WHY IS SUGAR ADDICTIVE? For thousands of years, humans ate sugar found naturally in our food. Now, food processors add 140-150 pounds of sugar per person to our diets each year. Another 18 percent of our calories come from white flour (which acts a lot like sugar in our bodies). Our bodies are not designed to handle this massive sugar load. You've noticed that sugar gives you an initial high. Have you noticed that when you crash several hours later, you want even more sugar?
THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF SUGAR ADDICTION. Our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has gone up 250 percent in the past 15 years. Our rate of diabetes has increased about 45 percent during that same time. You've probably seen the TV ads where the sugar industry tries to confuse us by claiming that corn syrup is not sugar. It is a form of sugar as far as your body is concerned--and more toxic than cane sugar. Excess sugar can lead to:
-- Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia
-- Pain of all kinds
-- Decreased immune function
-- Chronic sinusitis
-- Irritable bowel syndrome and spastic colon
-- Cancer
-- Metabolic syndrome with high cholesterol and hypertension
-- Heart disease
-- Hormonal problems
-- Candida and yeast infections
-- ADHD
That's the short list. The actual list would go on for pages.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADDICTION. Teitelbaum includes quizzes to help you identify your specific sugar addiction (maybe a combo of several). Here's a sampling of questions:
Type 1: Sugar as an Energy Loan Shark. Chronically exhausted and hooked on quick hits of caffeine and sugar.
-- Do you feel tired much of the time? (20 points)
-- Do you have indigestion? (15 points)
-- Are you gaining weight or having trouble losing weight? (Score 1 point for every two pounds gained over the past three years.)...
Type 2: "Feed Me Now or I'll Kill You." When life's stress has exhausted your "stress handling" adrenal glands.
-- Do you find that you are often thirsty and have to urinate frequently? (10 points)
-- Do you get recurrent sore throats and swollen glands? (10 points)
-- Do you sometimes get dizzy when you stand? (15 points)...
Type 3: The Happy Ho-Ho Hunger. Sugar cravings caused by yeast/candida overgrowth.
-- Do you have chronic nasal congestion or sinusitis? (50 points)
-- When you are exposed to perfumes, insecticides, or other odors or chemicals, do you develop wheezing, burning eyes, or any other distress? (10 points)
-- Do you have food allergies? (20 points)...
Type 4: Depressed and Craving Carbs. Sugar cravings caused by your period, menopause, or andropause.
-- Women: Do you have a history of PMS? (30 points)
-- Men: Do you have high cholesterol? (20 points)...
What I loved about this book:
+ More than one solution to the problem.
+ Recommends lots of natural remedies.
+ Short quizzes to identify your specific sugar addiction.
+ Lots of science to back-up his recommendations.
+ Free resources.
+ Tidbits of info:
-- One can of soda has enough sugar to suppress your body's defense forces by 30 percent for 3 hours! That's why sugar addicts are susceptible to infections.
-- Getting less than 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night can make you fat.
-- If you must eat a sugary snack, eat one or two bites and savor it without guilt.
-- When your blood sugar is dropping and you start craving sugar, it only takes a little sugar to bring your blood sugar levels back up to normal. One Tic Tac or half a Lifesaver is enough. The secret it to put it under your tongue so it's absorbed into your bloodstream within seconds. Follow-up with a high-protein snack so your blood sugar stays level.
-- A common cause of night sweats and/or hot flashes is having low blood sugar while sleeping. See if eating a high-protein snack (such as a few slices of turkey) just before bedtime helps.
-- See Dr. T's free computerized program for treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia at his website, http://www.vitality101.com/ > Symptom Analysis.
-- He has an entire chapter of heart disease and improving its function.
-- Sugar addiction can ruin your digestive system, causing indigestion and acid reflux. Overusing antacids can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Try DGL Licorice, imonene, mastic gum and CompleteGest Digestive Enzymes, as well as http://www.vitality101.com/ > Health A-Z.
-- There's a chapter on migrains and tension headaches which looks at food allergies, the use of fish oil, etc.
+ Nicely written, conversational style.
+ Summary at the end of each chapter reminding you of key points.
+ Ethical. He encourages people who recommend prescription or natural products to provide financial disclosure of financial ties they may have to the makers of the products they recommend. For Fatigued to Fantastic products, he tells any company making his formulas to donate to charity all the money he would have received. He never accepts money from any natural or pharmaceutical product companies. He does make money from products sold on his website, http://www.vitality101.com/.
If you have a sugar addicition or suspect you do, this is a great book to find out what steps to take so you get back on the path to health.
May vibrancy surround you,
Catherine
No comments:
Post a Comment