SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Chicken Soup: "Jewish Penicillin" to the Rescue as My Body Clamors to Kill the Lyme Disease

Recently, now that I've been feeling the horrific after-affects of an uninvited, infected tick, which took to me a few weeks ago (not sure where) and gave me this debiliating Lyme disease -- I wrote about it here -- I've been having the strangest food cravings -- for meat and lots of fish.

(My cravings are for grass-fed, antiobiotic-free meat, of course. But my hankerings for meat are quite unique -- this from a woman who, for the last year, only ate the stuff once a month at most, and before that, not for years! Seafood isn't a new love. I reguarly have that, too, and I usually get the best, thanks to Vital Choice.)

But high-quality meat calls out to me big time! First I'm overcome by chicken soup cravings. Just had some for dinner last night and lunch/breakfast (had only one meal due to sleeping sooo much.)

Today, when I whipped out my take-out chicken soup from this fabulous restaurant, I began to wonder. Why the heck would a place -- name withheld -- that sells this fabulous, organic, free-range, antiobiotic-free chicken -- throw in the most digusting, mostly white bread -- you know, the kind that's clearly bereft of quality ingredients?

Makes no sense. Why not toss in an amazing, seven-grain, sugar-free bread instead of this white junk?

Meanwhile, I can't help clamoring for organic red meat. Interestingly, my new meat fling doesn't require huge doses -- usually a very small portion seems to do the trick. (I don't measure but I'd say I have 2 or 3 ounces at a shot.)

OK, a ferocious, hard-to-think-when-it-hits headache is nabbing me and coming on in full swing. (I knew it was too good to be true that I actually felt not half-bad for about an hour, which is why I'm writing now.)

Before I go, I need to credit smart, holistic health counselor Andrea Beaman for alerting me to the fact that I should consume meat and soup with meat stock during this healing-from-Lyme-disease phase.

When she offered this fascinating recommendation, I had this epiphany. I realized: "Oh, so that's why I'm having these strange cravings!"

Thanks, Andrea, for helping me to make sense of these I-gotta-have-meat feelings. By the way, Andrea's one smart cookie, if you'll forgive the expression! Learn more about her now.

Believe it or not, but I'm now exhausted after what, only one hour of work! 

Type 2 Diabetes, Weight Gain & Soft Drinks & Fruit Drinks

Although Jennifer already told you about this new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a sister publication of JAMA, I thought it worthwhile to offer a different take on this important new research.

Given that I need to sleep and rest a lot to recover from Lyme disease, I'm re-posting an item that can be found on my friend, nutritionist Jonny Bowden's blog. Here are his thoughts about the study:

"This [new] study examined the association between type 2 diabetes, weight gain and- get this -- the consumption of soft drinks and fruit drinks. They looked at over 43,000 women over the course of ten years, during which almost 3,000 of the women developed Type ll diabetes.

The findings were disturbing.

The women who drank two or more soft drinks per day had a 24% increase in their risk for diabetes. So far, not too shocking. But here's the kicker: The women who drank two or more fruit drinks per day had a 31% increase in their risk (grapefruit juice and orange juice were not statistically associated with the risk).

This is important. We've been brainwashed into thinking these crummy "fruit drinks" are healthier than sodas, when-- as any reader of this newsletter knows-- they're not.

"Consumption of fruit drinks conveyed as high an increase in risk as did consumption of soft drinks", the researchers wrote. The higher the consumption of soda, fruit juices, fortified fruit drinks and Kool-Aid, the higher the risk.

"The public should be made aware that these drinks are not a healthy alternative to soft drinks with regard to risk of Type ll diabetes", the authors wrote.

In a related study, researchers from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge analyzed blood vitamin C levels and fruit and vegetable intake in over 21,000 people who didn't have diabetes at the beginning of the study. Over 12 years, 735 participants developed diabetes. But the odds of developing diabetes was-- get this- a whopping 62% lower for those who had the highest levels of vitamin C in their system.

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamin C, and in my opinion, it never hurts to take a vitamin C supplement as well.

It's worth pointing out that homemade juice from combinations of vegetables and fruits have an awful lot of potential benefits, especially if they're not too high in sugar. (I'm pretty sure that the study that found increased risk for diabetes from fruit drinks wasn't talking about the kind of juice you make at home with your Vita-Mix.) It's also worth pointing out that an apple is a very different "animal" from a pasteurized apple juice "drink" that is marketed as a healthy alternative to soda. (It's not.)

Thanks to Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. for permission to use his fascinating post. I also invite you to check out Jonny's fascinating books, including his latest, The Healthiest Meals on Earth.

Diabetes: Could Sugar-Sweetened Fruit Juice Raise Your Risk Even More than Soda?

From Jennifer Moore for Connie's SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

A new study suggests that sugar-sweetened fruit juices are absolutely not good alternatives to soda.

Julie Palmer, ScD, M.PH. and her colleagues from Boston University report in the Archives of Internal Medicine that African-American women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened fruit drinks per day had a 31% greater incidence of diabetes than those who consumed less than one a month. (Grapefruit and orange juices, however, weren't linked to greater rates of diabetes amongst study subjects.)

That's probably not news to most people, but this finding might be: African-American women who drank two or more non-diet sodas daily had a 24% greater incidence of diabetes over those who indulged less than once a month. 

Does this mean that as far as diabetes risk goes, most sugar-sweetened fruit drinks are even worse for you than sweetened soda, which is certainly unhealthy in its own right? Or did the juice drinkers in the study consume more juice than the soda drinkers drank soda?

Either way, this is important research to combat claims that fruit juice is healthy, particularly since it's so often marketed that way to kids and their parents. (Click this website from the juice lobby (Juice Products Association) to see what I mean.)

And anyway, if you really prefer your fruits in juice form, why not buy yourself a juicer and make some at home with fresh fruits and no added sugar? Or, better yet, juice some green veggies.

Thanks to Michael Conlon at Reuters for his report on this new study.

Radio Show Summer Schedule: Gab With The Gurus Dishes The Truth About Lyme Disease on Aug. 5 With Panel of Specialists

FYI, Gab With the Gurus Radio Show is taking a summer break. So there's no show today.

But please tune in August 5 at 3 pm Eastern (or listen later) when I present a varietey of experts to discuss lyme disease, one of the fastest spreading infectious diseases in the United States today, with an estimated 200,000-plus new cases each year, according to the CDC.

My guests will be Pamela Weintraub, author of the fabulous new book, Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic; Pat Smith, founder and president of the Lyme Disease Association; and two renowned doctors. (And possibly a filmmaker, too.)

In my incredibly biased opinion, this will be a very important, eye-opening show -- easily one of the most invaluable ones that I've held since starting my radio show a year ago.

I urge you to live to this lyme disease show live or afterwards, at your convenience. Here's the direct URL.

Stay tuned for details.

Now that we're on the subject of Lyme disease, I have a confession to make.

Recently, I've been diagnosed with this disease, which is transmitted by a tick, usually when you're out and about in nature. (I have no idea when or where a tick took to me -- literally -- it could have been while listening to the New York Philharmonic in Central Park; when I was on one of my many bike rides; when I was attending a coach training in the outskirts of Washington, D.C. -- we're just not sure, especially because I manifested no tell-tale rash.)

To be honest, the Lyme disease is why I haven't posted as much recently. My feeling awful at times is why I'm relying more on Jennifer Moore and Gerry Pugliese to help with blog entries. This is my main motive for only having one show in August -- I need time to heal. And this Lyme disease is why I've rearranged my schedule for more down time. It was absolutely imperative that I do so.

The very good news is that my Lyme disease was caught very early, thanks to my amazing friend and nutritionist extraordinaire J.J. Virgin, Ph.D., C.N.S., who, along with another expert, recommended a bunch of supplements for me to take in conjunction with the antibiotics.

Frankly, every day, I'm thanking God! Apparently, I got infected only within that last couple of months. I am soooo sooooo fortunate!

On my radio show on August 5, you'll learn about how people go months or even years without getting a proper diagnosis! I've been learning about many such sad cases.

Back to J.J. Here's how she helped me. We keep in frequent contact, and in one of our calls, I asked for her opinion. I rattled off my confusing ailments, and she made one simple statement that may have saved me months, if not years of untold agony.

J.J. said to me, "Make sure to get a Lyme disease test."

At the time, I didn't even know what Lyme disease was other than the fact that it existed! Anyhow, I owe J.J. sooo much -- I'll probably even dedicate my next book to her.

Suffice it to say that I'm suffering a lot lately, in part due the fact that I'm "herxing" -- i.e., I'm experiencing what's called a Herxheimer reaction where things get worse before they get better.

Right now, as I write, because of the Lyme disease, I'm suffering one of those frequent, persistent, amazingly gripping, crushing, overpowering headaches (gives me new meaning to the word "migraine"), plus excessive fuzziness and brain fog on the brain, a profound and all-encompassing exhaustion, some nausea, achiness and let's not forget (!), major concentration and memory problems. Sad to say, but I'm often talking to people and finding myself saying, "Now, what was I going to say?" These are all typical symptoms of Lyme disease.

Desperately need a nap now. Thanks in advance for your understanding about my posting less and taking more time for me.

Feel free to share your Lyme disease stories here, too.

Also, if you're suffering from some strange symptoms -- excessive fatigue, joint and muscle pains, general malaise, irritability, etc. -- please get checked out! And make sure to listen to the Lyme disease show on August 5.

Cholesterol: Should Kids Take Drugs to Lower It?

We already posted here about this scary trend of giving cholesterol drugs to children and how the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends giving cholesterol-lowering drugs to kids as young as two.

Now, read TIME's compelling story about The Cholesterol Kiddie Debate.

Frankly, I'm appalled by this development. Whatever happened to kids exercising and eating right instead?

More about this topic coming soon.

Exercise More, Two Studies Urge

Researchers determined that those participants who walked for an extra 45 minutes each day burned more fat, thereby increasing their muscle’s ability to store sugar and help control their diabetes.

And another study, this one in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests current exercise guidelines—2.5 hours per week—may not be enough to help keep weight off.

John Jakicic, PhD., an associate professor and chairman of the Department of Health and Physical Activity, and his team at the University of Pittsburgh found that participants in their study benefited from an extra hour of exercise each day. What's more, increased exercise more made it easier for them to commit to a healthy diet.

"There is a growing consensus that more exercise may be necessary to enhance long-term weight loss," Dr. Jakicic told Michael Kahn.

Exercise is like money, you can never get an enough of it! Now, if you’re looking to step up your own workout. Consider taking the 100 Pushup challenge!

From Gerry Pugliese for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

For a lot of people walking is what they do to get them from the couch to the refrigerator, but a new study in the journal of Diabetes Care claims walking a little more each day can help people control their type 2 diabetes.

"People often find the thought of going to the gym quite daunting, but what we've found is that nearly everyone with diabetes is able to become more active through walking," Dr. Michael Trenell, PhD., a Diabetes U.K. R.D. Lawrence Fellow, of Britain's Newcastle University told Michael Kahn of Reuters.

Vitamins & Supplements? Do We Need Them?

Frankly, I'm a fan of vitamins and supplements myself, especially to help bring you back into balance if you have medical problems, but a study last year in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) raises questions about their efficacy and possibly dangers.

At the time, this study provoked fear, intrigue and even criticism, as you can see in these fascinating articles from the BBC, the Organic Consumers Association and Reader's Digest.

This month, the topic came to light again, with "The Vitamin Hoax," a fascinating article by the acclaimed holistic health counselor, Andrea Beaman, C.H.H.C., a former featured contestant on Bravo's "Top Chef" and the host of Wise Up!

Anyhow, Andrea was kind enough to let me post her article here. Here it is.

The Vitamin Hoax

"Recent scientific studies have revealed shocking information about vitamin and mineral supplements. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, antioxidant vitamins increased a person’s risk of dying by up to 16%, The University of Washington found that vitamin E elevated lung cancer risk, and researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that men who took more than one multivitamin daily had higher rates of prostate cancer (1).

Animals in the wild do not need supplements to thrive and neither do humans. We are a part of nature and if we eat wholesome food provided by our environment, it contains all the elements we need in perfect balance (fiber, water, protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, etc.). Our body will use what it needs and naturally discard the waste. As discovered in many studies, overdoses of isolated supplements accumulate in the body and can wreak havoc on our internal system. In the short term supplements may do some good, but in the long term they can cause serious harm. (1)

More Kids Taking Drugs to Combat Obesity-Related Illnesses, Analyses Say

From Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

This SUGAR SHOCK! Blog recently posted on the startling new recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that kids as young as eight be treated with statins to control high cholesterol.

Now, Stephanie Saul of the New York Times tells us of data from three organizations showing that the number of children taking drugs intended for adults is on the rise.

Childhood obesity accounts for much of this unfortunate phenomenon. For example, according to an analysis by Medco Solutions, a pharmacy benefit management firm, the number of American kids taking oral diabetes medications spiked an amazing 150% between 2001 and 2007. (Goodness, that's awful.)

Times reporter Saul also reports that pharmacy benefit management company Express Scripts finds an increase of 15% of drugs to reduce cholesterol and other blood fat levels in children, while health care data company Verispan reveals a 13% increase in high blood pressure drug prescriptions in youth under 19 from 2005 to 2007.

The thought of children taking adult drugs to fight conditions due to obesity both alarms and saddens me. For starters, how do we know that these powerful medications are even safe for such young bodies? Sounds outrageous.

But an anecdote in Saul's story told by Francine Kaufman, M.D., of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles to a recent Senate subcommittee hearing on childhood obesity makes the impulse to resort to such measures more understandable. Dr. Kaufman told the tale of a 13-year-old girl whose weight exploded to 267 pounds.

“To control her high blood sugar level, her high blood pressure, and her high cholesterol, this young girl left my office with five medications,” Dr. Kaufman said, according to Saul.

Dr. Kaufman also said that lifestyle changes are the first line of defense but don't always work; some of her patients live in poor areas without access to healthy foods in grocery stores and many attend schools that don't provide physical education for their students.

This all points out how critical it is that we work our hardest to prevent childhood obesity. This also illustrates how badly we've failed to do that so far. Adults everywhere, from parents up to the highest levels of government need to wake up now, because our kids are paying a very high price for that failure.

SUGAR SHOCK! Blog: More Posts, More Help From Contributors

Wow! There's so much to tell you about -- fascinating studies galore, hot health news, inspiring tidbits and more.

You can come here to access valuable, inspiring, useful, eye-opening information.

My goal is to keep giving you information that empowers you. Which is why I've decided to make a change on this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog.

You see, keeping you up to date requires a lot of work. And I need help to bring you all this great info. So that's why, I'm now relying more on the help of SUGAR SHOCK! Blog posters Jennifer Moore and Gerry Pugliese.

You see, I had to for a number of reasons. 

First off, I need to take more time to rest and recuperate, because I'm dealing with an illness (not caused by sugar but by a tick!), which I'll share more about later. Stay tuned for my radio show on August 5.

Secondly, I need more time to devote to my next book. (More about that later, too, but I'm very excited about it, and it's designed to help many.)

Thirdly, I need to set aside time for my private clients and coaching practice. I'm also finishing up my coaching studies at iPEC, which is quite time consuming.

Fourthly, it's a lot of work to prepare for my Gab With The Gurus Radio Show every week, when I bring you such cutting edge experts as Dr. Mehmet Oz, creativity expert Julia Cameron, The Secret stars Lisa Nichols and Marci Shimoff, etc. (FYI, for the month of August, I'm doing only one show. Know anyone with the skills and talents to be an associate producer on my radio show?)

Anyhow, I want to especially thank Jennifer and Gerry for helping me to bring you great tidbits. Of course, we're all doing the best to ensure the accuracy of what we post, but naturally, we are human.

Dear readers, I do hope you'll continue to enjoy this SUGAR SHOCK! Blog, and we all look forward to your comments and suggestions.

L.A. May Slow Onslaught of Fast Food

Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

The Planning and Land Use Committee of the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a proposal that would keep new fast food places from opening in several neighborhoods in South L.A. for at least a year, according to Molly Hennessy-Fiske of The Los Angeles Times.

It's easy to see why Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents south L.A., proposed the measure. A chart linked to Hennessy-Fiske's article shows that 45% of all restaurants in the South L.A. area are fast food establishments, which is the highest concentration of such places in the city.

What's more, the percentages of south L.A. adults with diabetes and adults who are obese are the highest of all areas in Los Angeles, at 11.7% and 30% respectively, according to a report issued by the city's public health department.

Councilwoman Perry is also working to bring more grocery stores and sit-down restaurants to her area, according a press release on her website.

I imagine some will oppose Perry's idea, because they think it impedes people's freedom to eat as they please.

But she isn't proposing to make it illegal for people to go to McDonald's if they wish, or even to remove any fast food outlets from her district.

She simply wants to provide more choices about where to eat to her constituents, choices that residents of other L.A. residents apparently already have, and choices that will enable people to eat more healthfully.

This proposal must be approved by the entire L.A. city council and signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in order to become law. Clearly South L.A. residents don't need any more fast food joints in their backyard, so I hope the city council and mayor do the right thing and enact this moratorium.

Trans Fat: California Becomes First State To Kick It Out of Restaurants

Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

California has become the first state in the United States to boot trans fat from restaurants and retail baked goods, according to Jennifer Steinhauer of The New York Times.

This means that the 88,000 restaurants in American's most populous state will soon be free of trans fats.

The ban will be phased in gradually; trans fat must disappear from restaurants by 2010 and from baked goods by 2011, according to Steinhauer.

Unfortunately though, processed foods, a major source of trans fat, will be exempt from this new law.

The bill's author was Democratic Assemblyman and former elementary school teacher Tony Mendoza, who decided to push for the ban because of the number of obese children he saw at his school, Steinhauer reports.

Not surprisingly, California's restaurant lobby opposed the measure. The group conceded that trans fats are dangerous, but it was still against the ban.

“Our opposition was philosophical," explained Lara Dunbar, the California Restaurant Association's senior vice president of government affairs. "Banning one product isn’t necessarily the right solution.”

So let me get this straight: The restaurant lobby doesn't dispute research showing the risks trans fat poses, but the group thinks it's right to keep larding up the food because by banning it, you're trumping people's right to health? Absurd.

Thankfully, the government in California ignored this nonsense and took a big step to protect its 36-plus million citizens. I guess it's no surprise that California would enact such a ban with the very fit Arnold Schwarzenegger as its governor.

Kudos to California, and let's hope the other 49 states follow its lead!

And thanks to Jennifer Steinhauer of The New York Times for her report on this great news, which was also covered by the Patrick McGreevy of the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press and Reuters.

Fructose: Small Study Suggests It Turns Into Fat More Readily Than Glucose

From Jennifer Moore for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Evidence that the ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup makes you gain more weight than other sugars continues pouring in.

This time, research in The Journal of Nutrition concludes that fructose stimulates the production of fat in the blood more efficiently than glucose does.

Elizabeth Parks, Ph.D. of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and her team gave six subjects three drinks: one that was 100% glucose, another that was 50% glucose and 50% fructose, and a third that contained 25% fructose and 75% glucose.

They found that levels of triglycerides and lipoproteins in the blood were substantially higher in subjects after they'd had the two fructose drinks than after they consumed the glucose concoction instead.

What's more, Dr. Parks notes that fructose's fat-generating prowess may be actually be greater than the study indicates, because her study used slim, healthy subjects who had been fasting, and the effects of the fructose may be stronger in overweight people, according to UT Southwestern's press release.

Fascinating research. All the more reason for people to try to keep high fructose corn syrup to a minimum. (Of course, if you consume processed foods, it's difficult, given that the stuff is in nearly everything.) Thanks to Tara Parker-Pope of The New York Times for the heads-up.

Jennifer Moore

Type 2 Diabetes: Men, It's Harder to Prevent The Disease

From Gerry Pugliese for Connie Bennett's SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Men and women are different, even when it comes to diabetes risk. A new study in the journal of Diabetes Care claims that men may need to work even harder than women to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Leigh Perreault, M.D., assistant professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Aurora, Colorado, and her team assessed the type 2 diabetes risk of more than 1,100 adults.

According to Reuters, the group of men and women that were placed on an "intensive" regimen of calorie-cutting and exercise were 58 percent less likely to develop diabetes over the next year than the group on standard lifestyle advice.

However, the study did reveal that even though men exercised more and lost more weight than women, men saw no more benefit than women when it came to diabetes risk.

And they say that a woman’s work is never done!

High Fructose Corn Syrup: FDA Says It's Natural

Gerry Pugliese for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

If you milk an ear of corn, high fructose corn syrup comes out. Apparently the Food and Drug Administration believes this to be true, because they’ve announced that HFCS is natural.

The decision, written in a correspondence to the Corn Refiners Association, is a backtrack by the FDA, reports Laura Crowley of Food Navigator-USA.

In April, an FDA regulator stated that HFCS could not be considered “natural” because high fructose corn syrup is manufactured using a synthetic fixing agent, Crowley pointed out.

However, the FDA now says that if the synthetic agents—called glutaraldehyde—do not come into contact with the high-dextrose corn starch, they can be considered natural.

This is a big win for the Corn Refiners Association, but this will undoubtedly confuse consumers.

No matter what you call it, high fructose is not natural. What's more, research shows that it can be quite unhealthy. Need reasons why?

• San Francisco Chronicle: Sugar coated
• The Seattle Times: High-fructose corn syrup fueling obesity epidemic, doctors say
• NBC News: High-fructose corn syrup: sugar on crack?

You can also read about HFCS in Connie's book, SUGAR SHOCK! For instance, she discusses some of the recent, eye-opening studies about it.

Personally, I avoid HFCS like the plague. And if I see it on a food label, I don't buy the stuff.

Gerry Pugliese

Veggies Roll Through Low-Income Neighborhoods

Note from Connie: As it is, I'm relishing the amazing, low-priced kale, squash, baby greens, apricots, plums and other fresh produce (from being a member of a CSA), so it's thrilling to hear that now low-income communities have the same opportunity from a traveling truck. Gerry Pugliese brings you details.

We all love fresh fruits and vegetables, but imagine living somewhere with no place to buy them.

The Associated Press dubs areas like this “food deserts.” These communities find themselves without big supermarket chains selling low-cost fresh food.

This plight faced Mel Williams, for instance. The 66-year-old man with diabetes and heart problems was stuck buying canned foods in his home city of Troy, New York -- that is, until the Veggie Mobile rolled into town.

The Veggie Mobile -- which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary -- is basically a farmers market on wheels. It cruises around, offering fruits and vegetables to upstate New York’s low-income communities and independent senior living centers.

“It makes it possible for families to include these foods in their diet because it's about half the price of what it is in the market," Amy Klein, executive director of the Capital District Community Gardens a nonprofit that operates the Veggie Mobile told the Associated Press.

I love the Veggie Mobile! It’s a great idea and quite innovative. The truck itself is the store.

And prices are fantastic too. In fact, at the Associated Press pointed out:

"When compared to New York Supermarket -- a small grocery in the poor Arbor Hill neighborhood of Albany -- the Veggie Mobile offered dramatic savings, more selection and fresher options. Bananas sold for $0.99 a pound at the supermarket, but went for $0.59 a pound from the Veggie Mobile. Iceberg lettuce was $1 each at the mobile grocery, and $1.99 at the New York Supermarket. Cucumbers sold for $0.89 each at the neighborhood market, but were 3 for $1 from the Veggie Mobile.

"The difference means that poor families cannot only afford and access fresh produce, but can buy more than if they relied on the neighborhood options."

Wouldn't it be nice if neighborhoods all across America soon have their own mobile veggies? Sure beats Chinese takeout!

Gerry Pugliese for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Salt: Too Much, Too Little Can Lead to Problems Galore

We all know too much sugar can cause problems galore. We also know that there's no such thing as too little sugar.

But not so with another white substance.

Apparently, while most people overdose on salt, some under-use the stuff. And that also can trigger health woes, including believe it or not, heart problems.

That's right, apparently not enough of the substance can hurt your heart, something I learned from The Douglass Report.

So, pass the salt, please.

Just joking. The kind of salt I use isn't on most dining room tables. I'm a fan of dulse flakes from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables.

Of course, make sure not to overdo it on the salt, as we warned previously.

Study Finds Link Between Maternal Diabetes and Obesity and Diabetes in Their Kids

From Jennifer Moore

Young people with type 2 diabetes were more likely to have been exposed to diabetes or obesity in utero than their non-diabetic counterparts, a Diabetes Care study finds.

Using 79 diabetic youngsters aged 10 to 22 and a control group of 190 young non-diabetics as their subjects, Dana Dabelea, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of Colorado Denver and colleagues found that  "47.2%... of type 2 diabetes in youth could be attributed to intrauterine exposure to maternal diabetes and obesity."

What does this mean? Pregnant mothers, you need to watch your blood sugar.

Thanks go to Reuters Health for their report on this research.

Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

TV & Food Don't Mix: Kids Eat More While Watching TV, Study Finds

We've heard much anecdotal evidence about how watching TV isn't conducive to being fit and trim, but now a new Canadian study -- hailed as "the first study of its kind" -- suggests that eating in front of the boob tube can cause kids to consume more. Not only that, but apparently watching TV overrides our ability to know when to stop.

"What Television Can Tell Us about Childhood Obesity," a study headed up by University of Toronto nutritionist G. Harvey Anderson, Ph.D., showed that kids who received an extra calorie bump prior to their meal but who did not watch TV ("The Simpsons," by the way) ate the least.

Based on his results, Dr. Anderson this simple suggestion to parents—just turn off the TV during mealtime.

Hurray to Dr. Anderson for buttressing the don't-watch-TV-or-you-could-get-fat argument with bona fide data.

Gerry Pugliese contributed to this report for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog.

However, kids who watched TV consumed an average of 228 extra calories at lunch.

As the study, from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), points out, while 228 more calores "may not seem like much, the effect of such extra calories on a regular basis adds up."

"In effect, mindless television watching produces mindless eating,” Dr. Anderson told Reuters reporter Randall Palmer.

Internet & Weight Gain: Teen Girls on the Web Gain Weight, Study Finds

Note from Connie: Watch out how much time you or your teenagers are on the Internet! That's because an intriguing new study in the July issue of The Journal of Pediatrics found that spending too much time on the internet can cause teenage girls to gain weight. Not only that, but lack of sleep and drinking alcohol led to extra pounds, too, the research found. Uh-oh, better get off my butt now! Gerry Pugliese brings you details.

Researchers link the lack of physical activity associated with surfing the internet as the major explanation for weight gain. They offer HealthDay News this explanation:

"People who are spending more time on Internet, their general activity in daily living is going to be a lot lower than someone who isn't on the computer," said Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S., founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center and associate director of the UPMC Center for Nutrition in Pittsburgh.

Here’s an idea for a solution. Maybe girls -- or even all of us -- should switch to the Trek Desk, which I learned about through the Diet-Blog.

Thanks to Serena Gordon, whose article on HealthDay News, "Surfing to a Higher Weight," tipped us off to the study.

Gerry Pugliese for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog.

The first thing I thought of when I read about this new research about how teens spending time on the Web can gain weight was a telling episode from "South Park World of Warcraft" (hence the picture to your left).

This compelling new study found, upon studying 5,000 teenage girls across the U.S., that those who spent more than 16 hours a week on the Internet were nearly twice as likely to gain weight, even after the researchers considered other factors like sleeping, coffee drinking and alcohol use.

"We found more weight gain—after adjustment for height growth and other factors including physical activity—for females who spent more recreational time on the Internet, for those getting the least sleep, and for those drinking the most alcohol," lead author Catherine S. Berkey, M.A., Sc.D., a biostatistician and lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School's Department of Medicine and research associate at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told HealthDay News.

The teens were surveyed on their Internet use, sleep habits, coffee consumption, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.

"Business Matters" Features Sugar Story

Recently, I was interviewed by leadership innovator Thomas White for his radio show, Business Matters, which which focuses on how businesses are shaping our culture.

The show aired today, and you can listen now to the interview, "The Truth is Sweeter."

FYI, I'm one of two people with whom Thomas chats. The other interviewee is anthropology and economics professor Richard Robbins.