SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

New Year's Resolutions: Is Losing Weight A Top Priority of Yours? Is Kicking or Cutting Back on Sugar A Goal?

If you're like many people, by today, you'll have decided on your New Year's resolutions.

• Is losing weight a priority for you?

• Is kicking or cutting back on sugar and refined carbs one of your goals?

• If so, do you know how to do it?

Because, let me warn you, it can be a real challenge to smash your sugar habit to smithereens.

Back in 1998, I remember trying to figure out how to kick sugar so that all my baffling ailments would disappear.

What followed was one of the most lonely periods of my life, because it's no fun to kick sugar on your own!

But I did ultimately succeed.

And now you get to benefit from what I learned.

Join me for 6 weeks (starting Jan. 22). I will "hold your hand" (figuratively, of course) and guide you in a six-week Stop SUGAR SHOCK! program to help you to break free of your unhealthy habit. 

You see, while conquering my sugar habit and breaking free, I developed a whole bunch of fail-proof techniques. (Since then, numerous experts and my successful clients have shared even more wonderful tips and tactics.)

(In fact, 2008 is a big year for me, because this will be my 10-year anniversary of sugar-free living! Specifically, I kicked on April 15, 1998.)

So what can you do today?

First off, sign up for my 6-week program.

Then, plan to join me on my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show for one of my free, 1-hour, online, interactive "Just Ask Connie" events.

This is your chance to ask your questions about sugar and culprit carbs.

My next special, 1-hour, interactive Stop SUGAR SHOCK! call-in radio show is is Jan. 3 at 4:30 p.m. EST.

I'm thrilled to have a special guest co-host that day.

The amiable nutritionist Leanne Ely, C.N.C. (a.k.a. "The Dinner Diva") -- founder of www.SavingDinner.com and co-host of the popular FlyLady radio show -- will join me in answering your questions.

To listen live to us on Jan. 3 at 4:30 p.m, just visit my home at BlogTalkRadio.

And remember, as you make your New Year's resolutions, I'm here to help you break free of your sugar habit for good.

Join me in my exciting, 6-week program in which I'll personally guide you to sugar liberation.

And I look forward to giving you help and answers to your questions on Jan. 3 at 4:30 p.m. EST.

To ask a question live, just call (646) 716-7312.

Please note that you do NOT need to call in to listen to the show. To join us live or after the fact, just go to to BlogTalkRadio.com and then punch in StopSugarShock.

Resolve to Break Free of Bad Habits in 2008! In 6 Weeks, You Could Be Reborn! -- You Could Shed Excess Pounds, Get More Energy, Lift Your Moods, Boost Your Libido & More In Only 6 Weeks

Here is a special New Year's message I've written just to help you as the new year will start soon. First, I invite you to contemplate this special quote that I found.

"Resolve and thou art free." -- Henry Wadworth Longfellow

Now that the end of the year is here, many people make New Year's resolutions. But, unfortunately, most folks just don't make those goals a reality.

Do you feel aggravated, discouraged and disappointed in yourself, because you've broken more New Year's resolutions than you can remember?

Are you scared to set goals, because you're worried that you just won't pull them off?

But have you had ENOUGH of failing your New Year's resolutions?

Isn't it time to finally WIN and SUCCEED?

Are you ready to take some action to get out of the prison of your own making?

Are you fed up and ready to begin anew?

Are you finally prepared to break free of bad habits such as eating too much sugar, drinking too much coffee and smoking cigarettes?

Impatient to take action against your sugar or other bad habits? Just click here now to learn how to Break Free of Bad Habits.

If you're still with me, I invite you to think about your frustrations, fears and frenzied trips for sugar or other unhealthy "fixes." (Think caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.)

• Are you tired of feeling trapped, controlled and imprisoned by your excess weight, your sugar addiction and other unhealthy, self-destructive habits?

• Do feel despondent, because your weight packs on rather than peels off?

• Do you fret and fear that you'll never conquer your "need" for sugar fixes?

• Are you furious and frustrated enough to want to win in 2008?

Take heart, because 2008, can be the year in which you finally break free. You can dispose and discard your horrible sugar and other habits as you would old, rotten, disgusting food!

I'd be honored if you'd let me be your guide to sever the hold that sugar or other unhealthy habits have over you. Learn now how to Break Free With Me.

Would you like to feel:

• Full of energy, enthusiasm and excitement?

• Happily in control -- and free of a desire or need to get your next sugary snack or other quick "fix"?

• Joyous, proud and self-confident because you passed up (or drastically reduced) sweets the day before?

Get tried-and-true tips and tactics to make your New Year's kick-sugar resolutions a reality.

Take it from me: You can succeed! I should know. I was once hooked on sugar, coffee, cigarettes, nicotine and procrastination -- and besieged by many baffling ailments at the same time. (But that's all history now.)

Give yourself the gift of 6 weeks and I'll help you make your kick-sugar resolutions a reality.

Resolve to break free of bad habits now!

In my fun, 6-week, online, interactive course -- which anyone around the world can join -- you'll discover how to:

• Undertake one simple tactic to kick-start your freedom from addiction to sugar or other bad habits.

• Rely on my simple "7  D's" whenever you crave to resort to old, unhealthy ways.

• Unleash your passion, power and persistence to succeed.

• Use the simple "ABCs" to stick to your New Year's resolutions.

• "Treat yourself" to success.

• Quickly pick yourself up if you happen to slip and "fall down" again.

• And much more.

Resolve to break free of bad habits now!

Whether or not you join my very modest-priced 6-week program, I invite you to participate in one or all three of my upcoming, free, online, interactive events on Jan. 3, 5 and 10.

You can listen live or after the fact at BlogTalkRadio.com/StopSugarShock

To ask questions in advance, simple go to www.JustAskConnie.com.

To ask me questions live on the show, just call (646) 716-7312.

Sugar Addiction: Find the Humor in Your Habit, Thanks to NewsTarget.com

I'm a big fan of relying on your sense of humor to get a proper perspective on your sugar habit.

In fact, I heartily encourage my private clients and members of my Break Free With Connie programs to laugh at their sugar addiction, which could pave the way to type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia.

Chuckling and chortling about your unhealthy attachment to sweets and culprit carbs is a valuable part of the process of letting go.

My creative colleague Mike Adams of NewsTarget.com has a similar mindset about the importance of humor. Check out the clever cartoon about sugar addiction that he conceived, and which artist Dan Berger drew.

In case you're in the dark, this cartoon is a funny take on some research, which reveals that rats, when given the option of drinking sugar water, went completely overboard in their attraction to the sweet substance. (We humans are very much like these sugar-crazed rodents.)

You can learn about this research in my book SUGAR SHOCK! in a chapter entitled, "Proof Pours In: New Studies Show That You Can Become Dependent on Sweets."

Many thanks to NewsTarget.com, which also features many other humorous cartoons.

Midnight Munchies: Are You Trapped In This Horrible Habit?

Today, I'm pleased to present an intriguing article from a fellow classmate at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This is a compelling piece by Amanda Lerner about the snack attack that hits many people at midnight (or thereabouts).

FYI, please note that whenever articles by other people are posted on the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog, their views do not necessarily reflect my views, too. Now, I encourage you to read Amanda's article.

Are you a victim of The Midnight Munchies?
By Amanda Lerner

• Do you find yourself eating mindlessly in front of the tube only to wake up feeling bloated, exhausted, irritable and full of guilt and remorse?
• Does what starts out as a little Snack Attack turn into a full-fledged Battle with the Binge?
• Is your late night splurge preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals?

Then you may be a victim of The Midnight Munchies.

The good news is that you can step out of the victim role and take back the night with a few steps towards self-awareness. But first, let's uncover the true reasons behind this potentially harmful habit so you can break free without feeling deprived.

Did you know that the #1 reason why people tend to overeat at night is not because they're bored, stressed out or single? I'll let you in on a secret.

Bakeless Apple Tart, Courtesy of Natural Health Magazine

Recently, I heard from Maria, a Sugar Kicker, who is thrilled that she's been "totally sugar free and artificial sweetener-free for almost 2 weeks," because she feels "so much better."

Maria then sent me this fabulous recipe for Bakeless Apple Tart, which she found in the December/January issue of Natural Health Magazine.

I thought I'd share this with you, because it sounds so tasty.  Thank you, Natural Health.

FYI, as Maria pointed out, organic fruit and nuts and the finest cinnamon available are recommended.

Recipe serves 8

2 cups walnuts, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups dates, pitted
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1)  In food processor, puree 2 cups walnuts into a fine powder and transfer to large bowl; then finely chop dates and transfer to same bowl.  Kneed walnut powder and chopped dates into a dough, press dough into 9-inch pie plate, and refrigerate overnight.

2)  In a large bowl, mix apple wedges, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice and refrigerate overnight.

3)  The following day, spoon apple filling into pie crust, arranging six apple wedges decoratively on top, and garnish with additional cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

Per serving:  342 calories, 17 g fat (1.5 g saturated). 51 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 5.6 g fiber, 3 mg sodium

I'd love to hear from readers if you tried this recipe and what you thought. Also, please make sure to eat a healthy, balanced meal with plenty of protein before eating this, because dates and raisins that are pretty high in sugar. But dried fruits are a wonderful dish for people phasing out the refined sugar.

Sugar and Sex: How's Your Libido This Holiday Season?

Sugar and sex hormones: Is there a connection?

Making love is on my mind. For a reason other than what you'd think.

You see, I'm worried about couples missing out on fun, because if one or both of you are overloading on sugary foods and quickie carbs this holiday season, you or your beloved partner may lose interest in bedroom action. And that's a bummer.

Did you know that the reason for your low libido could be because of all those quickie carbs mindlessly devoured at all those holiday parties?

But damage from all those sweets and simple carbs -- which most folks overdo on a year-long basis -- could reach far deeper, recent research revealed.

Anyhow, although we've posted about this previously, I wanted to update you again about an eye-opening study that came out recently in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Sugar overloading can actually shut off a gene that helps control estrogen and testosterone levels, according to lead researcher Geoffrey Hammond, Ph.D..

That's pretty scary, don't you think?

If too much estrogen and testosterone are circulating in your body, you're opening yourself up for a host of problems.

For instance, excess sex hormones are linked with infertility, polycystic ovaries, acne and even uterine cancer in overweight women, according to this press release from the Child and Family Research Institute.

Alan Levy, CEO & Co-Founder of BlogTalkRadio.com, Tells You How to Become A Radio Host & Shares Exciting Facts About This Growing, Innovative Social Platform

Wanna learn how to be a radio host?

Wanna learn about one of the hottest, most exciting things happening on the Internet today -- well, at least in my opinion?

Listen to Alan Levy, CEO and co-founder of the famous BlogTalkRadio.com, who I had the pleasure of interviewing today for my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show, which is hosted on BlogTalkRadio.

In our chat, Alan talks about how the idea for this innovative virtual platform grew in spring 2006, while he was coping with his father's tragic illness. To keep family and friends up to date, he first launched a wonderful blog in his father's honor -- a site his dad thought was pretty cool!

Then, before his dad passed away, the father and son held discussions about Alan's idea to develop an online venue for bloggers to chat with their fans. Hence, in September 2006, BlogTalkRadio.com was born, thanks to Alan and his partner Bob Charish.

In our interview, Alan tells you some amazing facts about this exciting, rapidly growing social networking online platform, of which I'm proud to be a part.

For instance, to date, there are 4,000 of us radio hosts (including yours truly), and we've given a whopping 42,000 shows.

And people are tuning in quite a bit. For instance, BlogTalkRadio had a whopping 1.7 million listeners in November! What's more, we've brought in some stellar guests -- folks like Dr. Mehmet Oz (I hosted him), Oliver Stone

Listen now to today's show with BlogTalkRadio founder Alan Levy.

Organic Foods Really Are Better for You, Study Finds

If you think organic foods are a waste of time, a landmark, four-year European Union study may convince you to change your mind.

Eating organic produce is not only more nutritious than conventionally grown fruits and veggies, but organic foods may even help you to live longer, researchers from the European Union discovered.

Special thanks to nutritionist Liz Lipski, Ph.D., founder of the innovative Access to Health Experts program for alerting us to this exciting study.

As Liz and the Sunday Times pointed out, the European researchers learned that the:

• Organic fruits and vegetables contained up to 40% more antioxidants.
• Organic produce had higher levels of iron and zinc.
• Milk from organic herds contained up to 90% more antioxidants.

Interestingly, as Access to Health Experts and Sunday Times inform us, Professor Carlo Leifert, or Newcastle University -- who coordinated this landmark project -- said that the differences were so marked that organic produce would help to increase the nutrient intake of people not eating the recommended five portions a day of fruit and vegetables.

"If you have just 20% more antioxidants and you can't get your kids to do five a day, then you might just be okay with four a day," he said.

FlyLady & I Answered Your Questions in First Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Call-In Show -- Listen Now

Today marked a first for the Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show.

With the help of the inspiring, popular Marla Cilley (a.k.a. FlyLady), I hosted the first live, question-and-answer hour on BlogTalkRadio.com. (This is the innovative site, where both FlyLady and I host our radio shows.)

What a blast! We answered questions from Charles, Angela, Joanne, Cindy, Angie, Adriana, Wanda and others.

In fact, the show was popular that by popular demand, another "Just Ask Us" radio show will take place Thursday, Jan. 3 from 3 to 4 pm EST.

(I'm thinking that it would be really fun to have rotating co-hosts so I'll let you know shortly who the "us" will be next time. I'm waiting to hear back from another wonderful expert.)

Anyhow, save the date: On Thursday, Jan. 3, we'll have another Just Ask Us show.

Also, save the date for Sat., Jan. 5 at 10 am, when I give a free, one-hour, live, online seminar on BlogTalkRadio.com to help educate you about sugar's dangers and inspire you to make changes this coming year.

Sugar Addicts: Ask Questions & Get Answers Today from "FlyLady" and Me

Just a friendly reminder.

 

Today at 3 pm EST, both "FlyLady" (Marla) and I will answer your questions about sugar and getting organized for the holidays on my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show.

 

Here are more details for the show.

 

Call us between 3 pm EST and 4 pm EST at (646) 716-7312

 

Hope to "see you" soon!

"Holiday Cookies" for Your Bath & Your Bod, Not Your Stomach

My friend Marilee Tolen, the Home Spa Lady, just sent her e-zine subscribers an amusing recipe for holiday cookies.

Yes, I said, amusing!

That's because you don't eat these holiday cookies and run the risk of packing on the pounds.

Heck, these cookies don't even contain any sugar.

Instead, you bathe with these captivating cookies.

You got me right: You get into your bathtub with cookies!

Here, then, is Marilee's recipe for "Holiday Bath Cookies."

NewsTarget's Editor Mike Adams and Nutritionist Jonny Bowden Featured on Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio

Have you heard today's Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show? Today, my guests were Mike Adams, editor of NewsTarget.com and renowned nutritionist Jonny Bowden.

We had a great time chatting about the misleading term, "all natural"; how we came to become so fervent about nutrition and nutrition education; the importance of reading food labels; and much more.

Listen now to today's Stop SUGAR SHOCK! show.

Seventy-five percent of American Adults Will Be Overweight by 2015, Study Finds

Note from Connie: As if it wasn't bad enough! By the year 2015, a whopping 75% of American adults and nearly a quarter of American kids will be overweight or obese, according to an alarming study from researchers at the Center for Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Jennifer Moore brings you more info.

The research team drew this frightening conclusion through a meta-analysis of four national surveys and 20 studies. They discovered that the proportion of overweight or obese people has grown by an average of 0.3 to 0.8 percentage points since the 1960s. 

Back then, only 13% of the population was obese. In 2004, that number had shot up to 32%, and by 2015, it will have skyrocketed to 41%, these researchers predict.

Lead researcher Youfa Wang, M.D., Ph.D. rightly sounds alarmed about this trend.

"Obesity is a public health crisis," Dr. Wang said in a press release from the Center for Human Nutrition.

Study co-author May A. Beydoun, a Johns Hopkins postdoctoral fellow in the School of Public Health's Department of International Health, sounds an even more ominous note.

She says that if nothing is done to slow down the rate of obesity, "it will soon become the leading preventable cause of death in the United States."

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Takes the Lead: Urges Retailers To Charge Extra for HFCS-Sweetened Soda

Hurrah to trim, health-minded San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom for taking a stand against soda by proposing a controversial idea to charge major retailers a fee when they sell high fructose corn syrup-laden soft drinks.

Mayor Newsom is singling out sugary soda to help combat obesity among the residents of San Francisco, given the growing body of evidence, which blames HCFS-laden soft drinks for helping to pack pounds on Americans.

This proposal is being hailed as the first in the nation.

But, as reporters Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross point out in their popular San Francisco Chronicle column, this tax-on-soda idea "has been roiling around in health circles for some time," even with backing from the American Medical Association.

In making his announcement, Mayor Newsom reportedly said: "The bottom line is that there is a direct nexus between high-fructose corn syrup drinks like colas and Big Gulps and obesity among schoolkids."

"Beverages sweetened by high-fructose corn syrup are standing in the way of our efforts to combat obesity," Newsom said in a press release. "With all of the mounting evidence showing that children are increasingly at risk for poor health because of these drinks, it's time for us to explore every avenue and examine every innovative idea, in the hopes of making obesity a thing of the past."

This move to tax soda was bound to happen at some point, given the increasing amount of talk and research linking Americans' consumption of sugar-filled soda with our obesity crisis.

And what better place for this to happen than in forward-thinking San Francisco? In fact, savvy San Francisco Chronicle journalist Kim Severson outlined the HFCS problem back in 2004.

What's more, Mayor Newsom wants this fee -- not a "tax," according to columnists Matier and Ross -- to help fund the comprehensive anti-obesity initiative "Shape Up San Francisco."

In addition, as the Chronicle's Matier and Ross point out, Mayor Newsom wants additional funds allocated to media campaigns to discourage soda use. (Now that's a cool idea! This sure sounds like what the cigarette companies are now doing. You can learn more about how some see Big Sugar as the next Big Tobacco in my book SUGAR SHOCK!)

'Tis the Season for Less is More & More Is Less

Many former classmates and fellow graduates of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition are doing some very exciting things, and I'm on many of their mailing lists. Today, I received some wonderful tips, courtesy of Tonja H. Ward of Ward Wellness. I just had to share these "Less is More..." tips with you.

'Tis the Season Where Less is More and More is Less!!

Here are 10 easy tips to make More of your holiday season with Less and find ways to do Less with More!

Less is more:

1. Less is More when it comes to holiday food. Don't let your eyes get bigger than your stomach.

2. Starting out with Less food for your first helping leaves More room to take seconds without overeating.

3. Less shopping and More kind acts of service will increase your joy and the beneficiaries' joy as well.

4.  Less sitting at the table and More dancing will keep you physically active.

NewsTarget.com Editor Mike Adams is Guest on Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show

My guest on Tuesday's Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show is Mike Adams, a.k.a. "The Health Ranger," the editor of NewsTarget, an innovative website, that aims to provide journalistically independent stories that empower you.

During the Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show interview, Mike and I will chat about some of his pet peeves such as deceptive, "all natural" claims on food food labels (which you can read about here and here), hydrogenated oils, the FDA position on stevia, microwave ovens and the FDA's plans to remove remove labelling requirements for irradiated foods.

If you look around the content-rich NewsTarget.com, which Mike edits, you'll find a plethora of fascinating articles such as this one about of how phosporic acid -- found in soda -- is nearly as damaging to teeth as battery acid and another about a study showing that nutritionally unaware Americans are drinking soda for breakfast.

At NewsTarget.com, you'll also get a chance to read free reports, complimentary newsletters, innovative cartoons and  Mike's opinion pieces such as this one about animals are smarter than humans when it comes to feeding their offspring.

NewTarget.com also features quirky stories such as this one about six online videos you just gotta see: Albino deer, stupid hunters and a hip hop parrot.

Oh, wait. You also have to see Mike's Mystery Meat photographic expose. (Get ready to be grossed out.)

Catch my interview with Mike Adams on Tuesday at 3 pm EST. Remember, if you can't catch our interview live, you'll be able to listen afterwards at whatever time works best for you.

BlogTalkRadio.com Founder & CEO Alan Levy Joins Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio on Thursday

On Thursday, at 1 p.m. EST on the Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show, you'll have a chance to hear Alan Levy, CEO and co-founder of BlogTalkRadio.com, the groundbreaking social-broadcasting Internet platform that allows thousands of us to happily, easily, painlessly host radio shows on the Web.

It will be very exciting to hear Alan chat about how he conceived of the idea for this "democratized environment" (his words), which allows 3,000 hosts to broadcast live, call-in shows online.

Alan also will share about how he founded this unique platform in August 2006 with Bob Charish while mourning for his father's passing.

Meanwhile, Alan -- who hosts the popular Alan Levy Show -- will tell you would-be radio hosts out there that you don't have to be someone like Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern to be a host on BlogTalkRadio.

All you need to have a radio show, he says, is "just... a phone and a vision." BlogTalkRadio, he says, lets you be "be a citizen journalist" who speaks "what’s on your mind."

Tune in Thursday to the Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show to hear CEO/founder Alan Levy chat about the amazing BlogTalkRadio.com and how he envisions it becoming "the largest social broadcasting platform in existence."

By the way, if you just look all around the Internet, and you'll find all kinds of stories about BlogTalkRadio.com and about Alan.

For instance, here's one article about how bloggers are becoming radio hosts. Here's another about how anyone can be a radio DJ.

Hope you join us Thursday -- or at least afterwards, at your convenience. 

Sugar Addict? Get Your Questions Answered Live Wed., Dec. 19 on my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio.com

Do you have questions about kicking sugar?

I'm here to help, especially since this time of year poses special sugar challenges.

On Wed., Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. EST., I will take your questions live during a special, one-hour Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio.com.

If you need help to kick sugar or confront your sugar habit, just call (646) 716-7312 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST.

I will try my best to live up to my nickname as the "Sugar Sleuth" while answering your questions about how to lick your sugar addiction, how to successfully face holiday temptations, how to deal with your sugar-loving family members, what to do first and more.

Join me Wednesday. Remember, all you need to do is call (646) 716-7312 between 3 and 4 p.m. EST.

Learn more here about the "Just Ask Connie" one-hour special. Now click here to get details about my other radio shows, too.

Next week, I'm doing another show, too. On Tues., Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. EST, I'll interview Mike Adams, editor of the popular website, NewsTarget.com, about confusing label claims such as "all natural."

Remember, you can ask questions live on Wed., Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. by calling (646) 716-7312.

Please spread the word!

Please note: This call-in show came about in this way. Firstly, for years, people have been besieging me with questions via e-mail and whenever they meet me in person.

Secondly, Marla Cilley ("FlyLady") -- who hosts her own wildly popular FlyLady, call-in radio show with Leanne Ely, also on BlogTalkRadio.com -- recommended that I host such a live, call-in show. Thanks, Marla!

By the way, it's fun to host a show at BlogTalkRadio.com. What's more, it's becoming quite the happening place, with the audience quickly growing all the time -- the site had over 1.7 million listeners in the month of November.

Britney Spears: Could Her Behavior Be Caused By Her Sugar Addiction?

Back in mid-March, I wondered here, on this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog, if Britney Spears is a sugar addict.

I asked: "Might drugs, sugar or alcohol have triggered erratic, unpredictable behavior in her such as when the pop star shaved off her gorgeous locks on Feb. 16?"

Interestingly, yesterday -- nine months after I speculated that Britney had a sugar problem -- Access Hollywood raised the same issue, even  quoting an expert, who expressed horror about Britney's "toxic diet" and her bizarre behavior such as attacking a car with an umbrella.

“She’s a person who’s completely addicted to sugar," Dr. Timothy Brantley told Access Hollywood.

"This is like heroin for a junkie. She’s literally on a roller coaster to hell,” added Dr. Brantley, who educates people on the power of food.

“Caffeine and sugar in this drink will drive your blood sugars and hormones crazy and it can effect your mood for hours,” Dr. Brantley said of a Frappuccino.

Special thanks to my friend Donna Sonkin, a holistic health counselor and founder of "Get Thin for the Camera," for tipping me off to this Access Hollywood story, which she read about on celebitchy.

Chocolate Addicts in Los Angeles: New Reality TV Show Wants To Help You

Calling chocoholics (chocolate addicts) based in Los Angeles.

Please help me to help you -- and to help a major new TV show.

Please help this sure-to-be-hot reality TV show find some L.A.-based chocolate addicts.

If you're a chocolate addict living in L.A.,, this is your big chance to get help on TV from a hot new reality TV show from the company that worked on "The Biggest Loser."

Even if you you do NOT live in L.A. yourself but you know some chocolate addicts living there, PLEASE help me to spread the word to your friends, relatives, co-workers in other offices, etc.

Please spread the word via e-mail, blog or phone to your chocolate-addict friends/relatives, who could get helped on national TV by none other than the world's leading hypnotist Paul McKenna.

Paul -- who's huge in the U.K. -- will teach you his unique, acclaimed mental approach.

Please act NOW if you qualify. (Read on for details.)