Are You Addicted to Sugar?

It sounds like a funny question at first, but in all honesty, it is a problem that plagues many Americans. Some doctors would disagree with you when you say that you are addicted to sugar. I absolutely believe, however, that there is a such thing as sugar addiction. There are many symptoms that you can attribute to sugar addiction. If you are curious as to whether or not you have a sugar addiction, answer the following questions:

1. Do you have to have something that contains sugar at least one time per day? (remember, this includes fruit)

2. Do you feel great after eating sweets, only to "crash" after an hour or two?

3. Do you make special trips to the store, or special stops on the way home from work, to pick up something sweet? (a Hershey bar from the vending machine at work before leaving counts)

4. Have you ever vowed to cut down on sweets, only to fail after a few days, and consume the amount you would have eaten those days during a few hour period?

5. Do you ever eat one Oreo, and find that you can't stop until you have finished the entire bag?

6. Can people pinpoint when you haven't had your sugar fix, because you are so moody?

7. Can you pinpoint when you haven't had your sugar fix, because you have a headache from sugar withdrawals?

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, you most likely have a sugar addiction. If you answered yes to all of these questions, you most likely are me. I have self-diagnosed sugar addiction. There is really no need to get a diagnosis on this, as it is so unbelievably obvious.

Knowing that you have a sugar addiction is the first step to beating the addiction. If you have a sugar addiction, eating something that contains sugar will cause you to want to eat something more that contains sugar. Knowing that you should avoid sugar altogether is a great way to get your addiction under control.

Sugar addiction will never go away. It is always with you. Identifying your sugar addiction is the first step in overcoming this problem. There are actually twelve step programs for sugar addicts, and it may be a direction you should go. Whatever you choose to do to combat this sugar addiction, remember that one sweet leads to another sweet, leads to another sweet, leads to a sugar induced coma.

PCOS and Low-Carb

Another reason that I shouldn't be allowed to play on the Internet. I have found multitudes of information on the benefits of living the low-carb lifestyle. Earlier I came across a bit of information about PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)

If you don't know anyone who has been diagnosed with this disease, you may not know much about it. Here's a quick overview of what it is.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a problem in which a hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with a woman's menstrual cycle, and also make it difficult to get pregnant (cause infertility). PCOS may also cause unwanted changes in the way you look. It can cause weight gain, unwanted hair growth, acne, etc. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS) is common, affecting as many as 1 in 15 women. Often the symptoms begin in the teen years. Treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems.

Interestingly, it is thought that PCOS stems from hyperinsulinemia. Big word, huh? Basically, that is "carbohydrate intolerance." Even more interesting. Do you know what the first step in treating PCOS often is? Bet you can guess... It's low-carb dieting. Many doctors suggest that their patients go low-carb as a first attempt at combating PCOS and successfully conceiving. In fact, many women with PCOS report that low-carb dieting was the first and only step that they took to successfully conceive, and that it worked.

There are many women who suffer from PCOS and do not even know it. The following symptoms are associated with PCOS:

Acne
Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
Extra hair on the face and body (often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back)
Thinning hair on the scalp
Irregular periods (often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year; some women have no periods; others have very heavy bleeding)
Fertility problems
Depression
Cyst on their ovaries (these are not harmful, but they do cause hormonal imbalance, causing the infertility)

These symptoms do not need to all be present for you to have PCOS. Sometimes they are mild, and other times they are severe. If you are currently experiencing some of these symptoms, or know someone who is, it wouldn't hurt to consult a doctor. You may not be suffering from PCOS, but it is a good idea to rule it out.

Another Low-Carb Link

Attention Men: This blog will help to benefit your health.

This is not to say that female readers need not continue. I may not be a man, but I have many men in my life that I care about, and after reading an article about low-carb diets, I have contacted them all to remind them to pass on the potatoes and macaroni at dinner tonight.

Research shows that a diet high in carbs contributes to a more rapid growth of prostate tumors. It seems that having too much insulin in the blood contributes to outcomes in patients who already have prostate cancer not being as favorable. Basically, if you or someone you know has already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, it would be beneficial to maintain a low-carb lifestyle. High-carb yields higher insulin levels, along with more weight gain, and what appears to be quicker tumor growth. Though the studies were conducted on mice that already had tumors, it can't hurt to think in preventative terms.

In studies that were conducted for determining the affect that carbohydrates have on the growth of prostate tumors, the overall result was that "diets associated with reduction in insulin level may have benefits for prostate cancer patients..." This is a direct quote from the authors of the study.

This is a promising discovery. It may be true of all tumors. Wouldn't it be great to know that the "low-carb craze," as it has been dubbed by many skeptics, is helpful in slowing the growth of cancers? What a world, huh...

Suit Up

When you decide to go into the battle taking place between you and carbs, it is important to get out your armor. The armor that you need for this battle is knowledge. You need to research low-carb living, and make sure that you understand what it's all about. There are many different books out there that are dedicated to low-carb dieting.

Research around, and find the version of the low-carb diet that will be the most successful for you. You want to choose the one that will help you to lose weight in a timely manor, but at the same time, you want to choose one that you and your willpower have a chance of sticking to.

Find certain foods that are low in carbs and appeal to you most. You may find that there are foods that if you keep them on hand as often as possible, you have more success. Pepperoni slices are a good example of this. They, along with a few slices of cheese, are convenient and low-carb/high protein. Snacks like this can keep you on track throughout the day.

Another helpful tool for this battle is a menu plan for the week. The hardest thing about being low-carb is trying to find a spur of the moment meal to eat. If you plan in advance, your chance of succeeding is much higher.

Just remember, never go into battle without your armor. Make sure you understand what low-carb is, and why you can benefit from it.

Do You Want to Win the Low-Carb War?

If you do, here are some tips that can help.

1. Pick an eating plan and research it. In my opinion (as if you have no idea what I am going to say), low-carb is the way to go. However, I do realize that not all people can do low-carb. That being said, pick the plan that is best for you, and move on to step number 2.

2. Set a goal. If it's a certain number on the scale, write that number down on a piece of paper. Put the number in your wallet, and look at it often. It can also be helpful to strategically place the number in various places of your home. For example, place the number on your refrigerator or freezer door. Another good place for it is on your bathroom mirror. Anywhere that you will see it on a regular basis is a good place to have it. This is a great way to help you achieve your goal.

3. Stick to your plan. There's nothing like a dieter who starts an eating plan, only to ruin it within a few days. Don't be one of those people. Don't be the person who decided twice a week that the new way of eating starts tomorrow. If you go through life continually doing that, you end up gaining weight, instead of losing it. One reason is that every night before you start over again, you eat everything in the house. It's as if it will be the last meal you ever eat. Instead of being that person, be the person that sets a goal, devises a plan, and adheres to it, no matter what.

4. Reward yourself for a job well done. Once you have lost the first 5 pounds, treat yourself to a new pair of shoes, or something else that will keep you motivated. DO NOT reward yourself with a carb day. That can only lead to a derailing of your success.

Focus on changing your life, not just your weight, and enjoy the new, healthier you.

Have You Had Your MUFA Today?

Some of you are thinking, this gal has gone off her rocker. What the heck is a MUFA? Others may know what I am talking about. A MUFA is something that I have had in my diet for a long time, but until recently, had no idea how important it was. MUFA stands for monounsaturated fats. I have always consumed these MUFAs while living the low-carb lifestyle, but I never knew how improtant they were. After watching an interview with the authors of the book The Flat Belly Diet on Rachael Ray's show earlier this week, I pieced together some information.

I researched The Flat Belly Diet, and what it was all about for the past few days. The way the diet works, is you consume four meals that should be four hundred calories throughout the day. With each of these four meals, you are to eat a MUFA. The important part is, though, your MUFA must count as part of your four hundred calories, not in addition to those calories.

There were some things about The Flat Belly Diet that I disagree with. It seems that The Flat Belly Diet is geared towards being low-calorie, more so, than being low-carb. Well, you know me, I'm loving the low-carb lifestyle. I don't feel that low-calorie is the way to go for my personal body type. So, I decided to take some of the suggestions, and leave the others behind. I decided that I am going to try my best to incorporate a MUFA into each meal. It seems I have more success when I am eating more MUFAs anyway.

If you don't know what a MUFA is, I will give you the list. MUFAs, again, are monounsaturated fats. The four categories of MUFA that I like are oils, nuts and seeds, avocados and olives, and chocolate. Oils are specific, like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grape Seed Oil, and Soybean Oil. If you sautee your chicken in one of these oils, and put it on a mixed green salad with cheese and eggs, you have done great with a low-carb meal, and including your MUFA. The nuts and seeds category includes a lot of different snacks. Peanuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and sunflower seeds are all on the list. These can be a quick snack, or you can add them to your meal. Pecan Encrusted Tilapia is a great way to include your MUFA, and be high protein at the same time. The avocados and olives category is pretty self explanatory. Olives make a great snack with some cheese. Avocados are great to add to your salad, or you can make a tasty guacamole to dip your low-carb tortilla chips in. Finally, my favorite, but least often consumed MUFA is chocolate. Dark chocolate, especially, is a good MUFA. Living low-carb, though, you must try not to have an abundance of chocolate, as it is not a low-carb food.

I like the idea of eating more MUFAs throughout the day, and I am thankful for having been reminded of this by The Flat Belly Diet on Rachael Ray. Hopefully this MUFA information, and list, can be of help to you on your journey towards living low-carb.

One More Negative Effect of Carbohydrates

It's obvious that I have had a little time this morning to conduct research about low-carb. In addition to finding out that I suffer from Low-Carb Tunnel Syndrome (read the blog entry below), I also found another interesting bit of information. I came across some information that might even change the thinking of people who are against low-carb. The reasons to opt for low-carb are unlimited. They range from weight loss to higher energy levels to lower cholesterol. Researchers have now given us one more reason to pass on carbohydrates.

Scientists in Stockholm have found high levels of a substance that is believed to cause cancer in foods that are high in carbohydrates. The substance is believed to be in foods such as french fries, breads, potato chips, etc. Notice anything that they all have in common? They are all foods that you should steer clear of when on the low-carb lifestyle. The substance is called acrylamide, and is classified as a medium hazard probable human carcinogen. It has been known to cause stomach tumors, both malignant and benign. This little bit of information was enough to detour me from that order of french fries.

Low-Carb Tunnel Syndrome (LCTS)

This is too funny. While researching information this morning about the reasons to live a low-carb lifestyle, I came across an article. I found the information inside to be a little disturbing, but very entertaining. It turns out that Dr. Howard Peiper has made a contribution to the low-carb lifestyle. He has given a name to people who choose to live low-carb. He has diagnosed people who only eat low-carb foods with a disorder. These people are said to be suffering from Low-Carb Tunnel Syndrome.

This was one of the funniest things that I have ever come across. I choose to eat in the way that is best for my body, and my health, and I get labeled as having a disorder. Upon further research, I found that Dr. Howard Peiper has written books about low-carb. One of his books is a guide to low-carb eating. To me, this was too much. Someone who supports the low-carb lifestyle has gone and labeled the people who choose to follow the low-carb lifestyle. It sounded to me like Dr. Howard Peiper was in need of creating a little publicity for himself. I guess it worked, though, because here I am talking about him, and here you are reading about him. Go figure.

A Little Workout Advice

This may not be about low-carb, but it does have something to do with weight loss. Finding just the right music to listen to while working out is something that can have quite an affect on your success with exercise. Choosing music that motivates you is the best way to give your workout the kick that it needs. You can read more about this at the Calorie King website.

Sometimes, deciding what music you want can be a problem, though. To solve this problem, I took the easy approach. I did the famous "Google Search." I searched, via Google, for other people's suggestion to the best workout music. I came across a huge variety of what other people choose to listen to while working out. There were some suggestions that I took, and others that I wondered, "Can they be serious?" After coming up with my personalized list of music for my time on the treadmill, or elliptical, I went and downloaded the music, legally, of course, and made my own CD. Actually, I made three different CDs. What can I say? There were some great suggestions out there, and some of the suggestions made me think of other songs I wanted. Now, with three CDs, I can use a different one each time I workout, and never get bored. Hope these suggestions can help you to rev up your monotonous workouts.

Just How Many Carbs Can I Have?

There are different varieties of the low-carb lifestyle. Some people will tell you that it is best to stay under 30 carbs per day. Others will tell you to limit yourself to 60 per day. While neither of these ideas is wrong, listening to someone else's opinion is.

Lowering your carb intake in any way is going to show some results. Going to 60 or less carbs per day, when you used to consume over 300 carbs per day is going to help you shed some pounds, as well as get your energy level to rise.


Lowering your carb intake to 30 per day, or less, is a more drastic reduction from the 300 plus carbs that you may have been eating. This will cause you to see more dramatic results. You will notice almost immediately the weight coming off.

It is true that lowering your carb intake in any way is going to give you desired results. You are not going to see 50 pounds melt off miraculously overnight. You will see, however, gradual and desired results at a steady pace.

Remember, though, that you need to do the plan that works best for you. You must stick to this way of eating to have success. "Cheating" on this "diet" will detour your weight loss. With that in mind, weigh out your options. Even though the results may be better with 30 carbs or less, you may not be able to adhere to that. If this is the case, you need to concentrate on 60 carbs or less, because in the end, you'll have a higher success rate than constantly failing at staying below 30 carbs daily.

Good luck. Here's to your health.