12 Steps to Beating Your Addiction to Sugar

On an average, each of us consumes about 130 lbs. of sugar per year

by James Keller

Most of us don’t realize it, but we are drug addicts. Our drug comes in a pure, white crystal or powder form. We use it even when we don’t know we’re doing it. It’s in salad dressing, peanut butter, soup, pickles, bread, jam, yogurt, canned fruits and vegetables… We crave it after every meal. On an average, each of us consumes about 130 lbs. per year. What is this controversial drug, you ask. It goes by many names, but the most common is sugar.

This deliciously sweet substance is also deliciously devoid of any nutritional value. Sugar passes through the wall of the stomach so quickly that it causes blood sugar levels to skyrocket, then plummet just as rapidly. I’m sure you are familiar with the feeling.

The problem that arises in coping with sugar addiction is that sugar is in so many common foods now, it’s practically impossible to cut it out completely. You can’t eat a sandwich without getting sugar from the bread or the mayo. You can’t eat a salad without getting sugar from the dressing.

Beating sugar addiction may seem like a hopeless battle, but just like any drug addiction, you have to have a structured plan to win the war. I make no claims that it will be an easy battle. You won’t be vomiting in back alleys or shivering in bed all night, but you will have the uncontrollable desire for something, anything that will give you your sugar fix.

Here is your twelve step program to beating sugar addiction. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it:

1. Stick to foods that are closest to their original form. Instead of eating corn from a can, eat corn on the cob. Banish white bread and embrace wheat bread. Forget fruit juices; go for the actual fruit. The closer a food is to it’s original form, then less processed sugar it will contain.

2. Eat protein with breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but do you know why? Breakfast is the meal that will make or break you for the rest of the day. Your first meal must create blood sugar stability that will carry you to the next meal without sugar cravings.

3. Eat protein with every meal. As soon as your blood sugar is thrown out of whack, you will be off the wagon again. Eating protein with each meal prepares your body for the increase of seratonin production and keeps your blood sugar stable throughout the day.

4. Read Labels! It’s incredible how many things we put into our mouths without the slightest idea what is in them. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely sugar is going to be included on that list.

5. Don’t starve yourself in order to reward your restraint with a donut or a Twix. Not only is this bad for your body, but you won’t lose weight. Your body will just go into starvation mode, storing all your calories as fat. So that slice of chocolate cake you eat after a seven hour fast is going straight to fat.

6. Keep a journal of what you eat. You will be surprised, and probably shocked, by the amount of sugar-filled snacks and extras involved in your diet. Write down everything, down to those five M&Ms; or that tablespoon of teriyaki sauce.

7. Brown is beautiful: brown rice, wheat bread, brown cereals, etc… Brown foods give your body the positive effects of carbohydrates without unbalancing your blood sugar and creating cravings.

8. Be active and keep busy. Most of us snack the most when we are bored and inactive. Go for a walk. Go shopping. Organize your entire house. Anything to keep your hands busy and away from the cookie jar.

9. Eat a potato before bed. Before your head explodes from the thought of eating a starchy, carbohydrate-filled potato right before bed, consider this: when taken with the right vitamins, that spud will increase your production of seratonin, balancing your blood sugar levels. Besides, it’s better than eating ice cream before bed.

10. Try a detox program. Detoxing isn’t just for yoga yogis and Enya junkies anymore. There are dozens of detox programs designed for health enthusiasts of all levels. Some last two days, some last two months. But they all have one thing in common: after the initial overwhelming sugar cravings, your body adjusts and you won’t even want the sugar anymore.

11. Drink water constantly. The more water you drink, the more your body will be fooled into thinking it is not hungry. Plus, you can rest assured that there is not a grain of sugar in water.

12. Don’t get down on yourself if you slip and eat a desert every once in a while. It’s okay to reward yourself, just don’t start the addiction all over again. There are always healthier options for deserts. Eat berries with some low-calorie whipped topping. Snack on a couple of graham crackers. Maybe you would be healthier if you cut out sugar altogether forever, but people who do things in moderation get the best of both worlds. Enjoy your life, but don’t overdo it.

Watkins offers weight management systems to help you lose unwanted pounds, look good, feel good and live your life to the fullest. For more information, email [email protected] or visit: http://www.watkinsonline.com/jkeller

How to Add More Years to Your Life

Learn how to add five to six-and-one-half years to your life span simply by eating some of nature’s most delicious foods on a daily basis

by Ann G. Kulze, MD

March is National Nutrition Month and the perfect time to learn how to add five to six-and-one-half years to your life span simply by eating some of nature’s most delicious foods on a daily basis. A team of scientists from the Netherlands recently reported in the British Medical Journal (December 2004, Volume 329) that adults over the age of 50 who make wine, fish, dark chocolate, fruits, vegetables, garlic and almonds part of their daily fare could experience a 76% lower risk of cardiovascular problems, along with many extra years of life and vitality with healthy hearts and arteries. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in westernized cultures and kills more people than all forms of cancer combined.

Researchers involved in the study combed the medical literature to find specific foods that had been shown in statistically valid scientific studies to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease or modify its risk factors. They then used computerized, mathematical models to determine how the combined effects of these individual, “heart-healthy” foods could translate to a longer heart disease-free life. They dubbed the combination of these foods the “polymeal” and found that men and women could add 6.6 years and 4.8 years to their life expectancy respectively. For the what, why and how of these six life preserving foods read on.

Wine

Many epidemiologic studies have consistently found that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. In The Netherland’s Report, a daily glass (5 ounces) of wine was found to reduce the risk by 32%. Moderate alcohol intake appears to benefit our arteries through many mechanisms including: reduced blood clotting, reduced inflammation, enhanced HDL (good) cholesterol levels and improved blood sugar metabolism. It is theorized that wine, especially red wine, offers additional health benefits because of the potent antioxidant, polyphenol compounds it contains. In the case of this potentially life-lengthening food, please note that intakes exceeding moderate amounts are associated with many health risks to include high blood pressure, many cancers, accidents and dependency, amongst others. Don’t run these health risks, seek alcohol treatment if needed. Unlike most of the other foods included in the “polymeal”, more is definitely not better with this particular one.

Almonds

These delectable morsels have documented cholesterol lowering effects and were found to reduce cardiovascular risks by 12.5 % when consumed in the amount of 2.4 ounces daily (that is equivalent to two small handfuls). Almonds, like their other nut cousins, contain heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats with known cholesterol-lowering effects. They also contain fiber and plant sterols (phytosterols) capable of reducing cholesterol levels, along with additional cardio-protective nutrients including vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and argenine. Almonds make for an ideal snack and are fantastic for adding a tasty crunch to cereals and salads.

Fish

Numerous studies have found that regular consumption of fish decreases death from heart disease. The polymeal investigators report that eating four ounces (a small standard serving) of fish four times a week can reduce cardiovascular risk by 14%. Fish, especially oily varieties like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and lake trout, contain the superstar, “make-me-healthier”, long chain omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA. These special omega 3 marine oils have numerous cardiovascular benefits including; lowered blood pressure, decreased blood clotting, decreased triglyceride levels, improved arterial health, decreased risk of arrhythmia and sudden death and decreased progression of atherosclerotic plaque. Regularly choose fish, especially the oily varieties, as your protein of choice.

Dark Chocolate

How sweet it is to find out that choosing a bit of dark chocolate for dessert can improve the health of our arteries! Several recent studies report that dark chocolate is loaded with potent antioxidant plant chemicals, called flavanols, that appear to promote healthy blood flow through several favorable effects on the cells lining our arteries. According to The Netherland’s Report, enjoying about 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate daily translates to a 21% reduction in cardiovascular risk. Always choose dark chocolate over white or milk chocolate, as these forms have not been shown to have any benefits and make sure to limit your indulgences to the prescribed amounts. Eating too much dark chocolate can certainly lead to weight gain, which would wipe out any potential health benefits.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and Vegetables are nature’s nutritional megastars and provide a host of benefits to our hearts and arteries. As part of the daily polymeal, 14 ounces (several servings depending on type) of fruits and veggies can lower cardiovascular risk by 21%. Fruits and veggies are brimming with antioxidants that help maintain the health of our arteries and contain soluble fiber and phytosterols that can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables has well documented blood pressure lowering effects and provides one of the simplest eating strategies available to maintain a healthy body weight. When choosing your produce, go for quantity, color and variety. Garlic, onions, blueberries, strawberries, red grapes, avocados, broccoli and asparagus are especially beneficial for cardiovascular health, so make them your first choice.

Garlic

This diminutive food is loaded with flavor from plant compounds called allyl sulfides that exert medicinal properties as well. As part of the daily polymeal, 2.7 grams of garlic (about 1-3 cloves depending on size) reduces cardiovascular risk 20%. The organosulfur compounds that form when garlic is crushed or chopped have been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, in addition to lowering blood pressure and thinning the blood. To maximize the goodness in garlic, use it freshly chopped or minced and add it to your foods at the end of cooking.

In Dr. Ann’s 10 Step Diet: A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss and Lifelong Vitality (Top Ten Wellness and Fitness, October 2004), Ann Kulze, M.D., a primary care physician and wellness expert with a unique expertise in nutrition, gives readers a plan they can sink their teeth into, permanently. A wife and mother of four, Dr. Ann graduated valedictorian from the Medical University of South Carolina and has practiced as a primary care physician for over 15 years. She is the founder and CEO of Just Wellness, LLC, a firm specializing in corporate and group wellness seminars, and her expert advice recently appeared in Time magazine. Hometown: Charleston, SC. http://www.drannwellness.com

Seven Steps to Gain Health and Lose Weight

The crux of the Cure is our anti-inflammatory and nutrient-rich whole foods diet

by Ivy Larson

Seven years ago I ate like most Americans. In other words, overly-processed foods took center stage in my diet. I liked to eat goodies such as pop-tarts for breakfast, pretzels and soda for a snack and fast food for lunch. Dinner was hit or miss and could sometimes be as atrocious as sugary cereal, ice cream and crackers. Not only was I eating a terribly unbalanced, nutrient-poor diet but little did I know I was also eating foods that dramatically increased systemic inflammation within my body. I was only twenty-two years old and had enjoyed great health my entire life and to be honest I was not overly concerned with subjects as “boring” as nutrition. Ironically, I was a health fitness instructor certified with the American College of Sports Medicine. I looked fit and trim thanks to hours of vigorous exercise a week. Unfortunately, I soon learned outward appearance was not the only mark of good health.

It was the summer of 1998 when my well-being took a sharp turn for the worse. I began having terrible bladder problems, including incontinence, bladder infections, and urgency and frequency. Things got progressively worse. My right leg became numb and I lost considerable strength in my right hip-flexor, making it difficult to lift my leg, much less teach exercise classes. One night I couldn’t go to the bathroom at all; I ended up in the emergency room and left wearing a catheter. By this time I knew something was terribly wrong. I traveled to the University of Miami and after extensive testing I ultimately received a disheartening diagnosis. It took my neurologist less than fifteen seconds to say the words “You have multiple sclerosis” but with one 4-word sentence my life was forever changed.

While the bad news was hard to swallow I was given hope that I could greatly improve my health by adhering to a program of lifestyle modification, which included a major dietary overhaul. I collaborated with my husband, Andrew Larson, M.D., a general surgeon and together we began researching nutrition for the management of multiple sclerosis. My health greatly improved with my change in lifestyle and today I am in remission without ever needing to take any of the disease-modifying drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis.

As my husband and I continued to study nutrition it soon became apparent the research overlapped and by combining a variety of lifestyle approaches at least ten chronic and prevalent diseases could all be improved. We put our research together into what is now a book titled The Gold Coast Cure: The 5-Week Health and Body Makeover (HCI Books) targeting obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma, allergies, arthritis, vascular dementia, fibromyaglia, osteoporosis, and of course multiple sclerosis. While results can be seen in as little as five weeks, the Cure is a plan to be followed for life.

The crux of the Cure is our anti-inflammatory and nutrient-rich whole foods diet. Furthermore, this diet is not low fat, low carb or even low calorie. It all sounds just too good to be true but science now proves it doesn’t take deprivation dieting or extreme measures to gain health and lose weight. On the Gold Coast Cure you do not need to eliminate food groups or limit portion size as long as you learn how to break the following 7 deadly dietary habits of modern society:

Eating too Many Empty Calorie Carbohydrates: The only empty calorie carbohydrates you need to avoid are foods made with refined flour (also called enriched flour, bleached flour or wheat flour), sugar (also called high fructose corn syrup) and white rice. All other carbohydrates are healthy (potatoes, corn, whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, beans, all fruits, all vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.)

Eating too Much Saturated Fat: Saturated fat is found in animal products and should be eaten in moderation. Choose organic low-fat dairy, organic and lean cuts of chicken and beef, and use butter in moderation. Limit saturated fat to no more than 15 grams a day.

Eating too Many Trans Fats: Completely avoid all fried foods as well as foods made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, margarine and vegetable shortening.

Eating too Little Essential Fat: Increase your intake of foods rich in omega-3 essential fats such as fish, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, walnuts, walnut oil and expeller-pressed canola oil. Increase your intake of foods rich in omega-6 essential fats such as edemame beans, nuts, seeds, all-natural nut and seed butters, tofu, and wheat germ.

Eating too Little Fiber: Read the back of the nutrition label and make sure all carbohydrate-based foods you eat contain at least 2-3 grams of fiber per 25 grams of carbohydrate. Foods naturally rich in fiber include fruits, vegetables, corn, beans, legumes, whole grains, soybeans, and potatoes with the skins on.

Eating too Few Micronutrients: Increase your intake of all fruits and vegetables.

Eating too Much Processed Vegetable Oil: Eliminate overly-processed nutrient poor oils such as corn oil and “pure” vegetable oil and instead choose oils rich in antioxidants (such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil) or essential fats (such as walnut oil or flaxseed oil)

Ivy Larson is co-author of The Gold Coast Cure: The 5-Week Health and Body Makeover A Lifestyle Plan to Shed Pounds, Gain Health and Reverse 10 Diseases published by HCI.

You can learn more about Ivy’s new book by visiting:http://www.goldcoastcure.com