4 WEEKS TO SUGAR CRAVINGS FREEDOM! WEEK 1

Sugar addiction is practically universal in America today. Most of us have a love/hate relationship with sugar and know that they should use far less than they are using now. I hope that this helps someone to break free and get healthier.

Sugar is an actual addiction and when you are breaking the addiction you can have withdrawal symptoms just as with any other addiction. Eating sugar activates pleasure areas in the brain and the brain keeps wanting more and more of that stimulation. It is very powerful but you can be free. There are ways to help minimize the discomfort, and the end result of being free of that addiction is truly wonderful in terms of the way your body feels and functions.

You will have far more energy, your mood will be lighter, (and so will your body if you need to take off some weight), your mind will be clearer and you will have more patience among many other benefits.

Week 1 – Detox. During week one limit your intake of refined sugar to no more than 1 teaspoon a day. That could be at breakfast with whole grain cereal with 1 tsp sugar, or with a hot or cold beverage with 1 tsp sugar, or in any way that you want. It could be a whole grain toast with 1 tsp jelly. The important thing is that you will be retraining your taste buds to like things less sweet and more natural.

You want to avoid anything with white flour because that turns to plain old sugar in your body. Avoid sweets such as pastries, cakes, ice cream sweet rolls etc. Instead, substitute a piece of fruit for dessert at lunch and at dinner. Have some fruit at breakfast and as a snack. If you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, you will limit your fruit to one or two servings a day.

Eat all you want of virtually any vegetable except beets and corn…limit those to no more than 1 serving each per day because of the high sugar content.

Eat only one banana or one serving of grapes a day for the same reason.

Eat moderately of high quality protein foods, nuts, seeds, one or two 4 oz servings of meat, cheese, yogurt, etc.

Whole grains in the form of cereal, crackers, and breads can give you a feeling of satisfaction and fullness. They, as well as the vegetables, and protein also provide some of the B complex which can help to reduce the craving for sweets.

Be sure to drink at least 8 8oz glasses of purified water every day. It is important to flush out the toxins that will be released back into your bloodstream from their storage place in the fat cells of the body. This in part accounts for the symptoms of withdrawal

For a list of healthy food supplements that can help to minimize the discomfort and keep your cravings down please request it by contacting me through the provided area. I will be happy to send it to you.
Tomorrow I’ll talk about what to do in week 2.

Part two…of Hmmm…I don’t think so.

Company X is trying to convince consumers to buy their new "green" product while at the same time continuing to produce, advertise, and sell their bleach. I doubt the authenticity of XXXXX XXXXX. They are running an ad that addresses only one factor which suggests "greenness"--made with plant-based cleaners. Are all the ingredients plant-based? Is the product biodegradable? Phosphate-free? Is it in concentrate form to minimize packaging? Using a 1- 24 ratio may be somewhat better than some other cleaners, but that is still a full 1 oz of product to only 24 ounces of water. Not terribly concentrated. The cleaner I use makes 48 GALLONS of general cleaning solution from only 1 16 oz. bottle. For general cleaning the ratio is ¼ tsp to 16 oz.

They seem to feel that we should believe that the product is eco-friendly because they call the product "Green," ,that it is colored green and uses nature images. By the way, why IS the product green??? It isn’t needed to do the job.

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, their claim of only 1% of unnatural ingredients are ingredients derived from petrochemicals. Namely, the preservative Kathon, and the Milliken Liquitint Blue HP dye and Bright Yellow dye X. The dyes give several of the products a light green color. I imagine a brief look-over of a XXXXX XXXXX label in the store would turn off any serious green-aware consumer.

Saying something is "Natural" does not necessarily mean what most people think it does. "Natural" ingredients, even in food, means anything DERIVED from a natural source, regardless of chemical manipulation later. Because of this reason, chemicals can be marketed as "all natural". Some of these ingredients can still be harmful to the consumer and the environment.

The MSDS for the Milliken Liquitint Blue that is in the product has these warnings:

Do not allow material to enter soil or surface water. (Where do they think the product will go when it is washed down the drain? Many areas do not have ultra sophisticated treatment plants and the ingredients may or may not be filtered out before the water is released either to the ocean or to a land mass.)

If it gets on the skin...Wash skin thoroughly with soap and water for several minutes. Immediately remove contaminated clothing. Get medical attention if any discomfort continues.

If ingested...Give one or two glasses or water if patient is alert and able to swallow. Seek immediate medical attention. Do not induce vomiting.

Eye Protection... Wear necessary protective equipment. Avoid contact with eyes and prolonged skin contact. Where contact with this material is likely, chemical goggles are recommended.

Skin protection...Wash promptly with soap and water if skin becomes contaminated. Wear protective gloves to minimize skin contamination. When prolonged or frequently repeated contact could occur, use protective clothing impervious to this material.

While this is only part of the 1% claimed not to be natural, why would a company who says they are green and really safe even consider using this chemical.

Company X also claims that the preservative, Kathon, will bio-degrade within 28 days.

According to the MSDS for Kathon, the substance by itself carries the following risks: “irritating to skin, risk of serious damage to eyes, may cause sensitization by skin contact, harmful to aquatic organisms, may cause long term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.” This doesn’t square with my idea of an ingredient in a green cleaning product. Also, real clean doesn’t have a smell!

To me, this is a prime example of “GreenWashing” Some examples of tactics used by companies include: seducing with images in ads, using environmental organizations to promote products, distracting from destructive products, claiming to seek solutions while lobbying against regulation, using charitable endeavors to gain support, and the misuse of the word “sustainable.”

Jeffrey Hollender, said “Green” is not something a company becomes because of a new product line, a marketing campaign, a decision to be carbon neutral or even the selection an enlightened new CEO. Green” is about the inside, not the outside of a company. It’s about its DNA, its culture, and its very reason for being.” Is Company X’s XXXXX XXXXX really green?

How irresponsible for Company X to promote disinfecting products to parents of small children, invoking their fears of “germs.” Disinfectants should only be used for the occasional time when colds or flu are actually present except for use in the toilet. Over use of disinfectants and disinfectant soaps etc are leading to the same kinds of problems that he over use of anti-biotics caused and so many bacteria mutated to be resistant. It sickens me whenever I see the commercials with a very self satisfied mom wiping the baby’s highchair tray with a Company X disinfecting wipe while baby sits smiling and patting the tray, because I know those little baby hands go right to the mouth. The chemicals in the disinfectant are far more dangerous to a baby than the normal germs that help us to build our immune systems.

I believe that cleaner shouldn't leave behind more toxins than the toxins you are trying to clean!

When I am shopping for cleaning products, here is what I insist upon: That the company can prove their claims of:

* Biodegradable
* Formulated without dye
* Nonflammable
* Contain no ammonia, acids,
alkalis, solvents, phosphates,
chlorine, nitrates, borates, or
volatile organic compounds.
* Leaves no carbon foot print on the
planet
* Bottle contains only the
concentrated product…I can add
the water myself.
* All products in the cleaning line
as well as any other products that
the company makes meet these
standards.

Company X’s XXXXX XXXXX line of primarily ready-to-use cleaners leave a heavier carbon footprint on the planet than I want to do. They do not meet my standards. For most of my cleaning I use fragrance-free household cleaner, which is a superconcentrate. You can make a whole bottle of cleaner for most applications with somewhere between 2 drops and ¼ teaspoon of the concentrate.

Since this reduces the number of plastic bottles that need to be manufactured, shipped, and recycled, it greatly decreases the environmental impact of using the product. The cost per use is also a lot lower than almost any other product, just 25 cents makes four 32 ounce bottles (one gallon) of all purpose cleaner. Even vinegar in comparison, can cost 10 to 20 times as much per gallon, depending on what size is purchased and where.

To see the truly green products that I use and recommend please go to: http://bit.ly/16uLvt

I'd love your feedback and comments.

'Till next time: Expect something wonderful to happen for you every day!

NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS MEDICATION

I SURE HOPE WE HAVE MORE CHOICE THAN A RAT!

I just read an article that triggers some anger in my brain. Anger because the article is just one more example of making a natural occurrence into a medical condition and jumping at the chance to make a lot of money from proprietary drugs to control it.

Some researchers report that they found that if we just anticipate eating a tasty food, that we may be triggering an area of the brain that is associated with reward.

What the scientists seem to have taken away from the studies that were conducted is that the anticipation of eating chocolate stimulated a part of a rat’s brain called the orexin system, and that activated orexin neurons – which are associated with eating especially tasty foods as well as associated with taking addictive drugs.

They then looked at the possibility of developing drugs to regulate orexin as well as other brain systems to help regulate food reward behaviours. It seems that they think that a pleasant anticipation of eating something really good can make us overeat and get fat.

The Lead researcher Derrick Choi said: “It entirely possible that future treatments for obesity will involve a combination of lifestyle changes as well as pharmacological therapies aimed at orexin and other brain systems, to regulate food reward-related behaviors.”

“Our research program is focused on identifying brain systems that are activated by palatable food intake. The hypothalamic orexin system is known to promote wakefulness and arousal; however, it is now clear that this system also participates in the regulation of reward-related behaviors, including overconsumption of palatable foods,” said Choi.

The fact that orexin system in rats “participates in the regulation of food reward behaviours, including overconsumption of palatable foods” seems to have set off some other area of the researcher’s brains that triggers rewards for making money from drugs that are not needed. They don’t say if they found the same result in humans, and if they do, will that mean that we will lose the pleasure we feel at the prospect of eating food we love?

I know of no drug in any amount that has no side effects, and sometimes the full extent of those effects may not appear for decades. To add another pharmacological assault to the brain seems to me to be unconscionable!

There are natural ways to help us to feel satisfied with reasonable amounts of any kinds of foods, even our favorites. We know that having fiber at the beginning of a meal promotes a feeling of fullness sooner than just having meat and potatoes. There is long standing evidence for having a bowl of soup before eating a main meal to curb the appetite and craving. Behavior modification for those with a bigger problem has also proved effective. None of these have side effects…only benefits.

We know that when we have superior nutrition, we lose cravings and the desire to overeat! If you want to explore a way to get nutritional help to balance your body and lose the cravings, click here and go to page 15. http://bit.ly/1Y7kX

Let’s get back to the concept of personal responsibility for our actions. Eating too much food makes us fat. Eating the wrong kinds of foods makes us fat. Other than the extremely rare disease that causes constant, unremitting, uncontrollable hunger, and for which there is no medication, we have it in our power to take whatever steps are necessary to reach a point where we eat reasonably.

The researchers trained rats to expect a piece of chocolate in certain environmental conditions. They found that when mice were placed in the same environment with no chocolate, the orexin system of the brain was still stimulated, perhaps explaining why people have a tendency to overeat in situations where they have previously eaten well, even when they are not hungry.

Lead researcher Derrick Choi said: “It entirely possible that future treatments for obesity will involve a combination of lifestyle changes as well as pharmacological therapies aimed at orexin and other brain systems, to regulate food reward-related behaviors.”

“Our research program is focused on identifying brain systems that are activated by palatable food intake. The hypothalamic orexin system is known to promote wakefulness and arousal; however, it is now clear that this system also participates in the regulation of reward-related behaviors, including overconsumption of palatable foods,” said Choi.

Simply expecting to eat a tasty food can trigger the areas of the brain associated with reward, raising the possibility that drugs could be developed that could achieve these goals, but at what cost, both in possible loss of pleasure and in short and long term effects of a drug that tampers with brain function?

I'd love your comments and if you want to follow my blogs, just click the follow button at the top.

A Bit More About Sandy & Al

Al & I have 5 grown children ranging from ages 47 to almost 55. We have 5 grandchildren from 12 to 28. Wish we were closer to them but we do get to see them occasionally.

We live in Paradise, CA and it really is. It is a small mountain community and as I look out my window, I see too many trees to count and today, in July, the sun is glistening off the leaves. It is just beautiful here.

We have had our own in home business for almost 39 years working with health, environmental, personal care, beauty, non toxic cleaners that actually work and save money, air and water purification. Our company, Shaklee, is the oldest natural wellness company in the world, beginning way back in 1915 and we will celebrate 39 years with them in September.

Among my passions is to help people to maintain and improve their health, eliminate toxins in their diets and environment, and to help them to build a financial "plan B" so that they can have a great income that is not dependent upon the whims of an employer, the ups and downs of the economy, or anything outside their own control. We are semi-retired, and work when we choose, where we choose, and with whom and we only work part time. Our income for the last couple of years has been in the six figures and our goal is to help 6 people this year to develop at least a high 4 figure income and to build from there.

We love to share information and conversation about a lot of things so feel free to introduce a new subject and let's have a fun dialog.

I'm brand new at this blogging "thing" so I really don't know how it all works yet. Any suggestions will be welcome.

Thanks and please visit often.