Break the Sugar addiction

Break a sugar addiction within a week using three easy steps

(NaturalNews) Refined sugar is a drug that is similar to opiates in its power to become addicted to it. The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs stated in a study published in 2010 that sugar releases euphoric endorphins in some people's brains in a manner very similar to that of certain drugs which are commonly abused.

"Sugar addiction" follows the same pathways in the brain that a habit-forming drug does. Fortunately, sugar cravings can be stopped within a week of withdrawing from the white crystals.



The entire scope of drug addiction has been observed in people with sugar addiction. There are cravings, an escalation of tolerance levels, and dramatic withdrawal symptoms associated with sugar addiction that parallel that of both prescription and non-prescription "street" drugs. In addition, sugar addicts often become narcotic addicts, according to the above study.

The study, performed at California State University, found that children of alcoholic parents often had a "sweet tooth," and were more likely to become alcoholics themselves when they became adults. There are also genetic markers connecting sugar addictions with alcoholism, bulimia, and obesity.

Raw, organic fruits and vegetables form the first step in breaking a sugar addiction

The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is to make sure all fruits and vegetables consumed are 100 percent organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are full of natural sugars, or complex carbohydrates. Not only does organic produce taste better, the complex carbohydrates break down slower than simple carbohydrates do. This means the body does not send "craving" messages as quickly to the brain.

Substitute pastries with whole grain bread and raw honey

While those on an ancestral diet may cringe at the suggestion, a person who is just beginning to transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD) by breaking a sugar addiction can dramatically reduce sugar cravings by eating a slice of homemade whole grain bread drizzled with raw, unpasteurized local honey.

Whereas someone on the SAD might normally reach for a quart of their favorite ice cream and the better part of a bag of cookies for an evening snack, homemade bread with raw honey is a wiser, healthier choice.

According to MyFitnessPal.com, there are approximately 290 calories in just one cup of a commercial brand of vanilla ice cream, along with 16 grams of fat and 30 grams of refined sugar. By comparison, a 1.5 gram slice of homemade whole grain bread contains 100 calories, 1.5 grams fat, and 18 grams of complex carbohydrates.

Drizzling a whole tablespoon of raw honey onto the slice of bread adds 70 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Rather than eating 28 grams of refined sugar from a cup of vanilla ice cream alone, sugar cravings are reduced by eating 15 grams of raw honey.

In addition, the destructive chemicals in refined sugar are replaced with the scientifically proven anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and appetite-regulating benefits of raw honey.

Break the need for crunchy snacks with raw nuts and trail mixes

Raw nuts and seeds along with natural trail mixes made with dried, unsweetened fruit are perfect for the person who is breaking a sugar addiction. Raw nuts and seeds offer protein, energy, and healthy plant fats.

Trail mixes, as long as they do not contain added candy or sugar- sweetened fruit, contain an interesting combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats which help tide an individual over until meal time. There is just enough natural sugar in trail mix to offer an energy boost without a sugar spike.

Sources:

Pubmed.gov, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. .2010 Jun; 42(2):147-51. "Sweet preference, sugar addiction and the familial history of alcohol dependence: shared neural pathways and genes," by JL Fortuna.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20648910

MyFitnessPal.com, "Breyers Vanilla Ice Cream"
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calorie-chart-nutrition-facts

Calorie Count. About. Com, "Calories in Really Raw Honey"
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-really-raw-honey-i191541
Pubmed.gov, Biotechnology Research International. 2011; 2011: 917505. "Antibacterial Efficacy of Raw and Processed Honey." DP Mohapatra and V Thakur, et al.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3042689/
Pubmed.gov, Journal of the American Dietary Association. 2009 Jan; 109(1):64-71. "Total antioxidant content of alternatives to refined sugar." KM Phillips and MH Carlsen, et al.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19103324
Pubmed.gov, Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2010 Oct; 29(5):482-93. "Effect of honey versus sucrose on appetite, appetite-regulating hormones, and post meal thermogenesis." DE Larson-Meyer and KS Willis, et al.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21504975

About the author:
Brad Chase is the President of ProgressiveHealth.com. His website provides articles and natural remedies to help people solve their health concerns.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037337_sugar_addiction_habits_raw_honey.html#ixzz27gAqyXFR

Vitamin D and Calcium

Vitamin D, calcium found to save lives among elderly

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) has found that elderly individuals who supplement with both vitamin D and calcium together may have a decreased risk of early mortality. Based on data compiled from eight different randomized controlled trials, researchers found that seniors who supplement with both vitamin D and calcium are about seven percent less likely to die early compared to others.

Dr. Lars Rejnmark, M.D., from Aarhus University in Denmark and his colleagues examined the results of pooled data on more than 70,000 randomized participants with a median age of 70 that participated in vitamin D studies. Some of these participants were instructed to take only vitamin D, while others were instructed to take both vitamin D and calcium. After processing this wealth of data using a stratified Cox regression model, the team discovered that vitamin D can play a powerful role in reducing mortality and increasing life expectancy.



Interestingly, the overall decrease in mortality observed from taking vitamin D with calcium was not the result of vitamin D individuals experiencing fewer fractures, which has been the case in previous studies. There appears to be some other mechanism at play in how the body metabolizes vitamin D alongside calcium that provides other life-extending health benefits.

"This is the largest study ever performed on effects of calcium and vitamin D on mortality," said Rejnmark. "Some studies have suggested calcium (with or without vitamin D) supplements can have adverse effects on cardiovascular health. Although our study does not rule out such effects, we found that calcium with vitamin D supplementation to elderly patients is overall not harmful to survival, and may have beneficial effects on general health."

To gain the most benefits from vitamin D, it is important to also supplement with its various synergistic co-factors, which include magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin A, zinc, and boron. According to the Vitamin D Council, these co-factors are absolutely vital for achieving maximum results from vitamin D, including optimal biosynthesis of this life-giving nutrient. (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-cofactors/)

"Magnesium has been found to influence the body's utilization of vitamin D in the following ways: Magnesium activates cellular enzymatic activity," says the Vitamin D Council, which emphasizes magnesium as the most important vitamin D co-factor, even though it was not included in the Aarhus study. "Low magnesium has been shown to alter, by way of decreasing, production of vitamin D's active form, 1,25(OH)2D (calcitriol)."

To learn more about the many health benefits afforded by regular sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplementation, visit: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22605432

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120615103525.htm

http://www.medicaldaily.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037285_vitamin_D_calcium_elderly.html#ixzz27JYXdTtP