Terry Ryan
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White Poison-Sugar!
5 Clues You Are Addicted to Sugar
Are You Addicted?
Most of us have felt the urge, the unstoppable craving driving us to seek out something sweet and devour it in a flash. That uncontrollable yen for cookies, cake or ice cream or that whole basket of bread calling to us to finish it off. Why do you overeat? Why does that cookie have such power over you, even though you know it will make you fat and sick? Is it an indication of your moral weakness, lack of will power, or is it a powerful hardwired brain response over which you have little control?
Debate has raged recently about whether junk food, the hyper-processed, hyper-palatable food that has become our SAD (standard American diet) is addictive in the same way that heroin or cocaine is addictive. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that, in fact, higher sugar, higher glycemic foods can be addictive.
David Ludwig, author of Ending the Food Fight, and his colleagues at Harvard, in a very sophisticated study, showed that foods with more sugar, foods that raise blood sugar even more than table sugar such as white flour, white potatoes and refined starch have what is called a high glycemic index, trigger a special region in the brain called the nucleus 
accumbens that is known to be “ground zero” for conventional addiction, such as gambling or drug abuse.
It appears part of the reason almost 70 percent of Americans are overweight or one in two Americans has pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes may not be gluttony, lack of willpower or absence of personal responsibility but plain old, garden variety biological addiction.
Many previous studies have shown how this region of brain, the pleasure center, lights up in response to images or eating sugary, processed or junk food. But many of these studies used very different foods as a comparison. If you compare cheesecake to boiled vegetables, there are many reasons the pleasure center can light up. It tastes better or it looks better. This is interesting data, but it’s not hard proof of addiction.
This new study took on the hard job of proving the biology of sugar addiction. The researchers did a randomized, blinded, crossover study using the most rigorous research design to ward off any criticism (which will inevitably come from the $1 trillion food industry).
They took 12 overweight or obese men between the ages of 18 and 35 and gave each a low sugar or low glycemic index (37 percent) milkshake, and then, four hours later, they measured the activity of the brain region (nucleus accumbens) that controls addiction. They also measured blood sugar and hunger.
Then, days later, they had them back for another milkshake. But this time they switched the milkshakes. They were designed to taste exactly the same and be exactly the same in every way except in how much and how quickly it spiked blood sugar. The second milkshake was designed to be high in sugar with a high glycemic index (84 percent). The shakes had exactly the same amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrate. Think of it as a trick milkshake. The participants didn’t know which milkshake they were getting, and their mouth couldn’t tell the difference, but their brains could.
Each participant received a brain scan and blood tests for glucose and insulin after each version of the milkshake. They were their own control group. Without exception, they all had the same response. The high sugar or glycemic index milkshake caused a spike in blood sugar and insulin and an increase in reported hunger and cravings four hours after the shake. Remember — exactly the same calories, sweetness, texture and macronutrient content.
This finding was not surprising and has been shown many times before.
But the breakthrough finding was this: When the high glycemic shake was consumed, the nucleus accumbens lit up like a Christmas tree. This pattern occurred in every single participant and was statistically significant.
This study showed two things.
First, the body responds quite differently to different calories, even if the protein, fat and carbs (and taste) are exactly the same.
And second, foods that spike blood sugar are biologically addictive.
This game-changing study must force a shift in the conversation about obesity in America. There are 600,000 processed foods in the marketplace, 80 percent of which have added hidden sugar. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, mostly hidden, and the average teenage boy has 34 teaspoons a day (more than two 20 ounce sodas). One serving of Prego tomato sauce has more sugar than a serving of Oreo cookies. Sweetened yogurts can have more sugar than a can of soda.
Sugar is the core ingredient used by the food industry to make bad ingredients (processed flour and chemicals) taste good. Our consumption has increased from 10 pounds per person in 1800 to 140 pounds per person per year today.
Each year, the average American also consumes 133 pounds of white or wheat flour, which raises blood sugar more than table sugar (sucrose).
When a 12-year-old boy needs a liver transplant after a steady diet of soda and white flour, or when a 2-year-old can’t walk because he is too fat at 50 pounds, we can no longer point to personal responsibility as the solution to our obesity epidemic.
What if Kobe Bryant or LeBron James went on national television promoting the benefits of “cocaine water” to increase sports performance? Would you allow heroin dispensers in your kid’s school? Think heroin lollipops or morphine muffins. This is exactly what’s happening in America today.
No one wants to be fat or become a drug addict. No one wants their life destroyed by disability and illness. We have policies and laws that protect people from alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs of abuse. Sugar and flour (and too much starchy white potatoes and white rice) or products containing them appear to be no different. In fact, some animal studies show that sugar is eight times as addictive as cocaine.
It is time to stop blaming the fat person. Can we really blame our children if we freely give them drugs of abuse in the school lunch line or as after school snacks? Can we really blame the average overweight person? The nutritional landscape in America is a food carnival.
Kelly Brownell from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has created a validated food questionnaire to help you determine if you are a food addict. He recently also published a textbook, Food and Addiction, that lays out the science of how our hyper-processed, hyper-palatable, hyper-sweet industrial food has hijacked our brain chemistry and biology.
Here are five clues you may be addicted to sugar, flour and processed food:
- You consume certain foods even if you are not hungry because of cravings.
- You worry about cutting down on certain foods.
- You feel sluggish or fatigued from overeating.
- You have health or social problems (affecting school or work) because of food issues and yet keep eating the way you do despite negative consequences.
- You need more and more of the foods you crave to experience any pleasure or reduce negative emotions.
If you are among those whose brain chemistry, taste buds and hormones have been hijacked by the food industry (up to 70 percent of us, including 40 percent of children), then it is time to stop blaming yourself and consider food rehab or a sugar detox. It is time for all of us to take back our health and demand that our children be protected from addictive substances in our schools and from the insidious marketing practices directed at them from the food industry.
There are resources to help you break your food addiction and stop the cravings.
Now, I would love to hear from you.
Have you experienced uncontrollable cravings for sugar and refined foods?
How has it affected your life?
Have you blamed yourself for your behavior?
Do you think we should change food policy to protect children from marketing of foods proven to be addictive?
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
Let Go of Perfection
Prevention News
Prevention News
Why You Should Let Go Of Weight Perfection
What’s Your Ideal Weight?
What that number really means
By Tracy Miller
There’s your age. Your birthday. Your phone number. Your social security number. And then there’s that other number that’s been lurking in your head for years: Your ideal weight.
If you’re like most women, those three digits are all but tattooed in your brain—easily conjured up the moment your jeans feel snug or you step on the scale. But how did it get there in the first place? And what does it even mean? Not much, according to experts.
“A lot of women have an ‘ideal’ weight they think they’ll feel best at,” says Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Even though they’re healthy and their BMI is healthy, they still feel that pressure that can encompass their entire lives.”
Often, says Crandall, we fixate on a target weight—wanting to be 125, say, when you’re actually 135—without really knowing why. “You may have been there once early on, in your teens or early 20s, and you felt comfortable at that time,” says Crandall. “Or it might be something that a doctor once put into your head, and it just stuck there.” But chances are, it doesn’t deserve the attention you’ve been giving it.
If losing a little weight has become an oversized obsession, here’s how to divert your focus away from that number and toward more important things—you know, like the rest of your life.
Ask yourself why. “I ask clients what their goals are to help them see where they’re coming from,” says Crandall. If your ideal weight is a number you’ve been carrying around for decades because it’s what you weighed in college or at your wedding, ask yourself what’s more important—hitting that number again or how you feel from day to day? Restate for yourself the importance of a healthy balance between work, life, and concerns like diet and exercise.
Pick a new measurement. In fact, don’t just stop at one. Several different factors go into determining your individual healthy weight range, says Crandall, such as body fat composition, bone size, muscular structure, BMI, and waist circumference. A registered dietitian can properly assess the overall balance of your body and whether you really need to lose a few pounds—or need help setting more appropriate goals.
Stop the strict dieting. “There is not one food that’s going to cause you to gain weight,” says Crandall. Yet many women stick to a short list of “acceptable” foods when dieting—which can backfire. Dieters may cut out sugar, for instance, and think that means they shouldn’t eat a fresh orange, says Freytag. “Of course you should have an orange!” she adds. “It’s the added sugars in processed foods and drinks that are the problem.”
More from Prevention: Why You Shouldn’t Be a Diet Perfectionist
Don’t live at the gym. If you’ve been plugging away on the elliptical trainer with all the enthusiasm of a prisoner walking the plank, try mixing it up. “You don’t want to become obsessive with your activity,” says Crandall. “If you’ve been running and running and running, try yoga or biking.” Determine a healthy amount of time you want to devote to exercising each week, then stick to the plan.
Focus on re-sculpting. “Muscle is the secret to long-term metabolism boosting,” says Freytag. “I usually say to women, ‘Let’s forget about those five pounds and focus on re-sculpting your body.’ ” If you change your focus to being healthy, fit, and toned, a few pounds up or down won’t matter.
Published April 2012, Prevention
Why You Should Let Go Of Weight Perfection
What’s Your Ideal Weight?
By Tracy Miller
There’s your age. Your birthday. Your phone number. Your social security number. And then there’s that other number that’s been lurking in your head for years: Your ideal weight.
If you’re like most women, those three digits are all but tattooed in your brain—easily conjured up the moment your jeans feel snug or you step on the scale. But how did it get there in the first place? And what does it even mean? Not much, according to experts.
Published April 2012, Prevention
Genetic Roulette
Jeffrey M. Smith, author of the world’s bestselling book on GMOs, Seeds of Deception, is a leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. 
Genetic Roulette – The Gamble of Our Lives has won the 2012 Movie of the Year by the Solari Report and the Top Transformational Film of 2012 by AwareGuide!
Never-Before-Seen-Evidence points to genetically engineered foods as a major contributor to rising disease rates in the US population, especially among children. Gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, inflammatory diseases, and infertility are just some of the problems implicated in humans, pets, livestock, and lab animals that eat genetically modified soybeans and corn.
Monsanto’s strong arm tactics, the FDA’s fraudulent policies, and how the USDA ignores a growing health emergency are also laid bare. This sometimes shocking film may change your diet, help you protect your family, and accelerate the consumer tipping point against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Don’t miss this film!
Think Like A Skinny Person-The Perfect Diet
We all have that one thin friend (and you know who you are)—one of those skinny women who’s never bullied into submission by the bread basket, and when she says “I’ll just eat one bite,” she does just that. Is she for real?
“Small, reasonable goals can have a tremendous impact on your health.” —Dr. Pam Peeke
Turns out, research shows that skinny people simply don’t think about food the same way as–well, the rest of us. “Thin people have a relaxed relationship with food,” explains David L. Katz, MD, an associate professor adjunct in public health at Yale University. “Those who are overweight, however, tend to be preoccupied by it. They focus on how much or how often they eat, or attach labels like good and bad to certain foods. As a result, mealtime is always on the brain.”
Here, weight loss experts explore the mysterious minds of “naturally” slim, and how to eat like skinny women. Learn what they do, what they don’t, and how you can act the part.
1. They choose satisfied over stuffed
On a fullness scale of 1 to 10, skinny women stop eating at a level of 6 or 7, says Jill Fleming, RD, author of Thin People Don’t Clean Their Plates. The rest of us may keep going to an 8 or 10. Why? It may be because you mistakenly equate the sensation of fullness with satisfaction and feel deprived if you stop short, says Fleming. Or you may just be used to finishing what’s in front of you, regardless of whether you really need it.
Copy them: To eat like skinny women, about halfway through your next meal, put your fork down and, using the 1 to 10 scale, rate your level of fullness. Do it again when you have about five bites left. The goal is to increase your awareness of how satisfied you feel during a meal. (Bonus: It also slows down your eating, which allows the sensation of fullness to settle in.)
2. They realize hunger isn’t an
Don’t be a Boo Boo
emergency
Most of us who struggle with extra pounds tend to view hunger as a condition that needs to be cured—and fast, says Judith S. Beck, PhD, author of the new Beck Diet Solution. “If you fear hunger, you might routinely overeat to avoid it,” she says. Thin people tolerate it because they know hunger pangs always come and go, buying them some time.
Copy them: Pick a busy day to purposely delay lunch by an hour or two. Or try skipping an afternoon snack one day. You’ll see that you can still function just fine. Then next time you feel those grumbles, you’ll hold off before making a beeline for the fridge.
3. They don’t use food to cure the blues
It’s not that skinny women are immune to emotional eating, says Kara Gallagher, PhD, a weight loss expert based in Louisville. But they tend to recognize when they’re doing it and stop.
Copy them: Add the word ‘Halt’ to your vocabulary, says Gallagher. More than just a command (as in stop eating that entire sleeve of cookies), it’s an acronym that stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired—the four most common triggers for emotional eating.
If you’re truly hungry, eat a balanced snack, such as a handful of nuts, to tide you over until your next meal. But if you’re angry, lonely, or tired, seek an alternative calorie-free solution to your emotional need. Blow off steam by going for a run or just jumping around—the heartbeat boost will help dissipate your anger. Lonely? Call a friend, e-mail your kid, or walk to the park or mall. Being around others will make you feel more connected to your community (even if you don’t bump into anyone you know). If you’re tired, for heaven’s sake, sleep!
4. They eat more fruit
Skinny women, on average, have one more serving of fruit and eat more fiber and less fat per day than overweight people, reports a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Copy them: Start tinkering. To eat like akinny women, examine your diet for ways to add whole fruits (not juices) to your meals and snacks. Aim for two or three servings per day. Sprinkle berries in your cereal or on your yogurt. Add sliced pears to your turkey sandwich, or bake an apple for dessert. Keep a bowl of fruit on your kitchen table or desk to motivate you to think fruit first, vending machine never.
5. They’re creatures of habit
Any dietitian will tell you that a varied diet is good–but too much variety can backfire, says Katz, author of The Flavor Point Diet. Studies have shown that too many tastes and textures encourage you to overeat, he explains. “Thin people have what I call a food groove—the majority of their meals consist of well-planned staples,” says Beck. “There are a few surprises thrown in, but for the most part, their diets are fairly predictable.”
Copy them: Try to eat as consistently as possible with your major meals—have cereal for breakfast, a salad at lunch, and so forth. It’s okay to add grilled chicken to the salad one day and tuna the next, but by sticking to a loosely prescribed meal schedule, you limit the opportunities to overindulge.
Published November 2011, Prevention
6. They have a self-control gene
Not this skinny!
Researchers at Tufts University found that the biggest predictor of weight gain among women in their 50s and 60s was their level of dis-inhibition, or unrestrained behavior. Women with low dis-inhibition (in other words, a finely tuned sense of restraint) had the lowest body mass index. High dis-inhibition (i.e., low restraint) was linked to an adult weight gain of as much as 33 pounds.
Copy them: Prepare for moments when your dis-inhibition is likely to be higher—such as when you’re in a festive atmosphere with a large group of friends. If you’re at a party, tell yourself you’ll take one of every fourth passed hors d’oeuvre. If you’re out at dinner, order an appetizer portion and share dessert. Or if you’re stressed—another low-restraint moment—make sure you have a source of crunchy snacks (like fruit or carrot sticks) at the ready.
7. They’re movers and shakers
On average, skinny women are on their feet an extra 2 1/2 hours per day—which can help burn off 33 pounds a year, according to a study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Copy them: Try a reality check. Studies have shown that people often overestimate how active they really are, says Gallagher. Most people actually spend 16 to 20 hours a day just sitting. Wear a pedometer on an average day, and see how close you get to the recommended 10,000 steps. Your day should combine 30 minutes of structured exercise with a variety of healthy habits, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or mopping the floor with extra vigor.
8. They sleep—well
Skinny women snooze 2 more hours per week, compared with overweight people, says a study from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Researchers theorize that a lack of shut-eye is linked to lower levels of appetite-suppressing hormones like leptin and higher levels of the appetite-boosting hormone ghrelin.
Copy them: Break it down: Two extra hours of sleep a week is only 17 more minutes a day—a lot more manageable, even for the most packed of schedules. Start there and slowly work toward 8 hours of snooze time a night—the right amount for most adults.
Quick tip Eat breakfast! 78% of successful dieters do it every day, according to the National Weight Control Registry, a database of more than 5,000 people who’ve lost more than 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least a year.
I think this is a great article! What do you think?
Terry Ryan
Alternative Ways To Beat Cancer
NOTE: Snopes has posted that this is a false story and John Hopkins Hospital never said this. I thought it was still good info so I am leaving it up.
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING
PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY …
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime.
3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to STARVE the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiple.
What cancer cells feed on:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Note: Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells will starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes t o nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.
To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water–best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines will become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.
Anger, unforgiving and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
Posted by premaseem on December 19, 2012 in Health and Fitness, Life
D5 Creation