SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Curb Your Cravings by Tapping: Excerpt from Nick Ortner's New Book

If you're grappling with sugar or carb cravings and weight challenges, I highly recommend that you start tapping, a simple, but powerful process.

You can learn about this remarkable technique in Nick Ortner's new book, The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living. Thanks to the publisher, Hay House, I'm now presenting an excerpt so you can discover more how tapping can help you to break the hold that sugar, carbs or food has over you.

At the end of this Sugar Shock Blog post, you'll see an audio player for the fascinating Gab with the Gurus episode with Nick Ortner.

Losing Weight and Letting Go of Fear, Guilt, and Shame around Food

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. --  Thomas A. Edison

“Tapping,” is said to be a combination of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology, and works with the body’s meridian points. Meridians, the basis of the ancient Chinese medical system of acupuncture, are defined as energy channels that carry the vital life force, or qi, to the organs and others systems of the body.

Running up and down either side of the body, each meridian is associated with a different organ—stomach, gall bladder, kidney, etc. Each meridian also has what’s called an “endpoint,” a specific  location where you can access the energy channel on the surface of the body. This point can be manipulated using acupuncture needles or simple touch (acupressure) to balance or unblock the energy flow through that particular meridian.

“EFT,” or “Emotional Freedom Techniques” is a single tapping sequence that is designed to hit all the major meridian endpoints, and starts with the hand, then moves to the inner eyebrow, the outer eyebrow, underneath the eye, under the nose, the chin, the collarbone, and the side of the rib cage, then ends at the top of the head.

When you’re experiencing a negative emotional state—angry or upset or fearful—your brain goes on alert. Your adrenaline pumps, your muscles tense, and your blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar all rise to give you extra energy to meet the challenge; your body is preparing you to fight or flee.

The ongoing fight-or-flight response leaves us worn down, sick, upset, overweight, and stressed out. What tapping does, with amazing efficiency, is halt the fight-or-flight response, or stress response, and reprogram the brain and body to act—and react—differently.

Why Does Tapping Help with Weight Loss? The Stress Connection

The stress response can cause a massive cascade of events in your body, including:

• On average four times less blood flow to your digestive system.
• Lower absorption of nutrients.
• Less enzyme production in your gut. (As much as 20,000 times less! This is one of the reasons why, when you eat a meal while you’re stressed, you’ll often feel bloated and uncomfortable.)
• Decrease in gut flora population.
• Increase in cholesterol.
• Increase in cortisol and insulin levels.

The last item is particularly important for weight loss, because when your cortisol is consistently elevated, it’s hard to lose weight or build muscle. In fact, you’re more likely to gain weight, particularly around your midsection. When you lower your stress level (and obviously it’s not just stress about food, but lowering stress about everything and everything) your body will respond.  You’ll lose weight, increase the absorption of nutrients, increase enzyme production (so you won’t feel bloated), increase healthy gut flora population, lower your cholesterol, and lower your cortisol and insulin levels. What is this magic diet? What do you eat? Whatever you want! Just relax while you’re doing it. . . .

EFT for Food Cravings

Another problem I often turn to is food cravings, because those are also easy to witness and measure.

Working with food cravings in front of a live audience follows a similar trajectory every time. First, we all have some good laughs as I introduce a bag of candy, chocolates, cookies, or other treats people often crave.  I pass around the bag and have people pick their favorite. I have them look at it, smell it, and do whatever else it takes to bring their craving levels up. Then I ask for a few volunteers who want to work live onstage to reduce those cravings.

I first ask the volunteers to describe the intensity of their craving on a 0-to-10 scale—and what, in particular, they are feeling or noticing about the candy or chocolate. I immediately get answers like this:

“The craving is a 10. It smells so good . . . can I have a little bite? I love Snickers, and I’m so hungry!”

“It’s an 8. I didn’t eat much at lunch, and this would really fill me up.”

We all have some more laughs, as it becomes obvious that the volunteers are desperate to eat these treats!

And then we begin some very general tapping, and we tap through the points for several rounds.

This generally dulls the edge of the craving—that almost crazed desire for the food—and it’s what you can use yourself whenever you’re having a craving. Start with the most general and basic tapping to calm the body down.  The next question I usually ask is, “If there was an emotion behind this craving, what would it be.  If we don’t get to the root of the craving, to what’s causing it in the first place, it’s likely to come back a few hours or days later.  Sure, you can tap it down each time. But why not handle the emotion right up front and get rid of the craving once and for all?

As people tune in to the emotions behind the craving, that’s when the laughter often turns into tears. Many of us use food to suppress or dampen negative emotions, events, and the overall stress in our lives.

As my friend Carol Look likes to say, “It’s not about the food!” The food is covering up or masking what’s really going on underneath. When you address the underlying patterns, emotions, events, and beliefs, that’s when your relationship with the food can shift toward something much more healthy.

Now, catch the Gab with the Gurus Show with Nick Ortner, who discusses the wonders of tapping.

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

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.

Meet Cartoon Connie!

It's my pleasure to introduce you to Cartoon Connie.

This is the old Connie of 1998 before I quit sugar on doctor's orders due to being besieged by 44 debilitating ailments.

In this cartoon, "That Was Then... This is Now...," you'll get a glimpse at how sugar turned me into a Sugar Shrew, but now life is sweeterlicious (my word for sweeter, delicious, luscious, scrumptious, and sensuous) without all those processed sweets.

Connie's Story: That Was Then... This is Now...

"OK, maybe I didn't gorge on red licorice while cowering in closets, but this embarrassing image certainly captures the flavor of my previous addiction. Anyhow, now that I've kicked sugar, I urge others to discover the power of living sugarfree." - Connie Bennett, "Sugar Shrew No More!" & Sugar-Awareness Coach

Have you had a chance yet to order my new book, Beyond Sugar Shock?

Got a cartoon of you on sugar? If you don't, it can be helpful to prepare one. Once you see the humor in your sugar addiction, it can help you to break free so you can get a life that's sweeterlicious (that's my word for delicious, with luscious, scrumptuous and sensuous)..

If you have a cartoon, let me know here and we'll arrange for us to post it here.

 

The Most Important Blog Post I Ever Wrote

Dear Wonderful Visitors to this Sugar Shock Blog,

This is the most important post  I’ve ever written.

As you no doubt know, obesity has skyrocketed among adults and youths alike; and children are on a track to die before their parents if they don’t change their unhealthy ways.

At the same time, coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease have become our nation’s top killers. You probably know — or love — someone who has suffered from one or all of these.

But all of the above diseases are largely preventable.

I call them The Preventable Big Killers. And ALL of these potentially fatal illnesses — and many more — can be caused by overdosing on sugar and/or refined carbs.

Think this doesn’t include you? That’s what I used to believe. 

But the average American — and person in any civilized country is consuming (either consciously or unconsciously) HUGE amounts of sweets and quickie carbs on a DAILY if not many-times-a-day basis.

Each of you may be taking in roughly 170 to 228 pounds of sweeteners per year and another 200 pounds of sugar’s sinful sisters, which I dub “culprit carbs.”

And every day, it seems, the news gets more frightening.

One of my favorite recent studies revealed that sugar can make you dumb!

More research suggests that it can make you violent.

Your sweet tooth even can trigger type 2 diabetes, even though your doctor may vehemently deny it.

Simply put, millions worldwide are in Sugar Shock.

For the past decade, it has my personal mission to inspire and empower sugar 
and carb addicts worldwide.

I want to help them (you?) Get a Life that Rocks™, as I like to put it. (I began coaching people to Sugar Freedom in 2002, four years after I reluctantly quit sugar on doctor’s orders after being waylaid by 44 debilitating ailments.)

So I invite you now: Help me to help transform the lives of millions of sugar and carb addicts around the world!

 

 

Join Me Tomorrow (Tuesday) & Email Your Friends, Loved Ones or Entire 
Address Book to Get Beyond Sugar Shock 

Please join me tomorrow (Tuesday), starting at midnight.

On Tuesday, email your friends, fans, colleagues, health and wellness experts, etc. and invite them to buy my new book, Beyond Sugar Shock, all day and night.

Invite your loved ones or special acquaintances to go online.

Just send them to ==>> http://www.BeyondSugarShock.com/Book

Or encourage them to visit their local Barnes and Noble store. (Beyond Sugar Shock will be on the front table of 200 stores. If you go, please take a photo and send it to me, and we'll post it on Facebook.  

By the way, Beyond Sugar Shock already has been praised by numerous empowering gurus and wellness experts, including Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Dr. Joe Vitale, Kathy Smith, Marci Shimoff, and many others. 

Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition — which I attended in 2005-2006 — was even kind enough to write the foreword.

On Tuesday, the official launch day for my new book Beyond Sugar Shock, my intention is to reach millions across the world with powerful, nourishing, life-changing messages about the joy, excitement and exhilaration of Sugar Freedom.

But I can ONLY reach and HELP millions with your HELP!

So please help me to help millions take back their Sugar Power! 

Millions need to discover how to break the seductive, powerful hold that tempting sweets and quickie carbs have over them.

Millions need to stand strong in the face of clever, deceptive marketing of dangerous junk foods and empty-calorie sugary beverages.

Millions need to get back their energy, vitality, and sex drive.

And, of course, millions need to slim down and get healthy.

Beyond Sugar Shock Helps People (You?) Break Free

Beyond Sugar Shock is designed to empower, educate and inspire sugar addicts and carb junkies of any size (yes, even slim people can be hooked). 

My goal is to help them – you? -- easily, effortlessly, joyfully, even gleefully break free of this dangerous 
addiction to sweets and quickie carbs. 

Just letting go of your sugar addiction can quickly peel off pounds, help you improve your 
focus, and even boost your libido. 

(Just read Michele’s Sweet Success Story in Beyond Sugar Shock.)

 

Quitting Sugar Can Be Tough: My Goal is to Make it Easy, Effortless and Fun for You

Let’s face it, kicking or cutting back on a sugar or carb habit can be one of the toughest 
challenges you’ll ever face. 

That’s why I’m determined to make this simple for you.

And that’s why it’s absolutely necessary for you to put on a sweet suit of armor. You want to discover and use cutting-edge tools and tactics that strengthen and empower you so food manufacturers can’t seduce you to you eat their processed, nutrient-lacking junk just to boost their bottom line—which can add extra pounds to your bottom. 

But sugar does a lot more than just make you fat, as I pointed out earlier. Lately, you’ve even 
probably heard the phrase, “sugar is toxic.” 

You also may have seen the provocative “60 Minutes” piece on the subject reported by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

It’s easy to ignore this sugar-is-toxic warning. Even back in 1998, I knew that sugar was
bad for me, but I still indulged. (Learn my story in Chapter 1 of Beyond Sugar Shock.)

Now, I urge you to ask yourself: Are you, too, cheating yourself because you mindlessly stuff 
those nutrient-poor silly sweets or quickie carbs into your mouth?

It would be my pleasure and privilege if you’d allow me to help you, your loved ones, friends 
or colleagues easily break free of your sugar or carb addiction. 

In fact, it’s my burning mission. Let me guide you to the Luscious Land of Sugar Freedom and Carb 
Consciousness.

My desire to help you is why I poured my heart (and many years) into this book and the 
companion Sugar Freedom Now Course.

Why am I so committed to helping you regain your Sugar Power?

Because when you undertake recommended Adventurcises (adventurous exercises) and 
other suggested activities in Beyond Sugar Shock, you’ll experience a massive transformation 
unlike anything you've ever experienced. 

That’s my prediction — no, my promise to you. 

Sure, your goal may be just to lose weight, and yes, you will easily peel off extra pounds, but that’s only a small piece of the story. 

Letting go of your sugar or carb addiction will turn your life around. It will make happier, sexier, stronger, more focused and balanced. 

You’ll be a far better you without needing to rely on carbs as your crutch. 

So, I invite you: will you tell your fans, loved ones, colleagues and acquaintances about Beyond Sugar 
Shock on Tuesday, June 5? 

Just send them to ==>> 
http://www.BeyondSugarShock.com/Book

Now, let’s take back our Sugar Power!

 

Wishing you a Life that’s Sweeterlicious (That's my word for Sweeter, delicious, scrumptious, luscious and elicious, and sensuous)

 

Connie Bennett, CHHC, CPC, ACC 
Your Sugar Freedom Coach Author, 
Sugar Shock! and Beyond Sugar Shock 

P.S. It will be a pleasure to connect with many of you on Facebook or in my Sugar Freedom Now
Course.

P.P.P.S. Stay tuned for many exciting free Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch programs 
on Tuesday and Wednesday. For instance, renowned TV personality Jane Velez-Mitchell 
will be on my Gab with the Gurus Show tomorrow; I’ll be on two webinars, and I’ll give radio interviews. 
I’ll even be on a Facebook chat tomorrow afternoon, thanks to my publisher, Hay House. And you'll be 
able to read my new article at www.HealYourLife.com. 

Just get regular updates at my blog, www.SugarShockBlog.com or on my Facebook page at 
www.Facebook.com/SmartHabitsFans 

P.P.P.S. Feel free to share this blog post with whomever you like. Better yet, I encourage you to share this email with your entire address book. And invite them to check out 
http://www.BeyondSugarShock.com/Book

Bloggers, Wellness Experts, Authors, Health Coaches, Low-Carb Advocates & More: Join My Bestseller Book Launch for Beyond Sugar Shock on Tuesday, June 5: Help Build Grass Roots Momentum & Buzz

Attention:

Mommy and health bloggers, wellness experts, authors, health coaches (who, like me, are graduates of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition), low-carb advocates, Paleo gurus, and former sugar addicts, as well as stay-at-home moms, business executives, struggling sugar addicts and others interested in health and wellness,

Please help me to help millions of sugar adddicts or carb addicts around the world.

On Tuesday, June 5, you're cordially invited to join the launch of my second book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which was recently released in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

If you've never participated in a book launch before, let me explain how it works. Trust me, it's really easy, personally rewarding, and even potentially lucrative (later on) to join us!

So, on Tuesday, June 5, you're invited to send out a beautiful email prepared by my wonderful publisher, Hay House, to your entire mailing list.

Now, if you don't have a mailing list, don't worry. You can still join us. Just think about it: Everyone is either a sugar or carb addict herself or himself or knows one, right? (Just look at the people around you mindlessly polishing off those quickie carbs .)

For those of you with no mailing list, simply dash off this snazzy email to 50 to 100 or more of your colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives -- whether they're hooked on sugar or not. Then, send to people who help  you such as your chiropractor, fitness trainer, hairdresser, or physician -- even if they don't "get it" yet. Just ask them for their email adress.)

We've done more to make this easy for you. Go here to get copy for your ezine (long, medium or short in length), as well as Facebook posts, tweets and LinkedIn comments.

Join our massive grass-roots effort to reach people who need help to gain control over their sugar or carb addiction and Get a Life that Rocks™, as I like to put it.

Why Millions Need Our Help: Sugar Is Toxic & It Can Kill You Before Your Time

Why do millions need our help? And why can Beyond Sugar Shock come to the rescue? Because the average person in the U.S. -- perhaps you? -- consumes at least 170 pounds of sugar and other sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose, etc. per year. Insider figures cite far higher figures -- 228 pounds per person per year! (In Great Britain and other civilized countries, sugar consumption rates are high, too.)

In addition, the typical U.S. resident -- you again? -- unthinkingly takes in nearly 200 pounds per year of sugar's culpable cousins -- refined white-flour products such as white bread, white-flour pasta, white bread, mashed potatoes, and white rice. All these processed foods -- what I call quickie carbs or much-like sugar carbs -- also are speedily metabolized in our bodies.

All those sweets and refined carbs put you into Sugar Shock often. That means these quickie trigger elevated blood sugar levels, repeatedly over-stimulate insulin release, cause excessive inflammation, and pave the way for nearly 150 devastating, mostly preventable diseases or conditions, including obesity (of course), but also heart disease, blood sugar disorders (from hypoglycemia to type 2 diabetes), cancer, and even Alzheimer's disease. 

To put it bluntly, if you put yourself into Sugar Shock on a regular basis -- as most people in civilized countries do -- you can get fat and sick, and die well before your time.

Will You Join Us to Help Save People's Health, Moods, Inner Peace, Relationships & More?

So will you join our worldwide effort to help millions of people worldwide to shed pounds, become more energetic, reverse or halt type 2 diabetes, prevent heart disease or cancer, and even boost their libido? Yes, quitting or cutting back on sugar and refined carbs can do all of that -- and much more, as you can learn in Beyond Sugar Shock.

How Will this Book Help Sugar or Carb Addicts? And How Did it Come About? 

You're probably wondering why I think this book is special. Well, in Beyond Sugar Shock, I present a six-week Mind-Body-Spirit program, that gently, compassionately takes sugar or carb addicts on a fun, empowering adventure so they can easily, joyously release their dangerous, potentially deadly habit.

Briefly, here's the back story. Beyond Sugar Shock has been about 14 years in the making.

Back in 1998, when I quit sugar on doctor's orders, I didn't know how to go about doing it. So while kicking sugar, I began to create simple techniques to help me easily let go of my over-attraction to those tempting sweets. In Beyond Sugar Shock, I share these easy tools.

Then in 2002, four years after quitting sugar, I began in earnest to coach people to achieve that exhilarating state I now call Sugar Freedom. At the same time, I interviewed hundreds of experts to learn about sugar's dangers and to discover new cool tools, which I also share in Beyond Sugar Shock. (In between, my first book, Sugar Shock, also was published, and much to my joy, it was even praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz. Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra was the medical consultant, and Dr. Nicholas Perricone wrote the foreword.)

Beyond Sugar Shock  -- which has been endorsed by Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Joe Vitale, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraf and many others -- gives sugar and carb addicts what they need and seek. (That's my intention, at least!

In fact, this book is what I would have loved to have in 1998, when my physician insisted that quitting sugar would make all 44 of my awful ailments disappear. (He was right!)

How to Join the Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch 

It's simple to join us. Here are the 2 quick steps to take:

1. Sign up now to join the Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch. (Many thanks to Hasmark Services for their vital support to coordinate this Book Launch.)
2. Email the snazzy email my publisher, Hay House, provided to either your mailing list of hundreds or thousands or, if you don't have one, to a group of 50 to 100 friends, colleagues, and relatives. Just go through your email list. (By the way, you can send either this HTML version or an text version.  (Huge gratitude goes to Hay House for creating this dazzling email for you to send.)
3. Get more marketing copy to use in your ezine, on Facebook or LinkedIn. You even get some fun tweets.

Attention, Bloggers: Another way to join our Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch is to blog about this book or to post a review. We're also offering you two books -- one for you and one to give away as a prize. For details on the Blogger Book Launch, please contact me, and I'll send you details. 

Note to Colleagues of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition: When you get involved with my book launch, I'll help you help your sugar-addicted clients. In fact, on June 28, I'm hosting a private program just IIN-ers. Please contact me to get details. 

Here's a quick reminder how to join us:

1. Sign up now to join the Beyond Sugar Shock Book Launch. 
2. Share this special email from my publisher, Hay House, to either your mailing list or your group of 50 to 100 friends, colleagues, and relatives.
3. Get pre-written marketing copy for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and your ezine.

By the way, you may be wondering why I'm holding a grassroots effort. Suffice it to say that in these times of social media, as an author, you have an amazing opportunity to directly reach many of the people you serve, which is very exciting.

Also, did you know that launching a book is a huge endeavor, and if your budget is limited, you need to use some innovative ways to get the word out? That's why I am so very grateful in advance for your help so that I can help sugar addicts worldwide.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining us! 

Questions? I'm here for you. Just ask away. 

Easter or Passover: You're Stronger Than These "Treats"

With Easter around the corner and Passover here, sugary "treats" will inevitably tempt you.

That's our world's sugary reality.

My role today is to help you to be at peace with that situation.

So let me prepare you as you face those enticing chocolate malt balls (my favorites back in 1998),
chocolate marshmallow eggs, Easter sugar cookies, rugelah, Haroset (that's appple, cinnamon, honey, and wine), and more.

Whenever you view these sugary temptations, I invite you to arm and protect yourself with four quickie tactics.

1) When you see sweets, think "I am stronger than these desserts. I am strong enough to say no! I can say no."

2) Look at these desserts with wonder and curiosity -- as if you were a child. Try to discover why these sweets look so darn shiny, tempting or delectable. If packaged cookies are seemingly calling out to you,
study that food label carefully -- as if you were cramming for a final exam!

If a friend or family member made the dessert, politely ask her or him (if you have a good relationship), what ingredients she used to create such a beautiful and enticing dish.

3) Before you dip your fork or finger into any of these "treats," ask yourself, "Why
am I doing this?"

4) If you choose to have any desserts or "treats," make sure to savor it BIG TIME. And decide in advance how to sete some limits. Choose ahead of time exactly how many bites you'll have.

When you've reached your allotment, get off the table, and think to yourself, "I love myself enough to stop now."

5) Inwardly boast, "I did it! I did it!" I took control over my sugar habit! Woo Hoo!"

I hope these tips help you have a glorious Easter and/or Passover.

Remember, you are strong, and you have the power to choose what goes into
your lovely body.

And remember, if you want to nibble, you can always choose hard-boiled eggs (which are full of wonderful nutrients -- even the yolks) and vegetables.

Have a wonderful Easter or Passover.

By the way, stay tuned for an announcement of my FR*EE Teleseminar on Wed., April 18 at 5 pm PST (8 pm EST) on "7 Habits that Keep You Tracked In Your Sugar Addiction -- and How to Break Free."

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.

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.

Cherish Your Cravings

If you're like most people around the world, your cravings for chocolate, candies or chips often get the best of you -- especially late at night in front of the fridge, in mid-afternoon when the ice cream truck rolls around or mid-morning, when the vending machine "calls out" to you.

But, like millions, within a few minutes of “acting out” – caving into chocolate, chips or soda – you feel discouraged, depressed and downright disappointed in yourself, right?

Don't you just HAT*E the fact that you can’t say “No!” to quickie-carb temptations? Isn't it annoying and aggravating that your sugar cravings won’t leave you alone? And aren't you just disgusted with yourself for your lack of self-control?

Wait a minute! I will NOT let you beat up on yourself! 

Instead, I'm here to give you another way to look at those cravings. Let me present a gentle, loving, grateful way to approach them.

Your sugar cravings -- or other cravings -- aren’t your enemies there frustrate, annoy or ruin you!  Of course, if you keep giving into these carb clamorings, you may set yourself up for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, hypoglycemia, depression, Alzheimer's disease and many more life-threatening ailments.

Instead, your sugar or other cravings are your body’s smart way of whispering to you valuable clues, revealing vital messages and offering you importance guidance as to what you need and when.

Think about it.

When that gotta-have-a-certain-food-feeling strikes, your body is nudging you.

Your body is murmuring, or maybe even shouting,  “Please pay attention to me! You’re not giving me
what I need!”

Well, I invite you to begin right now to greet your Whispering or Yelling Sugar Cravings with the zeal of
detective.

Yes, trust your cravings. Have confidence in your cravings. Rely on them, because your cravings know best what your body needs.

Take a moment now to begin to Decode Your Cravings™ (as I call it).

Please join me in a quick exercise. Pretend you’re slipping out of your body as you would yesterday’s clothes. Now imagine that you’re watching yourself on a movie screen.

Then, quietly listen to your cravings and see what comes up. To get you started, here are 3 of at least 15 messages your body may be giving you.

1. “You’re not giving me enough sleep! I’m going to give you sugar cravings until I get those necessary zzzs.” (That used to be a big one for me. Whenever I was tired, my carb cravings came on in full force.)

2. “I’m desperate. Please give me some water! Quench my thirst now or I’ll give you sugar cravings to attract your attention!”

3. “Give me protein! I need organic eggs, grass-fed chicken or high-quality fish—and now.”

Remember, I’ve only shared 3 of about 15 messages your body is sharing with you. (You can learn the other 12 in my Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program.

So are you ready to greet your cravings cordially -- and even put out the welcome mat?

Again, please understand that your cravings are your  body’s smart of pleading with you to be more conscious, mindful and loving of it so it can do its work for you.

Your cravings are BEGGING you to give your body what it needs.

Nowadays, one of my burning missions is to help millions of you Decode Your Sugar Cravings™. 

In fact, for 12 years now, I’ve been gathering ideas on how to squash cravings from thousands of sugar addicts and hundreds of experts.

In my current Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program, for instance, you get at least 50 Tips to Topple Your Sugar Cravings™.

And next week, I'll share one really simple, valuable, cutting edge, cravings-squashing technique that’s received rave reviews for its effectiveness. (Stay tuned.)

As you may recall, I'm now at work on my next book, Beyond Sugar Shock for Hay House, which offers a six-week program to release your sugar or carb habit. But you don't need to wait until my book comes out in early 2012 to learn how to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks. Just go to http://www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com

By the way, please note that the current Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction Program began Tuesday, but you can just listen to an audio replay to join us. Incidentally, in this interactive course, you’ll get Motivating Messages, interviews with experts, coaching and Q & A sessions. Plus, you’ll discover many
exciting tools and techniques, including (1) what 1 word in the English language to avoid; (2) what 1 activity that many view negative is powerful to conquer cravings and (3) how to have fun quitting or cutting back on sugar (you heard me right!). Join us now at http://ww.BreakFreeWithConnie.com

If you're new to my Sugar Shock Blog, you may be wondering why I'm ideal to help you Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks. Here are 10 reasons:
(1) Kicking sugar is easy for you with this program.
(2) I’ve been sugar-free (about 98 percent) for 12 years.
(3) I can feel your pain, frustration and anguish because I used to have a sugar addiction, carb addiction and (years earlier) an eating disorder.
4) This Break Free Program has been in development for 12 years, and what’s included is based on the needs, wishes and desires of people like you.
5)Already, I’ve helped thousands of Successful Sugar Kickers around the world.
6) The price is super right and very low. Right now, you pay only $147 for 6 live teleseminars/webinars, 7 bonus audios, laser coaching, short Motivating Messages and Question & Answer sessions.
7) I’ve received extra training to help you—that’s why I became a certified health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a certified life coach with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching.
(8) I’m author of the book Sugar Shock, for which I interviewed hundreds of recognized physicians, nutritionists, researchers and health advocates. Sugar Shock has been praised by numerous people, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Marilu Henner and more.
(9) Your questions will be answered in this program.
10) I’m still adding tools and tips based on your requests. (In fact, yesterday, after a Break Free
participant expressed worries about her particular situation, I added a bonus program to give
solutions to this common challenge.  When you sign up at http://www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com, you’ll learn about this subject—it’s hot. Hope to "see you" soon to help you Decode Your Sugar Cravings™ and Get Sweeter Naturally™. 

If you duplicate the above blog post, please provide the following credit. Connie Bennett, CHHC, CPC, ACC is author of the bestselling book, Sugar Shock!, which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Marilu Henner and many others. She is now writing her next book, Beyond Sugar Shock, for Hay House. Connie is a certified life coach, certified health coach, experienced journalist and host of the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show, which is available on iTunes. Connie is also a former sugar addict, who is now dedicated to helping people around the world to Break Free of their Sugar Addiction and Other Bad Habits (what she calls Babits™). Connie is founder of the acclaimed Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program. To Learn 10 Reasons You are Hooked on Sugar, listen to Connie's Free Tele-Party. Then act now to take advantage of the Pre-Fall Special at www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com

Did You Attend My End-of-Summer Tele-Party? Listen Now

As we now move into fall, I invite you to ask yourself: Are you tired of battling your sugar habit?

Are you fed up with your excess weight?

Have you had enough of those annoying numbers of your bathroom scale?

Are you ready to let go of your mood swings, brain fog, low libido and more?

Then listen to my complimentary Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction, End-of-Summer Tele-Party.

In this program, you will learn 10 Reasons You're Addicted to Sugar.

Just sign up below and learn how to listen to my free program.

In case you're wondering about this cartoon, this is something fun that that I hired clever artist Rose Petruzzi to create to poke fun of Connie, the Ex-Sugar Shrew!

Find out now 10 Reasons You're Addicted to Sugar. 

Just sign up now below so you can listen to my complimentary Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction, End-of-Summer Tele-Party.

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Please let me know what you think of this End-of-Summer Tele-Party.

The Rats Who Preferred Sugar Over Cocaine

Here's a Letter I Sent to My Mailing List, which is now making its way around the Internet.

Have you heard about the rats who found sugar or saccharin more tantalizing than cocaine?

That’s right, in a fascinating study, most of the critters studied — a whopping 94 percent — wanted sugar or saccharin, NOT cocaine.

 

 

Anyhow, today, while doing some research for my next book,  Beyond Sugar Shock -- the follow-up to my first book Sugar Shock -- I was reminded of this fascinating study from Dr. Serge Ahmed, a scientist with the University of Bordeaux in France.

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Serge while on a ferry en route to a Food Addiction conference on IslandWood, Bainbridge Island to give fitness guru Jack LaLanne a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Incidentally, LaLanne, who turns 96 on Sept. 26, has been sugar-free for more than EIGHT decades.
(By the way, you can listen to a special radio interview I conducted with Jack here.)

Back to the glorious commuter boat ride with Dr. Serge Ahmed.

Just imagine: There I am, grateful to have the good fortune to hang out with one of the most fascinating scientists, who is studying my top area of interest, sugar addiction!

In fact, I’ve been so intrigued by the topic that Chapter 9, “Proof Pours In: New Studies Show That You Can Become Dependent on Sweets,” was the first one I wrote for my book Sugar Shock.

So there Serge and I are on the ferry. After practicing my rusty French on him, I asked Serge (in English this time so I wouldn’t miss anything) about his sugar addiction research.

Now, just imagine Serge speaking with his adorable French accent.

He told me, “Connie, I was so surprised. We discovered that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine.”

You had to see Serge’s face to get a sense of this monumental discovery.

His eyebrows lifted. His eyes grew big. His face registered shock. He moved his hands about dramatically.

The next day, at the conference, Serge laid out his findings in more detail to the attendees of this event, called “Food Addiction: The Obesity Epidemic Connection.”

The title of Serge’s presentation told it all. It posed the question, “Is Sugar as Addictive as Cocaine?”

Ultimately, Serge and his research team discovered that intense sweetness “is much more rewarding and probably more addictive than intravenous cocaine.”

Or, to put it another way, the French scientists’ findings “clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and drug-addicted individuals.”

In the booklet presented to Food Addiction conference attendees, Serge concludes: “When society finally discovers that refined sugar is just another white powder, along with pure cocaine, it will change its mind and attitude toward refined food addiction.”

At the same conference, I also had the pleasure of meeting renowned addiction researcher Dr. Bartley Hoebel of Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute, whose work I mentioned in a recent AOL News story about Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Garlin kicking sugar. What a treat!

As I discussed in my book Sugar Shock, Dr. Hoebel — who has been studying sugar addiction for 10 years — found that sugar can act on the brain in ways similar to drugs of abuse. 

Dr. Hoebel’s rats even went into withdrawal symptoms within a half hour of being administered the opiate blocker naloxone.

Their “teeth started chattering,” Dr. Hoebel told me.

“They waved their heads back and forth. Their forepaws quivered. They acted anxious in a maze test. These are all signs of sugar withdrawal. They weren’t as pronounced as what we see with morphine, but it was withdrawal.”

What happened? Well, Dr. Hoebel thinks that "sugar triggered production of the brain’s natural opiates
or morphinelike compounds."

Wait a minute!

But the rats didn’t have drugs. They just had sugar!

The rats would rather go into sugar shock than have cocaine!

So why am I bringing up these addiction studies?

Because, if you have an overpowering sugar habit, I want you to know that this addictive feeling is NOT all in your head. You actually can get hooked.

But more importantly, I'm here to bring you hope. You CAN cut out your pesky sugar or carb cravings.

Certainly, you can try on your own, but, well, it can be really tough, and frankly, I wouldn't wish this cutting-loose-on-your-own on anyone!

That's why for over 12 years -- ever since I kicked sugar myself -- I've been developing a program to
help you Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction -- and to help you release your habit easily.
 
Alas, back in 1998, I used to be like those sugar-clamoring rats. (Are you, too?) But, thankfully, that's history, and I no longer crave sugary foods. You heard me right. You should know is that I do NOT miss the substance. Honest!

So, my mission these days is to show you that you don’t have to be consumed by these gotta-have-
sugar-NOW feelings. You can achieve Sugar Liberation!

And, if you allow me, it would be my honor to take you to that delicious state of Sugar Freedom.

Just think: When you remove sugar from your diet (or at least cut back on your intake), you will get benefits galore! For instance:

• Your weig*ht could easily peel off
• You could become more cheerful
• You may concentrate better
• You may say bye-bye to severe PMS, infertility or a horrible menopause.
• You could get along better with loved ones.
• You could have a revved-up libido.
• You may have lots of energy -- more so than you've had in years.
• And more.

And those are just a few of the many benefits!

Given that I used to be hooked on sweets myself, I don't want you to be like those sugar-craving rats!
So it would be my honor to help you Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks.

Please note that next Tuesday, I again begin holding my Break Free Program, and I'd love to have you.

If you act by 1:59 pm EST next Tuesday, you can get in at the Pre-Fall Early Bird Rate. You'll be shocked at how little you'll pay for what you get. For instance, in this program, you'll get:

• 6 live, hour-long teleseminars/webinars, during which you learn some 50 ways to combat sugar cravings, identify your Sugar Color Code, discover how to find Serene Sweetness™ and much more.
• 6 half-hour coaching sessions, where you get your questions answered, a fresh perspective on your personal situations, etc.
• 4 to 6 bonus programs with top experts in health and wellness.
• Short, inspiring audio messages from me each of the 42 days (actually, there are more.)
• A private, members-only website with lots of quality content, including three weeks of meal plans, a shopping list, recipes and access to fascinating audio downloads.
• And much more.

You may think that this program will run you around $400 to $700. But I'm offering this Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks program for the ultra-reasonable rate of $147. People hae been asking me why it's so low (only about $3.50 a day for the 42-day program).

Most importantly, by offering this for such a reasonable price, my goal is to help as many people as possible around the world. I have other reasons, too, which you'll learn about later.  Sign up now and learn why else it's priced so low.

It would be my pleasure to serve you and to guide you to Sugar Liberation. "See you" soon?

Warmly,

 

 

 

Connie Bennett, Author, Sugar Shock  and Beyond Sugar Shock (Upcoming/Hay House)

P.S. Sign up now for this Pre-Fall Special of only $147 by Tues., Sept. 15  at 11:59 EST tonight. Just go to www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com

Special thanks to Mike Adams and NaturalNews.com for the above cartoon, which you can read about here.

You may republish this Sugar Shock Blog post, but please provide the following credit:

Connie Bennett is author of the bestselling book, Sugar Shock!, which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Marilu Henner and many others. She is now writing her next book, Beyond Sugar Shock, for Hay House. Connie is a certified life coach, certified health coach, experienced journalist, host of the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show, which is available on iTunes. Connie is also a former sugar addict, who is now dedicated to helping people around the world to Break Free of their Sugar Addiction and Other Bad Habits (what she calls Babits™). Connie is founder of the acclaimed Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program, which next begins Tues, Sept. 14. Listen to Connie's Free Tele-Party now to discover 10 Reasons You are Hooked on Sugar. Then, act now to take advantage of the Pre-Fall Special at www.BreakFreeWithConnie.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?

Support my Team in Training 100-Mile Bike Ride for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

In late June, I invited you to make a donation to encourage my bold biking goal of riding 100 miles to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). As a participant in LLS's Team In Training program, my goal was to go 100 miles (or at least 60) on my bike in the Seagull Century Race on Oct. 9 in Maryland.

But my training came to an abrupt hatl on July 4, when as I shared on this Sugar Shock Blog, I accidentally slammed head first into glass and when plagued by dizziness and headaches, I soon discovered that I was suffering from post-concussive syndrome.

The doctor's orders were explicit: Drop out of the Team in Training program. In fact, he even insisted that I stop working out. (Yikes, was I bummed out.) To be honest, I haven't followed his advice all the time. In fact, at the end of July, on my birthday, I went on a rigorous bike ride, only to experience a major setback, with the headaches and vertigo returning.

Anyhow, I'm now feeling a lot better, and I'm back to gently, carefully working out, and I hope to soon to re-enter the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's respected Team in Training program.

Now, even though I'm not back to my rigorous workout schedule, I invite you to an exciting Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on Sept. 8 at 2 pm Eastern with two Team in Training representatives.

All the while, my fundraising page is still staying up, and I still invite you to support me by making a contribution to this worthwhile organization.

Despite my head injury, I'm excited that I found a way to do one of my favorite things -- biking -- and to do good at the same time by raising money for an important cause.

Although I'm uncertain as to when I can start training again and wha date I'll ride, but I still invite you to please use this link to donate online quickly and securely. You'll receive a confirmation of your donation by email, and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. Of course, I'll keep you up to date on my efforts, too.

Each donation -- which you can make here -- helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I hope that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.

 

P.S. I'd be grateful if you could forward this blog post this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well.

P.P.S. Would you be kind enough to visit my fundraising page now and donate to this worthwhile cause? All your contributions go straight to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Please make your contribution now.

And please join us on the Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on Sept. 8 at 2 pm Eastern so you can learn more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program.

To get directly to my fundraising page, just go here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/seagull10/cbennetbqu

Special thanks to http://www.emilyjocureton.com/art/concussion.jpg for the concussion artwork on this page.

Kelly Ripa, Kim Kardashian, Seth Green, Eva Langoria Parker Go for Over-the-Top Cakes

Many of us would-be, health-conscious people strive often (or at times) to cut culprit carbs and shove candies, cookies, cakes and chips out of our lives for our emotional or physical health.

But who can blame Tori Spelling, Kelly Ripa, Kim Kardashian, Eva Langoria Parker, Guy Ritchie, Flavor Flav, Seth Green, Spencer Pratt and Kid Rock for using creative, elaborate cakes to memorialize major occasions?

I don't mean to unnecessarily entice you with these images (to your left), but I'm amused, entertained and intrigued by these over-the-top, sugary concoctions that People Magazine shares with us in a snazzy photo essay.

My sugar-free -- albeit sometimes jealous -- funny bone nudges me to poke fun of this sugar-filled hoopla in this way: Well, let them eat cake!

(For the record, my comment was NOT intended to be malicious -- it was my silly, sleep-deprived remark.)

Hey, sometimes you just have to laugh at -- and accept -- our nation's habit of celebrating events with sugar-filled cakes. Let's face it, this is a trend you just can't buck.

So I invite you to set some limits for yourself at your next beautiful cake-celebrated event. I urge you to have just one teeny, tiny piece -- and to have it after a good meal with healthy foods (quality protein, healthy carbs such as veggies and a small amount of fat like olive oil). That's right, I challenge you to partake of one tiny slice!

Speaking of challenges, it can be a challenge to figure out how to observe important milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, bar mitzvahs, christenings and graduations without cute cakes.

So, now I'm presented with a challenge. Given that I don't eat sweets, how the heck should I celebrate my 12 years off sugar on April 15?

I invite your suggestions. Because frankly I'm at a loss! Please send in your ideas!

In case you're new to this Sugar Shock Blog and your'e wondering why I would want to pass up such delectable treats as those shown here, consider this: Would you rather suffer from 44 horrible ailments or skip the sweets and feel great?

That's the choice had to reluctantly make back in 1998, when my doctor ordered me to quit my sugar habit. To learn about my sad-to-sweet story, read it in Chapter One of my book SUGAR SHOCK!

If you're annoyed with me for unnecessarily enticing you, come join me tonight when low-carb blogger Jimmy Moore -- who lost 180 pounds and kept it off, partly from cutting out cakes -- and I tell you "The Top 10 Reasons You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar." Just sign up here. (If you can't make it live, you can listen to an audio replay later, for a limited time.)

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.

Megan Confronts Cake in a Letter

Often, when I'm coaching clients to kick their sugar addiction, I'm hit by moments of intuition as to what may help people. (In coaching school with iPEC, they taught us to honor, respect and look for those flashes.)

So last Wednesday, during one of my Break-Free Group Coaching sessions, the idea hit me out of the blue that members might be helped if they wrote a letter or poem to their favorite sweets.

I then asked members what they thought of the idea of doing this. (I never give assignments.)

On Friday, Megan Bozman, one of our members, ran with the idea and wrote a brilliant, insightful, poignant letter while tempted by a cake at work.

She then confided to us (the group members and me): "B-day cake, vanilla with white icing is one of my #1 fav sweets --- and that happens to be EXACTLY what is in our conference room right now, about 5 feet from my desk. So I figure it's a good time to write that letter to my fav sweet (which, as of Wed night, I was already planning on making white b-day cake!)"

Here's how Meg confronted Cake -- a letter I'm republishing with her permission:

"Dear Cake,

"It's not you; it's me. I am aware this is cliched, but it is the truth in this case. You are not an evil entity.

"While you are a nutritional wasteland, you are not evil in moderation. I still plan to welcome you into my home to celebrate my son's birthdays and other such occasions.

"Again, it's not you; it's me. Something in me doesn't react well to you & I realize this. You are fantastic during the too-brief time I get to enjoy you. Ecstatic & wonderful.

"But too often, before I even finish swallowing the last bite, I just want more! Then, I still want more and more and more. That is where the evil comes into play... it is in large quantities that you become evil.

"And I won't waste time elaborating on why large quantities of you are bad. That doesn't bear repeating.

"When I get ensnared by your addictive properties, I feel terrible; both physically & emotionally. The feeling of being hooked is dreadful. For one thing, it's just simply embarrassing! It also has a negative effect on my self-esteem (really, I can't `just say no' & only eat a moderate amount?! What is wrong with me?)

"I don't have some of the negative effects some experience such as stomach pains, yeast infections, skin problems, & blood sugar crashes causing a rapid decline in both energy & mood. However, I feel bloated, fat, and, well, gross. Feeling fat & gross makes me feel ugly. It's just bad; just all around bad.

"So there you sit in the conference room. I'm sure others will enjoy you -- don't fret. Cake rarely goes uneaten in any office. But for now, I'm 10 days sweets-free & intend to go another 11 days for a round 3 weeks. At that point, I'm thinking I'll stick to a serving of dessert or sweets once every 3 weeks.

Ta ta,
Meg"

Megan then told us that she shared her Letter to Cake with her husband, who came back with a hilarious response. He wrote:

"Dear Meg,

"I appreciate your honesty and admire your sincerity. Let me just start off by letting you know that I do cherish our relationship. Throughout the years, we have had countless wonderful experiences together. The feeling of having you fight over me makes me smile. I love how I cause you such anger and turmoil. 

"I am so simple. Just a few ingredients are all I am.  I am but made of flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and butter. I mean you no harm at all. It is not my fault that you’re bickering over me.

"All I want is attention from you. I want you to drool over me. I want you to be thinking about me while you drive in your car. I want my cousins (cookie crumbs in your car) to remind you of me also. Please don’t throw away all we have had together.

"Our relationship is NOT one way. I give you a quick fix, and I receive enjoyment through attention. Attention is what I crave from you. I have been missing you these last 2 weeks or so.  I am lonely without you. Please come back to me so we can be bad together. Sure you will be mad and upset a few minutes after we reunite but it will be so good. Come eat me!
 
Hungrily, Cake"

Aren't these provocative, insightful, eye-opening letters about sugar's power over us?

If you were going to write a letter to your favorite sweet "treat," what would it say? Share it here with us, please!

Stay tuned for my Letter(s) to Red Vines or Twizzler's, See's Molasses Chips and Hard Candies.

Flopped on Your Diet? Fret not! Free Teleseminar on Top 10 Reasons You Failed on Your Diet or Kick-Sugar Program

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 weighed in at 410 pounds at age 32. (See what Jimmy looked like then, to your left).

He finally decided to face up to the fact that it was time for a change. He launched on a diet, shed 180 pounds, shrunk his waist by 20 inches, and dropped his shirt size from 5XL to XL. (The photo of above is Jimmy now.)

Now, Jimmy is devoted to helping millions, and I'm honored that he's agreed to join this free teleseminar for you. Together, we'll share our insights and explain 10 Top Reasons Why You Failed to Lose Weight or Kick Sugar. Sign up below.

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How You Found Us	Article by Connie Book Signing BlogTalkRadio.com Carbwire.com Connie's Radio Show DietDetective.com Friend eDiets.com Facebook Live Talk By Connie HealthNewsDigest.com Huffington Post (Connie's Blog) Hypoglycemia Support Foundation Institute for Integrative Nutrition Newspaper/Magazines OprahSelects.com Other Website Press Release Radio Interview Search Engine SheKnows.com SUGAR SHOCK! (Connie's Book) SUGAR SHOCK! Blog Teleseminar 'The FlyLady' Marla Cilley TV Interview Trade Show/Convention Psychology Today (Connie's Blog) Twitter (Smart Habits Girl)

Look forward to seeing you soon!

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.

Speakers, Authors, Coaches & Bloggers: Be a Mover & Shaker With Hay House

 

Do you have a powerful message that you're yearning to share with millions in a book, through talks or even on your own radio show?

Are you convinced that you have transformative information that could really help people?

But are you completely stumped as to how to reach all those people so you can change their lives? 

If you have burning desires such as those I just cited, I strongly encourage you to attend one of the upcoming Movers & Shakers events sponsored by Hay House and emceed by bestselling author Cheryl Richardson and Hay House President & CEO Reid Tracy.

Back in December, I attended the first Movers & Shakers event, and I cannot rave about it enough! Over the years, I've attended about 20 wonderful events for authors, speakers, bloggers, social media experts and more, but this Movers & Shakers conference was a powerful event that really pulled it all together for me.

Here's my heartfelt testimonial about this fabulous Movers & Shakers conference:

"If you feel a calling to serve people and help them transform their lives for the better, then you MUST attend the Hay House Movers & Shakers conference! This is a powerful, transformative, life-changing experience that gives you valuable tools, tips and insights, which empower you to be true to yourself and pursue your vision at the same time. As if that's not enough, you also could make the most wonderful friends."

-- “Smart Habits Girl” Connie Bennett, CPC, CHHC, Author, SUGAR SHOCK!

If you're serious about becoming a Mover & Shaker, I strongly recommend that you sign up now for one of these life-changing Hay House Movers & Shakers events. I predict that you'll be enthused, exhilarated and excited when you meet the amazing Cheryl Richardson and Reid Tracy. And guess who will make an appearance to? The amazing Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life and founder of Hay House.

Boston, MA   4/23/10   Boston   Caribbean, Cruise   6/6/10   Movers and Shakers Caribbean Cruise         Reid Tracy Cheryl Richardson     Do you have an important message to share with the world? Are you ready to take your career to a whole new level by expanding your reach, so you can help thousands of people to improve the quality of their lives? Do you have a dream to write a book, build a speaking career, appear on TV, or host your own radio show? I'd love to hear from you if you attend one of these Hay House Movers & Shakers events. Please let me know what you thought. And I hope to connect with you in the special Movers & Shakers page on Facebook after you've attended. Make sure to tell them that Connie Bennett referred you. By the way, Hay House is the cutting-edge publishing and events company, which also presents the inspiring, life-changing I Can Do It conference in Toronto and the I Can Do It conference in San Diego.

Your Subconscious Mind: Train It to Get You Love, Money, Weight Loss & More with Debra Berndt

This afternoon, I had a fantastic, fascinating Love Hypnotist Debra Berndt on my Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio.

You'll be intrigued, I predict, by this show with Debra, a certified hypnotherapist, who reveals information not only about finding love but also about the power of our subconscious minds in creating our reality, from our excess weight to our sugar situation to our troubled relationships to our financial situation.

You can listen now below to my interview with Debra Berndt, author of the exciting new book, Let Love In.

Although we didn't have time to do a hypnosis session on my radio show, you will be in for a real treat by listening to Debra's calming, relaxation, motivating voice.

You can get a flavor for Debra's charming, effective style by listening now to the Relieve Holiday Stress program which I hosted with her last December. Although our program was geared to the holidays, these tips and tatics are ideal any time of year. The quick way to remember the URL for this program is to go to http://tinyurl.com/RelieveHolidayStress

If you'd like to bring love into your life, I recommend checking out Debra's Attract Love Shop. Make sure to mention that Connie sent you.