Are ice cream, cookies, candy, and soda your ultimate weakness? If you can’t seem to stay away from sweets, there’s a good reason why. Sugar is addictive. Eating sugar stimulates the brain to release a feel good chemical known as dopamine. Surely there’s no harm [...]]]> by Stella Metsovas, B.S., CCN

Are ice cream, cookies, candy, and soda your ultimate weakness? If you can’t seem to stay away from sweets, there’s a good reason why. Sugar is addictive. Eating sugar stimulates the brain to release a feel good chemical known as dopamine. Surely there’s no harm in feeling good right? Think again. Essentially, sugar acts like a drug. In fact, the consumption of sugar activates the same receptors in the brain as heroin and morphine. Just like with drugs, your brain begins to crave more and more sugar, leading to weight gain and sugar-related diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.

Protein, fat, and carbohydrates are the three essential macronutrients that our bodies use in relatively large amounts. The carbohydrates, more specifically, are divided into four groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, and oligosaccharides. The first two kinds, monosaccharides and disaccharides, comprise what we know to be sugar. You have probably heard of sucrose, or table sugar, which is regularly used in food, but glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, and lactose all make up the family of sweet-flavored substances. Sucrose comes from both sugarcane and sugar beets, while lactose, for example, occurs naturally in milk.

In most parts of the world, sugar is unfortunately an important part of the human diet. Sugar is high in calories, and therefore provides food energy. However, sugar has been linked to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, dementia, and tooth decay. One study found that sugar restriction is a necessary step in routine clinical care, especially when concerned with the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Studies by the University of Otago and the Riddet Institute of New Zealand led the World Health Organization to suggest the following: cut sugar intake to less than 10% of the total energy to help reduce the global obesity epidemic. Just by cutting sugars down to less than 10% of total food energy consumption, we could conquer obesity. That’s big news. Considering the rapid weight gain that occurs with a spike in sugar intake, it’s no surprise to hear that reducing sugar intake is a key component in decreasing the high risk of being overweight and obese across most countries. Not to mention, the global costs of obesity are significant and cannot be ignored. In America alone, Reuters found that $190 billion dollars is spent annually on medical costs due to obesity. Additionally, overweight individuals spend around $2,000 more per year on their medical costs than a person of a healthy weight, and obese individuals spend around $5,500 more on an annual basis. Cutting sugar intake down to less than 10% of total energy is not hard to do, and could provide such promising results for both people’s health worldwide and the global costs of obesity.

So, what are the signs that you may be addicted to sugar? First of all, many sugar addicts crave sugar at the same times each day. For example, if you crave sugar every afternoon because work has you in a slump and you use sugar as a pick-me-up, you might be dependent. Moreover, some addicts crave sugar all of the time. People with a persistent sweet tooth tend to always gravitate towards the sweeter options, even if healthier food choices are available. One of the clearest signs of sugar addiction is feeling great discomfort when you try to cut back. Sugar addicts can experience nausea, headaches, irritability, anxiety, and fatigue when withdrawing from sugar. However, these symptoms eventually fade once the body becomes reacquainted to a healthier diet.

If you are feeling inspired to restrict sugar consumption, the 21-day digestive health detox is the best detox diet approach for cutting out sugar. The 21-day approach focuses on optimum digestion and metabolism by emphasizing low-allergenic, unprocessed foods as ideal. By consuming foods that are not processed, which means they are made up of only one ingredient and contain no refined sugar, users will reset their taste palates. This brings overall balance to the digestive system, rids the body of its cravings, and leaves individuals healthier all around. Users of the 21-day approach will wonder why they ever ate so much sugar to begin with!

6 Simple Ways to Detox From Sugar

1. Go on a seasonal detox. I believe in going cold turkey for eliminating sugar addiction (you’ll learn why in the e-Handbook).  Consume the foods recommend in the 21 Day Digestive Health Detox for optimal detoxification.
2. Take Oregano Oil to help rid of unfavorable bacteria
3. Hydrate the moment you get a sugar craving with lemon water.  Add fresh lemon to still or sparkling water.
4. Engage in daily exercise outdoors like yoga, swimming or hiking.
5. Make sure you’re getting daily sunlight (if weather allows).  Avoid the damaging UV rays during peak hours and opt for early morning, late afternoon sun instead.
6. Stabilize the adrenal glands and thyroid with quality fats found in the detox like: grass-fed butter, olive and coconut oils.  In addition, add Siberian Ginseng to help with blood sugar throughout the day.

iHealthTube.com – Sugar’s Connection to Obesity and Heart Disease

References

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/obesity-costs-dollars-cents_n_1463763.html
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23035683
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130115190208.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmost_popular+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Most+Popular+News%29

It is important to eat a good, well-balanced diet that’s low in fat and high in whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables.  A good diet gives you all sorts of [...]]]> Many people ask whether they need to take vitamin supplements if they have a well-balanced diet.  The answer is yes.

It is important to eat a good, well-balanced diet that’s low in fat and high in whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables.  A good diet gives you all sorts of great health benefits, like plenty of flavinoids.  But even if you faithfully follow the USDA’s MyPlate system and eat all of your recommended fresh fruits and vegetables every day, you still may not be getting enough of some vitamins and minerals you need.

USDA research shows that in a study that explored the changes in mineral and vitamin content of fruits from 1963 to 1992, oranges contained 200 IU of vitamin A in 1963, compared with 21 IU in 1992.  This is due to the depletion of minerals in the soil.  Apples, contained 90 IU of vitamin A in 1963, in 1992 they contained only 53 IU.   In 1963 cabbage contained 248 mg of Calcium, in 1992 it contained 47 mg. Carrots were also studied; 37 mg of calcium in 1963, compared with 27 mg in 1992.  The same with tomatoes, 13 mg compared to 5 mg.

Food contamination is also a big factor.  Air pollutants, growth regulators, and pesticides all make their way into the soil.  As the product makes its way to the factory, it is then subjected to various food additives such as coloring, preservatives, waxes, flavorings, emulsifiers and thickening agents.  Pesticides and fumigants are also applied here.  At the factory and packing house our so-called fresh fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with bacteria and processing aids.  Chemicals and bacteria in our food cause cancer, birth defects, millions of cases of food poisoning, and about 10,000 deaths each year, according to the Safe-Food Gazette.

The benefits of vitamin E for your heart, for example, aren’t really effective unless you take in at least 400 IU to 1,000 IU a day, an amount that is impossible to get from your food alone.
By taking a daily vitamin supplement with minerals, you give yourself nutritional support for wellness. Even if you don’t eat properly that day, at least you will be getting the vitamins and minerals  you need to stay healthy.

Calcium is vital for the health and well being of [...]]]> You probably remember your mother telling you to drink your milk when you were little. Well, it turns out that your mom was right. Calcium is so important to your health – and milk is a fantastic source of calcium.

Calcium is vital for the health and well being of the human body. It helps the body in a number of ways, including strengthening the bones and teeth, warding off osteoporosis and it even helps to maintain a healthy weight.

Though calcium is so important, the human body actually loses some each and every day. This calcium needs to be replaced in order to maintain a healthy body. It is for this reason that calcium is such an important part of a well-balanced diet.

Don’t necessarily care for milk? No worries. There are several ways that you can get calcium in your diet without having to drink the moo juice.

Dairy Products

Any product that is made from dairy is a good source of calcium. This includes cheeses, yogurt and yes, even ice cream!

Oranges

Oranges are an excellent source of calcium. So, peel one up and munch on it, or enjoy a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ.

Eat Leafs

Believe it or not, leafy greens are also jam-packed with calcium. As little as one cup of nutritious leafy greens can provide up to 25% of your daily calcium intake. So, add some spinach, kale and collard greens to your diet.

Supplements

Oftentimes, despite our best intentions to eat right, we may still fall short of consuming a daily doctor-recommended amount of calcium. Taking a high-quality calcium supplement along with some Vitamin D to support calcium absorption may be advisable. Check with your physician first before making any dietary changes.

Calcium is important for people of all ages, but especially for women over the age of 50. Boosting your calcium intake is easier than you think.

The [...]]]> Spring is finally here and after such a long, cold winter, it is certainly welcomed with open arms.  Just getting out into the sunshine and fresh air can do wonders to help clear out the winter doldrums and restore us to brighter spirits, but sometimes a little extra help may be needed.

The effect of shorter daylight hours coupled with the effects of reduced activity during the past winter often leaves us feeling less than optimal as we head into springtime.  Leftover feelings of anxiety, restlessness and difficulties with sleep  are all commonly noted during this change of season.  Thankfully, there are some common sense ideas to help with this transition and give us back our energetic edge.

Let Mother Nature Help

Even though our problems might have been complicated by the natural phenomena of winter weather and shortened hours of daylight, nature can also help solve these problems.  Throughout time, man has used nature’s herbs to boost mood in addition to a myriad of other uses.

Lemon Balm is one herb with a particularly interesting resume.  The benefits of Lemon Balm, or Melissa officinalis, as it is called in scientific terms, are said to be calming in nature.  This calming effect may be helpful in relieving stress, anxiety, and restlessness, as well as helping with mood stabilization.  As a word of caution, when using any herbal supplement it is best to use standardized tablets or liquid forms to maximize the safety and effectiveness of the herb.

An additional way to help fortify your body naturally is simply to spend some time in the sunshine each day.  Your body manufactures Vitamin D by exposing your bare skin to the warming rays of the sun for just a few minutes each day.  Adequate Vitamin D levels are essential to help the body perform many functions and are thought to also help in reducing the effects of tension and stress.   Sunshine and herbals, what a great, and natural, way to take care of our health!