SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Sugar Addicts: Get Secrets to Go Mostly Sugar-Free - 15 Years of Sweet Success

Sugar addicts and carb junkies, I bring you hope!

Indeed, this is a BIG week for me. It's been 15 years since I bid bye-bye to my sugar addiction -- mostly -- yes, I wasn't totally perfect.

So let me help you now.

If you're tired of being a sugar or carb addict and are fed up with gaining weight, getting spaced out, or have other health issues, discover Secrets to Let Sugar Go by listening anytime to this special Gab with the Gurus 15-year-mostly-sugar-free-iversary Show with my sugar-free mentor Roberta Ruggiero.

Back in 1998, I was so blessed to find Roberta, who, after dealing with her own issues of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, went on to found The Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, Inc. She also wrote The Do’s and Don’ts of Hypoglycemia: An Everyday Guide to Low Blood Sugar, which has been acclaimed by the American Library Association as “one of best lay medical books public libraries.”

In our special Gab with the Gurus Show, you'll first learn our startling stories. You'll discover:

• How when Roberta simply changed her diet by quitting sugar and those quickie carbs (processed carbohydrates that are metabolized quickly), she personally overcame 10 years of illness during which she saw dozens of doctors, endured countless medical tests, took thousands of pills and even underwent electric shock therapy! 
• How when I finally let go of my sugar addiction -- very reluctantly, though -- presto, ALL 44 of my ailments (including crippling headaches, difficulty concentrating, awful PMS, excessive fatigue, cold hands and feet, embarrassing mood swings, scary heart palpitations, etc.) vanished! Wow!
• How most people are consuming too many sweets whether they know it or not, especially if they eat foods in boxes, cans or jars. That sugar or quickie-carb habit can be deadly, leading to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and an early death.

On our Gab with the Gurus Show, you'll also find out Secrets to Go Mostly Sugar-Free. While I share some tactics in my book, Beyond Sugar Shock, Roberta and I go into more depth on this program, and we give you the personal touch, of course, because you get to listen to us chatting.

Among the Secrets to Go Mostly Sugar-Free, you'll discover:

• How it's okay to be imperfect. In fact, not expecting that you'll do everything "right," frees you up to succeed marvelously.
• How most people around the world -- whether they know it or not -- are eating far too much sugar (roughly 170 to more than 200 pounds per year) and/or quickie carbs (possibly as high as 200 pounds), thereby paving the way to diseases galore.
• How you can take your slips and turn them into successes. You'll realize that your so-called "failures" lead you to lasting success.
• How you want to change your relationship with those persistent cravings. (We'll talk about how to embrace them -- yes! -- and how they can become major allies.
• How to take one of your absolute worst habits -- something almost all of us do -- and turn it into one of your biggest foolproof tools to bid your sugar addiction farewell.
• How some people are wise to let a little sugar (some tastes here and there) into their lives. (You'll discover that I've modified my stance over the years.)
• How, for many people, a few tastes can turn into a binge and they're better off to say sayonara to processed sweets.
• How before I quit sugar, first I binged on candies for three weeks after my doctor's orders to "Quit sugar or die young."
• How it's imperative that you keep track. Roberta discusses how it's very important to keep a symptom diary. (That way, you'll know what happens when you eat sweets. You want to get a clear message about how too much sugar leads to symptoms.)
• How you need to be prepared, wherever you go.
• How you can have fun replacing those sugary treats that you used to adore.
• How it's vital to get support and learn about success stories. 
• And much more.

Listen to internet radio with Gab With the Gurus on Blog Talk Radio

Share your bigggest Ahahs! about this Gab with the Gurus Show.

A very special thanks to B. Eco Chic and founder Bethany Gonzalez Moreno for this sugar image with the poison symbol on it. This photo accurately demonstrates how sugar can kill you over time. I highly recommend that you find out about B. Eco Chic now and get on the mailing list for this blog.

Get Your Sweet Success Gifts Now

Today, you can order new book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which you'll receive on Monday from Amazon.

In honor of my book becoming a reality after holding various incarnations of my Sugar Freedom Now Course for 10 years, I'm now offering you a series of fun Sweet Success Gifts.

In these short, audio gifts, you'll get to listen to former sugar addicts tell you about their lives when they were hooked on sugar.

They'll even share their rock-bottom moments with you.

Next, you'll discover how their lives have been remarkably transformed.

Bear in mind that I'm not even asking you to quit sugar yet. I'm just inviting you to discover how your life can become much sweeter just because you're quitting sweets.

The first short and sweet audio gift features chiropractor and fitness trainer Dawn Strickland, whose remarkable story will wow you, I predict. 

You can read more about Dawn on page 75 of Beyond Sugar Shock, which you can pre-order here.

Just sign up now to get your complimentary Sweet Success Gifts.

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Food Addiction Program Featuring Dr. Robert Lustig, Michael Prager, Etc. Planned

Robert H. Lustig, M.D., whose YouTube video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, hit viral, and Michael Prager, author of the exciting book, Fat Boy, Thin Man, are among the fascinating experts I'll have the pleasure of meeting and listening to in an exciting program about food addiction at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco next week. 

Stay tuned for some compelling points that you'll get from these amazing speakers. 

These are the experts lined up. 

Michael Prager, Author, Fat Boy Thin Man
Nicole Avena, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Eric Stice, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Oregon Research Institute
Dr. Vera Ingrid Tarman, MD., MSc., FCEP, CASAM, Medical Director, Renascent
Elissa Epel, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UCSF Department of Psychiatry
Robert H. Lustig, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, in the Division of Endocrinology at UCSF

Now read the enticing description:

Addiction is about brains, not just about behaviors. We all have the brain reward circuitry that makes food rewarding; it’s a survival mechanism. In a healthy brain, these rewards have feedback mechanisms for satiety or "‘enough." For some, the circuitry becomes dysfunctional such that the message becomes "more." Michael Prager, author of Fat Boy Thin Man, will begin the discussion telling his very personal story of recognizing and then seeking treatment for his food addiction. Leading researchers and clinicians will discuss many aspects of this important topic. 

Dessert for Breakfast? Sugary Children's Cereals

How would you feel if your kids had a Twinkie or even had cookies for breakfast?

Well, that's exactly what she or he -- or maybe even you -- may be doing most mornings.

Suffice it to say that millions of children are beginning their day going into Sugar Shock.

So found a scary new report on popular cereals, Sugar in Children's Cereal, from the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to using the power of information to protect human health and the environment.

The Environmental Working Group arrived at its frightening sugar findings after studying 84 popular brands of cereal, many of them marketed directly to children, to see if they meet either the federal government's proposed nutrition guidelines or the industry's looser nutrition guidelines.

And the EWG found lots about sugar, sugar, sugar.

Kellogg's Honey Smacks, which has nearly 56 percent sugar by weight, leads the list of the 10 worst children’s cereals, according to EWG’s analysis.

In fact, the EWG found, a one-cup serving of the brand contains more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie.

Meanwhile, one cup of any of the 44 other children’s cereals has more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! cookies.

Here's EWG's list of the 10 worst cereals.

10 Worst Children’s Cereals Based on percent sugar by weight
1.) Kellogg’s Honey Smacks	55.6%
2.) Post Golden Crisp	51.9%
3.) Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow	48.3%
4.) Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries	46.9%
5.) Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original	44.4%
6.) Quaker Oats Oh!s	44.4%
7.) Kellogg’s Smorz	43.3%
8.) Kellogg’s Apple Jacks	42.9%
9.) Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries	42.3%
10.) Kellogg’s Froot Loops Original	41.4%

Of course, this EWG report comes as no surprise to me, given that I often share information about sugar's pervasiveness and its dangers, as I did in my first book, Sugar Shock.

So why should you care about your kids eating so much sugar for breakfast?

As the EWG points out, studies suggest that children who eat breakfasts that are high in sugar have more problems at school.

For instance, they become more frustrated and have a harder time working independently than kids who eat lower-sugar breakfasts, as the EWG noted. And by lunchtime, these kids who filled up on sugar for breakfast have less energy, are hungrier, show attention deficits and make more mistakes on their work.

Kudos to the Environmental Working Group for sharing this important news.

Click here to see the best and worst cereals, as discovered by the EWG.

Wondering what's a good breakfast then? Well, for starters, why do your kids have to have cereal to start the day?

But if they do, make sure, as nutrition expert Marion Nestle, Ph.D., recommends that you pick:

1. Cereals with a short ingredient list
2. Cereals high in fiber.
3. Cereals with little or no added sugars (such as honey, molasses, fruit juice concentrate, brown sugar, corn sweetener, sucrose, lactose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup and malt syrup).

An easy breakfast for children would be a piece of fresh fruit (like an orange or apple), a cooked of steel cut oats (sprinkled with cinnamon), some plain milk (if they can handle dairy), and a hard boiled egg (prepared the night before).

Have you heard yet that my next book, Beyond Sugar Shock, is due out next year? Stay tuned for details.

3 Gifts to Have a Sweeter Holiday Season

For many of you, the holiday season is filled with anxiety, stress, financial worries, loneliness, family arguments, gift-giving concerns, many irritations (from flight delays to family squabbles) and many tasty temptations -- mostly high-calorie and sugar-filled that you find hard to resist but that pack on the pounds, sap your energy and ruin your moods.

 In fact, many people leave the holiday season feeling drained, deprived and 5 or more pounds heavier.

But I'm here to help you lose weight, get organized, become more organized, joyful, calm down, look younger, plan a vision for the future, attract abundance, and much more.

In other words, my goal is to bring you peace of mind, happiness, and super-simple cool tools to start using so you can have a Sweeter Holiday Season. 

Therefore, it's my pleasure to give you three special gifts.

All three gifts were the opening programs in last year's much-acclaimed Sweeter Holiday Season, which featured a whopping 38 programs featuring a Who's Who in the fields of health, wealth, fitness, personal empowerment, feng shui, organizing, happiness, Law of Attraction, and so much more.

So here are the gifts you're getting now:

Your First Gift with Law of Attraction Guru John Assaraf

For your first gift, you'll get inspired and educated by the remarkable John Assaraf, one of the stars of The Secret, founder of several multi-million dollar companies, a Spiritual Entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author.

In our special program, John -- who is also a Law of Attraction expert and certified life coach -- will help you ll discover:

* What's blocking you from abundance.
* How the super-successful John didn't come from a family of scholars or multimillionaires, but somehow he managed to learn about quantum physics and neuroscience and build several 5 multimillion dollar companies and write a couple of New York Times bestselling books along the way.

• How oceans and stars are not the last frontier for mankind but the human brain is.
• Why some people achieve enormous business and financial success while others don't.
• How there is an inner game to wealth and success and an outer game.
• Why it's so hard for people to change.
• What are the exact steps people can take to change from the inside out so that their results are 5,10 20 times better in the next 12-24 months.
• How some people settle for less than what they can achieve and how you can easily break free from that pattern, achieve huge transformations; and become incredibly confident.
• How to find out about John's super-sophisticated, amazing brain training program (which I love).

Your Second Gift with America's Relaxation Expert Darrrin Zeer

For your second gift with Relaxation Expert Darrin Zeer, you'll get some very simple, fast techniques to tame your stres.

For instance, you'll discover:

* How to do what Darrin calls "The Bear Claw."
* How to calm down with "The Ragdoll Pose."
* What to do if you get headaches.
* How to do "Keyboard Calisthenics.:
* How to do something called "Email Meditation" (yes, meditation!)
* How to do the "Really Fun Laughter Exercise."

Your Third Gift with the Renowned "FlyLady" Marla Cilley

Then, your final gift -- also from the Sweeter Holiday Summit -- comes from the renowned "FlyLady" Marla Cilley, who will give you tools galore to help you get through the holidays. For instance, Marla will reveal:

* How to change your life in 15-minute increments.
* How to crisis-clean your home.
* What to do which days of the week so you don't feel so overwhelmed.
* How to avoid last-minute, gift wrapping challenges.
* What to do before you go to holiday parties.
* How to put the fun in your cleaning and decluttering endeavors.
* How to give "action" gifts.
* How to go on a "cruise" this holiday season.
* And much more. 

These three programs were all part of the Sweeter Holiday Summit, last year's amazing program, during which You'll also get one bonus gift on "How to Relieve Holiday Stress."

In this program, with Love Hypnotist Debra Berndt, author of Let Love In, you'll get easy ways to calm down quickly, no matter where you are. 

To get your three exciting gifts (and the one bonus gift, go here:

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Make sure to tell me how you like your gifts and what A Hah moments you've had. Just talk to us on my Facebook fan page.

Get Goodies Galore from 20 of Us in the Love Your Body More Telesummit

You're invited to join 20 experts -- including me -- for the Love Your Body More Now Telesummit.

You get to spend 27 minutes with each of us next week from Monday, October 10th through Friday, October 14th.

Grab your phone or boot up your
computer, and get ready to learn
secrets and tips from more than 20
experts.

More than 20 experts in health,
beauty, and empowerment will give you juicy information galore.

For instance, you'll receive: 

• Practical takeaways
• Step-by-step information
• Gifts and 
• Bonuses galore.

Your cost is nothing.

Click here to RSVP Now.

The Love Your Body More Now Telesummit is for you, if you...

• Struggle with negativity, discouragement, worry, or frustration in your life. 
• Drag through the day while the rest of the world seems to hum along. 
• Are confused about what to eat and how to exercise--for your body.
• Are eager to ensure successful relationships through inspired mindset and body language.
• Are looking for cutting-edge, must-know information that slices through the confusion and overload.
• Have wanted to learn more about eating, hormones, energy, and stress -and what to do about them today.

As readers of the Sugar Shock Blog, I know you're eager for knowledge like this--because in one or more
areas, you feel you could be doing somewhat or a great deal better.

Actually, I've found that it's not that people don't want to take good care of themselves and feel more
empowered with improved self-esteem...it's that they're confused as to what is the best route to take to get there. The Your Body Now Telesummit will help you get there. So join us next week.

Each fun, lively interview will take only 27 minutes of your valuable time and will be available
for listening until the end of the day of its presentation.

Again, each call series costs exactly $0.00, and there is no obligation to buy anything ever, but if you ever do, know that I'm an affiliate of this event--which means I believe in the value of what we're creating together--and I may receive commission from any sales generated.
 
A very special thanks goes to Imagine for the fabulous photo.

Sugar Shock Readers: What Would You Like in My Next Book? (Last Call)

Attention, readers of my first book, Sugar Shock.

This is the last call for any ideas on what to include in my next book.

I'm now making last-minute changes and editing to my next book, The Sugar Shock Diet,which will be released next year by Hay House. (Here's the original announcement.)

My next book will provide you a simple, six-week mind-body-spirit plan that will allow you to easily cut back on those quickie carbs so you can shed excess weight, boost your libido, increase your energy, and much more.

Please, dear readers of Sugar Shock, as I'm doing final rewriting and editing for Sugar Shock Diet, tell me what you'd like to see included.

What would make your life easier and sweeter?

Please tell us now, on this Sugar Shock Blog, and on the Facebook Smart Habits Fans Page what you'd like to see in this next book.

Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings (Creatively Procrastinate)

Here's an article I wrote to help you those of you, who are sugar addicts or junk food junkies, who need help to sweetly say, "No, thank you!" when offered those tempting, unhealthy "treats."

Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings™: Creatively Procrastinate to Ditch Your Sugar Addiction & Excess Weight

By Connie Bennett, MSJ, CHC, ACC, CPC

Whenever people meet me, join my Sugar Freedom Now program or work privately with me or read my book SUGAR SHOCK!, they almost immediately ask me (either in person or via e-mail), "How can I overcome my sugar cravings?"

It can be challenging to say "No, thank you!" when your favorite, tempting dessert is right there, in front of you.

Because it's what you do in that very first one or two minutes that can make or break your diet, I'm determined to help you get over that "Must-Have Sugar Now! hurdle."

Let me share a tactic that helped me on many occasions (back in 1998) and that now helps my clients and Facebook Smart Habits Now fans.

One of the most powerful and effective strategies is so simple that you’ll wonder why you never tried it in the first place.

It's this: Simply DELAY before you put any sugar or dessert foods in your mouth. That's right, DELAY before you something that you'll later regret such as when you look at your scale a day or two later or when your pants don't fit anymore or when you become edgy and unfocused after your Sugar High.

Let's be honest: If you do mindlessly nosh on those fast-acting sweets or much-like-sugar carbs™ into your mouth, won't you become feel headachy, wiped out, spaced out, moody, depressed or even angry at yourself (and maybe your loved ones)?

Let me introduce you to the Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings Method™ (also called Do Creative Sugar Procrastination™).

Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings, and Sweetness Will Fill Your Life Instead. -- Connie Bennett

Think about it: Most of us excel at putting things off or procrastinating, right?

We have every good intention to clear off our desks, donate old clothes, organize our drawers, ditch (recyle) those not-needed papers, help kids with their homework, throw out the garbage, etc.?

Clearly, all of us have things we've been planning to do but we just haven't got around to doing it. 

Well, I invite you to take a positive look at procrastinating. It can be a wonderful, Won't-Have-Sugar-Just-Yet Strategy.

I hit upon this incredible simple technique back in 1998 when I reluctantly kicked sweets and refined carbs on doctor's orders. To this day, I continue to be amazed at how easy, effortless, and darn effective it is to just delay.

What's so wonderful about this Delaying Now Method is that people of all ages—unless maybe you’re a tot—can easily cultivate this tactic.

So, here's how to do it: Just promise yourself to delay eating that tempting "treat" for a certain amount of time, say 10 minutes. You can do that, of course!

In other words, you will Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings for 10 minutes at a time. Then, you can delay over and over again -- for another 10 minutes -- for a while, like an hour even. It's that easy!

Now think ahead to the next morning when you're so relieved and proud of yourself that you didn't cave into your cravings.

Here are 7 ways Delaying or Creatively Procrastinating becomes your ally to help you pull the plug on your unwanted sugar addiction. (Delaying is one of the "7 D’s” that I developed to help “Sugar Kickers.”)

1. First delay 10 minutes before you eat that cookie, candy bar or brownie that's calling out to you. When you do that, you begin to detach from your destructive impulses.
2. When you delay for 10 minutes, then another 10 minutes, and another 10 minutes, your cravings will subside while you get involved with other things. At that point, you'll also be able to put your cravings into proper perspective. 
3. When you Delay Away Your Cravings, you're taking powerful, positive, health-promoting action by simple inaction. Yes, doing absolutely nothing can be pivotal when you kick or cut back on sweets and quickie carbs. See how simple this is? 
4. When you delay, you turn procrastinating into a useful, proactive skill. Procrastinating becomes a good thing!
5. When you delay, you can take time to find out which foods—if any—you’re really craving. Is your body really needing cookies, cake, and pretzels? Of course not! Your Amazing Body might instead be begging you for water, fresh vegetables and fruits, high-quality protein or healthy fats?
6. When you delay, you can get in touch with your true feelings. By putting your sugar binging on hold for 10 minutes or more, you can figure out what the heck is really going. Ask yourself, "Why do I feel like I must have these sweets now?"
7. When you delay, you'll be so proud of yourself! You'll be filled with a longer-lasting joy than the very short-lived, self-defeating immediate gratification you'd get from a cookie. What is your real goal? Are you seeking to shed excess weight, get more energy, concentrate better, improve your health and boost your libido? So delaying gives you a chance to think about what you really want rather than suffer the consequences of your moment of weakness.)

Want more simple techniques from Gurus Galore and me? Just join the juicy, life-changing six-week Sugar Freedom Now course, which starts June 14. This session will feature renowned experts such as mindfulness expert Dr. Lilian Cheung and Law of Attraction Expert Christy Whitman. Plus, you'll be able to listen to other inspiring people on the private membership website.

The Dark Side of Sugar

Learn more about the Sour Side of Sugar in this fascinating article on DailyRx.com from reporter Laurie Stoneham.

FYI, I'm one of the experts quoted in this story, "The Dark Side of Sweet: Sugar is everywhere and it may just be killing you."

Read this important article on DailyRx now.

Then, tell us: Does this article help inspire you to quit the stuff -- or at least reduce your consumption?

If you're stumped as to how to let go of your sugar habit, join me next Thursday week in a free teleseminar.

Sign up here for the program, Fast-Track Secrets to Release Your Sugar Addiction & Shed Excess Weight.

Now, tell us why do you want to quit your sugar addiction?    

Bye-Bye, Holiday Blues... This is Filling Fast! Announcing Sweeter Holiday Summit

Let’s face it, every holiday season, many women and men over spend, overeat, get anxious, depressed, drink too much alcohol, gain five pounds or so, get in a fight with a relative or loved one, become overwhelmed and have no time for themselves. When the holidays are over, they may even need a vacation from their vacation but instead are stuck with horrible gifts, excess weight, exhaustion and unbearable stress.

No more! 

What if you could discover how to “design” your ultimate holiday season?  Well, you can.

I have a special treat for you…

It’s the exciting, first-of-a-kind Sweeter Holiday Summit, a F*R*E*E teleseminar/webinar series from Nov. 8 to Dec. 14.

In this revolutionary event -- which you can read about at www.SweeterHoliday.com -- you’ll have access to thirty-plus (30+) of the greatest minds in:

• Health
• Wealth
• Vitality
• The Law of Attraction
• Fitness
• Visioning
• Hypnosis
• Weight loss
• Sugar addiction
• Beauty
• Gift-giving
• Personal development
• Inner peace
• Hypnosis
• Self-esteem
• Relationships
• Herbs and aromatherapy
• Feng Shui
• Office Yoga
• Chinese medicine
• EFT
• Meditation and Mindfulness
• Emotional Eating and
• Stress Management.

f you’re in a hurry, go here now to register for the Sweeter Holiday Summit.

But you need to act fast, because this event is filling up.
== >>
www.SweeterHoliday.com

Just for signing up, you get great Bonus Gifts such as the audio programs, “Relieve Holiday Stress,” “How to Make Your Own Birthday Vision Board” and ““Do You Have What it Take to Earn $1 Million a Year?”

So why did plan this event?

Because this is my chance to serve YOU at the time of year when you most need help.

All 30+ of us experts are determined to encourage and empower YOU so that you can create your Happiest, Healthiest and Most Abundant Holiday Season Ever. 

It’s no surprise that there’s such BUZZ about this Sweeter Holiday Summit.

That’s why thousands of people from 100+ countries are signing up to join the Sweeter Holiday Movement.

Here are a few of the high-profile coaches, bestselling author and empowerment experts, with whom I’ll share the “stage.”

• “Spiritual Entrepreneur” John Assaraf -- Star in “The Secret,” Law of Attraction expert, certified life coach, New York Times bestselling author and founder of four multi-million dollar companies. He’ll help you discover what's blocking you from abundance and how to attract wealth, beginning before the holiday season. (He’ll be in the first program on Nov. 8, which begins at 7:30 pm Eastern.)

•  "America's Relaxation Expert" Darrin Zeer – Author of the New York Times bestselling book, “Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People.” He’ll lead you in lunchtime exercises to chuckle, stretch and breathe your way to good cheer. (He speaks Nov. 9 at 12 NOON Eastern for the first Tele-Web Wellness Lunchtime program.)

• “FlyLady” Marla Cilley - the popular online coach, radio host and bestselling author, who helps overwhelmed, disorganized women living in C.H.A.O.S. (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).  She’ll help you to relieve holiday stress and have fun so that you’re not pulling your hair out, yelling at your kids, feeling like your head’s about to explode and raiding the refrigerator—and hating afterwards.  

• "Gift Guru" Robyn Freedman Spizman - New York Times Bestselling Author, Consumer Advocate and TV personality. She’ll save you time, money and energy this holiday season by telling you how to find the perfect gift to wow your loved ones.

• Renowned Clinical Hypnotherapist Steve G. Jones - He’ll offer valuable help so you can easily pass up on holiday junk food and get into the abundance mindset.

• Feng Shui Artist & Design Doctor Stephanie McWilliams - host of HGTV’s “Fun Shui.” She’ll reveal how to transform your home or office into a manifesting machine.

• Success & Abundance Coach Carol Look – She’ll teach you the simple, proven technique of EFT/Meridian Tapping to help you clear limiting beliefs, build a prosperity consciousness, calm you down at family gatherings and stop sugar cravings. 

• Bestselling author Joyce Schwarz - Author of The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life. She’ll offer tips to create your own vision board to manifest the life of your dreams.

• The “Ageless Sisters” Cynthia Rowland and Jackie Silver – They’ll share natural secrets to turn back the clock; get more full, kissable lips; and make you look 15 years younger –without going under the knife.

• Hollywood Love Expert Lauren Frances - author of Dating, Mating and Manhandling. She’ll give you 7 simple steps to build a relationship you love and deserve that's full of passion, harmony and intimacy.

• Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now, and Yours Truly (Connie Bennett, author of Sugar Shock) -- Dr. Teitelbaum will share The 5 Commandments of Holiday Eating, and I'll share another 5 Commandments. I'll also will share my easy techniques -- Magic W.A,N.D., 5 D’s and W.O.W. -- to use at holiday parties.

You’ll get all of this and much, more more!

Register now to get your information to either call in or join us via the Web. (Bear in mind that this is a teleseminar and webinar series.)

But you need to act FAST.  There is a huge BUZZ about this Sweeter Holiday Summit, and space is limited. So sign up now.

I invite you to begin now to envision yourself having a happier, more peaceful, contented YOU this holiday season.

Find out how to have it now!

Hope to “see you” there.

Warmly,






P.S You MUST check out this remarkable Sweeter Holiday Summit schedule now!

== >>
www.SweeterHoliday.com 

Sugar & Carb Addicts: What do You Need & Want?

Are you overly attached to sugar, desserts and simple carbs?

If so, please tell me what you need and want in the way of help so that you can easily release your sugar or carb habit.

You see, I'm currently working on my next book, Beyond Sugar Shock for Hay House, and I'd like to know what would help you.

As you may already know -- I hope you do since you're here -- my first book is Sugar Shock, which provides an expose about sugar's dangers.

Please share your questions here so I can better help you.

By the way, I also run a companion Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program, which is delivered using a variety of technologies, including:

• Dozens of emails;
• Six teleseminars/webinars;
• Short audio messages for all 42 days of the program (plus more);
• Weveral bonus audio replays featuring interviews with top experts in mindful eating, meditation, fitness, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and stress management;
• Access to a private membership website full of content; and
• Live, weekly half-hour Laser Liberation Coaching.

The next Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program begins again Sept. 14. To join us, please visit www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com

I look forward to your input. What will help you to let go of your sugar or carb addiction?

Sugar Addicts: Share Your Success Stories from Sadness to Sweetness

Calling former sugar addicts: Have you kicked sugar and refined carbs?

And are you a reader of SUGAR SHOCK! who was then inspired to remove refined sweets from your life?

Did cutting out sugar enable you to boost your energy, release weight, become more cheerful, have better relationships and get other amazing benefits? If your sugar addiction is a thing of the past -- or is under control -- we want to hear from you!

Share your Sugar-Free Success story with me so I can share it on this Sugar Shock Blog and other places. Please help me to encourage, educate and inspire other people.

Wondering what a Sugar-Free Success Story sounds like? Read motivational Kick-Sugar Success Stories shared previously on the Sugar Shock Blog.

• Jimmy Moore, who I interviewed recently on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show
• Jaime Jackson
• Felicia DesRosiers
• Karly Pitman

To be featured as a Kick-Sugar Success Story on this Sugar Shock Blog and on other places, you should have either cut out or heavily cut back on your sugar and quickie-carb consumption for at least 3 months and achieved wonderful results. By sharing your story, you agree that I can publish all or parts of it on my Sugar Shock Blog, any other websites or in an upcoming book or books. You agree that I can use your name and photo and that I will edit your story for accuracy and readability. You agree that you are contributing this piece to help others and that you are sharing it without compensation. (Sorry!) To tell your sour-to-sweet story and to be considered for inclusion in this column, just write to me with answers to the following questions. Please also send photos -- preferably before-and-after photos.

• Your Name (full or first name only), City, State & Country (or just list state, if you like) & Age (if you choose):
• Your Previous Weight & Height & Your Present Height:
• Favorite Hobbies & Activities Now:
• When did you kick sugar? Have you quit other foods, too? If so, what?
• What are the biggest BENEFITS you've received from kicking sugar?
• What was your rock-bottom moment before you decided you needed to change your diet?
• Just how bad were you feeling? What ailments did you have? Please be specific.
• Please describe any pivotal moments. For example, you could share something that happened in your doctor's office, how you behaved towards a loved one (like I confessed in Chapter 1 of my book SUGAR SHOCK!), or what embarrassing event made you decide that it was high time to tackle your sugar habit, etc.
• What made you finally decide to eliminate sugar and refined carbs to help with your health issues?
• Describe the day that you finally decided it was time to break free! 
• What were the very first 3 things that you did to prepare yourself to quit sweets?
• DS (During Your Sugar Days), what did you used to eat?
• Tell us how bad you felt. What was your lowest point? What was it like?
• What do you think most people don't know about processed carbs that they need to know?
• How did you first learn about the dangers of sugars and refined carbs?
• Did you find a doctor or other health professional (acupuncturist, nutritionist, etc.), who understood all about how eating sugar triggers drastic blood sugar swings, etc. Tell us about him or her.
• What were your biggest challenges when kicking sugar and refined carbs? Please help prepare others for any potential pitfalls ahead.
• Do you have any favorite websites, blogs, books, organizations or support groups that have helped you to lick your habit?
• What are your best 3 tips and tactics to help other people kick sweets and quickie carbs?
• Please share some final words of wisdom, inspiration, encouragement or motivation to others who are thinking of cutting out sugar and simple carbs.
• Add your own question and response, if you like:

Please feel free to share this call for Confessions of Sugar Addicts No More on your blog or website, in your ezine, on your Facebook page or via Twitter. Please note that Connie Bennett, author of SUGAR SHOCK!, and the founder of the Sugar Shock Blog (http://www.SugarShockBlog.com) is compiling this collection. Please let me know if you've shared this call to action.

If you are not yet a success story but want to me, learn how to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks.

Calling former sugar addicts: Have you kicked sugar and refined carbs?

And are you a reader of SUGAR SHOCK! who was then inspired to remove refined sweets from your life?

Did cutting out sugar enable you to boost your energy, release weight, become more cheerful, have better relationships and get other amazing benefits? If your sugar addiction is a thing of the past -- or is under control -- we want to hear from you!

Share your Sugar-Free Success story with me so I can share it on this Sugar Shock Blog and other places. Please help me to encourage, educate and inspire other people.

Wondering what a Sugar-Free Success Story sounds like? Read motivational Kick-Sugar Success Stories shared previously on the Sugar Shock Blog.

• Jimmy Moore, who I interviewed recently on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show
• Jaime Jackson
• Felicia DesRosiers
• Karly Pitman

To be featured as a Kick-Sugar Success Story on this Sugar Shock Blog and on other places, you should have either cut out or heavily cut back on your sugar and quickie-carb consumption for at least 3 months and achieved wonderful results. By sharing your story, you agree that I can publish all or parts of it on my Sugar Shock Blog, any other websites or in an upcoming book or books. You agree that I can use your name and photo and that I will edit your story for accuracy and readability. You agree that you are contributing this piece to help others and that you are sharing it without compensation. (Sorry!) To tell your sour-to-sweet story and to be considered for inclusion in this column, just write to me with answers to the following questions. Please also send photos -- preferably before-and-after photos.

• Your Name (full or first name only), City, State & Country (or just list state, if you like) & Age (if you choose):
• Your Previous Weight & Height & Your Present Height:
• Favorite Hobbies & Activities Now:
• When did you kick sugar? Have you quit other foods, too? If so, what?
• What are the biggest BENEFITS you've received from kicking sugar?
• What was your rock-bottom moment before you decided you needed to change your diet?
• Just how bad were you feeling? What ailments did you have? Please be specific.
• Please describe any pivotal moments. For example, you could share something that happened in your doctor's office, how you behaved towards a loved one (like I confessed in Chapter 1 of my book SUGAR SHOCK!), or what embarrassing event made you decide that it was high time to tackle your sugar habit, etc.
• What made you finally decide to eliminate sugar and refined carbs to help with your health issues?
• Describe the day that you finally decided it was time to break free! 
• What were the very first 3 things that you did to prepare yourself to quit sweets?
• DS (During Your Sugar Days), what did you used to eat?
• Tell us how bad you felt. What was your lowest point? What was it like?
• What do you think most people don't know about processed carbs that they need to know?
• How did you first learn about the dangers of sugars and refined carbs?
• Did you find a doctor or other health professional (acupuncturist, nutritionist, etc.), who understood all about how eating sugar triggers drastic blood sugar swings, etc. Tell us about him or her.
• What were your biggest challenges when kicking sugar and refined carbs? Please help prepare others for any potential pitfalls ahead.
• Do you have any favorite websites, blogs, books, organizations or support groups that have helped you to lick your habit?
• What are your best 3 tips and tactics to help other people kick sweets and quickie carbs?
• Please share some final words of wisdom, inspiration, encouragement or motivation to others who are thinking of cutting out sugar and simple carbs.
• Add your own question and response, if you like:

Please feel free to share this call for Confessions of Sugar Addicts No More on your blog or website, in your ezine, on your Facebook page or via Twitter. Please note that Connie Bennett, author of SUGAR SHOCK!, and the founder of the Sugar Shock Blog (http://www.SugarShockBlog.com) is compiling this collection. Please let me know if you've shared this call to action.

If you are not yet a success story but want to me, learn how to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks.

Can You Go a Year Without Candy? Join Blogger Dana Kennedy

Can you go a year without candy? Specifically, can you quit your favorite candies, cookies, cakes, ice cream, pastries and any sugar-based desserts for 365 days running? Not only that, but can you chronicle your candy-curbing adventures publicly, doing so with panache, humor and even literary aplomb? 

That's exactly what talented journalist Dana Kennedy is now doing on her entertaining, insightful, healthily addictive A Year Without Candy Blog, which she began on Feb. 28.

Now one month into her sugar-squashing mission, Dana -- who contributes to AOL News, People Magazine, TIME and other outlets – began her blog announcing her "choice to abstain from" her "addiction of choice – candy, ice cream, cakes and all manner of sweet treats – for at least a year." A few days later, she also humorously announced her candy-cutting mission on the Huffington Post blog, admitting being "as hooked on cheap and delicious American candy like Hershey bars, Junior Mints and candy corn (bite it, dessert snobs) as I am on creme brulee, moelleux au chocolat and tarte tatin."

If, like most people, you can't resist the urge to indulge in sweets (either often or periodically), I urge you to follow A Year Without Candy Blog, where the former correspondent for ABC News, Fox News and MSNBC offers a compelling mix of confessional moments (like the time she was Dreaming of Red Twizzlers and Relapses or when chocolate lured her on Wicked Wednesday); tangible accomplishments (such as when she survived three weeks without candies); and scary motivational tidbits (such as Dr. Nancy Appleton’s eye-opening list of 146 ways that Sugar Can Kill You).

However, Dana is at her best when she dishes out original, self-mocking observations or quirky musings that illustrate her fun-loving nature, such as when she asked on Day One: "Is there a less-sexy addiction than being a sugar freak? Or a more infantile one? Doubtful.

"Have you ever seen a film noir with the possibly-murderous icy blonde reclining on a sofa and waiting for the next sucker to lure into her evil web – while pulling on a Twix bar?

"Or have you ever gone a hot date with a cool guy and after dinner, leaned back seductively, locked eyes with him, reached into your purse and said, `Do you mind if I… toss down a few Gummi bears?' How wholesome. How very not treacherous femme fatale."

The articulate, anti-candy crusader graciously took time to share how her blog has been an ally in mission to kick candy.

Connie:  Dana, what made you decide to quit candy and to announce publicly, on a blog?

Dana: The idea to stop eating candy and blog about it came to me like a bolt out of the blue the night of my birthday on February 27. It's almost as if a power greater than me to stay on the straight and narrow was to go public with this.

I've tried to quit candies and sweets so many times before – always beginning with the greatest of intentions – and then I’d last anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks, but I’d always find some reason to go back to it. I would then lose my motivation, and that'd be the end of it. And it set up the cycle of being discouraged that I couldn’t get the monkey off my back.

Connie:  Well, you certainly came up with a clever way of holding yourself “accountable,” to use life-coaching parlance.

Dana: Well, what motivates me more than anything is the idea of a challenge, and the blog is a public challenge to myself. The blog is like my conscience. People could tell me all day long how bad candy is for me, what emotional effects it has on me and what [nutrient-poor] ingredients are in it, but what gives me more motivation is having to be held accountable to somebody or something -- in this case, the blog.

Unwittingly, I did the perfect thing for my personality, which is to issue a public challenge to myself. Although I know that if I fall off the wagon tomorrow and close my blog, I'm sure the world would go on, but in my mind, I would have failed with this personal challenge. The blog is really me saying to the public and to myself -- this is what I'm going to do -- please support me.

Connie:  Has your blog led to any unexpected reactions?

Dana:  Yes. What’s been really surprising is the number of people, who have reacted positively to the blog and who wrote to say that they were inspired and that they’ve [been helped by] things they’ve learned on the blog. I’m really surprised that people like it.

Connie:  I’m not surprised. It’s a fabulous, fascinating blog. Dana, again, let me congratulate you for surviving a month without candies. That’s a major accomplishment. How were you able to pull it off?

Dana: Support has helped me keep going -- which is the name of the game if you're trying to give up any kind of addiction.

Connie:  Now that you’ve gone a month being candy-free, how have things changed for you?

Dana:  Lots of things have changed. First off, I’ve been helped by lots of people [whom I’ve connected with] because of the blog, including you. I've received a lot of support that I didn't expect to get. It’s a completely different experience [to quit sugar while writing a blog] than to kick sweets by yourself. If you're an alcoholic, you can go to AA every night and be with people who have your issues all the time, and it's taken seriously. But if you say, “I wish I could have some fudge,” [many] people who don't understand look at you [with confusion].

Connie:  How else do you feel differently now that you’re not eating sweets?

Dana: I feel lighter – and not just weight-wise – although I’ve lost 5 pounds so far.  I feel happier. And I feel like people are easier to get along with. I feel like I’m starting to conquer my candy addiction – and that makes me feel lighter.

Connie:  That’s awesome, Dana. Keeping your blog can be eye-opening to people, who think they’re alone. Many people don’t realize that you can get addicted to sweets.

Dana:  Yes, most people don’t talk about having a candy addiction. [Initially,] I didn’t think that many people could relate.

Connie:  So, now you’re discovering that people around the world identify with you?

Dana:  Yes, I’m really surprised at how alike we are. Most of the time I’ve been the only one I know who's a candy addict.

Connie:  What was a typical day before you chose to cut out candies?

Dana:  On a typical day, I’d eat a candy bar like a Bounty or Mars bar for lunch, another candy bar after dinner and/or a couple of packages of Haribo.  Maybe I’d also have a scoop of ice cream from a delicious French ice cream shop or dessert whenever possible.

Connie:  Some people may think that isn’t really an addiction.

Dana: True, but I felt addicted. It weighed heavily [on me]. I was a candyaholic. Just like there are different kinds of alcoholics such as the skid row alcoholic or the binge alcoholic, [there are different kinds of sugar addicts]. If I were going to compare myself to an alcoholic, I was like someone, who has to have two to three glasses of wine every day.  But it’s up to you whether or not you [consider] yourself an alcoholic or sugar addict. Yes, I never went on a binge or went off to eat candies in secret. This is not a story of me in a closet chowing down on cookies. I’m just somebody who likes candy too much. It sounds like nothing.

But I always had sweets every day—even if not in huge quantities. The fact that I wanted candy or sweets every day is not good. There was never a day that went by that I didn’t have candy bar. And I felt bad about having it [because] I know that candy’s not good. You don’t have to be a binger or classic overeater to have issues with a substance. If I could have a candy bar only once or twice a week, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Connie:  Dana, I’m sure your readers will want to know, as I do: Why do you often use a photo of a piglet on your A Year Without Candy Blog?

Dana:  The piglet is my alter ego. The piglet is trying to keep her head above water. Anyone who eats candy every day has a bit of piglet in them.

Agave is Worse for You than High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): Please Stay Away From the Stuff!

In recent years, health-minded people and health food restaurants have been excitedly ingesting and switching to the supposed, "safe, "all natural" sweetener agave or agave nectar.

Time and time again, since 2003, four years before my book SUGAR SHOCK! was published in January 2007, I've been warning people that agave is not safe. In fact, I've been telling people, it may be worse for you than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Again, for some seven years now, whenever people have asked me if agave is a good idea to use, my answer has always been the same: "Stay away from agave, because it's very high in fructose and may have more fructose than high fructose corn syrup."

In fact, for years, I've been sadly observing and warning people that agave is a marketing scam (if not a stroke of brilliant promoting). Agave is one of the biggest dupes of the health food industry.

Increasingly, for the last few years, I've become more and more frustrated and annoyed as more and more new "health products" in health food stores and desserts (or even entrees) in health food restaurants have become sullied and made unhealthy by adding agave. Worse still, these products are almost always marketed as being healthy.

Sadly, I've had to become wary and vigilant about eating anything that I find in a health food store or health food restaurant, because inevitably, they use agave -- and a lot! But my cautions have fallen on deaf ears.

Interestingly, when my book SUGAR SHOCK! came out in January 2007, it seemed like I was one of only a handful of people raising questions about agave's safety and its potential dangers.

For instance, in SUGAR SHOCK! (in Chapter 22, on pages 307 to 308, in the Frequently Asked Questions chapter), I warned that:

• Agave is a non-GRAS (not generally recognized as safe) label for highly refined fructose, which is metabolized in your body like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). 
• Agave has "twice the intensity and sweetness of high-fructose corn syrup," according to food and beverage formulator Russ Bianchi. And overconsuming HFCS, as you can learn from listening to one episode of my Gab with the Gurus Radio Show, has been linked with a host of health ailments, including heart disease, cancer, obesity and metabolic synmdrome. HFCS is found in thousands of processed foods, which you can learn about in this 3 Minute Ad Age piece, for which I was interviewed. (Watch the short YouTube video here.)
• Agave may not even be from the Mexican cactus plant, according to experts, because there's been a shortage of blue agave, which is also used to make tequila.

What I didn't include in my book SUGAR SHOCK! is that I'd heard that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was being either added to agave or even swapped for it! You heard me right.

For years, I never  expressed this alleged concern in writing, because I didn't have proof. (As a trained journalist, it's imperative to verify facts, and I was seeking additional substantiation before going public with this.) But then other people began to make the same claims that your agave may really be HFCS.

Over the years, just about whenever I gave a talk, attended a conference or offered tips online, in my KickSugar group, people would inevitably ask me about the increasingly popular sweetener, especially if they hadn't yet read my advice in SUGAR SHOCK! So in late 2008, a year after my book was released, I also spoke out publicly against agave here, on this Sugar Shock Blog.

Even so, the agave questions -- and doubt about my answers -- kept coming. So I cautioned against agave again here, then again here and most recently here.

Interestingly, despite my very vocal and strong objections to agave, a number of my health-oriented friends, including those from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (a wonderful nutrition school I attended), refused to believe my anti-agave rant and continued to rave about agave's wonderful, sweet taste. Worse still, they would distribute recipes that suggested using agave nectar. Brr! Always, I would silently shudder in horror.

But thankfully, in recent years and especially months, a number of other health experts have joined me in blasting agave and its alleged virtuousness.

As best as I can reconstruct it, here's the timeline.

Get Help! Free Teleseminar March 31: "Top 10 Reasons You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar" with Major Loser/Winner Jimmy Moore

Are you really frustrated and frazzled, because yet again, you messed up on your diet and turned to donuts, candies or cookies when you intended to "do good"?

Even more embarrassing, did also you then get into an argument with your loved one(s) over no good reason, because you were hyped up on sugar or brain-fogged because of the crap you ate?

And did you hide your junk food or eat your stash in private?

If any of the four scenarios ring true, you're in the company of millions.

Every hour, all across the country, people are "failing" on their diets and shoving sweets or junk food into their mouths and getting negligible nutrients.

It's perfectly understandable that you'd be out of sorts for relying on food for comfort or consolation.

So are you ready to begin again tomorrow? Not the smartest move! You read me right!

Your diet or kick-sugar program should begin way before you actually start it. In other words, you need to set the stage first. If you were going to run a marathon, wouldn't you train for months in advance?

Well, starting a diet with no advance planning is one of The 10 Top Reasons that You Consistently Fail to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar.

Learn more about this reason and the other 9 reasons in a free teleseminar on Wed., March 31 at 8 pm EST.

I'm co-hosting the program with popular low-carb blogger Jimmy Moore, author of 21 Life Lessons From Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: How The Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew

You'll be wowed by Jimmy's story. In January 2004, he finally decided to face up to the fact that it was time for a change. At At 32 and weighing in at 410 pounds, Jimmy launched on a diet, shed 180 pounds, shrunk his waist by 20 inches, and dropped his shirt size from 5XL to XL.

Now, Jimmy is devoted to helping millions, and I'm honored that he's agreed to join this free teleseminar for you.

I invite you to join my free teleseminar/webinar on Wed., March 31 at 8 pm EST (5 pm PST) so you can learn the "Top 10 Reasons You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar."

In this teleseminar on Wed., March 31 at 8 pm EST (5 pm PST), you'll finally discover why you've been repeating failing.

And you'll learn what it takes to finally succeed for once and all.

In your teleseminar/webinar, "Top 10 Reasons You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar," you'll learn some eye-opening things.

• For instance, you'll discover that lack of will power is not why you haven't been able to shed pounds or get off sugar.
• You'll also find out that being single-mindedly focused on getting rid excess weight or NOT eat sugar is not the best way to break free of your sugar habit.
• You'll discover that counting calories is counter-productive. So is obsessively cutting back on fat. 
• Plus, you'll discover amazing reasons that have nothing to do with eating, which can make or break you kick-sugar or weight loss success.
• And you'll learn many more surprising secrets about kicking sugar and/or losing weight.

To join the fre*e teleseminar/webinar, "Top 10 Reasons You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar," on Wed., March 31 at 8 pm EST (5 pm PST), just sign up below, putting in your information below.

You're invited to come 10 minutes early to meet other people, who also want to lose weight or kick sugar.

Remember, when you get to the special website for the March 31 program, submit your questions ahead of time.

Together, we'll share our insights and explain 10 Top Reasons Why You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar.

Sign up for the March 31 teleseminar now. FYI, if you can't attend live, you can listen to the call, at your convenience, for a limited time.

Look forward to seeing you soon!

Well, starting a diet with no advance planning is one of The 10 Top Reasons that You Consistently Fail to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar.

Learn more about this reason and the other 9 reasons in a free teleseminar on Wed., March 31 at 8 pm EST.

I'm co-hosting the program with popular low-carb blogger Jimmy Moore, author of 21 Life Lessons From Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: How The Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew

You'll be wowed by Jimmy's story. In January 2004, he finally decided to face up to the fact that it was time for a change. At At 32 and weighing in at 410 pounds, Jimmy launched on a diet, shed 180 pounds, shrunk his waist by 20 inches, and dropped his shirt size from 5XL to XL.

Now, Jimmy is devoted to helping millions, and I'm honored that he's agreed to join this free teleseminar for you.

Reader Writes: "SUGAR SHOCK! Changed My Life." What Are Your Questions?

Often, I receive emails from readers of my book SUGAR SHOCK! Whenever I do, I'm so touched and honored that I've been able to help people from around the country and world. 

Here's a comment I received tonight from Ben in Massachusetts:

"Sugar Shock! changed my life. I [finally] got off sugar. For the first time in my life, I only eat non processed foods and no sugar. I feel calm all the time and [I'm] constantly energized. I feel great. It's easier to concentrate and exercise as well. ...God bless you."

Ben then asked a few questions, which I'm answering soon in a Frequently Asked Questions project.

What would you like to know about sugar's dangers, quitting sugar or carbs? Please post your questions here.

Sugary Soft Drinks Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

More and more these days, we hear about medical studies, which point to the massive dangers -- sometimes potentially deadly -- of consuming empty-calorie, sugar-filled soft drinks.

Yet another new medical study now points to excess sugar as the likely reason for potentially deadly pancreatic cancer.

This study -- published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention -- found, upon studying 60,524 Chinese adults, that those who drank at least two sugary sodas a week had an increased risk of developing cancer of the pancreas, as Yahoo News reports.

This study was the first time researchers studied Asians to learn how soda and juice may play a role in developing pancreatic cancer. It make sense to look at Asians, because they are increasingly adopting Western-like, processed-filled diets and sedentary lifestyles. Previous studies examined Europeans or Americans.

As for the new study, researchers believe the sweet stuff is to blame for the pancreatic cancer.

"We suspect sugar is the culprit, but we cannot prove it from this study," said Mark Pereira, one of the authors of the study from the University of Minnesota's division of epidemiology and community health.

Of course, even if the results cannot be definitively confirmed, it's safe to assume that skipping soda is the way to improve health and prevent several kinds of cancer, a conclusion I also make in my book SUGAR SHOCK! (You can learn there about other studies also making the same sugar-cancer connection.)

Why worry particularly about the soda-pancreatic cancer connection? Well, pancreatic cancer is one of the most rapidly fatal cancers in adults.

Not only that, but less than five percent of pancreatic patients survive five years or more after being diagnosed with the illness.

The study even suggests that eliminating sugar-sweetened sodas would be a way to reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

As we all know, soft drinks are leading sources of added sugar in the U.S. diet. And all this excess sugar can contribute to low blood sugar, high blood sugar and hyperinsulemia, when the amount of insulin in the blood is higher than normal. (The pancreas releases insulin to help regulate blood sugar.)

By the way, the two-drink-a-day soda drinkers also were younger, and they tended to smoke, drink alcohol,  eat higher-calorie diets and more red meat, and they were less physically active. Even so, the findings of the study were adjusted for various dietary factors and those adjustments didn't change the link between sugary soda and pancreas cancer.

Soda drinkers, are you ready to kick sugar now?

Join Ellen DeGeneres, who made it to Day 9 of her sugar cleanse.

Apply now to be on her show.

Ellen DeGeneres Kicks Sugar! Join Her!

Ellen DeGeneres deserves a hearty congratulations goes to you for making it to Day 3 of kicking sugar. Hurray for you!

Please read my first post here about Ellen's boot-the-sugar adventure. You can even watch her humorous announcement there, too.

Anyhow, please join me in thanking Ellen for drawing the attention of millions to the need to cut sugar out of their lives. Congratulations, Ellen! It's great, as you say here that you want "pure energy."

Hang in there, Ellen. Yes, you can briefly go through some unpleasant side effects such as exhaustion, jittery and cranky, but the symptoms will soon disappear.

I predict that soon, you'll get benefits galore. Expect to get more energy, find it easier to concentrate, painlessly shed a few pounds and maybe even be funnier -- though I can't fathom how that's possible, because you're already so hilarious!

And thank you, Ellen, for pointing out that we need to bring sweetness into our lives. So true! Interestingly, I like to point out -- as I do in talks and as I did in my book SUGAR SHOCK! -- that life is much sweeter without all sugar and refined sweets.

Friends and readers of this Sugar Shock Blog, join Ellen in her kick-sugar quest!

Learn how to Be a Part of the Show here.

For those of you who seek to kick sugar, I invite you to get lots of tips and FREE STUFF at my website to help you release your habit.

You can get more ideas in my most recent article, My ABC's to Break Free of Sugar Addiction, Sleep Skimping And Other Bad Habits, which appeared today on my Huffington Post Blog.

Now I invite you, Ellen, and Sugar Shock Blog readers to get entertained by my new YouTube video, which I just completed on Monday. Please watch until the surprise ending, which is funny, I hope.

Make sure to watch Ellen's funny announcement here. Yes, kicking sugar can be funny!

Eat All the Pancakes You Want & Leave Happy, Ad Says. Huh? Wrong!

Frankly, I don't get it. Here we are in the midst of a horrific nationwide obesity epidemic, and a certain national chain is now enticing people and tempting them via a TV ad to eat can eat all the pancakes they want and leave happy!

You've got to be kidding!

Eating as many pancakes as your heart desires will not make you happy!

Isn't it more accurate to say: "Eat all the pancakes you want, especially ones smothered in butter and syrup, and leave feeling bloated, gross and angry at yourself for pigging out!"

Just imagine: After you eat a pile of pancakes, you'll probably say, "Ugh! I can't believe I ate all those pancakes! I'm so unhappy!"

Wait, that's not all! Let's assume the restaurant's deal really entices you. So, after overeating for several days running on all that sugar (think syrup), fat (butter) and those refined carbs or sugar (the pancakes work in your body like sugar), you can expect to get even more unhappy when you look on the bathroom scale!

Admittedly, you may feel "happy" ever so briefly. In other words, you'll be upbeat and "high" from all the sugar and refined carbs for maybe 1/2 hour or even an hour. But soon, you'll come crashing down and reality will set in. Unfortunately, you may even have more sugar cravings later that day.

What baffles me is that this particular eatery does sell other food fare that's not carb-centered. How can this company permit their ad agency to create such a politically incorrect ad in this weight-worrying climate? Why not promote all-you-can-eat salads or something more healthy instead?

In case you believed the TV bunk that eating pancakes to your heart's delight can will make you happy, I'd recommend that you learn about the dangers of all those refined carbs and sugars. Would you like to be healthy and happy? If so, then gobbling pancakes is not the answer.

Eating pancakes, along with other processed carbs and sweets can, over time, lead to health troubles galore, from heart disease to cancer to type 2 diabetes, as you can learn my book SUGAR SHOCK!

Still want some pancakes? I hope not!

Stay tuned for my healthy "pancake" recipe, which I'll post here tomorrow,

My ABC's to Break Free of Sugar & Other Bad Habits (Babits™)

Have you seen my video yet on YouTube, in which I shared My ABC's to Break Free of Your Sugar Habit and Other Bad Habits?

Here's a companion article to give you more information and tips to release your bad habits or what I call babits™.

My ABC's to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Other Bad Habits by Connie Bennett, CPC, CHHC

If you’re like most people, you’re often tempted by gorgeous, mouth-watering, nutrient-poor “treats”—dazzling donuts, colorful cereal or buttered bagels—and other bad habits such as excessive coffee-drinking, negative thinking, procrastinating and obsessive texting. 

As I mentioned on my companion YouTube video, It's certainly understandable if you feel tempted. Wherever you go and wherever you live, you’re inevitably bombarded by unhealthy foods, substances, thoughts and activities.

But I invite you to look inside and decide: Do you feel trapped or imprisoned by your sugar habit or other bad habit (what I call a babit™)?

And are you plagued by baffling health issues such as annoying weight gain, ferocious headaches or even type 2 diabetes?

I’m here to reassure you. You can escape from the prison of a bad habit.

In fact, I respectfully challenge you. Get out from under your sugar habit or other babits™ so that you can have a life that rocks!

You may be wondering WIFY (What's In It For You?) if you overcome your bad habit. You can benefit in many ways!