SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Is Sugar Toxic? "60 Minutes" Explores Issue: Hurrah!

Tonight,  on "60 Minutes," multiple Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell the show's viewers about new studies, which suggest that sugar is toxic.

Specifically, on "60 Minutes," Dr. Gupta will tell viewers:

"New research coming out of some of America's most respected institutions is starting to find that sugar could be a driving force behind some of this country's leading killers."

Of course, this sugar-is-toxic conclusion -- which has been gaining momentum for years -- is nothing new to those of you, who are regular visitors to this Sugar Shock Blog and to readers of my first book, Sugar Shock, which was first published in 2007.

For my part, I'm thrilled that "60 Minutes" is devoting time to explore the question of whether or not sugar is toxic. I've been hoping for such a segment for years.

What I find especially exciting is that Dr. Gupta will spotlight the close cancer-sugar connection, which I also explored in my book, Sugar Shock.

I also examine recent sugar-can-cause-cancer research in my upcoming book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which is being published in June by Hay House. (In the book, I guide readers to eaily break free of their sugar addiction by joining me in a fun, six-week Mind-Body-Spirit adventure.)

Anyhow, in the "60 Minutes" segment about sugar, you'll watch Dr. Gupta interview respected pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert H. Lustig, whose YouTube video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, has gone viral, attracting 2,159,456 viewers (as of today).

Dr. Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, is not alone in his sugar-is-toxic view.

Indeed, many cutting-edge physicians, including Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra, medical consultant for my book Sugar Shock, contend that the high amount of sugar in the American diet is killing us. (By the way, I disagree with the low figures usually cited -- most Americans consume far more than the 130 or 150 pounds a year that's often mentioned in news reports.)

While I applaud "60 Minutes" for telling the nation that sugar can be toxic, I also need to congratulate Dr. Mehmet Oz for his important work drawing attention to sugar's dangers in several episodes of the top-rated "The Doctor Oz Show."

In one episode, Dr. Mehmet Oz even called sugar "The # 1 food Dr. Oz Wants Out of Your House." Hurrah!

By the way, I'm honored that Dr. Oz praised my book, Sugar Shock.

Again, congratulations to "60 Minutes" for devoting a segment to this important sugar subject.

 Join us on my Facebook fan page during and after "60 Minutes" airs to share your thoughts and feelings about the is-sugar-toxic segment.

Make sure to tell your friends and family members to watch this important "60 Minutes" episode.

Watch the full episode below.

If you have a sugar addiction and are worried about the toxic effects, stay tuned for free teleseminars that will help you to break free of your dangerous behavior.

I also invite you to keep a lookout for my next book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which gives you a simple, compassionate six-week Mind-Body-Spirit Plan to let your addiction float away into nothingness.

Before You Indulge this Holiday Season, Consider Nearly 150 Ways Sugar Ruins Your Health

As 2011 winds down and we approach the holidays, we're about to enter what I call the Season of Overeating and the Season of Sugar Gorging.

So before you over-indulge this holiday season, I urge you to learn the sour news. You need to know that when by continually chomping on delicious desserts, sugar can ruin your health in nearly 150 ways.

Below you'll find an extensively researched list from my mentor and heroine, Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., author of Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction.

If you doubt the facts on this list, bear in mind that Nancy has been researching sugar's dangers for more than three decades, and she found (and cites) medical studies to back up all of the claims on this list.

An avid researcher, Dr. Appleton is also the best-selling author of Stopping Inflammation and Healthy Bones. In addition, she lectures extensively throughout the world, has appeared on numerous television and radio talk shows, and maintains a private practice in San Diego, California.

Incidentially, to this day, more than 13 years after I quit sugar myself, I'm grateful to Nancy. In fact, her book, Lick the Sugar Habit, helped me quit sweets back in 1998.

Now review Nancy's shocking list of nearly 150 ways that sugar can ham you before you continue to overdo it on sweets this holiday season.

Nearly 150 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. (Reprinted with permission.)

1. Sugar can suppress your immune system.

2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.

3. Sugar can cause juvenile delinquencey in children.

4. Sugar eaten pregnancy and lactation can influence muscle force production in offspring, which can affect an individual’s ability to exercise.

5. Sugar in soda, when consumed by children, results in the children drinking less milk.

6. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses and return them to fasting levels slower in oral contraceptive users.

7. Sugar can increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage cells and tissues.

8. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate and crankiness in children.

9. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.

10.  Sugar reduces the body’s ability to defend against bacterial infection.

11.  Sugar causes a decline in tissue elasticity and function – the more sugar you eat, the more elasticity and function you lose.

12.  Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

13.  Sugar can lead to chromium deficiency.

14.  Sugar can lead to ovarian cancer.

15.  Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.

16.  Sugar causes copper deficiency.

17.  Sugar interferes with the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium.

18.  Sugar may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration.

19.  Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

20.  Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.

21.  Sugar can lead to an acidic digestive tract.

22.  Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.

23.  Sugar is frequently malabsorbed in patients with functional bowel disease.

24.  Sugar can cause premature aging.

25.  Sugar can lead to alcoholism.

26.  Sugar can cause tooth decay.

27.  Sugar can lead to obesity.

28.  Sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

29.  Sugar can cause gastric or duodenal ulcers.

30.  Sugar can cause arthritis.

31.  Sugar can cause learning disorders in school children.

32.  Sugar assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).

33.  Sugar can cause gallstones.

34.  Sugar can cause heart disease.

35.  Sugar can cause appendicitis.

36.  Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.

37.  Sugar can cause varicose veins.

38.  Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.

39.  Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.

40.  Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.

41.  Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

42.  Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E in the blood.

43.  Sugar can decrease the amount of growth hormones in the body.

44.  Sugar can increase cholesterol.

45.  Sugar increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which form when sugar binds non-enzymatically to protein.

46.  Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.

47.  Sugar causes food allergies.

48.  Sugar can contribute to diabetes.

49.  Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

50.  Sugar can lead to eczema in children.

51.  Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.

52.  Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.

53.  Sugar can change the structure of protein.

54.  Sugar can make the skin wrinkle by changing the structure of collagen.

55.  Sugar can cause cataracts.

56.  Sugar can cause emphysema.

57.  Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.

58.  Sugar can promote an elevation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

59.  Sugar can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.

60.  Sugar lowers enzymes ability to function.

61.  Sugar intake is associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease.

62.  Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.

63.  Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.

64.  Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.

65.  Sugar can damage the pancreas.

66.  Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.

67.  Sugar is the number one enemy of the bowel movement.

68.  Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).

69.  Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.

70.  Sugar can make tendons more brittle.

71.  Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.

72.  Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.

73.  Sugar can adversely affect children’s grades in school.

74.  Sugar can cause depression.

75.  Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.

76.  Sugar can cause dyspepsia (indigestion).

77.  Sugar can increase the risk of developing gout.

78.  Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in the blood much higher than complex carbohydrates in a glucose tolerance test can.

79.  Sugar reduces learning capacity.

80.  Sugar can cause two blood proteins – albumin and lipoproteins – to function less effectively, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.

81.  Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

82.  Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness, which causes blood clots.

83.  Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance – some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.

84.  Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

85.  Sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.

86.  Sugar can lead to biliary tract cancer.

87.  Sugar increases the risk of pregnant adolescents delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.

88.  Sugar can lead to a substantial decrease the in the length of pregnancy among adolescents.

89.  Sugar slows food’s travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.

90.  Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stool and bacterial enzymes in the colon, which can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.

91.  Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.

92.  Sugar combines with and destroys phosphatase, a digestive enzyme, which makes digestion more difficult.

93.  Sugar can be a risk factor for gallbladder cancer.

94.  Sugar is an addictive substance.

95.  Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.

96.  Sugar can aggravate premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

97.  Sugar can decrease emotional stability.

98.  Sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese people.

99.  Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD).

100.   Sugar can slow the ability of the adrenal glands to function.

101.   Sugar can cut off oxygen to the brain when given to people intravenously.

102.  Sugar is a risk factor for lung cancer.

103.  Sugar increases the risk of polio.

104.  Sugar can cause epileptic seizures.

105. Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart is contracting).

106. Sugar can induce cell death.

107. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.

108. Sugar can cause antisocial behavior in juvenile delinquents.

109. Sugar can lead to prostate cancer.

110. Sugar dehydrates newborns.

111. Sugar can cause women to give birth to babies with low birth weight.

112. Sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia.

113. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the bloodstream.

114. Sugar increases the risk of breast cancer.

115. Sugar is a risk factor in small intestine cancer.

116. Sugar can cause laryngeal cancer.

117. Sugar induces salt and water retention.

118. Sugar can contribute to mild memory loss.

119. Sugar water, when given to children shortly after birth, results in those children preferring sugar water to regular water throughout childhood.

120. Sugar causes constipation.

121. Sugar can cause brain decay in pre-diabetic and diabetic women.

122. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.

123. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.

124. Sugar increases neural tube defects in embryos when it is consumed by pregnant women.

125. Sugar can cause asthma.

126. Sugar increases the chances of getting irritable bowl syndrome.

127. Sugar can affect central reward systems.

128. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.

129. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.

130. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell cancer.

131. Sugar can cause liver tumors.

132. Sugar can increase inflammatory markers in the bloodstreams of overweight people.

133. Sugar plays a role in the cause and the continuation of acne.

134. Sugar can ruin the sex life of both men and women by turning off the gene that controls the sex hormones.

134. Sugar can cause fatigue, moodiness, nervousness, and depression.

135. Sugar can make many essential nutrients less available to cells.

138. Sugar can increase uric acid in blood.

139. Sugar can lead to higher C-peptide concentrations.

140. Sugar causes inflammation.

141. Sugar can cause diverticulitis, a small bulging sac pushing outward from the colon wall that is inflamed.

142. Sugar can decrease testosterone production.

143. Sugar impairs spatial memory.

144. Sugar can cause cataracts.

Go here now to find find Nancy's extensive references, which back up the citations on this list.

To learn more about sugar's dangers, I urge you to get Nancy's book, Suicide by Sugar. I also invite you to read my book, Sugar Shock.

In addition, find out more about more about sugar's dangers by listening to a special Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on which I interviewed Dr. Nancy Appleton.

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

Feel Addicted to Sweets & Other Foods? Junk Food Addiction May be Real

Do you feel completely out of control when it comes to eating candies, cookies and fast food?

More to the point, do you feel downright addicted?

New research reveals that your affinity -- or addiction -- may be real, according to new research.

"Researchers ... say it's possible that a diet heavy in highly rewarding foods -- quite literally, sausages, cheesecake and other highly processed foods -- might cause changes in the brain's reward system for satiety." writes HealthNews Today's reporter Jenifer Goodwin.

Read her fascinating story now to learn about this new research.

Would you like help to overcome your sugar addiction?

Learn here about my Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction program. Early Bird rates apply through March 31 at 11:59 pm PST.

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,

Sugar Addiction Begone! Kick Sugar With Me This Month

If you're like many Americans, you want to shed your excess weight so you can fit into your favorite slim outfit, have the trim, toned, sexy body you crave and be healthy.

Just imagine how you'd feel if you had more energy, more cheerful moods and more satisfying relationships.

Envision what your life would look like if you were more productive, thinking more clearly and experiencing a boost in your libido.

All of the above can happen if you eliminate sugar and refined carbs.

But losing weight, getting more energy, concentrating better, becoming happier and having a bigger sex drive are just a few of many benefits you can gain from eliminating sugar, as I pointed out in my book SUGAR SHOCK!

In fact, when I quit sweets and refined carbs on doctor's orders in 1998, a whopping 44 ailments disappeared and I felt reborn!

But, let's face it, cutting out sugar or those "culprit carbs" can be challenging for most people.

After all, you didn't develop a sugar habit overnight. So let me educate, inspire and guide you to become joyously sugar free.

Join me Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 6 pm for my fun, interactive, life-changing free introductory class, "SUGAR SHOCK! Breaking Free of Your Sugar Habit" at the New York Open Center, the largest urban holistic center in the United States.

On that one night, you'll get some tips and tactics to begin to break free of your sugar habits.

But, as you can imagine, since you've probably had a lifetime of being overly attached to sugar, one hour with me is isn't enough to change your destructive patterns for good.

That's why I'm also teaching a 4-week course at the New York Open Center, which begins next week, from Jan. 12 to Feb. 2.

In this four-week course, I'm sharing proprietary techniques that I developed and which worked for me when I removed sugar from my diet in 1998.

In addition, you're getting dozens of tips that have helped my clients. Plus, you'll receive many ideas from a variety of health experts, who kindly shared them with me.

For instance, in my 4-week course at the New York Open Center, you will:

• Discover the 10 reasons people fail when making New Year's resolutions or when breaking a sugar addiction or other bad habits (what I call babits™).
• Get 7 Smart Starter Strategies so you can conquer your sugar habit for good.
• The most dangerous word in the English language that is disempowering when seeking to kick sugar.
• Find out 5 ways to save money on food and beverages in this economy but still make healthy choices.
• Find out why this course has the wrong title! (But we had to name it "SUGAR SHOCK! Breaking Free of Your Sugar Habit" so you'd know what you're getting.)
• Receive 50 simple, effective tips and tactics to squash your sugar cravings.
• Get a helpful, comprehensive sugar-free shopping list and sample meal plans.
• Discover what 3 most empowering questions to ask yourself whenever sugary foods "call out" to you to stop your destructive cycle.
• Find out how you can use "failing" or being human (i.e., imperfect) to your advantage.
• Have fun discovering tasty, sugar-free desserts from 2 guest bakers.
• Taste delicious sugar-free treats from 2 local chefs.
  
• Find out which 3 foods can drive away your "sweet tooth."
• Get educated about 20 cutting-edge research studies, which reveal the dangers of sugars and refined carbs.
• Receive a list of more than 100 ways your sugar habit is killing you.
  
• Learn how you can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, cancer, infertility, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. 
• Be trained as a "Savvy Sugar Sleuth" so you easily unmask sugar's many disguises and read food labels in the grocery store.
• Get invited to one complimentary teleseminar. (This is one of many bonuses you get by signing up for my 4-week course.)
• Learn to identify 10 surprising foods that contain hidden sugars.
• Get inspired by successful "Sugar Kickers," whose sour-to-sweet tales you can listen to at any time via complimentary audio downloads.
  
• Determine how your sugar habit is harming your health, weight, moods, relationships, work, spirituality and ability to get things done.
• Learn how to talk to your loved ones about your sugar habit.
  
• Uncover your 5 "W's" that drive you to sweets and refined carbs.
• Acquire simple, juicy, valuable, always-accessible tips and tools to help stomp out your sugar habit for good and to prevent binging, relapsing and self-loathing
• Get 10 ways to "Say No With Sass!" when offered desserts.
• Develop your special, do-able, personalized plan.
• Learn easy techniques to topple stress so you won't feel a need to turn to sweets.
  
• Discover how sugar wreaks havoc on your body.
  
• Gain insights so you can decide your best course of action -- to quit cold turkey, phase our sweets or still take tastes from time to time
• Receive at least 2 helpful handouts and undertake at least 2 fun, revealing, life-changing adventur-cises™ (adventurous exercises) every week.
• Do valuable "Sugary Soul Searching."
• Learn to surf when cravings strike. (You heard me right!)
• Determine how to embrace your triggers and saboteurs rather than avoid them.
• Invite "The 4 P's" into your life.
• Meet your Kind, Know-It All.
• Get the truth about sugar substitutes and learn which sweeteners are safe to use.
  
• Be coached to help you succeed.
• Have a chance to listen to interviews with a who's who of world-renowned experts in the field of nutrition, diet, fitness, motivation and spirituality. 
• Receive supportive emails and audio messages to "hold your hand" and guide you through the program.
• Find out ways to to nurture and nourish yourself without candies, cakes and chips and how to live a sweeter life without needing to turn to sweets. 
• Get your questions answered.
  

Register now for my complimentary introduction on Jan. 5 and 4-week course, from Jan. 12 to Feb. 2 at the New York Open Center.

Please note: If you're in another part of the re in another part of the country or world and cannot make my talk at the New York Open Center, please join us virtually or telephonically in other upcoming programs so you can still get helpful tips, tactics and tempting tidbits.

• On Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 2 pm on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show, learn how to be happy with author Gretchen Ruben. You can listen live or later. 
• On Thursday, Jan. 7 at 3 pm EST, attend a fun teleseminar/webinar with my friends from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.(You can listen later or you miss it live.) Sign up now for the IIN-sponsored call during which you'll get tips to kick sugar and information about this amazing school (where I studied) and how it helped me.
• And next Monday, Jan. 11 at 8 pm EST, you can join us from anywhere around the world for a complimentary teleseminar/webinar to learn how to kick sugar. Sign up for my free Motivating Morsels ezine to get call-in details.
• You're also invited to mark your calendars. On Feb. 24, join a group of us presenting the Great American Sugar-Out Challenge, where top experts will tell you about sugar's dangers and give you tips to break free. Check back here for details or sign up for my free Motivating Morsels ezine to get call-in details. Details coming.

Register now for four-week course, staring Jan. 12 at the New York Open Center.

If you sign up for the course because of learning about it on this Sugar Shock Blog, you will receive a free gift from me.

Hope to see you there.

Connie's Confession: I'm a Health Hypocrite! Help Each Other

Normally, I don't reveal my vulnerabilities here, on this Sugar Shock Blog. Nor do I share a personal plight, but today, I feel a need to confess to you that I feel like the ultimate Health Hypocrite.

Sure, I eat healthy, wholesome, real foods. Yes, I religiously avoid sugary foods and carbs -- and have since 1998 with only a handful of very minor infractions. I don't even smoke anymore. (Inhaling two packs of cigarettes is a thing of the past.) What's more, I've been shunning caffeine since a doctor suggested I do so more than a decade ago. And I don't even chew sugar-less gum or eat candies with artificial sweeteners anymore. In addition, I've triumphed over my diet soda slugging. Plus, I'm huge exercise aficionado. But feeding my body well and moving just aren't nearly enough.

My body craves -- as does yours -- ample sleep. We desperately need those zzzzzz's.Otherwise, I'm headed for sniffles, sneezing, coughing and congestion.

Well, lately -- especially in the last week -- I haven't walked my talk. Despite the fact that I know about the wonders of a good night's sleep and I'm even mentioning it as a "Smart Diet Habit" in my next book, I skimped on sleep myself last week. Now that I'm a health coach, I'm not going to indulge in self-blame. Rather, I'm going to use this realization as an opportunity.

The irony is that lately, I've been thinking a lot about and striving to do excellent self-care, because of my training as a health counselor and life coach and because I've been completing Cheryl Richardson's fabulous book, Take Time for Your Life, which was required reading for my life coaching program through iPEC.

I even just bought Cheryl Richardson's latest book, The Art of Extreme Self-Care, this weekend at this remarkable Hay House ouse Movers & Shakers conference. Both books have motivated me to think a lot about how we all will benefit if we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to treating ourselves with respect and reverence, even it it means we have to let go of current projects and disappoint people. 

Well, despite my commitment to treating myself right, last week, I neglected my needs when it came to snoozing. You see, I felt compelled to help you you a lot this month. I really wanted to:

• Help  you have a happy holiday, which is why I wrote and posted 7 Tips to Relieve Holiday Stress on both of my new Huffington Post and Psychology Today blogs.
• Offer you the chance to learn from Dr. Audrey Nelson, who will tell you tomorrow, on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show, How to Speak to Men Over the Holidays.
  
• Add a special radio show so you can get valuable ideas about Heartfelt Holiday Gifts.
• Present a life-changing, mood-boosting, calming Relieve Holiday Stress teleseminar with master visualization expert Debra Berndt. (As our gift to you, you're even getting an audio replay through the end of the month.)
• Attend this amazing Hay House Movers & Shakers conference..

Last week, I wanted to find time to:

• Work on the book proposal for my next book, The Smart Diet Habits of Highly Successful Losers.
• Promote my 6 talks (so far) in January -- the one on New Year's Day at the Jewish Community Center in New York City on the Upper West Side, my free introductory talk on Jan. 5 at the New York Open Center and the four-week program, beginning Jan. 12, also at the New York Open Center.
• Finish the 5 book reports, which are required to complete my certification from iPEC as a life coach. (I'm almost done.)
• Coaching and counsel my wonderful clients, who seek to lick their sugar addiction and create a better, more fulfilled life.
• Change the content on my autoresponders that automatically go out to you when you sign up for Free Stuff from my website.
• Connect with you more and build my community on Facebook and Twitter, as well as in our Stop Sugar Shock social network, so I can offer you valuable tips and inspiring messages.
• Educate you with Sugar Shock Blog posts about new studies such as this scary one about soda, pregnant woman and diabetes.  (More posts are in the works when I bring someone on board to help. See below.)

My goals also are to:

• Help support a friend or two, who is doing valuable work. This week, I spread the word about Donna Sonkin's event tomorrow, which unfortunately I may not be well enough to attend now.
• Send send out an email blast to my mailing list about the exciting programs offered.
• Plan the 2nd annual Great Worldwide Sugar-Out Challenge in mid January, which includes lining up  top experts to join in our 24-hour twitfest and inviting them to add their names to a press release that will go out to members of the media as it did last year.
• Send a pitch to The Dr. Oz Show suggesting a show about sugar addiction in January and to invite the producer to book both Stephen (Dr. Sinatra) and myself as well as other sugar experts and sugar addicts to appear on a much-needed episode. (Please help me suggest that we come on as guests to The Dr. Oz Show. And if you're a sugar addict in need of help, feel free to recommend yourself, too.)
• Plan my radio shows for January. For example, on Wed., Jan. 6 at 2 p.m., you'll get valuable ideas from Gretchen Rubin on how to be happy. She is author of the new book, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. I'm also lining up shows tips with Gary Ryan Blair, the Goals Guy and author of the new book,Everything Counts: 52 Remarkable Ways to Inspire Excellence and Drive Results; and Annette Fix, who will give relationship pointers to use in the new year. (Stay tuned for details.)
• Clear clutter in my apartment.
• Buy a new printer, because my previous one broke down. 
• Take time to exercise, meditate, do creative visualization, read inspiring passages and lay the groundwork to manifest a loving relationship.

Wow, I'm exhausted just reading my list. Clearly, last week, I overworked, didn't work out enough and ignored valuable sleep time. One day I even put in about 20 hours. Or was it 22?

Clearly, I know better! For goodness sake, I'm both a health counselor and a life coach. People even dub me as the "Smart Habits Girl" (on Twitter), "Smart Habits Coach" or "Sugar Liberator."

But skipping sleep sent me straight to a sore, scratchy throat, hacking cough, a stuffy head and sheer exhaustion. Ironically, recently, I began to research the subject of sleep deprivation for my next book by reading articles such as this one and this one. Now I have to miss two holiday parties tonight because of being sick.

While I'd rather be sleeping now, I'm writing because I really need your help. In return, I will help to bring out the absolute best in you. With  your assistance, I could get more sleep, help more people, have more fun, be more energized, take more time for me and lead the kind of balanced life that I help my clients to achieve.

...So I'm currently seeking several part-time independent contractors (2 to 10 hours a week). My goal and intention is to find:

• An assistant producer for my Gab With the Gurus radio show (a fun gig!);
• Several people to help build my community through social media -- especially my new Facebook fan page and Stop Sugar Shock social network on Ning (also fun!);
• 2 health writers or bloggers to research, write and post pieces about recent medical studies and other health and lifestyle developments on my Sugar Shock Blog and radio show updates on my Gab With the Gurus blog. The writers also would prepare press releases about upcoming programs to submit to ExpertClick.com (another fascinating project);
• A marketing consultant, who can make suggestions about expanding my reach so I can help the people who most need my expertise;
• 1 or 2 assistants to warmly greet attendees at my talks, make them feel welcome, pass out fliers at a variety of places in New York (or wherever I'm booked) and help line up more talks. (Right now I'm seeking people for my January talks -- you just need to be warm, friendly and into serving others);
• A tech-savvy person, who can do website updates (on Microsoft Front Page) and/or possibly move my entire Sugar Shock website to Wordpress. This person also would set up my new Smart Habits Blog on Wordpress before I add too much content on its current site.

At present, don't have a budget for these independent contractors. The good news is that I do have a BIG desire to help you live a better life. Plus, I have superb training from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), as well as my own experience being the Bad Habits Babe. I also have a proven track record, along with testimonials from clients about my ability to motivate, guide and coach people to break free of their self-sabotaging habits. (Check back here soon for more client kudos. I've been too busy coaching to get more testimonials.)

Even if you're free of destructive patterns, we can still swap services.

I can coach you so you'll finally realize your dreams. (I can help anyone, but I do specialize in health, wellness and personal empowerment, and, in particular, I work with sugar addicts, stay-at-home moms, small business owners, authors, writers, health counselors, marketing experts.)

In addition, if you need writing or marketing services, I'm your gal.

Here's how it will work. You would devote a designated amount of time each week to help me in one of the above areas. In exchange, I'll either coach you in health, wellness and writing, or I"ll help you to write and/or edit something. Depending on how many hours you work for me, you would get either private coaching or you would be part of one of my Break Free With Connie group coaching programs. 

Sound intriguing?

If you're a fellow health expert, please join in the discussion here and on Facebook. Do you, too, feel sometimes like a Health Hypocrite? How? How have you overcome this? I'd love your ideas to improve.  (Plus, I'm working on a story for several sites.)

Enough writing. My shoulder and arm are very sore from typing, and I need to sleep, drink liquids, finish my chicken soup, take herbs and supplements and recuperate.

Hope you will take advantage of this amazing offer to help you set and reach your goals, tap into your inner purpose and passion and connect that with your outer goals to achieve extraordinary and sustainable results.

In the meantime, I'm now committing to you, dear readers, that I will conquer my destructive sleep deprivation habits. I need to live up to my "Smart Habits Coach" title. Besides, I know that I can lick this bad habit just as I have all my other bad habits over the years. But feel free to wish me luck!

Please spread the word about this offer -- and feel free to share your thoughts here and on Facebook about my unhealthy hypocrisy!

Soda Increases Diabetes Risk Among Pregnant Women

Women, if you're pregnant or want to be, drinking soda regularly isn't a smart habit.

That's because, as new research in Diabetes Care suggests, women who drink sugary cola drinks regularly could be at higher risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications, and it can lead to full blown type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. Children whose mothers have had GDM also are at increased risk from obesity, glucose intolerance and early onset diabetes.

I have great respect for this study, because scientists seeking to learn the causes of GDM looked at a large group, 13,475 women, from the Nurses Health Study II.

In analyzing at the 860 cases of GDM that developed in the 10-year follow-up study, the scientists discovered, after adjusting for known risk factors, intake of sugar-sweetened cola was positively associated with higher risk of GDM.

“Compared with women who consumed less than 1 serving per month, those who consumed more than 5 servings per week of sugar-sweetened cola had a 22 per cent greater GDM risk,” said study author Liwei Chen, assistant professor of epidemiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.

Need help kicking sugar? I'd be happy to guide you to sugar-free health and wellness.

Halloween Tricks Kids Into Sugar Overload: Op Ed Piece

Are you re planning on passing out sugar-filled candies for Halloween tomorrow night?

If so, you should know that every time you hand out candies, you're tricking kids into sugar overload. 

Halloween isn't just one night. It paves the way for bad eating habits year-round.

Read more about this in our opinion piece in today's Newark Star-Ledger.

Spread the word to your friends, fans and family members.

Make comments. Get heard, too.

Soft Drinks: A Habit at Age 5 Predicts Weight Gain

Parents, if you've think there's nothing wrong with giving your toddlers and young ones a couple of cans of soda and other sweetened beverages a day, you better reconsider.

That's because if five-year-olds drink sweetened beverages, they're more likely to pack on pounds in their teens, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Specifically, researchers from the Center for Childhood Obesity Research at Pennsylvania State University and other institutions found that girls, who, at age five, consumed two or more eight-ounce servings of sweetened beverages such as soft drinks were more likely to have a higher intake and be overweight in the next decade than girls, who drank less during the 10-year period.

Consumption remained stable for those who drank one to two servings a day, the researchers found.

Drinking milk or fruit juice wasn't connected with weight gain, as Food Navigator pointed out.

The researchers pointed out that although the American Academy of Pediatrics has made fruit juice consumption recommendations, the organization hasn't made any regarding sweetened beverage intake.

It's fascinating to me that researchers seem to shy away from the words "soft drinks" and instead use the phrase "sweetened beverages." Of course, you can find numerous other sweetened drinks, too, such as energy drinks, lemonade, fruit punch, etc.

But, let's face it, it doesn't matter what you call them. The message here is that children should stay away from sugary drinks, especially two or more eight-ounce portions.

Of course, we already knew that, but it's always helpful when researchers arrive at conclusions that back up theories.

Halloween Horrors: Nearly $2 Billion in Candy Sales Expected

On Halloween, a national holiday, where you're pretty much encouraged and urged to overdo it on  sweets, adults are expected to fork over a whopping $1.89 billion for candies, which they'll pass out to trick-or-treaters this year, according to a new study from IBISWorld market  research firm.

I guess these candy buyers just aren't aware of  the dangers of sugar and refined carbs.

Even worse, despite the fact that one in three children or teens are overweight or obese, sales of health-harming, mostly empty-calorie sugary "treats" in 2009 are up by 6.8% over last year.

Indeed, despite the bad economy, people's appetite for sweets has increased. (As my clients often complain, when times are tough, they find that their sugar addiction gets worse.) 

Interestingly, people are spending nearly as much on candies as on costumes. Indeed, the $1.89 figure for candies is just shy of the $2.2 billion in projected sales for fanciful outfits. In all, Halloween will cost consumers $6 billion this year.

Apparently American adults, like their kids, are so keen on sweets that they can't wait until Halloween before they delve into their stash.

According to the National Confectioners Association, "40 percent of American adults admit to stashing a few pieces of candy from the trick-or-treat bowl before the ghosts and goblins show up on October 31."

Meanwhile, the candy association also found that:

• Four in ten adults (or 41%) admit that they sneak sweets from their own candy bowl.
• 62% of adults plan to give candies because "it's a personal favorite" or a household tradition (55%).
• 90% of parents admit they sneak "goodies" from their kids' trick-or-treat bags. 

Talk about sugar-obsessed people!

Lest you're tempted by the image of candy corn, I urge you to first learn the nutrition facts, thanks to DietFacts.com. For instance, according to Brach's, 22 pieces are 140 calories. They also contain 75 mg of sodium, as well as 36 grams of carbs and 31 grams (7.75 tsp.) of sugar. They also have absolutely no fiber (9 grams) and no protein (0 grams).

The ingredients contain sugar, corn syrup, salt, honey, confectioner's glze, gelatin, dextrose, artificial colors (titanium dioxide, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 3, Blue 1), sesame oil and artificial flavor.

Still tempted by the candy corn?

Stay tuned for tips to have a healthy Halloween.

Candy-Chomping Kids Commit Crimes as Adults

Can eating too much candy on a daily basis make you commit crimes? 

If you're planning on passing out candies to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, read this first.

Kids who eat candy and other sweets daily may be more likely to be arrested for violent crime  as adults, according to a new British study, which you can read about on MSNBC and other organizations.

Curiously, this startling study was published soon before this widely accepted sugar-giving holiday, in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Researchers from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, headed up by Simon Moore, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in the Violence and Society Research Group, looked at data from the British Cohort Study of more than 17,000 children born in 1970 in the U.K.

Studying the data of four decades, Dr. Moore and his colleagues found that 69 percent of those children who ate candies or chocolates daily at age 10, were later arrested for a violent offense by age 34, the AP reported. Of those who didn't commit any crimes, 42 percent ate sweets daily.

Dr. Moore, who has been studying children to commit serious crimes, discovered that "kids with the worst problems tend to be impulsive risk takers, and that these kids had terrible diets — breakfast was a Coke and a bag of chips," he says, according TIME. 

To be sure, experts are critical of these conclusions, this sugar-crime connection is nothing new. In fact, you can read about other related, eye-opening studies that arrive at similar conclusions in my book SUGAR SHOCK!

Agave: Is It a Safe Sweetener Alternative? I Recommend Skipping It

Agave nectar has become quite controversial of late. Lately, many people -- especially folks who are concerned about their health -- have been eagerly consuming it, but I believe they're doing so without knowing the full facts.

After repeated questions from people about whether or not they can safely consume agave, I posted on this Sugar Shock Blog, most recently here and before that, here.

My conclusion? Briefly, I'm really wary of this sweetener, which is really high in fructose. I have too many questions about agave.

To put it bluntly, I won't ever consume agave since I know about the dangers of fructose, which I learned more about last weekend from Dr. Richard Johnson at a Food Addiction Summit in Washington state.

Richard (I got to know him while hiking there) is the author of the fascinating book, The Sugar Fix: The High Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick.

He also gave a fascinating presentation at the conference that recounts the dangers of fructose, many of which he learned about recently in his research.

Anyhow, amidst people's worries or questions agave, I was pleased to see that the Weston Price Foundation run this story, "Worse Than We Thought: The Lowdown on High Fructose Corn Syrup and Agave "Nectar."

Since I'm a journalist, I'm also obliged to show you the opposing view. First this anti-agave item ran on Natural News, Agave Nectar: The High Fructose Health Food Fraud. That led to another article -- one that's decidedly pro-agave -- because it's from agave manufacturer. The piece, Agave Nectar: A Rebuttal to Misinformed Attacks on this Natural Sweetener, still leaves me with many questions.

Despite the fact that agave is reportedly natural, too many questions are raised about its safely. So you just won't ever catch me having any. 

What's the matter with fruit, herbal tea (licorice tea is sweet), or even small amounts of goji berrry or even bananas, when you want something sweet?

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Some Scary Facts to Consider Before You Gulp Down Soda

Did you know that consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the U.S. -- which can be found in a plethora of cookies, candies and fast-foods -- has increased by a a whopping 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005? So reports the USDA Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption report.

Are you one of millions, who,  according to the USDA report, consume one-quarter of your calories from added sugars, most of which comes from high fructose corn syrup, as mercola.com pointed out?

Meanwhile, have you heard about the a recent study, which reveals that a diet high in high fructose corn syrup may be partly to blame for insulin resistance?

And did you learn here on the Sugar Shock Blog about the health-harming mercury that's been found recently in foods containing high fructose corn syrup?

What's more, are you aware that in the past decade, as people's consumption of HFCS has soared unabated, diabetes has increased by a staggering 90 percent and 8 percent or 24 million Americans now have diabetes?

You've just heard ample reasons to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet, right?

Are you getting motivated to kick the sweetener despite the misleading pro-HFCS propaganda you've been subjected to recently, as I've pointed out here and also here, when I was interviewed for the 3 Minute Advertising Age piece, "A Sour Review of Corn Refiners' Sweetener Ads."

For those of you still hooked on soda, candies and other foods laced with HFCS, I hope this will prompt you to realize how important it is to cut out the high fructose corn syrup so you can become healthy!

Stay tuned about my upcoming program to help you break free of this and other unhealthy habits.

Special thanks to Babble.com for the artwork used here.

Sugar Shocker! What is Dangerous Mercury Doing in High Fructose Corn Syrup?

As if high fructose corn syrup isn't bad enough, (especially because it's so ubiquitous in our food supply), now high levels of the toxic metal mercury has been found to lurk in the sweetener -- and potentially for many years.

Yikes! That's scary!

Mind-boggling new research found that nearly one-third of the HFCS-containing grocery products (tested for a study) were contaminated with detectable levels of mercury.

Let me translate this so you just so you don't miss the significance of this finding.

If you swig a a soda sweetened with HFCS, you're also tossing down some dangerous mercury.

Whenever you grab candy bars, you're likely getting high fructose corn syrup and therefore mercury.

Ditto with many breads, crackers, salad dressings, frozen and fast foods, tomato sauces and fruit drinks.

In short, about two-thirds of processed foods contain HFCS -- and hence mercury.

Why worry about mercury?

Because it's horribly dangerous, as Wikipedia tells us.

It causes neurological disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

It can make you teeter on emotional mood swings. You could have memory issues. Your kidneys could fail. You could even lose your hair, nails and teeth.

Now do you believe me when I recommend that you avoid this sweet stuff, which is pervasive in your neighborhood supermarket.

Thanks to my friend Mike Moore of Natural News for the lead on this appalling finding.

Make sure to check out the clever denials from the Corn Refiners Association (the folks behind all those misleading pro-HFCS ads) and their PR firm's efforts to get NaturalNews to remove its stories about HFCS. 

While you're at it, listen to my recent Gab With the Gurus Radio Show about HFCS.

You're also invited to check out the last 15 minutes of this call for more information about the sweetener.

Memory Woes? Sharpen Your Mind, Stop ADD & Defeat Depression... Learn How & Ask Your Questions Tuesday

Are we all destined to lose our minds? Will you all have failing memories? Will we become depressed, anxious and tired much the time?

No way!

But then why does there seem to be an epidemic of people with mood problems such as depression and irritability; attention and behavior problems such as ADD/ADHD and autism; and aging problems such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's?

Because people have "broken brains," according to three-time New York Times bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman, a pioneer in the cutting-edge field of functional medicine.

But there's a way out, claims Dr. Hyman in his fascinating new book, The UltraMind Solution:  The Simple Plan to Defeat Depression, Overcome Anxiety and Sharpen Your Mind.

In fact, you can use Dr. Hyman's simple 7-step solution right now to "unleash your body's hidden ability to dramatically improve mood, memory and thinking speed," according to “Oprah” regular Dr. Mehmet Oz, who endorsed this exciting new book.

I was so fascinated by what I read in The UltraMind Solution that I had to post a quick item about it.

In addition, I rushed to book Dr. Hyman on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show so you could learn about this amazing solution.

Catch Dr. Hyman Tuesday, Jan. 6 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. (You can listen live or later.)

You have a rare treat. For the last third of the show, you can ask Dr. Hyman questions about how to get an "UltraMind." Just reach us at the show call-in number: (347) 426-3366.

You’ll be really surprised at how simple, yet powerful the solution is to getting an “UltraMind.”

Dr. Hyman says that the seemingly separate problems you may have with your brain -- poor memory, lack of focus, anxiety, etc. -- and even your chronic problems such as depression, autism, Alzheimer's, dementia, ADD/ADHD and more -- are really all the SAME problem.

But the solution to resolving your broken brain isn't found in your head. It's found in your BODY -- in the core underlying biology that runs every cell, organ and system you have.

By fixing your body FIRST, you’ll awaken your body's natural intelligence, allowing it to heal your brain automatically...all by fixing the imbalances in the 7 core biological systems at the root of health and most diseases.

You can learn more about how to get an “UltraMind” by visiting this special website.

As I was reading The UltraMind Solution, I was fascinated by the case studies, such as that of Jackie, a 40-year-old, type-A, high-achieving lawyer who was at the top of her class in high school and college and who suddenly lost her short-term memory, developed a deep depression and gained 30 pounds.

After seeing Dr. Hyman and going on The UltraMind Solution, Jackie came out of her brain fog, began to reconnect with life, experienced a tremendous lift in energy and even lost the 30 extra pounds she’d put on after college. Pretty amazing, right?

I also read about a little boy, Jackson, who was diagnosed with autism. He had been developing completely normally until the age of 2, when he suddenly began losing his verbal skills. Within 3 months, Jackson completely lost his speech, became extremely irritable, threw terrible tantrums and eventually completely disconnected socially from his family.

But, after Jackson’s parents took him to see Dr. Hyman and he went on the same program found in The UltraMind Solution, his tantrums stopped almost immediately, his focus improved and he began building up his verbal skills! Now Jackson is talkative again and once again part of his family. Isn’t that remarkable and exciting?

Dr. Hyman's groundbreaking approach in The UltraMind Solution shows us that that there IS hope...

...Hope for our children with ADD, autism and Asperger's.

...Hope for kids who have problems concentrating, staying focused and controlling their behavior...

...Hope for our aging parents, who are suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and whose lives are quietly slipping away.

...Hope for those of us who suffer from depression, anxiety and brain fog.

...Hope for those of us who have problems remembering things and dealing with stress and mood swings...

And this is all validated by more than 400 scientific references and dozens of case studies like the ones I've listed.

Fortunately, Dr. Hyman is making this program available to you right now after having tested and refined this approach while serving as co-medical director at Canyon Ranch for 10 years and while working in private medical practice in Lenox, Mass.

In fact, you may have seen Dr. Hyman on the “Today Show,” “Good Morning America” or on public television discussing his groundbreaking solution.

This is the same solution that he personally used to help cure himself of chronic fatigue syndrome more than a decade ago... Dr. Hyman was, in essence, his own guinea pig –- he had no other choice.

You can find out much more about The UltraMind Solution and which of the 7 of your own biological systems may be out of balance, by going to this special website now.

Some of the interesting things you'll discover and be able to put to immediate use are:

• How to increase your body's own natural flypaper-like sticky substance to gobble up and eliminate toxins that are dulling your mind...
• What substance you eat every day that literally hardens and encrusts your brain, slowing your thinking and causing mood swings...
• How two of the most powerful natural chemicals in your body, when out of balance, can send your brain into a thick fog (and make it harder to fit into your jeans)...
• Why this one natural supplement can often defeat depression far more effectively than can any drug...
• How a dangerous food to which you may be allergic can set your brain on fire with inflammation and destroy brain cells...
• How this one activity you may do every day literally shrinks your brain and how you can learn a simple technique to prevent this from happening...
• How to go on a simple 6-week brain-boosting program to cleanse, heal and strengthen your brain, leading to an UltraMind...

I sincerely hope that you get as much out of this engaging new book as I have.

And I hope you find your own path to an UltraMind -- one that's calm, confident and happy and leaves you capable of fully enjoying all of the wonderful things that life has to offer.

Remember, Dr. Mark Hyman will explain his fascinating UltraMind solution on Tuesday, Jan. 6 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show. Just listen live or later, at your convenience, at www.GabWithTheGurus.com. And make sure to call us with your questions.

You’ll be absolutely amazed when learning about the success that some people had after going on Dr. Hyman’s program, but after reading case study after case study, it will all make sense to you.

One of the most powerful examples is George, a 70-year-old man who suffered from dementia. He wasn't allowed to play with his grandchildren, and he couldn't manage his business anymore.

But after going on “The UltraMind Solution,” he began managing his business again and playing with his grandchildren. He could even sing in the shower and remember the words to all of his favorite songs! Better yet, he didn’t have the “dementia” diagnosis anymore! Isn’t that remarkable?

Learn more now. Just watch Dr. Hyman describe some of these powerful case studies in clips from his upcoming PBS special on “The UltraMind Solution.” 

Sugar May Be Addictive, Study Finds

Dozens of people were kind enough to send me info about this study which reveals that sugar is addictive. Check out this story, as well as this one.

Fascinating stuff. I interviewed Dr. Bartley Hoebel, the Princeton researcher who is doing remarkable studies, for my book SUGAR SHOCK! and we talked about his research back then, too.

Thanks, folks, for writing to me.

Will write more later, when I'm not in the middle of a move.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Dig Deeper Before Believing the New Corn Lobby Ads & Consuming the Stuff

Have you seen any of the TV spots, print and online banner ads that seek to convince us that high fructose corn syrup is fun to consume?

Before you believe the many new ads from the Corn Refiners Association -- which is spending a reported $20 million to $30 million to convince us of its safety -- I urge you to get facts from my recent Gab With The Gurus Radio Show, where I had the following guests:

• Curt Ellis, director and producer for the fascinating documentary "King Corn." (The best way to describe it is to quoteThe Austin Chronicle: "As relevant as Super Size Me and as important as An Inconvenient Truth.") 
• Acclaimed cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., co-author of my book Sugar Shock!
• Nutritionist, author and personal trainer Pedro Bastos, a colleague of Loren Cordain, Ph.D., acclaimed for his Paleo Diet.
• Biochemist and food and beverage formulator Russ Bianchi, who is also chief executive officer and managing director of Adept Solutions.
• Richard J. Johnson, M.D., author of The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That is Making You Fat and Sick (His interview is coming up.)

Before, during or after you listen to the Gab With the Gurus Radio Show about high fructose corn syrup, I recommend that you:

• Check out the full campaign, which includes three TV spots ("Brothers," "Party" and "Two Bites"), print ads in magazines and newspapers, and online banners that are increasingly seen on the Internet.
• Seee the paid endorsement of high fructose corn syrup with cardiologist James M. Rippe, M.D. (Hmm. I wonder just how much he was paid by the Corn Refiners Association to make those pro-corn syrup statements. By the way, it's interesting that he says "our website" when referring  the CRA website.) FYI, listen to Dr. Stephen Sinatra, my favorite cardiologist (he's co-author of my book), give his opposing point of view on my Gab With The Gurus Radio Show.
• Order a copy of the eye-opening documentary, "King Corn."
• Watch the 3 Minute Ad Age news story, A Sour View of Corn Refiners' Sweetener Ads, for which I was recently interviewed.

Remember, you can listen at any time to the Gab  With the Gurus Radio Show about high fructose corn syrup.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Industry Fights Back With Misleading Ad Blitz

Please, dear readers, do NOT get taken in by the two new TV ads (dubbed "Party" and "Two Bites") and two print ads (in newspapers and magazines) from the Corn Refiners Association, which claim that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is fine in moderation.

When you watch both TV ads, you'll be amused -- I'm assuming -- at how the person avoiding high fructose corn syrup is portrayed as an inarticulate, tongue-tied, unknowledgeable person, who's silly for staying away from the sweet stuff.

On the other hand, the woman (in both ads) who offers the popsicle or the punch is presented as a smart consumer, who quickly rattles off that high fructose corn syrup is "made from corn, doesn't have artificial ingredients and like sugar, it's fine in moderation."

Please don't take these ads as license to go dash off and buy popsicles or fruit punch.

About the only thing I agree with in this media blitz is that yes, you should get the facts. But when you do, you'll learn a sour surprise -- not a "sweet surprise," as the corn industry would have you believe.

Here are some facts that the corn industry flat out ignores in their ads.

Firstly, even if you had only two bites of a HFCS-laced popsicle (as one ad implies), that's not the only high fructose corn syrup you're getting over the course of a day or week.

Most Americans do NOT take in just a little bit of HFCS. If you're eating processed foods, you are NOT consuming high fructose corn syrup in moderation. The sweetener is used in just about any refined products you can find on the market -- frozen pizza, baked breads, spaghetti sauce, hot dogs, hamburgers, crackers, you name it, etc.

What this means is that if you had just two bites of a popsicle, over the rest of day you, as a typical, processed-foods-loving American (forgive me if I offended you) are swallowing lots of the sweet substance. And such sugar overloading -- whether it comes from corn or cane -- can lead to a plethora of health ailments, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as I explore in my book Sugar Shock!

In fact, over the course of the year, the average American doesn't know the meaning of moderation. In 2005, for instance, she or he consumed at least 77 pounds of corn-based sweeteners. And I suspect the numbers are even higher now -- I still need to check them though.

Now bear in mind that this is only part of the sugar story, because our typical American is taking in another 65.6 pounds of cane or beet-based sugar and other sweeteners.

Secondly, one glass of fruit punch doesn't even approach the concept of moderation. For instance, an 8-ounce glass of Tropicana punch has 29 grams of sugar, which comes to about 7.25 teaspoons of sugar. Does the corn industry really think that this is moderation? You've got to be kidding.

Stop by soon for another angle on this new misleading HFCS media blitz.

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

From Jennifer Moore for Connie's SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Jennifer Moore for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jennifer Moore