Addiction Commonality

Alcohol, Opiates, Fat and Sugar are all Addictive Substances: this blog is about that "addiction sameness".

Butter Pig Family

* A butter sculpture of a sow and her piglets

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Fat Chance: Fructose 2.0











Published on Oct 18, 2013

(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/)
Dr. Robert Lustig, UCSF Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, updates
his very popular video "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." He argues that sugar
and processed foods are driving the obesity epidemic, which in turn
affects our endocrine system. Series: "UCSF Osher Center for Integrative
Medicine presents Mini Medical School for the Public" [10/2013] [Health
and Medicine] [Show ID: 25641]

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Cardiac Risks for Older Men Taking Testosterone

Well

Study Adds to Concerns About Cardiac Risks for Older Men Taking Testosterone

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

A large new study found that prescription testosterone raised the risk of heart attacks, prompting some experts on Wednesday to call for more extensive warning labels on the drugs. 

 


For more U.S. news, go to NYTimes.com/US »




Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Surprise! Cough medicines don't work

2014


http://bit.ly/1h9nBpf

A 2010 review of studies found that there is no evidence to support using common over-the-counter drugs for cough.

"If they've been working for you thanks to the placebo effect, I apologize for telling you all this." -- Kevin Drum

Sunday, January 19, 2014

The Men Who Made Us Fat Episode 2/3






 ublished on Aug 28, 2012
Jacques Peretti investigates how the concept of 'supersizing' changed our eating habits forever. How did we - once a nation of moderate eaters - start to want more?

Speaking to Mike Donahue, former McDonalds Vice President, Peretti explores the history behind the idea of supersizing. 40 years ago, McDonalds hired David Wallerstein, a former cinema manager who had introduced the idea of selling larger popcorn servings in his Chicago cinema. Wallerstein realised that people would eat more but they didn't like the idea of appearing gluttonous by going back for seconds. By increasing the portion sizes and the cost, he could sell more food. In 1972, he introduced the idea to McDonalds and their first large fries went on sale.

By the 1980s, we were eating more - and eating more often. Perretti speaks with industry professionals to examine the story behind the introduction of value meals, king-size snacks and multi-buy promotions. How did the advertising industry encourage us to eat more often?

The programme also explores the developments in dietary advice - by 2003, the Chief Medical Officer was warning of an 'obesity time bomb.' Peretti speaks to obesity expert Professor Philip James, who made recommendations in his 1996 report that the food industry should cease targeting children in their advertisements. He also speaks with Professor Terry Wilkin, who led a pioneering study into childhood weight gain; and former Labour MP David Hinchliffe, who chaired the 2003 Parliamentary Select Committee on Health.

The Men Who Made Us Fat Episode 3/3





Published on Aug 28, 2012

 
Jacques Peretti examines assumptions about what is and is not healthy. He also looks at how product marketing can seduce consumers into buying supposed 'healthy foods' such as muesli and juices, both of which can be high in sugar.

He speaks with Simon Wright, an 'organic consultant' for Sainsbury's in the 1990s, who explains how the food industry cashed in on the public's concerns around salmonella, BSE and GM crops. By 1999 the organic industry was worth over £605M, a rise of 232% within two years.

How did the mainstream food producers compete? Peretti speaks with Kath Dalmeny, former policy director at the Food Commission, who explains some of the marketing strategies used by mainstream food producers to keep our custom.

The programme also explores the impact of successive government initiatives and health campaigns, such as the proposal of 'traffic light labelling', the introduction of which the food industry lobbied hard against.

But in 2012, when we have an Olympic Games sponsored by McDonalds and Coca Cola, has anything changed?
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 Link: http://youtu.be/ZlQHXkOUjeI

The Secrets of Sugar - the fifth estate - CBC News







Published on Oct 6, 2013
We've heard about the dangers of eating too much fat or salt. But there has never been a warning about sugar on our food labels - despite emerging research that suggests the sweet stuff is making more of us fat and sick.

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2013...

William Davis - Wheat: The UNhealthy Whole Grain











 on Nov 21, 2012
The wheat of today is not the wheat of our mothers or grandmothers. Modern wheat is the product of genetic manipulations that have transformed its properties. Modern wheat is now a 2-foot tall, high-yield semi-dwarf strain, different in both appearance and multiple biochemical features from traditional wheat. Introduction of this new strain of wheat was associated with the appearance of a long list of health problems, along with weight gain and diabetes.

According to Dr. Davis, saying goodbye to all things wheat provides outsized and unexpected health benefits, from weight loss, to relief from acid reflux and bowel urgency, to reversal of diabetes, migraine headaches, and learning disabilities in children.

Dr. William Davis is author of the #1 New york Times bestselling book, Wheat Belly: Lose the wheat, lose the weight and find your path back to health (Rodale, 2011), now debuting internationally in over ten foreign languages. Wheat belly has helped spark a nationwide reconsideration of the conventional advice to "eat more healthy whole grains."

Formerly an interventional cardiologist, he now confines his practice to prevention and reversal of coronary disease in his practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Davis is a graduate of the St. Louis University School of Medicine, followed by training in internal medicine and cardiology at the Ohio State University Hospitals, and training in interventional cardiology at the Case--Western Reserve Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also founder of the online heart disease prevention educational program, Track your Plaque.






Saturday, January 18, 2014

PICS

 




Quotes: Zorba the Greek and Nikos Kazantzakis

 
 “Every man has his folly, but the greatest folly of all, in my view, is not to have one.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek



“Let your youth have free reign, it won't come again, so be bold and no repenting.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis



“You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint the paradise, then in you go.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis



“For I realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the great laws of nature. We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek



“When everything goes wrong, what a joy to test your soul and see if it has endurance and courage! An invisible and all-powerful enemy—some call him God, others the Devil, seem to rush upon us to destroy us; but we are not destroyed.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek



“Life is trouble. Only death is not. To be alive is to undo your belt and *look* for trouble.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 
“You can knock on a deaf man's door forever.” 
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek
 
 
“This is true happiness: to have no ambition and to work like a horse as if you had every ambition. To live far from men, not to need them and yet to love them. To have the stars above, the land to your left and the sea to your right and to realize of a sudden that in your heart, life has accomplished its final miracle: it has become a fairy tale.” 
― Nikos KazantzakisZorba the Greek


“God changes his appearance every second. Blessed is the man who can recognize him in all his disguises.” 
― Nikos KazantzakisZorba the Greek
 


“Free yourself from one passion to be dominated by another and nobler one. But is not that, too, a form of slavery? To sacrifice oneself to an idea, to a race, to God? Or does it mean that the higher the model the longer the longer the tether of our slavery?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek


“Once more there sounded within me the terrible warning that there is only one life for all men, that there is only one life for all men, that there is no other and that all that can be enjoyed must be enjoyed here. In eternity no other chance will be given to us.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek


“All those who actually live the mysteries of life haven't the time to write, and all those who have the time don't live them! D'you see?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 
“the highest point a man can attain is not Knowledge, or Virtue, or Goodness, or Victory, but something even greater, more heroic and more despairing: Sacred Awe!”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 

“Look, one day I had gone to a little village. An old grandfather of ninety was busy planting an almond tree. ‘What, grandfather!’ I exclaimed. ‘Planting an almond tree?’ And he, bent as he was, turned around and said: ‘My son, I carry on as if I should never die.’ I replied: ‘And I carry on as if I was going to die any minute.’

Which of us was right, boss?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek


“I was happy, I knew that. While experiencing happiness, we have difficulty in being conscious of it. Only when the happiness is past and we look back on it do we suddenly realize - sometimes with astonishment - how happy we had been.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 

“When shall I at last retire into solitude alone, without companions, without joy and without sorrow, with only the sacred certainty that all is a dream? When, in my rags—without desires—shall I retire contented into the mountains? When, seeing that my body is merely sickness and crime, age and death, shall I—free, fearless, and blissful—retire to the forest? When? When, oh when?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 

 
“Throughout my life my greatest benefactors have been my travels and my dreams. Very few men, living or dead, have helped me in my struggles.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis




“Beauty is merciless. You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis


“Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis
 
 
 “Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me, was the desire for sanctity. Hero together with saint: such is mankind's supreme model.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Report to Greco



“Discipline is the highest of all virtues. Only so may strength and desire be counterbalanced and the endeavors of man bear fruit.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, The Rock Garden



“My entire soul is a cry, and all my work is a commentary on that cry.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis



“What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish, and radishes, and out comes sighs, laughter, and dreams.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis


 
“How simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. . . . All that is required to feel that here and now is happiness, is a simple, frugal heart.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis



 
The canary began to sing again. The sun had struck it, and its throat and tiny breast had filled with song. Francis gazed at it for a long time, not speaking, his mouth hanging half opened, his eyes dimmed with tears.

"The canary is like man's soul," he whispered finally. "It sees bars round it, but instead if despairing, it sings. It sings, and wait and see, Brother Leo: one day its song shall break the bars.”

― Nikos Kazantzakis, Saint Francis




Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Magic Johnson says Make sure you have a game plan doe your health


Earvin Magic Johnson@MagicJohnson 
Having good health care saved my life. Make sure you've got a game plan for your health:

Magic Johnson: #GetCovered Because Earlier Detection Can Save...


Hall of Fame Basketball player, Entrepreneur and Activist Ervin "Magic" Johnson urges young americans to #GetCovered with the Affordable Care Act.  
View on web


Are - See more at: http://virl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/618637043_crazybusy#sthash.0TXVkZvP.dpuf
Are you too busy? Are you always running behind? Is your calendar loaded with more than you can possibly accomplish? Is it driving you crazy? You're not alone. CrazyBusy-the modern phenomenon of brain overload-is a national epidemic. Without intending it or understanding how it happened, we've plunged ourselves into a mad rush of activity, expecting our brains to keep track of more than they comfortably or effectively can. In fact, as Attention Deficit Disorder expert and bestselling author Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., argues in this groundbreaking new book, this brain overload has reached the point where our entire society is suffering from culturally induced ADD. CrazyBusy is not just a by-product of high-speed, globalized modern life-it has become its defining feature. BlackBerries, cell phones, and e-mail 24/7. Longer work days, escalating demands, and higher expectations at home. It all adds up to a state of constant frenzy that is sapping us of creativity, humanity, mental well-being, and the ability to focus on what truly matters. But as Dr. Hallowell argues, being crazybusy can also be an opportunity. Just as ADD can, if properly managed, become a source of ingenuity and inspiration, so the impulse to be busy can be turned to our advantage once we get in touch with our needs and take charge of how we really want to spend our time. Through quick exercises (perfect for busy people), focused advice on everything from lifestyle to time management, and examples chosen from his extensive clinical experience, Hallowell goes step-by-step through the process of unsnarling frantic lives. With CrazyBusy, we can teach ourselves to move from the F-state-frenzied, flailing, fearful, forgetful, furious-to the C-state-cool, calm, clear, consistent, curious, courteous. Dr. Hallowell has helped more than a million readers free themselves of the distractions and compulsions of ADD. Now in CrazyBusy, he offers the same sound, sane, and accessible guidance for anyone suffering from the harried pace of modern life. If you find yourself pulled into a million different directions, here at last is the opportunity to stop being busy, start being happy, and still get things done. - See more at: http://virl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/618637043_crazybusy#sthash.0TXVkZvP.dpuf
Are you too busy? Are you always running behind? Is your calendar loaded with more than you can possibly accomplish? Is it driving you crazy? You're not alone. CrazyBusy-the modern phenomenon of brain overload-is a national epidemic. Without intending it or understanding how it happened, we've plunged ourselves into a mad rush of activity, expecting our brains to keep track of more than they comfortably or effectively can. In fact, as Attention Deficit Disorder expert and bestselling author Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., argues in this groundbreaking new book, this brain overload has reached the point where our entire society is suffering from culturally induced ADD. CrazyBusy is not just a by-product of high-speed, globalized modern life-it has become its defining feature. BlackBerries, cell phones, and e-mail 24/7. Longer work days, escalating demands, and higher expectations at home. It all adds up to a state of constant frenzy that is sapping us of creativity, humanity, mental well-being, and the ability to focus on what truly matters. But as Dr. Hallowell argues, being crazybusy can also be an opportunity. Just as ADD can, if properly managed, become a source of ingenuity and inspiration, so the impulse to be busy can be turned to our advantage once we get in touch with our needs and take charge of how we really want to spend our time. Through quick exercises (perfect for busy people), focused advice on everything from lifestyle to time management, and examples chosen from his extensive clinical experience, Hallowell goes step-by-step through the process of unsnarling frantic lives. With CrazyBusy, we can teach ourselves to move from the F-state-frenzied, flailing, fearful, forgetful, furious-to the C-state-cool, calm, clear, consistent, curious, courteous. Dr. Hallowell has helped more than a million readers free themselves of the distractions and compulsions of ADD. Now in CrazyBusy, he offers the same sound, sane, and accessible guidance for anyone suffering from the harried pace of modern life. If you find yourself pulled into a million different directions, here at last is the opportunity to stop being busy, start being happy, and still get things done. - See more at: http://virl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/618637043_crazybusy#sthash.0TXVkZvP.dpuf




Published on Jan 15, 2014
Hall of Fame Basketball player, Entrepreneur and Activist Ervin "Magic" Johnson urges young americans to #GetCovered with the Affordable Care Act.

 Go to http://HealthCare.Gov and find the plan that best fits you.







Friday, January 10, 2014

'Carbohydrates rot the brain'

    'Carbohydrates rot the brain': Neurologist slams grains as 'silent brain killers' - and says we should be eating a high-fat diet

    • David Perlmutter, from Florida, believes that even 'good' carbs, such as grains, raise the risk of dementia, depression, epilepsy and headaches
    • Instead, we should eat the way our ancestors ate – with more meat and fat
    By Anna Hodgekiss

     




    Carbohydrates are rotting our brains and contributing to devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, an American neurologist has warned.

    David Perlmutter, from Florida, believes that even ‘good’ carbs, such as grains, are severely affecting our brains.

    And the staples of our modern diet aren’t only increasing the risk of dementia, but contributing to depression, epilepsy and headaches, he believes.
    Carboydrates are rotting our brains and contributing to devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, an American neurologist has warned. David Perlmutter, from Florida, believes that even 'good' carbs, such as grains, are severely affecting our brains

    Carboydrates are rotting our brains and contributing to devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, an American neurologist has warned. David Perlmutter, from Florida, believes that even 'good' carbs, such as grains, are severely affecting our brains



    Instead of munching on wheat, carbs and sugar,which he calls the brain’s silent killers, we should revert back to the way our ancestors ate – with more meat and fat.

    As Forbes magazine reports: ‘It’s in the food you eat,’ he writes in his best new book, Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers. ‘The origin of brain disease is in many cases predominantly dietary.’

    The solution? Going back to the days when our diet was mainly fat – with this making up 75 per cent of our diet, and carbs just 5 per cent. Protein intake should stay the same as it is, at about 20 per cent.










    In fact, human genes, he says, have evolved over thousands of years to deal with a high-fat, low-carb diet – and despite this, we eat almost exactly the opposite. He advocates a grain-free, gluten-free diet.

    'This low-fat idea that’s been drummed into our heads and bellies,' Perlmutter says, 'is completely off-base and deeply responsible for most of our modern ills.'

    He added: ‘People get a brain disorder and then wonder what the magic bullet cure will be. They want to treat the symptoms rather than the underlying disease problem. In fact, diet and lifestyle play a huge role in the destiny of a person’s health.’

    Instead of munching on wheat, carbs and sugar, which he calls the brain¿s silent killers - we should revert back to the way our ancestors ate ¿ with more meat and fat, says Dr Perlmutter
    Instead of munching on wheat, carbs and sugar, which he calls the brain¿s silent killers - we should revert back to the way our ancestors ate ¿ with more meat and fat, says Dr Perlmutter



    Research has shown that a high-carb diet may increase the risk of dementia. A study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that elderly people who ate a high-carb diet were more than three times as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment – which has been linked with a higher risk of dementia.

    People whose diets were highest in ‘good’ fats, such as those found in nuts and healthy oils were 42 per cent less likely to get cognitive impairment. Those with a high intake of protein (such as meat and fish) had a reduced risk of 21 per cent.

    Lead author Rosebud Roberts, a professor in the department of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic, said: ‘A high-carbohydrate intake could be bad for you because carbohydrates impact your glucose and insulin metabolism.
    Previous research has shown that high levels of sugar may actually prevent the brain from using it - similar to what is seen with type 2 diabetes
    Previous research has shown that high levels of sugar may actually prevent the brain from using it - similar to what is seen with type 2 diabetes




    'Sugar fuels the brain, so moderate intake is good. However, high levels of sugar may actually prevent the brain from using the sugar - similar to what we see with type 2 diabetes.’

    She added that high glucose levels might affect the brain's blood vessels and play a role in the development of beta amyloid plaques, proteins toxic to brain health that are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. It’s thought these plaques are a leading cause of the disease.

    However Dr Perlmutter's critics argue that diets high in meat and fat have their own risks – such as heart disease.

    'Perlmutter uses bits and pieces of the effects of diet on cognitive outcomes — that obese people have a higher risk of cognitive impairment, for example — to construct an ultimately misleading picture of what people should eat for optimal cognitive and overall health,' St. Catherine University professor emerita Julie Miller Jones, told the website FoodNavigator-USA.




    Thursday, January 9, 2014

    The Science of Addictive Food




    Published on Mar 6, 2013
     
    Our health reporter Kelly Crowe looks at the science behind making the food that's so bad for us taste so good.

    Your Brain On Sugar: activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more.





    Now that Xmas is over, I'm finding I'm addicted to sugary treats.  It starts with having "just one"...

    .......................................





    View this content on HuffPost Living's website

    WATCH: This Is Your Brain On Sugar

    Being able to make complex dietary choices is an incredibly important skill in this age of crowded supermarkets and high fructose corn syrup. Wading through all of the available information is often...
     
    This is your brain on sugar (VIDEO)
     

    This Is Your Brain On Sugar (VIDEO)

     
    Published on Jan 7, 2014


    When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.

    Lesson by Nicole Avena, animation by STK Films.
    • Category - Education

    • License - Standard YouTube License

      .......................................

      This Is Your Brain On Sugar 

      The Huffington Post  |  By


      Being able to make complex dietary choices is an incredibly important skill in this age of crowded supermarkets and high fructose corn syrup. Wading through all of the available information is often half the battle.

      Lucky for us, neuroscientist Nicole Avena broke down the effect of sugar on our brains and bodies in TED-Ed's latest animated installment.

      According to Avena, when we eat sugar a signal is sent from the tongue to the cerebral cortex that activates a "rewards system." This in turn encourages us to eat more. A huge part of the rewards system is the release of dopamine in our brain, which, when put into overdrive, can be pretty addictive. 

      Suddenly those chocolate chip muffins you were thinking of buying are looking a little more suspicious. 

      But Avena doesn't want us to always walk away from the baked goods aisle. The reward system evolved in the first place because complex sugars are a necessary part of our diet-- they just can't be the focus.


      Examples of Sugar in your "healthy" food choices:

      • Yogurt

        Yogurt is often part of a healthy diet, but it's easy to focus on fat and calcium and forget about checking the sugar content. Yogurt will naturally have about 12 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving, Keri Glassman, R.D. told "The Early Show", but many people choose artificially-sweetened brands. An 8-ounce container of vanilla can run around 31 grams of sugar and a 6-ounce container of fruit-flavored yogurt can set you back 32 grams. Also, keep in mind that different brands make their containers varying sizes, so be sure to read nutrition labels closely. But there's one stat to steer clear of at all costs: Any yogurt with 30 grams or more -- more than a Snickers bar -- is "pure garbage" Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Runner's World. If you're looking for a lighter option, Greek yogurt naturally has less sugar, thanks to the straining process that gives it that thick consistency. Flickr photo by Michael Bentley
      • Tomato Sauce

        A serving of canned or bottled tomato sauce is usually about half of a cup, but most of us eat closer to a cup of sauce with our noodles, according to EatingWell magazine. A number of brands pack 11 or 12 grams into a half-cup serving, making a cup of sauce on par with a Twinkie in terms of sugar. Flickr photo by Nina Matthews Photography
      • Granola Bars

        Granola bars seem like a healthy pick, especially compared to a candy bar, but when you take a closer look at some brands, there may not actually be much of a difference between the two. Steer clear of any with sugar listed in the top three or four ingredients, Elisa Zied, R.D., told Fitness magazine. Depending on the brand and the size of the bar, a serving may have anywhere from 11 to 22 grams of sugar. Flickr photo by Alejandra Owens
      • Fat-Free Salad Dressing

        When manufacturers cut out the fat in your favorite salad dressings, they have to add something to keep some taste in there, and that something is often sugar. A serving of salad dressing is generally a couple of tablespoons -- but restaurants especially can be very heavy-handed: You could be eating up to a cup of dressing. Fat-free French packs 42 grams of sugar, Italian, 20 grams and fat-free Thousand Island, 43, just to name a few. Flickr photo by EvelynGiggles
      • Muffins

        Of course, baked goods contain sugar. But muffins -- especially bran muffins -- are often considered healthier picks when compared to obvious offenders like doughnuts. In reality, though, today's muffins have become so super-sized, they're packed with sky-high amounts of sugar. A range of muffins surveyed by WebMD clocked in everywhere from 16 to a whopping 32 grams of sugar. Flickr photo by Steve A Johnson
      • Canned Fruit

        There's plenty of natural sugar in fruit, but the particular problem with canned or other packaged varieties is that many are packed in sugar-laden syrup. Even in light syrup, a one-cup serving of canned peaches can have 32 grams of sugar and pears can have around 30.
      • Smoothies

        They seem like a great way to get some extra fruit and low-fat dairy in your diet, but smoothies can be overly sweet. Of course, some of the sugars are naturally found in yogurt, milk and fruit, but commercially prepared smoothies often list added sugar high up on the ingredients list. Popular brands can contain anywhere from 38 grams of sugar to 70 grams, to over 100, depending on the ingredients and the size. Your best bet is to make your own at home with fresh fruit and nonfat yogurt. Flickr photo by SweetOnVeg
      • Cereal

        Late last year, the Environmental Working Group, a public health nonprofit, took a close look at how much sugar we spoon into our bowls for breakfast. The findings on popular cereals is alarming: The worst offender -- Kellogg's Honey Smacks -- contains 20 grams of sugar per serving. Over 40 other picks contained more than 11 grams of sugar per serving, more than three Chips Ahoy! cookies. Flickr photo by Vox Efx

      When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.






      Additional Resources for you to Explore 


      Dr. Avena’s website has links to new research and articles about the effects of sugar on the brain and behavior, and how this can influence body weight.

      Want to learn more about the adverse effects of sugar? Read Food Junkie, Dr. Avena’s blog on Psychology Today. 

      Here is one post that is particularly relevant: 

      Sugar Cravings: How sugar cravings sabotage your health, hormone balance & weight loss, by Dr. Nicole Avena and Dr. Sara Gottfried.

      Watch this video from The National on how food manufactures have tweaked products to increase the addictive nature of processed foods.


    LINK:  http://www.drnicoleavena.com/

     LINK: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/food-junkie



    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-sugar-a...


     LINK: http://youtu.be/lEXBxijQREo