SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Reader From Utah Raves

I just wanted to share some heartwarming remarks I received today from a reader, Kari in Utah. Here are her delightful remarks:

"Hi, I'm currently reading SUGAR SHOCK! My life is changed forever for the better -- because of its message -- because it helps me make sense of my life . . . past, present, and thankfully, yet to be! I want to share this message with others who so desparately need it . . .

"In addition to wondering about you speaking in this area . . . I'm wondering if I might have your permission to use your book in a support group for local people who are in SUGAR SHOCK! and who want to something about it."

Wow, comments like these just make me realize that my book is really helping people all over. What a wonderful, wonderful feeling this e-mail gave me!

Big is Beautiful in One African Nation, But The Price of Beauty Is Far Too High

Note from Connie: SUGAR SHOCK! Blog researcher/writer Jennifer Moore got very worked up after reading an enlightening Associate Press article from Rukmini Callimachi about how obesity is actually encouraged -- if not forced upon residents of the African country of Mauritania. Read Jennifer's impassionated commentary.

Amidst our ongoing obesity epidemic in the U.S., we're absolutely obsessed with thinness.

We try all manner of diets; we admire models who wear impossibly tiny size 0 clothes; and our supermarket tabloids routinely run cover stories about how celebrities stay so thin (with a special focus on how famous actresses peel off pounds after childbirth). So, despite the fact that as a whole, Americans are decidedly not thin, many of us certainly strive to be, and we consider thinness ideal.

In light of all that, I found recent news from the Associated Press to be a real jaw-dropper. Reporter Rukmini Callimachi writes, in a horrifying, yet fascinating story -- which ran in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and other papers -- that in the African country of Mauritania, obesity in women is encouraged to the point that some families have been known to force-feed their daughters to make them gain weight. (There's also an oddly glib take on this story from Catherine Price at Salon.com.)

In Mauritania, Callimachi explains, obesity is considered beautiful in women, and it is also a sign of a family's prosperity in a desert country that's been repeatedly ravaged by drought.

The story cites data from the World Health Organization showing that 25% of Mauritania's 1.5 million women are obese, this, despite the fact that there isn't a single fast food joint -- a main culprit in America's obesity epidemic -- in the entire country.

The anecdotes Callimachi provides are heartbreaking. The story opens with this vivid, haunting image:

"Mey Mint struggles to carry her weight up the flight of stairs, her thighs shaking with each step. It will take several minutes for the 50-year-old to catch her breath, air hissing painfully in and out of her chest. Her rippling flesh is not the result of careless overeating, though, but rather of a tradition."

Wow. I can only shake my head in sadness and disbelief. But it gets worse. Mint told Callimachi that at the age of 4, her parents forced her to consume 14 gallons of camel's milk a day in attempt to fatten her up.

If she tried to refuse, she suffered hideous physical abuse -- her family would bend her fingers backwards until they touched her hand. If she vomited, which the child obviously couldn't help after having an excessive amount of milk shoved down her throat, she was beaten.

By the time she turned 10, Mint was so heavy she couldn't even run. Her mother's reaction?

"Unconcerned, her proud mother delighted in measuring the loops of fat hanging under her daughter's arms," Callimachi writes.

"My mother thinks she made me beautiful. But she made me sick," says Mint. 

Of course, Mint suffers from diabetes and heart disease, presumably due to a lifetime of forced overeating.

Major Anti-Obesity Conference in Paris Will Take Place in June

The prestigious health foundation Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, announced that it will host the Paris Anti-Obesity 2007 conference from June 14-15, according to a press release posted on NutraIngredients.Com/Europe.

Intended to reach movers and shakers in the academic, scientific, and business communities, the conference will bring together the world's leading anti-obesity experts to discuss prevention, the newest therapeutic treatments, and ways natural ingredients and alternative therapies can be used to prevent or combat the problem.

It'll be interesting to see what new -- and much needed -- ideas to tackle obesity come out of this conference.

From Jennifer Moore

Meet a Happy Reader of SUGAR SHOCK! from the Philippines

As I've said before, I absolutely love to hear from readers of SUGAR SHOCK!

I truly want to know if my book is helping you, educating you or inspiring you.

Anyhow, this message from Edna -- which arrived in my box at nearly 3 a.m. my time -- grabbed my attention with its subject heading: "How stopping sugar stopped my pains and mood swings."

I carefully read the e-mail from Edna, who lives in the Philippines. She wrote:

"I am a distance study student of Natural Health Institute [in] Canada. I became one because I [was] puzzled by all my bodily pains (joints, muscles, bones), my mood swings and my low energy -- ALWAYS by 4PM. I am 56 years old."

She then continues:

"After researching about sugar and finding out about your book, I eliminated sugary products and desserts from my diet. After only a month, I am a different person, [with] no aches, no pains, no mood swings, [and] no low energy.. and [I'm now] a happy and proud owner of your Sugar Shock book... Thank you Connie. Bless your effort to reach out to people and tell them about [the dangers of] sugar..."

And thank you, Edna, for sharing. Your e-mail absolutely warms my heart! It's thrilling to learn that SUGAR SHOCK! helped you

Readers, please let me know what you think of SUGAR SHOCK!

Cutting Out Sweets Lowers Rate of Childhood Obesity, New Study Finds

Simply banning sugary foods and drinks and encouraging kids to replace junk with healthy, fiber-rich foods, decreased the rate of childhood obesity, according to an important new Swedish study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet, whose press release about this research appears on Medical News Today.

This study, called the Stockholm Obesity Prevention Project (STOPP), involved children ages 6 through 10 at 10 schools in the Stockholm area. Half the schools removed sweets and sugary beverages from their premises, offering kids higher-quality fare instead. The other half of schools didn't take out the sweet stuff and let the kids continue to indulge in them.

The results were amazing but expected:

• The rate of overweight kids at the schools that just said no to sugar-filled food dropped from 22% to 16%.
• The youngsters allowed to continue eating sugary foods saw their rates of obese and overweight kids rise from 18% to 21%.

(In fact, in Sweden as a whole, the rates of childhood obesity have been climbing, just as they have in the U.S., according to another study reported on by Nicholas Bakalar of the New York Times.)

This study is really good news, because it's proof positive that we can do something about childhood obesity. And thankfully, more and more American schools are getting the message and kicking more and more sugar to the curb.

I hope parents whose kids attend schools that still ply them with needless sugar will use this study to spur their children's schools to change.

But parents need to act on the home front, too. Yes, as a mother, I understand that it's challenging to get your little ones to give up sweet stuff they love. But it's not impossible. In fact, Connie offers great advice on what parents can do to get their kids away from sugar in her book SUGAR SHOCK! (The tips -- provided by a number of experts -- are in Chapter 17, to be exact).

Let's hope news of this study spreads quickly to responsible adults and that they'll take action to fight this very serious problem for our kids.

From Jennifer Moore

Note from Connie: Wow! This is fabulous! I've been eagerly awaiting for this results of this study to be released, and sure enough, the findings are quite impressive. Also, please note that STOPP was financed by the Stockholm County Council, with contributions from the Swedish Research Council and the Masonic Home for Children in Stockholm. Maybe some American organizations will get the same idea to do such a study?

Get Tasty, Fresh, Inexpensive Organic Produce Directly From Local Farmers By Joining a CSA -- New Yorkers, Join Mine Now

With spring arriving, fresh fruits and vegetables will be growing in abundance all across the country. One of the best ways to quit focusing on those culprit carbs (think sugary and processed foods) is to begin to relish tasty, nutritious fresh organic fruits and vegetables.

But you don't have to buy expensive veggies and fruits grown clear across the country. After all, these have to be transported in gas-driven trucks and you'll pay more at the supermarket. Your best bet for your body, your pocket book, your local economy and your nearby farmers is to buy locally grown produce.

For a mere $14 a week, you can get the most amazing variety of tasty vegetables, and for an additional $10 a week, you can receive a whole bunch of diferent fruits. (Read on to learn more.)

Last year, I learned that you can save money on veggies and fruits and at the same time help your local farmers and economy by joining a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) group. So, at the nudging of the talented, hard-working Christine Savarese, a classmate of mine from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I joined the Columbus Circle CSA in New York City. You can join our CSA now by e-mailing Christine.

Of course, Manhattan isn't the only city where you can get delicious, locally grown fruits and vegetables. In fact, there are CSAs all across the country, and it's very easy to find one near where you live.

Just go to information-packed Local Harvest website, where you can do a search by zip code, city or state.

• Or, if you're in New York City, go to Just Food,

But if you live in Manhattan, I cordially invite you to join my wonderful CSA. By becoming a member of my CSA, you're in for a real treat. Last year, each and every week, I received a batch of the most delightful, fresh "goodies" from Norwich Meadows Farm.

On any any given week, we received six to eight different seasonable vegetables. (The pickings vary every week so you get surprised. For instance, one time last year, we received about three bags of five different kinds of the most succulent heirloom tomatoes you could ever eat. On other occasions, we got:

• Bok choy (delicious!)
• Kale
• Chard
• Spinach
• Carrots (yummy!)
• Lettuce (all kinds)
• Squash (different varieties)
• All kinds of cabbage (napa, red, etc.)
• Heirloom cucumbers (wow, did they taste amazing!)
• Grapes
• Apples (scrumptious!)
• Cherries (delicious!)
• Berries
• Plums
• Pears
• Etc.

Of course, I thought I'd enjoyed veggies and fruits before, but I'm telling you, I have never eaten such juicy fresh fruits and vegetables!

So, if you're a New York City resident, I invite you to join my Columbus Circle CSA now. Just e-mail our CSA organizer Christine Savarese.

The new season runs from mid-June through mid-November. Here's how it works:

• You pay in advance for your vegetable and fruit "shares." (Again, the fees are outrageously low and considerably less than what you'd spend in supermarkets for the same amount of fresh organic foods. Again, you're paying a mere $14 a week, and all the proceeds go to the farmer.)
• Every Thursday, between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., you (or a friend) go to the pick-up point in the West 50s in New York City to pick up your fresh goodies for the week. (We have the most delightful pick-up point -- it's like a green oasis in the middle of the city.)
• You donate 4 hours for the season to the CSA, whether it's to help unload the truck, give people their produce for the week, or help publicize it (such as I'm doing here).

You also get other wonderful benefits from being involved with a CSA, especially mine:

• You get to meet and network with lots of wonderful, like-minded, health-oriented people.
• Every week, if you have time, you can hang out for a while with these fun folks.
• You can visit the farm play farmer any time over the summer. For Norwich Meadows Farm, you can even sleep in a tent on their land or go to a nearby motel. (Unfortunately, I couldn't go last year, because I was on book deadlines, but Christine and other friends told me about how much fun they had planting cauliflower and picking fava beans.)
• You get to participate in periodic special events.

For instance, my Columbus Circle CSA has two special events planned thus far:

• On Thursday, July 12, I'm going to do a private book signing of SUGAR SHOCK! and sell limited-edition hardcover copies. (I'm selling the books for a really reasonable price, because these are all my friends and colleagues.)
• On Thursday, July 19, talented Raw Food Chef Dan McDonald -- co-founder of True Radiant Health -- will develop an improvisational menu using tasty treats from straight off the truck. (You can hear him chat here on the beta version of iFood.tv.)

Again, I invite you to join my Columbus CSA now. Just e-mail Christine directly, and she'll immediately send you a membership form, which includes info about the excellent prices.

Remember, you'll save lots of money, because what you'll pay to get fresh fruits and veggies direct from the farmer are outrageously low compared to what you'd have to spend at the grocery store. Plus, they taste better. (Of course, you can still get other organic produce from your favorite health food stores.)

Also, I invite you to attend one or both of two upcoming open houses at our Columbus CSA location. They are on:

• Thursday, May 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and
• Saturday, May 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

At both open houses, you'll get to taste some scrumptious veggies and fruits, and Christine will answer your questions about the CSA.

What's more, you'll get to experience the wonderful "garden oasis in the city" that is our pick-up point. (Yes, as I mentioned above, although my CSA is smack in the heart of Manhattan, we have the most charming, spacious, green space where we pick up our fresh produce.)

By the way, in addition to buying fruit and vegetable shares, you also can order organic eggs, yogurt, milk, cheese, butter, chicken and beef.

So join my Columbus Circle CSA if you live in New York City. Just e-mail Christine now.

A very special thanks to another former IIN classmate, Krista Peterson, co-founder of True Radiant Health, for help in writing this blog entry. Krista, a big fan of raw foods, offers some exciting programs and products, including her Everyday Raw DVD Series. She's also presenting our CSA's talk on July 19 with chef Dan McDonald.

Bill Clinton and Rachael Ray Tag Team Childhood Obesity

Former President Bill Clinton and talk show host Rachael Ray are teaming up to fight the childhood obesity crisis, according to an article in the New York Times by reporter Kim Severson.

For her part, Ray just launched Yum-O, a nonprofit organization that "educates kids and their parents about cooking, enabling them to explore the joys of food while making meals that are easy, healthy, affordable and delicious," according to the group's website.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the anti-childhood obesity initiative Clinton's foundation created with the American Heart Association, will be one of Ray's partners in this new venture.

Clinton's organization, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, works with schools nationwide to improve their menus and to implement other health-giving programs. Ray will give items from her line of cookware to schools on the forefront of improving nutrition, and may even visit some of those schools as well. Together, Ray and Clinton's alliance will also promote Nickelodeon's "Go Healthy Challenge," which is part of the channel's "Let's Just Play" series.

The two announced their plans on a recent episode of the popular "The Rachael Ray Show," which reaches 4 million viewers, according to Severson's story.

Clinton's zeal on this issue was partly inspired by his 2004 quadruple bypass, which, as he says in this clip of his appearance on Ray's show, was necessitated by years of indulging in fast food, fried foods and other artery-clogging stuff.

Both Clinton and Ray will bring an amazing amount of star power to this worthy endeavor. In fact, Clinton has interesting weight tales himself -- he was overweight as a child, he tells Rachel Ray, noting that when he was 13, he was 5'8" and weighed 185 pounds.

Of the scary possibility that today's generation of kids may actually face shorter life expectancies than their parents, Clinton declared "it will be immoral if we let that happen," according to the New York Times story. I couldn't agree more!

His appearance on "The Rachael Ray Show," isn't the only time that Clinton's been sounding the alarms about childhood obesity lately.

Now, a cynic might ask why Clinton didn't do more about the issue of childhood obesity when he was president -- and that's certainly a valid one. And not every recipe on Ray's Yum-O website is a perfect example of healthy food, in my opinion (like her Chocolate Yogurt Parfait).

But for me, raising a 4-year-old in this junk-food saturated world, it's never too late for our leaders and celebrities to take action, and I don't need perfection. I applaud Clinton and Ray for trying to address the very serious issue of childhood obesity, and I hope that their popularity and influence will inspire others to take action, too.

From Jennifer Moore

News About Diabetes & Genes -- New Genetic Risk Factors Found & New Blood Test to Test for Genes, Which Put You At Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Lately, the news keeps coming in connecting genes and type 2 diabetes.

Today, as MSNBC reports, thanks to the Associated Press, a new study -- one of the largest yet -- reveals that scientists studying more than 32,000 people in five countries found clusters of new gene variants that raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The study, which was published online in the journal Science, reveals some fascinating findings about spots that harbor genetic risk factors for this complicated killer.

And the researchers were pretty excited about what they've uncovered. “We have been.. looking under the lamppost to try to find those genes ... and lots of times the lamplight was not actually where we wanted it,” said Dr. Francis Collins, genetics chief at the National Institutes of Health, a co-author of the research. But this new approach, he says, “allows us to light up the whole street, and look what we find.”

Meanwhile, as mentioned in a recent Newsweek article, a simple blood test may soon be used to identify individuals whose genes put them at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The biotechnology company deCODE Genetics discovered a number of genes linked to the disease, including one that regulates the amount of insulin produced in the body. People with an abnormal copy of the gene are at a much greater risk of developing diabetes.

This new test -- which could help spur people to action (such as exercising more, losing weight and taking drugs) -- is expected to cost $500, Bloomberg.com reports.

But, think about it, wouldn't identifying a person's genetic predisposition for type 2 diabetes be problematic or maybe even dangerous? What happens if, after taking the test, a person finds out that he or she is nott likely to develop type 2 diabetes? Would that person use that information as license to exercise less and eat those potentially dangerous, fast-acting carbs? Those are thoughts to ponder.

Get Pleasant, Uplifting Stories to Brighten Your Days: Spotlight on the Good News Network

Tired of hearing about this horrific crime or that debilitating disease -- in short, is the profusion of bad news getting you down?

Then, you have to start visiting the fabulous Good News Network, which is dedicated to ferreting out positive news -- something I'm quite dedicated to myself. (In fact, ever when I launched my website, one of the first things I did was set up a section for Inspirational Quotes.)

Anyhow, recently, at the National Publicity Summit, I had the pleasure to recently meet the committed, cheerful Geri Weis-Corbley, a former TV news producer, who just couldn't hack the mainstream media's one-dimensional focus on negative news. So in 1997 she founded the Good News Network. (The website redesign celebrated the first anniversary last month.)

"I want to make ‘familiar’ (like ‘family’) the kind of news that moves us to tears for enthusiasm over a life well lived," Geri says. "And, I want to teach others how good news can actually lead to a prosperous and healthier life."

It was truly exciting to meet Geri in the flesh, because I'd already heard of and was impressed by the Good News Network. You see, I'm absolutely convinced that people the world over are hungry -- no, make that absolutely famished -- for stories that make you feel good inside.

(By the way, I do hope that Geri will land a deal soon for either a weekly good-news TV magazine news show or a series of two-minute happy-news segments, because there's certainly a huge need for something like this. To date, her efforts haven't panned out, but, hey, I'm a positive thinker, and I think some news agency should -- and will -- get smart and get her on board right away.)

As you'll soon discover, you can have an enjoyable time over at the Good News Network website, which, incidentally experienced a "salient spike" on 9/11 and also the following day. (Wish I'd known about Geri's online community back then, because I had just moved to New York a few months earlier and despite my doing some volunteer work and covering news for a couple of newspapers, I was getting downright depressed and disconsolate after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center.)

...So pleasant news is awaiting you now at the Good News Network website. Check out all the various departments -- you can find sections devoted to inspirational quotes, as well as news about health, business, earth, science, civics, recreation  and home life stories. (I bet you'll smile or even chuckle at the piece about a pit bull saving two woman from a cobra attack!)

You'll also enjoy reading the Top Ten Good News of the Year.

By the way, as you may already know, research shows that you actually can derive health benefits from focusing on uplifting topics.

In fact, it's inspiring to read about how laughter and humor can help you, and stories abound about the wonders of watching funny movies and then becoming healed from an allegedly fatal illness. The book Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins is a case in point.)

So you may be wondering about the sugar connection here. You see, even though I'm devoted to dishing the sour scoop about sweets in my book SUGAR SHOCK! and in TV and radio interviews, my message is ultimately one of hope.

First you have to learn about the wealth of research that links sugar overloading -- something most Americans do -- with health problems galore. Next, you have to make some positive changes such as kicking sugar and exercising more.

And then, ultimately, as I point out in SUGAR SHOCK!, you can Enjoy a Sweeter Life Without Refined Sweets™.

Depressed People Over Age 65 May Develop Type 2 Diabetes More Readily, Study Finds

Older adults who are depressed could be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a new study, Reuters reports.

The study, published in the Archives on Internal Medicine, evaluated nearly 5,000 adults aged 65 or older for a decade and found that those who got the blues were more likely to develop diabetes than those without depressive symptoms, according to Dr. Mercedes Carnethon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

These findings are "of particular public health importance because there are 35 million U.S. adults older than 65 years," maintained Dr. Carnethon and her research colleagues . Of that figure, about 2 million of these older adults experience depression. And of those, 15.3 percent have diabetes, the researchers point out.

While the study provides useful information, it failed to consider other risk factors for diabetes such as activity and body mass index, two obvious indicators of a person's risk of developing the disease. 

The new resaerch also neglects to mention the possibility that obesity, which is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, could be what's causing the depression in the first place, possibly leading to a chicken or the egg question: Which comes first, diabetes risk factors or depression? Or do each fuel the other, as this AMA article suggests?

Regardless of age, depression already has been linked to heart disease, angina, and chronic pain, suggesting that catching and treating depression could be a key factor in preventing these diseases. 

And separate from depression, as the elderly are living longer, they're more susceptible to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart and lung problems, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's anyway.

From Althea Chang

Don't Believe Me! Take the Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Challenge & Receive Benefits Galore -- Join the Happy Sugar Kickers Such as Senara

You may find it really tough to believe that my repeated claim -- which I make in interviews and in my book SUGAR SHOCK! -- that eating tempting, tasty desserts and quickie carbs can dramatically harm your moods, energy levels, relationships, libido, thought processes and overall health.

This is why I flat out invite you to doubt my claim.

Go ahead: Do NOT believe me! Do NOT take my word for it.

That's right. Be skeptical of my emphatic assertion that culprit carbs -- those fast-acting, processed ones -- can greatly endanger you.

But then test out my theory.

Take the Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Challenge -- something I invite you to do in Chapter 5 of my book SUGAR SHOCK!

For three weeks, eat only high-quality protein, veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, fats, and whole grains. (Beware of gluten if you have sensitivity to it.)

Then, as you test out this sugar-free lifestyle, take a step back and assess how you feel.

Tune into your body and emotions. Do you:

• Have more energy?
• Feel more focused?
• Feel more cheerful?
• Have improved libido?
• Find getting up in the morning more enjoyable?

What other benefits, if any, are you experiencing? Write them down.

At that point, make a decision. You may choose to stick to your new sugar-free habits, because your benefits are just so tremendous.

You Need Carbs to Lose Weight

If you're a regular reader of this blog, that headline might be surprising. After all, there has been no shortage of entries on this blog railing against the havoc that processed carbs can cause in your body.

But not all carbs are created equal. As Connie often points out in her book SUGAR SHOCK!, you need carbohydrates -- as long as they're the high-quality ones.

Indeed, renowned physician Dr. Mark Hyman, author of UltraMetabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss contends eating the right kinds of carbs are vital to help you lose weight. What's more, Dr. Hyman says, low-carb diets actually backfire ultimately, causing a person to re-gain lost weight -- and then some.

So what are the right carbs, and how do they help you stay trim, healthy, and full of energy?

Lesson number two of Dr. Hyman's online course "How to Reset Your Metabolism to Lose the Weight and Keep it Off for Life" has some answers.

For starters, the right carbs -- vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains -- are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are needed to properly run your metabolism. These quality carbs also provide you with vital antioxidants, and Dr. Hyman posits that a shortage of those vital nutrients can cause you to pack on pounds.

"Here a simple rule:  if you are eating carbs that came directly from nature, then they are okay," Dr. Hyman writes.

"But if the carbs you are eating have been processed in any way, they are likely to make you
gain weight.  So stay away from those," he advises.

To access this fascinating information, just click on the UltraMetabolism website and sign up by providing your e-mail address to get this and six other lessons in his online course, for free.

You'll also get a free hour-long video in which Dr. Hyman discusses how a person can help his or her body "awaken the fat-burning code hidden in your DNA."

Sounds promising!

From Jennifer Moore

Bees Beset By Strange Disorder

What's plaguing the poor bees? Why are these creatures in 25 states leaving their hives and not returning? Whatever is making them part of a perplexing phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder?

"A German study blamed cellphones, but U.S. bee scientists say that theory is flaky. A Texas A&M bee biology professor blames bad corn syrup, but then why do some bees not fed this extract disappear as well?" So writes columnist Jim Landers of the Dallas Morning News in his thoughtful, insightful look at the perplexing matter.

I'm most intrigued by the possibility that mobile-phone radiation plays a part in unsettling these bees, but that theory has been debunked.

Another idea that appeals to me is that high-fructose corn syrup may be to blame.

Dr. Tanya Pankiw, who teaches bee biology at Texas A&M University in College Station, told Landers that back in 1997, "large numbers of bee colonies were lost because beekeepers fed them a type of high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener used in baked goods and soft drinks." This may be the case now, she told Landers.

Landers continues: "`The high-fructose corn syrup feed may have been responsible for some of the hives abandoned in Texas,'" she said. "They develop a fatal case of diarrhea and flee the hive to die."

Wow. HFCS gives the bees diarrhea and then they die? Pity these poor bees.

While doing research for my book SUGAR SHOCK!, I'd heard about bees being fed high fructose corn syrup these days, which evidently compromised the quality of the honey, but I didn't know that the stuff is giving them the runs and killing them!

Read the intriguing Dallas Morning News column from Jim Landers.

...Darn, I just can't get this out of my mind: HFCS could actually kill bees? If that's the case, what does it do to humans?

FYI, I delve into the potential dangers and recent research about high fructose corn syrup on pages 87 to 93 of SUGAR SHOCK!, book, and I also discuss it on pages 50, 52, 83, 86, 125 and 307.

Learn How To Put Your Blog on the Map (Blogevangize It) -- Completely Off Topic

Let's forget about the dangers of sugar for a bit.

For you bloggers out there who yearn to build buzz for your site and make it attract lots of eyeballs, you have to read this fabulous entry, "The 120 Day Wonder: How to Evangelize a Blog" from Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur, author, speaker, investment banker, venture capitalist and managing director of Garage.com.

All 10 items in Guy's Letterman-esque list are worthy of pursuing, but I particularly love his suggestion # 2, "Answer the little man." But, hey, being a woman myself, I'm partial to my own sex so I'm going to "Answer the fun chick" or "Please the picky lady."! (You'll see what I mean when you read his blog post.)

"Scoop stuff" is another of Guy's hot blogevangizing or blogegizing ideas -- yeah, I just coined 2 new words, smushing "blogging" and "evangelizing" together. I guess I already sniff around and scoop up tidbits here and there, but you better believe I'm going to do it a lot more, thanks to this clever tip.

While you're eagerly getting more ideas to snag more readers, check out the hot tips on How to Build Traffic To Your Blog from Priya Shah. (I learned about this, thanks to Guy.

Good luck, my fellow bloggers. And feel free to link here often. (Smile.)

Great American Book Giveaway Features SUGAR SHOCK!

Want a chance to win a copy of SUGAR SHOCK! and other exciting books?

Then check out this cool website, The Great American Book Giveaway, where SUGAR SHOCK! is now featured. (My publisher, Berkley Books, was kind enough to donate several books to present to winners.)

It's easy to enter the contest, which gives away hundreds of books every week. (Your entry must be received before 12:01 Noon (EST) each Sunday.)

Thie Great American Book Giveaway is a fascinating concept. It's the brainchild of two accomplished women -- bestselling author M.J. Rose, creator of AuthorBuzz, who has mined the power of the internet to promote her own works and and the works of others, and Meryl L. Moss, founder of a well-known book publicity firm that has helped launch writing careers and created bestsellers.

Good luck!

Naturally, if you're not one of the lucky winners of SUGAR SHOCK!, Amazon will be happy to sell you a copy, as will Barnes And Noble, or even my publisher, The Penguin Group.

The U.K.'s Sugar Bureau Gleefully Hails Baffling Review, Which Finds That There's Insufficient Data To Link High Sugar Intake With Lower Nutrient Intakes

As a journalist, I'm dedicated to digging up the truth. For my book SUGAR SHOCK!, my researchers and I poured over hundreds of medical studies, and I carefully came to conclusion -- with the help of some 250 medical experts -- that over-consuming sugary foods and refined carbs could lead to a host of health problems, including robbing your body of vitamins and minerals and causing you to take in less of the higher quality, nutrient-rich foods.

Therefore, I'm absolutely flabbergasted by this seemingly impartial review just published in the British Journal of Nutrition, which concludes, from looking at 15 studies conducted since 1980, that there was insufficient evidence and too much inconsistency between studies to convincingly argue that a high-sugar diet results in lower micronutrient intakes.   

Let me reiterate: My extensive research and interviews over five years of working on my book lead me to conclude exactly the opposite.

But, this is the finding, according to two seemingly non-biased researchers M. Barbara E. Livingstone, a nutrition professor at the University of Ulster in Ireland, and Kirsten L. Rennie (couldn't find a bio online).

I'm still trying to find out the funding source, because that can provide valuable tell-tale information.

Thank goodness the review does at least acknowledge that this is not the final word.

"Further research is required to determine which food products high in added sugars might adversely affect micronutrient intakes by displacing other food items from the diet," the report notes.

Oh, you've got to hear about another finding which I find almost laughable.

As the U.K.'s Sugar Bureau gleefully crows (in a press release, entitled, "New study reviews empty calories theory"), "while some studies show that intake of certain micronutrients appears to decrease with added sugar in the diet, other studies show that increased amounts of added sugar are associated with an increased intake of vitamins and minerals."

Did I hear right? You've absolutely got to be kidding! Who funded those studies?

Working Out Just Three Times a Week Could Lower Diabetes Risk for Older People

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.recently found that a resistance training regimen could lessen the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by significantly improving glucose tolerance in older adults, Anne Harding of Reuters reports.

Researchers at Purdue University, led by Dr. Wayne Campbell, put 36 men and women in their early 60s exercise on machines three times a week, for an hour and 15 minutes per session, for a period of three months. Some of the subjects followed a high protein diet during the 12 weeks, while others had a low protein diet.

The results of this exercise program were dramatic. Dr. Campbell said that both groups experienced "profound" improvement in glucose tolerance, according to Harding's article.

Given that one in five Americans aged 60 or older are diabetic, this research is very good news. Granted, the study is a small one, but the results are nonetheless very encouraging.

Think about it: Older people, according to this research, need to spend a mere 4 hours of their week (totalling 168 hours) to significantly reduce their chances of getting diabetes.

And while the study didn't include younger people, I think it's safe to say that any person of any age would do well to let this news inspire them to get to the gym.

TheDietChannel.com Recommends SUGAR SHOCK! Was the Review By Dietitian Fair Or Accurate? You Decide What Holds True For You

The wonderful, popular website, DietChannel.com -- which bills itself as "An Authoritative Resource for Diet and Fitness Information" -- is now running a review of my book SUGAR SHOCK! from nutritionist Allison Stevens, R.D.

(Allison -- a charming dietitian who I admire and respect -- interviewed me recently for a Q & A that the site is running with me soon in this interviews section. In fact, we had a fun time talking.)

Anyhow, while her review on DietChannel.com is positive in totality -- Allison does ultimately recommend that you buy the book -- she made some remarks that I find at least partly unfair, if not inaccurate. But I welcome her criticisms and comments even if I disagree with some of her thoughts and conclusions.

Therefore, I invite you to decide for yourself. Read SUGAR SHOCK!. Then read the DietChannel.com review of it. Next, come to your own conclusions as to whether or not the review is accurate and fair.

So Allison's review on DietChannel.com begins thusly:

"Is sugar the next Big Tobacco? This comparison is not new.  But, if you are unconvinced of the possibility, pick up a copy of Sugar Shock!  Written by journalist Connie Bennett, an ex-sugar junkie, Sugar Shock! is not another low-carb diet book. Instead, Bennett explores the addictive nature of sugar and the effects it can have on your health. Although over-the-top at times, Sugar Shock is a real eye-opener that leaves you thinking twice before grabbing for that early-morning bagel or afternoon soda."

That's certainly nice to call my book "a real eye-opener," but I wonder: Is SUGAR SHOCK! really "over the top at times"? I disagree, but I'm open to hearing your assessment. Meanwhile, later in her review, Allison writes something that shocked me because I took great pains to present accurate information:

"Sugar Shock! is alarming in tone and frightening upon first read. Readers must keep in mind that the author's personal experience was due to a medical condition and that her research is often one-sided. And although the author raises some interesting points worth exploring, the potential harm of sugar and refined carbohydrates is at times over-stated."

Again, I invite you to buy the book and decide if you agree with Allison's claims. In this case, I flat out disagree. In fact, I believe that it's important to bear in mind:

• When stressing the dangers of culprit carbs, I'm talking about eating too many of them -- which is what MOST Americans do. (I'm not referring to an occasional dessert or bag of potato chips.)
• I cite some 150 experts, who revealed the dangers of over-consuming sugars and refined carbs.
• My researchers and I reviewed dozens -- probably hundreds -- of research studies, that showed just how devastating eating a lot of the stuff can be.

Further down in her review, Allison launches into another section with which I beg to differ. She writes:

"There are good carbohydrates that are essential for energy and health. This is a point that Bennett makes, but one that tends to gets lost in the midst of all of the carb-slamming text."

Excuse me? Are we talking about the same book? In fact, Chapter 4 is devoted to explaining in great detail how you need high-quality carbs but not those inferior "culprit carbs." The chapter is even called, "Clearing the Carb Confusion: The Pitfalls of Processed Carbs and the Benefits of Quality Carbs." (You can see the TOC here.)

Allison does at least say:

"Commendably, Bennett does not support cutting out carbohydrates altogether, but instead recommends switching to healthier sources of carbohydrates (think whole grains, fruits, and vegetables).However, after scaring the reader into thinking that sugar is the root of all health problems, the book fails to provide recipes and meal plans and lacks much practical advice on how to avoid "sugar shock."

Wait a minute, I never ever ever say or imply that "sugar is the root of all health problems"!! Now, that's a remark that hits below the belt.But, I concede, another statement of Allison's is qutie accurate.

Getting More Healthy With a Nutrition Coach: Spotlight On Fascinating New York Times Article

Given that I'm not only a journalist but also a certified holistic health counselor -- I studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition -- I was absolutely fascinated by this New York Times article, "Winning the Nutrition Game With the Help of a Coach," from reporter Eilene Zimmerman.

Kudos to Zimmerman for having the insight to tap into a nationwide trend: More are more confused consumers are finding that their health and life improve by getting guidance and support from a nutrition-oriented coach.

The New York Times reporter puts it succinctly. One woman -- who'd unsuccessfully tried Weight Watchers and other approaches -- finally was able to shrink in size from 279 puonds to 128 pounds with the help of a private nutrition coach, who gave her the guidance and support she desired.

Zimmerman observes in her article that folks turn to one-on-one help, because they're motivated by a particular desire -- whether it's to lose weight, manage their diabetes, bring down their high cholesterol levels, handle food allergies, combat fatigue or resolve sleep problems.

In fact, the woman featured in the lead to the Times story -- Mariam NoorzaiI of Camarillo, Calif. -- is quite dedicated to her nutrition coach.

Zimmerman writes:

"Ms. Noorzai finds coaching so crucial to her well-being that she has cut certain luxuries out of her life to afford the several hundred dollars a month for her weekly phone sessions with Mr. Zehetner [her nutrition coach]. 'I stopped going out at night, I don’t get manicures or pedicures, I don’t get my hair cut as often,' she said.

"Thanks to the coaching, `I know now how to make food work for me,' she said. “I’ve introduced myself to new foods and learned where the hidden calories are,' she added. `I know how to better combine foods, like proteins and carbs. What Brian is teaching me is a lifetime skill, not a quick fix. It’s literally changed my life.'”

That's sure is heartening. To think that nutrition coaches nationwide are creating such an amazing impact is absolutely inspiring!

FYI, after attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I realized that I could help people more if I became very specialized in my nutrition coaching. Right now, my focus is to help people break free from their sugar addiction. (People like to call me a "Sugar Liberation Coach.")

In addition, given my hectic schedule promoting my book SUGAR SHOCK! and doing group teleseminar programs, my work one-on-one with people is limited. (I can only work with three people at a time. If you're interested in private, kick-sugar coaching, you can contact me privately.)

Again, make sure to read Eilene Zimmerman's fascinating New York Times article, "Winning the Nutrition Game With the Help of a Coach."

Take Steps to Defeat Diabetes

It's easy to feel disheartened in the face of all the upsetting news out there about diabetes, namely:

• 21 million Americans currently have it.
• It's the fifth leading cause of death due to disease in the U.S.
• Over 80,000 people lose limbs due to diabetes.
• Nearly 10% of American adults currently have it

Rather than feel discouraged, why not step up--or more precisely, Step Out -- and do something about it?

The American Diabetes Association will give you the chance to fight back through its annual Step Out to Fight Diabetes (formerly known as America's Walk for Diabetes), which raises more than $20 million a year to support research, public information campaigns, and to aid those living with the disease.

Residents of the 48 contiguous states will get a chance to start stepping -- two hundred cities from Bangor, Maine to San Diego, California will hold Step Out to Fight Diabetes days in fall 2007. Check here to find dates in your home state or town.

Participating in Step Out to Fight Diabetes won't just make you feel good for raising money for a very worthy cause. It'll also give you the chance to do something good for yourself -- namely, getting exercise by taking a nice walk that will be at least 2.5 miles and as many as 6 miles long, the ADA says, depending on where you choose to hit the pavement.

You don't have to be a speed walker or super-fit athlete to walk for the cause -- anyone can join in, even kids in some locations. And if you can't walk, that's OK -- you can lend your support by sponsoring a walker, recruiting sponsors and volunteers, providing logistical support the day of the event in your hometown, or even cheering on and giving water to walkers along the route. (Click here to find out how).

The ADA's Step Out to Fight Diabetes website includes the inspiring story of walker Sam Zaccari, himself a diabetic, whom the ADA credits with singlehandedly raising an astounding $300,000 since the first walk in 1991. This year, he's already raised $14,000 and he set himself a goal of $27,001, one more dollar than he raised in 2006!

"Just get out there and ask for it," Zaccari says of how he's pulled off this impressive fundraising feat. "You're not going to get it unless you ask for it."

Very inspiring!

From Jennifer Moore