SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Facebook Disabled My Account: Too Friendly too Fast?

Facebook has disabled both my account, www.Facebook.com/ConnieBennett, and my public page, www.Facebook.com/SmartHabitsFans.

(Although I can't post to the latter fan page, I believe you can still join and post comments to previous posts.)

Suffice it to say that I was quite disappointed upon being told:

Your account has been disabled by an administrator. If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page here.

I finally discovered the error of my ways -- my "violation" after carefully reviewing Facebook's Warnings.

I also absorbed such helpful blog posts as "13 Reasons Your Facebook Acount Will be Disabled" from Thor Muller of Get Satisfaction and "Facebook Account Deactivation -- Can It Be Avoided" from Facebook guru Mari Smith.

Apparently, my offense was this: I wrote too quickly to people who'd requested to be my friends before accepting them. At the same time, I did what thought was a smart time-saving move -- I simply cut and pasted innocuous messages such as "Wow! Lots of friends in common. Look forward to your posts."

To put on my playful attitude (you have to in a case like this!), a fun way to describe my Facebook violation is this: I was too friendly too fast for Facebook! That, combined with cutting and pasting messages, was interpreted as being potentially "annoying or abusive."

As best as I can guess, Facebook erroneously assumed that I was a spamming machine instead of a health-oriented, flesh-and-blood lady, who often encourages people to get on the social networking site, which had 250 million followers as of July 15, 2009, according to CEO/founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebook, I've now learned, limits the number of times a user can send the same message or make the same post. (I've learned my lesson! So much for saving time!)

Clearly, Facebook needs to set limits to protect users from spam, but unfortunately in its zeal to do so, many of us innocents are wrongly tossed out of the site. If you're on Facebook, I would strongly advise reading all of Rights & Responsibilities so you don't suffer similarly. Anyhow, I hope to be back on Facebook soon to connect with you, but in the meantime, here's what I discovered about the unsettling experience of being booted off the social networking place to be.

Every day, about 6,000 people are banned for a variety of reasons, according a site that helps people, whose accounts have been disabled. (The Facebook Disabled site is not affiliated with Facebook.)

Although I can't vouch for these figures (trying to reach a Facebook rep to ask questions for a story), if you get on Google to do a search for "Facebook account disabled," you turn up a whopping 38,100,000 hits (as of today).

Among those who've been disabled are the renowned Internet marketers/social media gurus/authors Robert Scoble (to your left here) and Guy Kawasaki (above left), as well as actress Lindsay Lohan, who vented about her mistaken identity on MySpace.

You also can read about the travails of Jo-Anne Vandermeulen, author of Conquer All Obstacles, and artist Alyson B. Stanfield, author of I'd Rather Be in the Studio, as well as reporter Craig Daitch of Advertising Age.

Meanwhile, you can get enlightened by Computer World,  ("Disgruntled Facebook Users Look to Get Disabled Accounts Reactivated"). In addition, you can learn from the articles on TechCrunch "Facebook-Stirring Up Anger for Disabling Accounts") and the Sydney Morning Herald ("Facebook-Giveth, Facebook Taketh Away.")

Moving over to YouTube, you can watch Dark Angel, whose account was shut down twice because he wasn't using his real name, according to Facebook, that is. (He had his name legally changed.) You can even watch a parody from Internet strategist  Erin Blaskie. (See video below.)

Despite my challenges of being disabled, I'm still a huge fan of Facebook, which is why I invite you to still be active on it but be careful. Listen now to my radio show about Facebook with the following experts:

• Jesse Stay, CEO of SocialToo.com and co-author, I'm on Facebook--Now What?; 
• Mari Smith, dubbed the "Pied Piper" of Facebook by FastCompany.com. Also, the writer of the WhyFacebook.com; 
• Greg Atwan, author of The Facebook Book;
• Karel Baloun, author of Inside Facebook: Life, Work and Visions of Greatness;
• Shashi Bellamkonda; social media swami;
• Shama Hyder, founder of Click to Client; and
• Mona Nomura, which readwriteweb.com described as a "big influencer in social media."

Special thanks to Karel (left), a former Facebook engineeer, for being so nice to me since my account was disabled. Greg was also helpful.

Stay tuned for an upcoming Gab With the Gurus Radio Show -- date is being determined -- that will teach you about Facebook's rules and regulations and help you avoid my fate and NOT to be disabled from the site.

But first listen to the fun Facebook radio show with all the experts cited above. Meanwhile, if you're a journalist, here's another great radio show about Facebook with Sree Sreenivasan, Dean of Student Affairs and Columbia University digital media professor.

Now, get entertained by Erin Blaskie's parody, "I was Banned From Facebook -- Game Show Parody."

Artificial Sweeteners: Do We Need Yet Another Fake Sugar Product?

Aren't there enough artificial sweeteners already on the market to potentially harm you?

Now Ajinomoto is seeking FDA approval for Advantame, a new sweetener that's derived from the same amino acids as aspartame and vanillin.

Oh goodness, why do we need another aspartame-like sweetener?

Before you ingest ANY aspartame or aspartame look-alike, I urge you to do some research.

Find out about its 92 reported side effects of aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure).

Read about aspartame's controversial approval process.

Find out how one health authority calls it the most dangerous substance on the market today.

Learn about angry people, who claim aspartame is poison.

Are you one of those dependent on artificial sweeteners? Tell us why you use this stuff. Would you like to break free?

By the way, for much of this week, I've been suffering from an awful reaction to mannitol, which was apparently slipped into a supplement I've been taking. Unfortunately, it took sleuthing on my part to figure out why I'd been so sick (severe, doubled-over-in-pain cramps; running to you-know-where often; bloating; etc.)

I'm so angry! Why would a company (or companies) sneakily add an artificial sweetener into its supplement? Although I'm a lot better, I'm still having some issues and trying to figure out which producdt is not listing its sugar alchol content. I suspect that mannitol or another sugar alcohol is included in another of my supplements but, unfortunately, it's not labeled!

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.

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

Diet Soda Danger: Chicago Tribune Cites SUGAR SHOCK!

Thanks to Chicago Tribune columnist Julie Deardorff for drawing attention in Sunday's paper (March 9, 2008) to the dangers of diet soda and offering some valuable tips to people on how to kick the beverage.

Her much-needed column, "Stop! Don't Reach for that Diet Soda," also included some quotes and remarks from me.

Bear in mind, as I also mentioned to Julie for this companion piece, artifically sweetened foods and drinks can be just as dangerous as sugar, and recent research -- which I've written about here previously -- shows that these "diet substances" can actually trigger carb cravings and weight gain.

So if you're going to cut out or phase back on sugar and refined carbs, it can be quite counter-productive to then swap sugar for diet foods and drinks. Rather, it can be more helpful to get in touch with your true taste buds.

"Diet Foods & Drinks" With Artificial Sweeteners: Can They Make You Gain Rather Than Lose Weight? Another Study Says Yes

Yet another medical study suggests that "diet" drinks and foods just aren't an effective weight loss tool.

More specifically, this new study --  from researchers at Purdue University -- reveal that artificially sweetened foods may make you gain -- rather than lose -- weight. What's more, you could pack on body fat to boot.

Not only that, but these fake sugar substitutes many cause more weight gain than sugar.

Pretty compelling findings, right?

But don't take this as license to ditch the sugar substitutes and go for the sugar instead. (As readers of SUGAR SHOCK! know, I'm not a fan of large quantities of sugar or artificial sweeteners.)

The new study -- which can be read in the current issue of the American Psychological Association's Behavioral Neuroscience -- found that rats fed yogurt sweetened with the artificial sweetener saccharin gained body weight and body fat.

In fact, the researchers conclude their data indicate that "consumption of products containing artificial sweeteners may lead to increased body weight and obesity by interfering with fundamental homeostatic, physiological processes."

This isn't the first time we've heard such artificial-sweeteners-can-make-you-gain-weight conclusions from study co-authors Susan E. Swithers, Ph.D., an associate professor, and Terry Davidson, a professor, both in the psychological services department at Purdue University.

Back in April 2004, in a paper called, "A Pavlovian Approach to the Problem of Obesity," which appeared in the International Journal of Obesity -- she and colleague Terry Davidson discussed two more studies showing that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body's natural ability to "count" calories based on foods' sweetness.

Interestingly, these studies rely on the idea that like Pavlov's dogs, which salivated at the sound of a bell (because they expected food even if none was in sight), these rats fed artificial sweeteners tend to anticipate lots of calories when they taste something sweet.

So, with the new study, when the rats ate saccharin-sweetened food containing no calories, the rats ate more and gained weight nonetheless.

"The animals that had the artificial sweetener appear to have a different anticipatory response," Dr. Swithers told Alice Park of TIME magazine.

National School Lunch Week

Our nutrition-savvy friends at Better School Food, which is run by the hard-working Dr. Susan Rubin, inform us that this is National School Lunch Week (from Oct. 15 to 29).

Basically, National School Lunch Week is an initiative sponsored by the School Nutrition Association, which, as you can learn here, is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members providing high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country.

Wondering how you can help out? Just join Dr. Rubin (one of Two Angry Moms), as well as other health-food supporters for a "Lunch-In" and take take your child to lunch in the school cafeteria.

Sugarfree Doesn't Mean Safe or Healthy: The Myth About Artificially Sweetened Candies, Cookies, Drinks, Etc.

Granted, I'm alarmed about the dangers of sugars and refined carbs and how the typical American's over consumption of them can lead to a host of ailments, including heart disease, cancer, depression and early aging, but why do companies and people automatically assume that chemically produced, made-in-the-lab, "fake" sweeteners are any better than sugar?

Please, folks, research the subject before you inject foods with Splenda, aspartame, ace-K, sugar alcohols, etc. up. Bear in mind that these products don't come from Mother Nature -- they're made in a lab.

If you're thinking about kicking or cutting back on sugar and refined carbs and want to replace them with artificial sweeteners, please read the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) section of my book SUGAR SHOCK! first, where I answer popular queries about artificial sweeteners, thanks to the help of several artificial sweeteners experts and medical studies.

Kids' Diet Foods Do More Harm Than Good, Study Shows

Note from Connie: Parents, watch out, if you give your young children diet foods and beverages, you just might just be pre-programming them for later obesity. Those are the findings of a study from Canadian researchers at the University of Alberta. Consuming these low-calorie replacements for more calorie-rich foods may interfere with a child’s ability to make connections between the taste of a food and its calorie content. Karen updates you about this study.

After researchers led by sociologist W. David Pierce, Ph.D., gave both lean and genetically obese juvenile  (4-weeks-old) rats low-cal versions of foods and drinks for 16 days, they found that the rats proceeded to overeat when given regular-calorie versions of the same foods, according to their article published in Obesity.

One Or More Soft Drinks Linked to Metabolic Syndrome, Study Finds

The evidence against soda -- both high-fructose corn-syrup filled and artifically sweetened -- keeps mounting.

Today, yet another study, which appeared appeared online in this month's Circulation, revealed that middle-aged people adults one or more soft drinks -- whether sugar-filled or "diet" drinks -- have a higher prevalence and incidence of multiple metabolic risk factors, AP and CBS reported.

The biggest surprise to researchers was that drinking diet sodas could have that kind of health-harming effect, too.

The study's senior author, Vasan Ramachandran, M.D., D.M., told CBS that the findings don't show diet sodas are a cause of increased heart disease risks, but he said they show a surprising link that must be studied.

Although the president of the soda industry's trade organization, the American Beverage Association, pooh-poohed the fact that diet soda could be linked to weight gain, this concept actually is nothing new, and I've written several times previously, including here and here, about this "paradoxical weight gain" effect.

For the study, researchers looked at 9,000 middle-aged men and women, who are part of the massive, multi-generational heart study following residents of Framingham, Mass., a town about 25 miles west of Boston.

Watch the CBS news video with Dr. Jon LaPook.

Speaking of CBS, are you aware of the fabulous CBS News Sunday Morning story, "Americans May Be Too Sweet on Sugar," for which I was interviewed a month ago?

Cancer Prevention Study Urges Immediate Review of Aspartame Safety

Note from Connie: Oh goodness, here comes the latest in a number of studies suggesting that aspartame could be dangerous. As I mention in my book SUGAR SHOCK!, in spite of the fact that experts insist the artificial sweetener is safe, more than 10,000 complaints flooded the FDA, reporting 92 different symptoms. Now, here's Karen's item on this new, alarming study.

Aspartame caused dose-related increases of lymphomas, leukemias and breast cancer in rats when ingested at levels approaching "acceptable daily intake" for humans, according to a study conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF) and recently reported on by NewsTarget.com.

The study, "Lifespan Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning During Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats," confirmed earlier findings by the non-profit cancer prevention organization that identified the artificial sweetener as a carcinogen and demonstrated that those effects increased when lifespan exposure began during fetal life.

Groups of male and female rats ingested aspartame with their feed at concentrations of 2,000, 400 or zero parts per million from their twelfth day of fetal life until natural death. Among the results:

• 31.4 percent of female rats and 17.1 percent of male rats that received aspartame at a concentration of 2,000 ppm developed lymphomas or leukemias.
• 12.6 percent of female rats and 9.5 percent of male rats that received no aspartame developed lymphomas or leukemias.
• 15.7 percent of female rats and 2.9 percent of male rats that received aspartame at a concentration of 2,000 ppm developed breast cancer.
• 5.3 percent of female rats and zero male rats that did not receive aspartame developed breast cancer.

The report appeared online earlier this month in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences journal Environmental Health Perspectives and issued a chilling conclusion:

"On the basis of the present findings, we believe that a review of the current regulations governing the use of aspartame cannot be delayed. This review is particularly urgent with regard to aspartame-containing beverages, heavily consumed by children."

By Karen James for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Dogs Ingesting Xylitol Could Get Sick or Even Die

Increased demand for Xylitol-containing sugar-free gum for humans is leading to an increasing number of pet deaths, according to an article in Confectionerynews.com.

Reportedly, dogs who ingest the sugar substitute Xylitol could develop hypoglycemia, which could trigger loss of coordination, seizures, liver damage, and in serious cases, jaundice and the breakdown of red blood cells. 

Xylitol, which Connie discusses in her book SUGAR SHOCK! -- is often used in chewing gum, as well as candy, baked goods and toothpaste.

The dilemma is that even a small amount of xylitol can be fatal for pets, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports. According to a Chicago Tribune report, less than 0.1 gram per kilogram of body weight can cause symptoms. 

In 2005, the APCC managed 170 cases involving xylitol-containing products, up from 70 in 2004, the center noted in a press release last year.

Humans with dogs, sounds like you best steer clear of xylitol for the sake of your pets!

From Althea Chang for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Equal Blasts Rival Splenda In Court Disputing Its "Made-From-Sugar" Claims

The artificial sweetener wars are now being duked out in the courts.

"In one corner is the artificial sweetener in the blue packet, Equal; in the other is its best-selling rival in the yellow packet, Splenda," New York Times reporter Lynnley Browning aptly explained.

Essentially, Merisant, makers of Equal and NutraSweet are pouncing on Splenda’s heavily marketed tagline “Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." This is a claim that Equal denounces as an “urban myth” on its Web site.

Anyhow, now Merisant has to convince a jury that McNeil Nutritionals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, has been misleading consumers by claiming in TV and print ads, as well as labeling, that Splenda contains sugar, Associated Press writer Maryclaire Dale reported after Tuesday's proceedings, the first day in court.

Interestingly, the lawyer for McNeil [Splenda] insisted that rival Merisant filed suit in 2004 simply because Splenda -- which was introduced seven years ago -- outsells Equal about 4-to-1. "Now... Merisant wants to blame its misfortunes on false advertising," McNeil attorney Steven Zalesin claimed.

McNeil (Splenda) attorney Zalesin made another very telling remark, too -- that no sugar substitute advertises itself as an artificial sweetener, the AP reported. The lawayer also revealed that marketers all use what he called "code" language, such as the term "no-calorie sweetener." (Clearly, they don't want us consumers to realize that chemicals galore are used to create these products.)

To see the truth as the artificial companies themselves present it, you can go to Equal's website or that of rival Splenda.

But before you believe their stories, please check out my book SUGAR SHOCK!, where you can get all kinds of questions answered about artificial sweeteners. In fact, I went to several experts to get their take and their observations are quite enlightening.

Author (Not I) Talks About Her Sugar Addiction & How Americans Need to Get Savvy to Its Dangers

Cool, I just found another author who's also working hard to get the message out about sugar's dangers! (Thank you Google, for your fabulous alerts! What would I do without them?)

...So I just learned about Denise Martin, author of 2005 book, Eating My Way to Heaven (Book Publishers Network), who had some pretty provocative things to say about the sweet white substance.

Darn, this could have been me making these remarks, which I found in the online edition of Black Star News.

Here's a brief section of the article, entitled, "Sugar's Health Perils":

"What people need to know is just how destructive refined sugar can be to our mind, body and spirit," explains Martin, author of "Eating My Way to Heaven" (Book Publishers Network, 2005). "For me, and many others around the country, sugar addiction started at a young age. Well-intended parents reward children with sugary snacks, turning a biochemically harmful substance into a comfort food. Then, when we hit a bump in life we turn to our favorite substance – a sugar treat!"

Hurrah to you, Denise, for speaking out! You and I need to meet and work together! No question about it!

As you read this article, it gets even more interesting. The Syndicated News piece (non-bylined, or I'd give credit), continues: "She co-founded the first Sugar Detox Center in the country, working with people diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, diabetes and even Autism!"

Wow! A sugar detox center? I have to learn more about this! I have to get involved! Right away!

And Denise even (yes, I have to use her first name -- we're clearly kindred souls), as the article says, "took her message on a 2100-mile hitchhiking journey to tell it to Oprah."

I'm trying to dig up Denise's information and contact her right now!       

Oh, before I forget, the article low balls the amount of sugar the average American takes in his or her poor body. People tend to use the 150-pounds-a year consumption figure (or the 148-pounds-a-year one) but some experts believe it's much higher than that.

In fact, in my book SUGAR SHOCK! (which I recommend you buy today on BarnesAndNoble.com), I cite an expert saying the figure is more like 170 pounds a year or just shy of a cup a dy.

Watch Out for "Diet Foods" That Can Make You Fat

For those of you seeking to peel off some pounds, you'll get some juicy, non-caloric tidbits in this piece in Glee from eDiets.com director of nutrition services Susan Burke, M.S., R.D., L.D./N., C.D.E.

She gives you the skinny on juice, enhanced waters, protein bars, "diet bread," and other foods.

I was pleased to this savvy nutritionist lambast foods that tend to fool consumers. In fact, I applaud her for pointing out (as I do, in my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK!) the truth about deceptive fat-free foods. Here's how she rightly urges you to beware of the trap that's easy to fall into when you nosh on those innocent-seeming sweets:

"Fat-free Cookies: Fat-free doesn’t mean calorie-free. It doesn’t even mean reduced-calorie, and fat-free products contain other ingredients, usually sugar, to make up for the texture and flavor lost when the fat is removed. Most fat-free cookies contain as many calories as the original cookie, which doesn’t make them diet food."

Read Burke's interesting article now.

Incidentally, here's another interesting article Burke wrote. This one, which appears on Web MD, spotlights the "7 Do's and Don'ts to Boost Your Metabolism."

You Could Gain Weight If You Drink Diet Soda, Study Says

If you drink diet soda, it's supposed to help you lose weight, right? Not so fast. Exactly the opposite could be occurring in a phenomenon that some experts call a "paradoxical weight gain."

Indeed, studies from the quarter-century-long, community-based epidemiological study conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, "paradoxically suggest that the more diet sodas a person drinks, the greater the chance that he or she will become overweight or obese," according to an HSC press release.

“On average, for each diet soft drink our participants drank per day, they were 65 percent more likely to become overweight during the next seven to eight years, and 41 percent more likely to become obese,” said Sharon Fowler, M.P.H., faculty associate in the division of clinical epidemiology in the Health Science Center’s department of medicine. She presented the finding at the American Diabetes Association’s 65th Annual Scientific Sessions.

OK, I have a confession to make of a journalistic nature. Yes, I made this sound like hot new research. Let me be transparent here. The fact is that, while doing some fact checking for my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK! -- I'm in the midst of one of many long whirlwind weekend marathon work sessions I ran across this news release that I'd previously seen a year ago.

But, last June when when I first reported this, my blog was brand new -- like 6 days old. So, naturally, it didn't have much traffic. Thankfully, it's grown considerably since then, and since I suspect that many of you have never heard of this mind-boggling study, I felt that it was my obligation to again bring this conclusion to your attention.

So, diet soda drinkers out there, beware! Read the fascinating press release and WebMD's article to learn more.

Forward-Thinking Researcher Suggests That Sugar-Filled "Poisoned" Food Supply May to Blame for Obesity

If you've among the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese, read this first before blaming yourself for being short on self-control when it comes to those tempting, refined carbs that entice you just about everywhere you go.

Instead, our heavily processed, "poisoned," sugar-loaded food supply may be altering your biochemistry and driving you to eat more and more--and making you less inclined to get off your butt and exercise.

So hypothesizes nationally renowned obesity expert Robert Lustig, M.D,, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, in the most recent issue of Nature Cliinical Practice: Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Folks, this is really big news for those of you who've been having challenges saying no to all those sugar-filled, highly refined carbs that you've been consuming -- like crackers, cookies, yogurt, and white bread.

Basically, Dr. Lustig believes that eating large amounts of sugar makes your body produce more insulin, which, in turn, blocks vital hormones that should normally tell your brain to stop eating.

What's more, he theorizes, all that excess sugar makes your brain switch into starvation response mode. That then triggers more eating and activates lethargy (you know, the post-sugar "blahs") so that you can conserve energy. And then those extra unused calories are stored as fat. .

According to Dr. Lustig's hypothesis, "sugar in large quantities drives up insulin secretion," reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.

In one of the more fascinating, well-researched articles I've seen recently about this subject -- and I've seen probably thousands while working on my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK! -- Chronicle staff reporter Erin Allday explains:

"This insulin floods the brain, and in particular the hypothalamus, which regulates energy use in the body. As a result, leptin, a hormone that tells the brain when the body needs more or less energy, can't get its signal to the hypothalamus because the insulin is blocking the way."

Allday continues:

"The result is that the body is thrown into starvation mode -- the brain thinks it isn't getting enough energy, so it needs more calories and it needs to save energy, he said. People end up feeling the symptoms of starvation, including malaise, depression, a lack of motivation and, of course, hunger."

Sound familiar? And guess what -- all those tempting, culprit carbs sold by major corporations could be what's driving your poor body into confusion and obesity. That's right.

"It's because of the toxic environment that the insulin rises and the problem behavior ensues," Dr. Lustig told Allday.

"That's why all of these diet programs don't work. That's why telling people to diet and exercise alone won't work, unless you improve the toxic environment as well."

Dr. Lustig contends that it's vital to break the pattern of sugar consumption, one that he compares to nicotine addiction. (Hurrah, Dr. Lustig! You're so onto something here! In fact, you just have to read my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK!, because I discuss some of these same things.)

Folks, I can't tell you how exciting this is to have a cutting-edge pediatric endocrinologist putting forth these fascinating theories. (As you can see, Dr. Lustig's training is impressive and includes a bachelor's degree is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a medical degree is from Cornell University Medical College, a pediatric residency at St. Louis Children's Hospital, and and a clinical fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at UCSF.)

Low Carb Luxury Runs My Article on "How fo Find an Open-Minded Doctor Who `Gets' Your Sugar Habit"

My article, How fo Find an Open-Minded Doctor Who "Gets" Your Sugar Habit, appears in this month's Low Carb Luxury.

I wrote this piece in response to many, many requests from people trying to kick sugar. They kept pleading for information on how to find a savvy physician who has a grasp on the dangers of blood sugar problems -- both high (diabetes) and low (hypoglycemia).

Sweetener Sales Allegedy Down, But Let Me Un-Confuse You

Interesting report -- but one that I feel is ultimately misleading -- about the market for sugar, sugar substitutes, table syrups, molasses and honey for in-home consumption.

The study points out that retail sales (in supermarkets and grocery chains) have fallen 14% in the past 6 years, with white granulated sugar dropping the most at 20%.  It also notes that honey and Splenda have been responsible for phenomenal growth in this area.

You'd think I'd be celebratory, right? Not so fast. Look, I'm too sick to read the entire report, but unless I overlooked something, this report does not take into account all the sweeteners slipped into our foods --- or what many call "hidden sugars." (Like the sugars you get in ketchup, cereals, salad dressings, crackers, etc.)

It also doesn't include fruit concentrates or other corn-based, highly chemically refined sweetener componnets like maltodextrin or modified corn starches. And what about all that sugar in soda and sports drinks? So when they're saying retail sales of all these sweeteners in grocery stores is down, that's not entirely true.

FYI, that when I did the math (over and over again, I might add) for my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK!, I found that sales and consumption of refined sugars has increased -- but people have been, in fact, consuming less sucrose and more high high fructose corn syrup.

Anyhow, the report claimed that

"Americans’ changing dietary habits are the main force driving down retail sales. Concerns about obesity and diabetes may well be factors, along with a long-term decline in home baking."

Then the analysis amused me -- or dismayed me -- not sure which emotion I feel:

"Mintel’s research also makes it clear that younger consumers are less likely than older ones to engage in the time-honored practice of adding sweeteners to their foods and beverages. While trends such as these are interesting from a health perspective, they point to a time of adjustment ahead for the retail sugar and sweetener business."

"Time-honored practice of adding sweeteners" to foods? Oh, please! What an absurd, biased way to describe it!

How about more appropriately calling it a health-defying practice of adding sweeteners to foods?

See Snazzy, Revised Book Cover for SUGAR SHOCK!

I'm pleased to show you the final cover design for my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK! It now features the wonderful endorsement that bestselling author Dr. Mehmet Oz (YOU: The Owner's Manual) was kind enough to give.

As I've mentioned previously, after five years of researching, writing and editing my book, it will finally see the light of day in a few months! Yeah!

Tadum... Drum roll... After 5 long years, Berkley Books will release it Jan. 2007.

What do you think of the book cover design? The cover's pretty classy, isn't it? (I hope you agree! Wasn't the Berkley designer pretty creative? I thought she did a stupendous job.