How to Stop Sugar Addiction

We take for granted the idea that sugar is bad for our bodies. And yet, we eat more and more of the stuff. Why? Well, we can’t say for sure but there’s some evidence to suggest sugar is an addictive substance.

A 2008 study by researchers at Princeton University supported the hypothesis that under certain circumstances, rats can become sugar dependant. The animals in the experiment displayed behaviors similar to those associated with addictive drugs, including binging, craving and opiate-like “withdrawal” marked by signs of anxiety and behavioral depression.

Learning how to stop sugar addiction can help prevent a life-long sentence in which addicts face the dangers of diabetes, obesity and a host of other health ailments.

What type of sugar addict are you?

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of four natural wellness books, including “Beat Sugar Addiction Now,” says that beating sugar addiction doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.

Teitelbaum lumps sugar addicts into four categories:

1. Chronically exhausted, energy-drink addicts, or as Dr. Teitelbaum calls the beverages, ‘energy loan-shark drinks.’
2. Hungry, irritable sugar addicts who might be likely to tell you, “If I don’t eat now, I’m going to kill you.”
3. Those with chronic congestion, sinusitis or spastic colons.
4. Women who are perimenopausal (as well as some men who might have deficient levels of hormones like testosterone).

“Sugar cravings exist because food processors dump 150 pounds of sugar per person per year,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

Reaching for sugar because you’re tired

The first of Teitelbaum’s type of sugar addict seeks a serotonin surge to bypass a rough day. Instead of popping into the local saloon for a quick beer, the sugar addict fantasizes about “[w]alking into a bar, asking for a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, and having the bartender obligingly slide a pint down the bar,” says Teitelbaum.

The problem with this approach: Initially, serotonin will rise, causing a feeling of euphoria, but the insulin resistance will backfire, causing further exhaustion.

The cure, according to Teitelbaum, is fairly simple: “Taking a good multivitamin powder, and adding in a five gram scoop of ribose [Ironically, a sugar, but one that is made naturally by your body], getting enough sleep, getting daily moderate-intensity exercise, and eating 4-5 balanced meals with all-natural food should help defeat sugar cravings.”

I’m hungry, I need sugar NOW!

The adrenal glands, which rest on top of your kidneys play a vital role in controlling blood sugar.

Teitelbaum’s second type likely suffers from adrenal fatigue. “This person is the ‘Feed me now or I will kill you’ variety,” says Teitelbaum. The adrenals also make the stress hormone, cortisol, helping us to adapt to ‘fight or flight’ situations. Cortisol speeds up production of blood sugar during stress.

“If the adrenals are exhausted from stress and sugar is the only food that’s fueling your system, you’re going to see a lot of irritability when hunger arises,” says Teitelbaum.

The solution, besides eating balanced meals: Getting enough Vitamin C, licorice (Opt for the root, which helps slow down cortisol production), Vitamin B5 and adrenal gland supplements.

Does sugar make your runny nose worse?

Candida yeast, which primarily colonizes in the digestive tract, feeds on sugar. Teitelbaum says that scientists have yet to isolate what exactly the candida yeast secretes that ends up stimulating sugar cravings.

For those with candida overgrowth or who often have runny noses, or more serious sinusitis and digestive complications like spastic colon or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Teitelbaum suggests taking probiotics every day, as well as an antifungal natural supplement and, of course, cutting down on sugar.

“When you kill the candida the sugar cravings go away,” says Teitelbaum, who adds that only addressing the problem with probiotics and not cutting down on sugar is like saying, “Will a fire hose help put out a fire? Yes — but not if you keep pouring gasoline on the fire.”

Chronological clock cravings for sugar

As people age, hormone levels, including sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone may plummet. According to Teitelbaum, depression and anxiety can result from hormonal imbalances. Sugar is often the go-to quick fix for the blues.

A simple solution, especially for peri- or menopausal women: eating a handful of edamame every day to make up for the depleted estrogen levels. Teitelbaum also suggests supplementing with bio-identical hormone replacements when needed.

Some sugar addicts may need dopamine

Karen Paquette, a naturopathic doctor based in Solana Beach, Calif., says that those who have insatiable sugar and food cravings might have an underlying condition with brain chemistry, most notably a lack of dopamine, the feel-good chemical.

“We can get a temporary uplift in dopamine from food so that’s why some people indulge in sugar, to make up for the deficit of the dopamine neurotransmitter,” says Paquette, who recommends those with sugar addiction receive a neurotransmitter panel test along with a blood test for a genetic marker for enzyme deficiency.

Do you need to go 100 percent sugar-free?

No, says Teitelbaum. "Why bother living to 120 years old if you have to give everything up?" he says. "Indulge a bit in dark chocolate, which I consider a health food."

Eating fruit is also not a concern according to Teitelbaum, but he does strongly urge sugar addicts to abstain from fruit juices.

"They’re just as bad as regular soda."

Carrots and Carotenoid Compounds

Did your mother nag you when you were a kid to eat your vegetables, especially carrots? Turns out mom was right, carrots have several health benefits.

Here are some carrot nutrition facts to prove mom knew best.

The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health claims that foods rich in Vitamin A, like carrots, can help with the following:

• ·       Bone growth
• ·       Cell differentiation (cells know which tissue to become a part of, like blood, brain, lungs, etc…)
• ·       Immune system regulation (white blood cell production to fight off viruses and bad bacteria)
• ·       Surface lining integrity (eyes, lungs, intestines and urinary tracts)

Carrots contain antioxidants called, appropriately, carotenoids, which are natural red, yellow, or, of course, orange-colored compounds found in plants. Beta-carotene, one of approximately 500 types of carotenoids, is the well-known antioxidant component in carrots.

All carotenoids are important, as a diet rich in them may reduce the risk of developing several types of cancers, including bladder, cervix, colon prostate, larynx and esophageal.

Several studies (such as this one focusing on lung cancer, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology) have proven that a diet high in carotenoids leads to a reduced risk of cancer.

In the book ‘150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,’ author Johnny Bowden, Ph.D. in nutrition, dedicates an entire chapter on carrots. He says in the book that although carrots are best-known for their beta-carotene, they also contain alpha-carotene, which might be equally as protective against diseases, if not more so, than beta-carotene.

One study by Japanese biochemists suggested that alpha-carotene was ten times more powerful than beta-carotene in inhibiting tumor growth.

Alpha- and beta-carotene convert in the body to Vitamin A, hence the reason for a single serving of carrot’s 200 percent suggested Daily Value (DV) of Vitamin A.

Aren’t carrots good for the eyes?
The micronutrients in carrots that promote optimal vision are two other of the five major carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the only carotenoids found in the retina. They may help in the prevention of macular degeneration and cataracts, according to one study in the Archives of Opthamology.

The aforementioned Dr. Bowden’s ode to carrots also mentions that carrots contain a purple pigment—rhodopsin—which helps with vision in dim lighting.

Nutrition data for carrots
Eating just three medium-sized carrots contain:

·       6-8 mg of calcium

·       58 mg of potassium

·       Approximately 7 percent DV of magnesium, phosphorous and Vitamin C

·       30,000 International Units (IUs) of Vitamin A

·       15,000 IUs of beta-carotene

·       6,000 IUs of alpha-carotene

·       5 grams of fiber

But aren’t carrots high in sugar?
Nutrition data from the FDA says that one-half cup of baby carrots contains three grams of sugar. One gram of carbohydrates (sugar) equals four calories, thus a single serving of carrots has 12 calories of sugar out of the 30 total calories.

So, should you ditch carrots?

No, suggests Diane Madrigal, a San Diego-based clinical nutritionist. “Carrots are extremely healthy whether or not you have diabetes, because in its whole nutritious form, you’re getting all the nutrients and fiber, which will slow down the release of sugar,” she says.

But Madrigal says that because Vitamin A, which carrots are loaded with, is a fat-soluble vitamin, to get the most out of carotenoids, eat them with a little fat.

“Hummus, guacamole, tzatziki and babaganoush are excellent dips for carrots,” says Madrigal.

What if I start turning yellow from eating too many carrots? Is that bad?
Beta-carotene may accumulate in your skin if you eat too many carrots, coating it with a yellowish tint. This discoloration, scientifically referred to as ‘carotenemia,’ is usually harmless. If your skin changes color, cut down on your dietary beta-carotene and discontinue any supplements that contain it. The whites of your eyes, however, should not turn yellow. If so, seek immediate medical help. 

Sugar Nutrition Facts

Sugar: Our brains can’t function without it, yet it’s considered a dietary evil.

Should sugar be avoided like the devil, or is it OK to have plenty of it as long as it’s in the form of fruit sugar (fructose)? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between?

Some sugar nutrition facts to ponder...

A nutritional paradox, sugar is vital for all life on Earth, supplying every muscle, organ and cell in our body, while simultaneously being blamed for the obesity and diabetes onslaught in this country.

Is sugar culpable in bloating the health care system, feasting on nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy?

Perhaps Dr. Andrew Weil says it best on his website: “The problem with … sugar is not that [it is] ‘bad’ for you, but that we eat far too much of [it].”

No doubt nearly every nutritionist on this planet feels the same as Weil. The American Heart Association has the facts to prove it. The AHA recommends no more than 9 teaspoons a day of sugar per day for men (equal to 150 calories, or about a little more than a can of regular soda) and 6 for women (100 calories).

The average daily sugar consumption for an American: 22 teaspoons (330 calories, yikes!)

Consuming 330 calories a day, equals 2,130 calories per week, equals 9,240 calories per month. Trying to lose weight, specifically body fat? Consider that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat. Doing the math, this is an excess of almost two pounds per month.

Gaining two pounds of body fat a month leaves you 24 pounds heavier in a year. It’s easy to see how the battle of the bulge is lost.

What about alternative sweeteners? Are they healthier?
What if people switched from white table sugar to one of the following alternative sweeteners:

• Agave nectar
• Molasses
• Raw organic honey
• Evaporated cane juice
• Brown sugar (raw)
  
  

The two biggest advantages of alternative sweeteners is that they contain trace minerals (calcium, manganese, iron, zinc and potassium) that aren’t found in white table sugar.

Some sweeteners also have a lower glycemic index (GI) rating than regular sugar, thus potentially raising blood sugar levels less quickly than white table sugar. High blood sugar levels may contribute to diabetes and other health problems.

For example, agave nectar has a glycemic index of only 30 compared to the simplest broken-down sugar known to man and the chemical compound that fuels our brain: glucose, which has a GI rating of 100.

Honey averages 55 on the GI scale; fructose averages about 20; lactose (milk sugar) checks in at 46 and sucrose (common table sugar; a combo of fructose and glucose) has a GI of 68.

If fructose has a lower GI, should I eat a fruit salad for dessert?

As Weil mentioned above, sugar is sugar and too much of it may cause you to gain weight, not to mention the damage to your teeth. Despite some sweeteners eliciting stronger, more effective insulin releases to help regulate sugar’s distribution in the bloodstream, all sugars are pure carbohydrate and contain mostly empty calories, with the exception of the trace minerals in alternative sweeteners and fruit.

But eating too much fruit at one time can cause both indigestion (including the embarrassing kind) and can cause blood sugar levels to crash below normal levels.

The bloodstream can only circulate so much glucose before the sugar gets processed by the liver and stored as body fat.

What about zero calorie sweeteners?

Most health experts recommend natural, plant-based sweeteners like xylitol; another recommendation by many natural health practitioners is to avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

The American Cancer Society, however, claims that aspartame does not cause cancer and is safe for consumption.

The bottom line: if you’re trying to watch your weight, limit your intake of all sugars. If you have a sweet tooth, opt for small amounts of stronger-flavored alternative sweeteners that have lower GI loads. To keep blood sugar levels down, always eat some natural fat and protein either before or with a sweet food.

How to Improve Flexibility

You’ve gone enough years with your muscles and joints feeling stiff and achy every morning. This year is going to be different. You’re going to start a stretching routine several days a week.

 

Are you new to stretching? Here’s how to improve flexibility.

 

There are three main pillars of overall wellness, according to many conventional fitness experts: muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility.

 

How many pillars support your health? For many U.S. adults who do manage to make time for exercise, two out of three ain’t bad, as the saying goes. After a long day of work, perhaps it’s a trip to the gym for a run on the treadmill and some weights.

 

Most people, however, neglect stretching. Sure, yoga and Pilates have become popular, but many people remain sedentary all day at work and at home.

 

As for trying yoga for the first time, the thought of contorting an inflexible body into a pretzel-like figure in front of others intimidates some enough to prevent them from ever entering a yoga studio.

 

Just like dieting advice, stretching theory varies greatly
Isn’t it frustrating to hear all the conflicting advice about what to eat and what not to eat? Eggs are healthy one decade; the next they’re vilified by the fat police. The same is true with stretching. We’re told to stretch but then we’re told not to stretch before certain activities.

 

One study by exercise physiologists at Florida State University suggests that if you’re going for a run or performing some other endurance exercise, static stretching can lower your cardiovascular endurance.

 

Static stretching is when you hold a certain stretch for a prolonged period of time.

 

There are several other types of stretching techniques, including:

 

• Active Isolated Stretching
• Dynamic flexibility
• PNF stretching
• Ballistic stretching
• Isometric stretching

 

How long should I stretch and how long should I hold the stretches?
As if there aren’t enough different types of stretching to confuse you, different styles of stretching suggest holding a stretch, or pose, for different periods of time. For example, there’s one style of yoga — Yin Yoga — that holds each asana, or pose, for five full minutes. The theory goes that it takes that long to fully relax a muscle into a greater state of flexibility.

 

Aaron Mattes, a rehabilitation specialist and developer of an athletic stretching technique called Active Isolated Stretching suggests holding stretches for no longer than two seconds.

 

Conventional flexibility fitness for decades has advocated holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds.

 

Now I’m totally confused. So what type of stretching should I do?
As the aforementioned study suggests, don’t do static stretching first thing in the morning, especially if you’re going to go for a run.

 

Consider performing a dynamic flexibility routine before any athletic activity. Although dynamic flexibility hasn’t been shown to remarkably improve flexibility, it does prepare the body quite well for activity and may feel like your joints have greater range of motion. 

 

Examples of dynamic flexibility include controlled leg swings, arm circles and torso/hip rotations.

 

If you want to improve your flexibility and are recovering from an injury or surgery but want professional guidance, consider hiring a personal trainer or therapist who is schooled in Active Isolated Stretching or PNF techniques, the latter of which can dramatically improve range of motion.

 

If you enjoy the meditative nature of static stretching, it’s best to think of static stretching as a cool-down. Consider doing static stretching (gentle yoga classes incorporate static stretching) in the evening, especially after going for a long walk.

 

Isometric stretching is recommended for people who don’t do enough strength training. Nearly everyone is familiar with pushing against a wall with one leg forward to stretch the calves. This is an example of an isometric stretch.

 

I can almost do a full split. What can I do to improve flexibility?
For those who have been stretching for several years and want to break through a flexibility plateau, consider using deep-breathing techniques. Trying to do a full split but can’t quite get all the way? Deep exhales as you’re going further into the stretch should help. Also, stretching at the beach, on sand, will help get you into a deeper split.

 

Can’t get to the beach? If you have access to smooth surfaces like wood, wear two pairs of socks and grab onto a chair as you deep breathe your way into a full split.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

The signs of serious high blood pressure can go undetected for years. Here's what to look for.

Is your New Year’s Resolution ‘to get in shape’? If it’s been a while since you’ve worked out, take it easy and pay attention to symptoms of high blood pressure.

 

Approximately 65 million Americans have hypertension and about 50 million Americans belong to health clubs. No doubt millions more will join shortly after the New Year and many gym newbies will have high blood pressure.

 

Often referred to as the ‘Number One silent killer’ because symptoms can go unnoticed for years before triggering a massive heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure can lead to the following symptoms while working out:

 

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Shortness of Breath
• Feeling Nauseous
• Double or blurred vision

 

High blood pressure isn’t in itself the leading cause of death in the U.S.; heart disease, cancer and stroke are the top three. But high blood pressure may be responsible, at least in part, for developing these potentially fatal conditions. 

 

It’s for this reason why many doctors acknowledge that hypertension is the Number One killer in the U.S.

 

How the Silent Killer Strikes
Other deadly symptoms of high blood pressure include blocked arteries, kidney failure, heart attack and brain hemorrhage.

 

Obesity is one cause of high blood pressure, so it’s important to exercise but at a low intensity if beginning a weight-loss and exercise program.

 

The responsible way to start an exercise program, if it’s been a long time since your last workout, is to first get clearance from your doctor.

 

This is especially true if you haven’t had your blood pressure tested in a long time. Even if you’re not significantly overweight, you may have high blood pressure.

 

Why do I have to ask my doctor if exercise is right for me?
Most likely, your doctor will encourage your exercise program. Even so, there’s always the possibility that because of high blood pressure, an abnormality may rule out any exercise as a precaution until the problem is diagnosed and addressed.

 

Anybody that’s received the surprising news they need bypass heart surgery can relate. It wouldn’t be good if they went for a stroll on the treadmill.

 

Which came first, the anger or the hypertension? 
It’s human to get angry; anger isn’t necessarily a bad thing to feel. It’s how we relate to it and manage it, though, that can influence blood pressure.

 

Know someone who has bulging veins popping out of their forehead when they get angry? Afraid they’re going to burst at any second? This is the type of person vulnerable to elevated blood pressure levels (normal is about 120 over 80).

 

Prolonged high blood pressure can ultimately lead to premature death.

 

How can I prevent symptoms of high blood pressure?
Obviously, unhealthy lifestyles like smoking and eating junk food, excess sodium and sugar, may lead to high blood pressure. But you can take baby steps in lowering it by practicing some of the following:

 

• Moving Meditation: Take tai chi or qigong classes or workshops. Tight on cash? Watch a YouTube video, though you’ll have better chances of sticking with it if you do it with a group or friend.
• Silent Meditation: Silent yoga or still meditation is an excellent way to manage high blood pressure. By focusing on the breath, you’ll improve blood and oxygen flow. It’s been scientifically demonstrated to do so.
• Eat More Foods Rich in Potassium: Sodium and potassium play off each other in a game of balance, much like a see-saw within our trillions of cells. The so called Sodium/Potassium pump refers to the intracellular fluid proportion of both these minerals. Eat some French fries loaded with salt and there’ll be more sodium and less potassium. Eating more potassium-rich foods in your diet helps lower blood pressure, studies have found.