

Anhow, Dr. Lark has some interesting information about weight loss. 

Clearly, it's worth learning more about this physician. Her bio says:

"Dr. Susan Lark is one of the foremost authorities in the fields of clinical nutrition and preventive medicine. A graduate of Northwestern University Medical School, she served on the clinical faculty of Stanford University Medical School from 1981-1983, and taught in Stanford's Primary Care Associate Program in the Division of Family and Community Medicine from 1991-2002.

"Dr. Lark's mission is to provide women with unique, safe and effective complementary therapies to greatly enhance their health and well-being."

Clearly, those are very impressive credentials. Interestingly, she has also served as a consultant to major corporations, including the Kellogg Company and Weider Nutrition International, and was spokesperson in 2002 for The Gillette Company Women's Cancer Connection. (Frankly, I'm not sure what I think about working with Kellogg. Hmm. Well, maybe joining them is the best way to affect positive change as in less sugar and more whole grains.

Well, maybe her weight loss tips will help me. 'Course it looks like I know much of this stuff already. Hope it helps you.

I Confess! I'm Embarrassed! I Need to Lose A Few Pounds -- Sitting on My Butt Too Much Writing My Book SUGAR SHOCK!

Maybe this is what I get for waking up much earlier than before, but I'm feeling in a confessional, blog-writing mood!

Look, I'm not proud of the situation I'm in, but I have a problem, and it is this: I need to go on a diet and lose a few pounds!

I'm finally facing the the facts -- now that I, at long last, have finished my book SUGAR SHOCK! and now that my hugely stressful deadlines have passed. (Well, there's still TONS to do on the book but the hardest part is over.)

Now don't jump to conclusions about my weight gone awry:

• I'm NOT really overweight. (Just in my mind. But, I'm not nearly as slim and fit as I used to be. Though actually, I did get a really nice compliment last night on my figure! ('Course all I could think is, "What is this person thinking?") But seriously, where are those turning heads when I walk by? LOL! (Anyhow, while most think I look fine, maybe somewhat slim and shapely, I don't, because I really did used to be slim about 6 to 9 months back.)
• ...And NO, I do NOT eat sugar -- never, ever, ever. But, well, shall we say, perhaps I didn't handle the past 6 months or so of major book stress as well as I could have. Hey, I'm human, right?

Part of my dilemma is that I've had about 4 injuries in three years. First, I severely injured my back about 3 years ago (while sitting too much, working on my book -- we're talking some 15 hours a day! Alas, I still need to be careful of my back, because all this sitting working on the book for hours on end (even if I get up often) tends to make it hurt. (Ugh, years ago, I was in incredible agony, getting shots, physical therapy, etc. So that made working out hard.)

Then, I nicely recovered, got back in shape, more trim until a couple of years ago, I badly injured my knee -- tearing the ligament. Really painful! Then, I underwent months of physical therapy and it just didn't heal as quickly as it should have. (There went my regular exercise routine.)

As if that wasn't enough, just as my knee was healing and I was back to physical activity galore and getting more trim and fit, I sprained my ankle -- on a pothole in Manhattan, no less! (So exercise again had to take a back seat to physical therapy and biking even bothered either the knee or ankle.)

Finally, while on severe book deadlines a few months ago, I injured my shoulder and elbow -- believe it or not just from a keyboard! Yeah, I wore out the old keyboard; got a new one; and the keystrokes required more pumping on the keys. That triggered immense pain, which my acupuncturist helped me rid of. A new keyboard helped, too. But, let's face it, all this typing and using my mouse just isn't good for my shoulder. (We won't even discuss my years-ago history with carpal tunnel syndrome and tendenitis when I was a daily newspaper reporter.)

So, I'm now doing what I tell others to do -- sugary soul searching -- except sugar really isn't the issue for me -- well, unless we count the fruit I eat, which at times, has been too much. Here are some more reasons why I gained weight:

• Working out less: I had to stop working out with a fitness trainer due to all the injuries. Then all the book work kept me from seeing a trainer. So I wasn't in as good a shape.
• Not enough sleep and too late to bed: Shame on me, but I just didn't get enough sleep while working on deadlines. What's more, I didn't go to bed early enough. (I'm a night oil and love working late into the night.)
• Stress & Cortisol: I've been under huge stress so who knows what the heck happened to my cortisol levels. No one should go through the stress I've been through with this book for nearly 5 years.
• Late-Night Snacking: Speaking of late at night, ugh, well, sometimes, when on deadlines, etc., I did late-night eating -- say, I'd have a large organic apple with almond nut butter; goat's milk yogurt with an apple, cinnamon and some chopped nuts. Ah heck, if truth be told, there were times I just ate too much for a bedtime snack. Not good to do before you go to bed.
• Too Much Fruit & Fruit-y, Sugar-Free Snacks: Another confession. A few months back, I experimented with some snacks that, well, I just had no business eating. For instance, I tried dried fruits (which are darn hard to put down). Before that, these brown rice cakes hooked me. And lately, these interesting, nutty, probably-calorie-filled, sugarfree snacks have beckoned to me from their shelves in health food stores. Shame on me.
• My Hypoglycemia & Need to Snack Frequently: Oops. Totally forgot to post this earlier. The other challenge I face is that I need to eat every three to four hours, because if I don't, I get headachy, dizzy and lightheaded. So I have to make my snacks even smaller now to lose weight.

So those were my dietary and lifestyle sins -- late-night eating, stress eating, not enough sleep, too much fruit, no-no eating, and not enough exercise and strength training due to injuries and getting out of the habit! Phew!

Well, I'm determined to lose the 8 pounds, starting today. Yeah, that's how much I feel I need to lose -- which shocks me -- since it's been years (in college?) that I've been this high weight-wise. Actually, I probably only really need to lose about 4, but I want to be slim and fit AGAIN.

So what exactly are the numbers I'm talking about? Oh no, more embarrassment. OK, I'm 5' 6 1/2" and I'm all the way up to 132 pounds! Gulp! I need to be back to at least 124 pounds.

Oops. I weigh one pound more today -- I promised myself not to get on the scale this morning, because I did another naughty, late-night snack -- had a lot of fresh, organic strawberries (some frozen) and frozen blueberries, blended in with goat's milk yogurt, some cinnamon, and some sliced almonds.)

Now you know my dirty little, book-stress-induced secret! I need to lose weight. I need to go on a diet pronto!

Anyhow, I guess if I shout out to the world my dilemma (on my very public blog!), I bet I'll be downright embarrassed not to do something about it -- and PRONTO!

So, you see, yours truly -- who's dedicated to helping others kick their sugar habit -- can have her own food issues as well.

Wow, I feel better. I've actually been sort of hiding this up until now, but now the world knows, Connie, the kick-sugar coach and holistic health counselor, needs to lose a few pounds herself!

Feel free to cheer me on!

Go ahead and send advice, tips and words of encouragement -- especially if you're a nutritionist or doctor.

Julia Havey, help me, please. Jimmy Moore, send your inspirational words. Fellow holistic health counselors, spread your messages.

But, I'm serious. No more complaining will you hear from me! Hey, I even started an informal dieting/ weight-loss support group with people from school (Institute for Integrative Nutrition), where I just graduated.

I will do it. I will lose the 8-9 pounds within 1 to 2months! You have my word. After all, I'm supposed to set an example, right, as I have for eight years! (Can you believe I've been mostly off sugar that long?)

Again, remember, while I do need (OK, want) to lose weight, I still do set an example to you. I choose healthy foods (organic, whenever possible) and I do NOT eat processed sugar -- just fruit -- and I'm thinking about cutting that out for a few weeks to kickstart this weight loss.

Anyhow, I'm excited, determined and committed to lose the weight and to get back in shape again. I can see myself slim again and fitting into my favorite jeans, which used to be loose!

I'm also really thrilled that I'm now back to working out twice a week with my fitness trainer. Yeah, I'm starting to get back in shape again, despite my former knee, ankle and shoulder woes. I'm planning on taking a dance class once or twice a week. I'm getting new sneakers so I can go longer on the ellyptical trainer (I have to ease into it, because still more than 10 minutes hurts my knee). And I'm even getting ready to play tennis again. I'm gonna start yoga if I can, given my back situation. Oh, and I'm planning on going water skiing soon, too.

Feel free to join me on this fun, weight loss adventure! Yeah, I plan to have fun and to enjoy my nutritious, health food in very, very polite portions so I can peel off the pounds.

Appetizing Food Ads Are Linked to Obesity & Eating Disorders, British Study Finds

Very, very interesting! Bona fide scientists from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have shown that all these glorious photos and TV commercials of tempting foods could, in fact, help explain why some people get eating disorders. 'Course many of us could have told you that in the first place.

OK, I'm simplifying this some, but, basically Cambridge researchers -- using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain activity in regions of the brain that response to food cues (amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex) -- found that, in some people, these reward centers of their brains make them more sensitive to appetizing food images. That, in turn, may clarify why some people gain weight or have eating disorders. They reported their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience.

John Beaver, lead author of the study -- who's with the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit -- wrote:

"The fact that our study used pictures of food has additional pertinence to understanding the current high prevalence of these [compulsive-eating] disorders, because such images are widely used in modern society to promote food selection and intake (e.g. advertising, product packaging, vending machines)."

The study also found that:

"in humans, sensitivity to reward can vary significantly from one person to the next. Individuals high in this trait experience more frequent and intense food cravings and are more likely to be overweight or develop eating disorders associated with excessive food intake."

I certainly don't mean to sound callous or jaded, but does this mean that large food companies, who strive mightily to make their foods appetizing and visually appealing enough so that people will buy them -- and buy them a lot -- are, in fact, contributing to the development of -- or feeding, so to speak -- people's eating disorders?

This is absolutely fascinating to me. Perhaps this explains why, when I coach clients, I always feel compelled to INSIST that they remove themselves from temptation. Perhaps instinctively I realized that these visual cues can trigger a binge or a falling-off-the wagon, so to speak. Indeed, maybe -- way back when during a time I had either a sugar addiction or an eating disorder -- seeing these foods made things worse for me?

Certainly something to think about.

Here's your take-away lesson: If you're trying to get over a sugar habit, eating disorder, or trying to lose weight, do NOT go anywhere near the food that most tempts you. Go blocks out of your way if you can. If you're watching TV, leave the room when those commercials for breakfast cereals or cookies, etc. come on. And certainly don't keep the stuff in the house!

"The Skinny on Fats" -- Focus on Andrea Beaman

Fabulous fats are certainly on my mind these days. I just want to do my part to let people know that we need wonderful, healthy fats for our bodies despite what you may have heard to the contrary and despite the fact that people often buy these low-fat, often-sugar-filled products.

Anyhow, yesterday I told you about Jonny Bowden's interesting piece about fats.

Today, quite coincidentally, I ran into another aticle about fats, this one called "The Skinny on Fats," which is from the dynamic holistic health counselor, natural nutritionist and chef Andrea Beaman.

You heard me talk about her recently, because Andrea -- a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (where I just graduated) -- delivered a dazzling talk on our recent graduation day.

My new friend Andrea has the kind of energy and enthusiasm that everyone should have -- and you, too, could have, if you, eat healthily, as she does. See her effervescence emanate in this video from Bravo's "Top Chef," where she was a finalist. 

You'll hear more about Andrea on Monday, because this weekend, I'm doing something completely off the wall. I'll be spending Friday day, all day Saturday and until noon Sunday with about 23 other people at the Appalachian Mountain Club's house on Fire Island. While there, we will get to eat delcious, healthy, wholesome food prepared by Andrea.

I'm totally psyched and excited -- I get to spend a weekend of play, no work on my book (yeah!), great food, lots of bicycling, sailing, etc.

Fat is Not the Enemy, Nutritionist Insists

This morning, I'd like to single out one of my favorite nutritionists, Jonny Bowden, M.A., C.N., C.N.S. You see, I'm quite grateful to Jonny, because for at least a couple of years now, he has consistently provided me with a wonderful wealth of information, especially when I was writing SUGAR SHOCK!

Look, given that I'm a give-me-all-the-facts journalist, I suspect that if I'm interviewing you, well, you may find it somewhat overwhelming to answer my many questions. If you've proved yourself as a reliable source -- as Jonny did for me -- well, I do tend to come back again and again with more questions so I can make sure my information is acccurate, etc.

I'm tempted to say that I feel sorry for my interviewees, but that's not really so, because you, my public and followers, want the truth, right? Well, it's my duty to give it to you. Having said that, yeah, at times, I called Jonny probably more than he would have liked to get clarification or further information. And darn if he wasn't always gracious every time I called.

Suffice it to say that if you want to know more about weight loss, nutrition or health, you've probably read something of Jonny's. He's written columns for Muscle and Fitness magazine. He's dispensed advice on iVillage.com and eDiets.com. He's written books such as the best-selling Living The Low Carb Life: Choosing the diet that's right for you from Atkins to Zone. He also penned Jonny Bowden's Shape Up! The Eight Week Plan to Transform your Body your Health and your Life (Perseus, 2001).

Anyhow, this morning I was visiting Jonny's website to look at something he told me about when this fascinating article of his, "Fat is Not the Enemy," grabbed my attention. I invite you to check it out.

While you're visiting Jonny's Internet home, check out his new audio collection, too. He offers three exciting CD sets, what I believe -- knowing Jonny and his engaging, informative style -- will educate, inspire and motivate you. The audio sets include:

• "Change Your Body, Change Your Life"
• "23 Ways to Improve Your Life," and
• "9 Essential Steps to Weight Loss"

I'm so impressed by Jonny that a few months back, I attended his weight loss class for coaches so that we could help our clients. It was a wonderful program that I highly recommend. Not only is he dynamic, but Jonny really knows his stuff.

Anyhow, after you get Jonny's CDs, let me know what you think.

How Healthy Are Smoothies?

You may think me un-American, but I just can't jump on the smoothie bandwagon. No matter that, as AOL Health, with Web MD reported, Americans will guzzle a whopping $6 million this year of these blended, sugary, calorie-laden, often super-sized concoctions.

It's simply dangerous to load your body with so much fruit juice, calories, and sugar. Just about any smoothie you make -- unless it's made with veggie juice and some protein source -- will probably give you a tremendous sugar buzz and put you into what I call SUGAR SHOCK!

If you're a smoothie fan, I'd suggest investigating this subject further. Check out this series of AOL Diet & Fitness articles about smoothies.The first article, "How Cool Are Smoothies?" gives an overview. The writers report:

"What we learned, in brief, is that less is more -- in terms of ingredients and volume -- and also that good taste does not necessarily mean good health. So, our advice is stick to basics and share: Even a small smoothie can pack a caloric wallop so give some to the one you're with."

Good advice. In fact, I always encourage my clients to eat whole, fiber-rich fruits rather than a too-sweet, mixed juice.

When deciding if you're gonna go for smoothies, listen to renowned nutritionist Marion Nestle's advice:

"They're usually juice, yogurt and fruit. Those are all good things, but when you mix them together you forget how many calories they have -- and they're bigger than they need to be," says nutrition expert, Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat.

Dr. Nestle also points to an important theory about liquid just not doing the trick the way food does:

"...There's some evidence that the body computes liquid calories differently than the way they compute food calories." According to Nestle, drinking a smoothie may not fill you up like it would if you ate the same smoothie ingredients whole, leading many to eat more food in addition to the blended drink. "If weight is a problem," warns Nestle, "it's going to be a problem."

Hurrah to AOL for helping people realize the truth about smoothies: Pay close attention, for instance, to the huge amount of sugar in smoothies from Jamba Juice.

Or check out the abyssmal report card of smoothies from Dunkin' Donuts, The two drinks flopped, with an "F" and a "D-" ranking. (I just love this line: "Is `Dunkin' Donuts' and `healthy smoothie' an oxymoron or just moronic?")

You also can see reports for smoothies at Haagen Dazs and AOL's own Time Inc. cafeteria.

Again, I favor -- as do many nutritionists and physicians -- eating whole, fiber-filled veggies and fruits and skipping the fruit-filled drinks.

However, one of the articles does spotlight an intriguing drink. Pat Cocker, a home economist, culinary herbalist, and author of The Smoothie Bible, suggests a "smoothie" dip or sauce of soy milk, celery, whole tomato, a pinch of fennel, curry powder, turmeric, and cumin. Now that I might like to try.

The American Heart Association Recommends Restricting Trans Fats

Hurrah for the American Heart Association for its new recommendations to limit trans fats to less than 1 percent of total calories. While I'd prefer if they said to just nix the unhealthy fat altogether, this is a major move on the part of a health group.

In case you're confused about the connection between trans fats and sugar, there's a big one. Sure enough, these harmful trans fats are often found in nutrient-deficient, processed baked goods such as crackers, cookies, and baked goods.

FYI, trans fatty acids (shortened to trans fats) are artificially created through a chemical process involving the hydrogenation of oils. This means the oil is solidified, which limits the body's ability to regulate cholesterol. In 2005, the FDA mandated that the amount of trans fats be labeled on food products.

As part of its 2006 Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations, the AHA made a number of other more obvious suggestions, including eating nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits and whole grains; fish at least twice a week; choosing lean meats and poultry without skin; cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars; preparing food with little or no salt (limiting intake to 2,300 milligrams a day); drink alcohol moderately; watching portion sizes.

I'm not as enamored with the AHA's advice to eat fat-free, 1 percent fat and low-fat dairy products. Actually, think it's better not to eat that much dairy or to do so in moderation -- and if you're going to have dairy to opt instead for full-fat goat's milk products.

I was, however, happy to see that the AHA also urges people to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days -- or preferably all days.

See the full recommendations in the AHA magazine, Circulation.

Thanks to the San Francisco Chronicle for its interesting article about this subject.

Take Time to Relax

Given that for nearly 5 years, I've been working way, way too hard on my upcoming book, SUGAR SHOCK!, this article from LadiesHomeJournal.com really hit home with me. The piece is all about how we need to relax and unwind.

The timing of this article is quite coincidental. This is actually one of my really big goals now -- I'm making a concerted effort to take more down time. (Ugh, I think I just made that sound like work!)

By the way, while you're at LHJ.com, take the "Is Stress Hurting Your Health" quiz.

Anyhow, my friend Dr. Jill Baron, a stress management expert, likes to tell me a lot about the need to de-stress. We even did a couple of tele-seminars together back in March. She's amazing. She instructed us on some very valuable techniques. You can even purchase replays of our calls here.

Study Shows Low-Carb Diets Help Diabetics

A fascinating study from Sweden suggests that restricting carbs may be the best way to manage diabetes and reduce the need for meds.

This is big news, as far as I'm concerned, and I'm thrilled to find yet another research team coming to these conclusions.

See the WebMD article and UPI piece about this compelling research.

No time to write more about it now but will discuss it further later.

See Dr. Marion Nestle's Article and Audio Interview on Junk Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity

Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., one of the world's foremost authorities on the role of marketing to kids, wrote a compelling article, "Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity--A Matter of Policy," that appears in the June 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Not only that, but you also can listen to a short, fascinating audio interview here, too, where she dishes some eye-opening remarks about some dubious tactics that companies undertake to convince our nation's kids to eat their particular brand of junk food.

For instance, she chats about companies sponsoring research to find out about "what pushes kids' `Buy' buttons" and other research "to get into the minds of young children  This would be fine if they were selling a benign product," she says, noting that it's become acceptable for kids to snack on junk food all day long.

Some hope is on the horizon, though, she says. "Schools have become the target for fixing the school-meal programs," says Dr. Nestle, noting that more than 200 bills were introduced in state legislatures to attack obesity.

For those of you strapped for time, make sure to listen and read these important items. At the least, listen to Dr. Nestle's compelling audio interview. 

Dr. Nestle is sharp, savvy and definitely worth listenng to.

Restricting Carbs May Stave Off Alzheimer's

Yet another exciting study showing the value of limiting those culprit carbs comes from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

Researchers there found that restricting carbs may help calm or ward off Alzheimer's disease. The study will appear in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. (Sorry, can't provide a link just yet, because the abstract isn't online yet, but I imagine it will be up in early July.)

Thanks to News-Medical.Net for the heads up on this important research.

Doctors Need to Commit to Improving Diabetes Care

The president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) challenged fellow U.S. physicians to commit themselves to making improvments in diabetes care.

Robert A. Rizza, MD, ADA President, Medicine & Science, presented a horrifying scenario in a keynote speech presented at the Association's 66th Annual Scientific Sessions, according to the ADA.

"Unless something is done to prevent it, diabetes will result in 35 million heart attacks, 13 million strokes, 6 million episodes of renal failure, 8 million instances of blindness or eye surgery, 2 million amputations, and 62 million deaths for a total of 121 million serious diabetes-related adverse events in the next 30 years," pronounced Dr. Rizza of the ADA, which is the nation's leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy.

Dr. Rizza, in an interview, claimed that we have "the means at hand to reduce the risk of serious diabetes complications by over 60% and reducing medical costs by $150 billion over next 30 years. ...But to achieve it, we need to reorganize our nation's health care system so that it rewards prevention and optimum care."

I confess that I wasn't at this keynote so therefore I'm not privvy to all of Dr. Rizza's comments, but I'm just curious why this ADA press release contained no info (unless I missed it) regarding the urgency of eating right and exercising to monitor or ward off type 2 diabetes. Just wondering.

Stop Advertising to Captive Children on School Buses

Oh goodness. Now even school buses won't be safe from advertising targeting kids -- even children as young as five. 

Indeed, as The Washington Post recently reported, a new company, BusRadio, plans to pipe a private radio network into school buses around the country. The network would play music, public-service announcements, contests and, of course, ads, aimed targeting kids while they travel to and from school.

BusRadio has big plans to infiltrate kids' minds with advertising messages. The company plans a pilot project in September in Massachusetts, and in September 2007, it hopes to reach 1 million children.

BusRadio’s website (http://www.busradio.net/) is rather vocal about its goals to reach unsuspecting, captive children's audiences:

“Every morning and every afternoon on their way to and from school, kids across the country will be listening to the dynamic programming of BusRadio providing advertiser’s [sic] with a unique and effective way to reach the highly sought after teen and tween market.”

Rightfully, consumer groups such as Commercial Alert are up in arms ab out this. That consumer group complained that:

• "It is wrong to force captive audiences of children to listen to advertising."
• "Schools shouldn’t discourage children from doing homework on school buses."

Commercial Alert is now urging upset concerned people to "stop the salesmen before they board the bus." Just click here to urge the managing partners of Sigma & Partners not to invest in BusRadio or any company that forces kids listen to advertising.

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood even sent a letter to all 346 Massachusetts superintendents urging them not to sign up their districts for BusRadio.

“In essence, BusRadio programming will consist of non-stop advertising in one form or another, from which children will have no escape,” said CCFC's Dr. Susan Linn, author of Consuming Kids.

"We hope that school communities will protect the health and well-being of their students by saying no to BusRadio." 

“Their lives are already saturated with marketing.  It’s essential that we work together to stop this latest escalation in the commercial assault on children.”

Please join the fight against BusRadio. A company should not be allowed to hit innocent kids with ads promoting junk food and sweets!

Fish Oil Proves Promising for Type 2 Diabetics

We keep hearing more and more positive research relating to fish oil's amazing properties.

Now, in the latest finding, scientists from Texas A&M University-Kingsville found that fish oil improves glucose uptake in muscle cells, according to results released Saturday at the 66th annual meeting of the American Diabetic Association in Washington, DC.

Nordic Naturals, the company whose omega-3 fish oils were used in the study, released a press release about the latest promising news about the substance.

"Results of the in vitro study indicate that when the hormone insulin is present, fish oil helps to more efficiently transport glucose (also known as blood sugar) into muscle cells. This is important because blood sugar must get inside muscle cells for proper metabolic functioning and scientists have not yet fully understood how fish oil may impact this in the presence of insulin. The aim of the study was to evaluate differences in cellular glucose activity with various concentrations of fish oil."

For the study, Nordic's Omega-3™, Ultimate Omega™, DHA™, and Complete Omega-3-6-9™, patented omega-3 fish oil concentrates were used. All these essential fatty acid blends improved glucose uptake.

It's so fascinating to keep hearing about the wonders of quality fish oils. In fact, I talk about their benefits in my upcoming book, SUGAR SHOCK!

Unfortunately, most Americans are so darn deficient on these quality fats, because they're eating so much processed crap that contains the low-grade, potentially harmful hydrogenated fats.

By the way, I should credit Dr. Barry Sears and his book, The Zone, for first making me aware of the importance of quality fats in our diets. For me, one of the amazing benefits that I discovered is that when I eat enough good fats, I have less cravings and stay full longer.

Empowering! Exciting! Invigorating! I Graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition -- and Spoke, Too!

Exhilarating. Empowering. Enriching. Educational. Invigorating... In short, WOW!

That's how I'd describe my official graduation weekend from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), this remarkable, cutting-edge school where I've been studying since November.

Superlatives are totally in order here!

Joshua Rosenthal, founder of this magnificent program, and the hard-working IIN staff planned and pulled off the most amazing weekend for us!

On our final-hurrah weekend, we heard from none other than THE Deepak Choprah, the profoundly inspirational healer/best-selling author/master motivator.

His groundbreaking talk spanned the gamut -- from his beginnings at a doctor in the U.S. getting an adrenalen high from working in the emergency room to realizing that he wasn't really doing healing and wanted to do more. ...And, of course, more he has now done -- powerful, life-changing books, etc.

Deepak then chatted about so many different things, including one of my favorite subjects, synchronicity. (I've heard him speak several times -- including one entire weekend at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck New York -- and I'm always so enthralled when he tells remarkable tales of things coming into place. Check out his next Omega weekend in August. I'm thinking of going myself. If you go, look for me there.)

Here's one of my favorite Deepak books -- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success -- which I highly recommend!

One pearl of wisdom Deepak shared was this: "Embrace uncertainty, which gives rise to co-creation with God." The man is simply amazing!

Anyhow, on Saturday, we also heard from the amazing nutritionist Oz Garcia, who is known as a real pioneere and as the "nutritionist to the stars." He's also achieved acclaim for his book, Look and Feel Fabulous Forever.

Oz also came out with some real gems. I loved his remarks about how people are always worrying about calories when they should be paying greater attention to food's other incredible properties.

"Food has value beyond calories," he insisted. (I love that line!) Instead of counting those darn calories, Oz said, we should pick foods that make us smarter, improve our cognitive abilities, extend our lives, and increase our energy.

I'm quite beholden to Oz. He was one of the early supporters for my book, SUGAR SHOCK! and busy as he is, he nonetheless took time to be interviewed by me.

What's more, on Saturday, he singled me out in front of all 1,100 classmates attending the packed jazz club at Time Warner Center and asked where I was and he then delivered a couple of comments about my book being really wonderful!!I was so blown away that I can't remember his exact words! Thank you, Oz! I think you're great, too!

As if Saturday's wasn't exciting enough, Sunday's talks were brimming with motivational remarks, inspirational messages, and go-get-'em comments.

We heard a powerful talk from activist, environmentalist Julia Butterfly Hill, who is probably best known as a "tree hugger," who saved the tree Luna years ago and just last week won a victory saving an organic garden in South Central Los Angeles.

Just on June 6, while sitting atop a treee, she wrote: "From my vantage point in the walnut tree not only do I see luscious green life growing amongst the concrete. I also see beauty, hope, possibility and a vision for the world that inspires me beyond belief.  It is growing from every plot, from every heart, and from every person I see coming to this place." 

–Julia Butterfly Hill, June 6, 2006

Also, on Sunday, a bunch of classmates and fellow IIN grads also sought to inspire us, includng my new friend Andrea Beaman, chef (recently seen on Bravo's "Top Chef" show) and author of The Whole Truth: How I Naturally Reclaimed My Health, And You Can Too!

In her distinctly delightful, charming, inimitable, humorous manner, Andrea charged us up to go out there and help change people's lives. (Well, that's the effect she had on me.) I just so related to her motivational comments about doors closing and how you need to just persevere and how you need to just keep pounding on those doors, because something else even better will happen.

In addition, a bunch of IIN students spoke, giving the most motivational remarks. My dilemma is that I can't report much about what fellow students said, because yours truly was invited to deliver a four-minute chat, too!

Yeah, I was up there, speaking to my 1,100 or so classmates and trying to inspire them. It was the most incredible experience. (I have to dash off to my new holistic dentist now, but I'll write more about it later.)

Anyhow, if you have an interest in nutrition and want to learn more, you must check out the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! All year, we've been studying with some of the world's most renowned health and nutrition teachers, a number of whom I've had the pleasure of interviewing for my book SUGAR SHOCK!

It was such a cool experience to come to the Time Warner Center in New York every month to hear these amazing experts teach us about every diet imaginable across the board -- macrobiotics, ancient traditions of ayurveda, Chinese medicine, raw foods, the Atkins and Zone diets, blood type diets, and the USDA Healthy Eating Pyramid. (Here's a complete list of our faculty.)

But we didn't just learn about nutrition. We learned about holistic health and wellness and the role of what IIN founder Joshua calls "primary food" -- a tremendous concept that I daresay all IIN students take to heart (including me).

Oh, and for me, other than hearing the great lecturers, perhaps the best part of IIN was connecting with the most incredible community. The most remarkable students attended, and they all had such an incredible diversity of backgrounds. (They even give us a really wonderful Online Community, where we can chat with speakers and each other.)

I invite you to learn more about IIN. And if you do enroll at IIN, please tell them Connie, the "Sugar Shrew No More!" sent you!