I could easily write 100 posts on this very issue.

Let's play a game of fact or fiction.

Fact: You need a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Fiction: 1 calorie of table sugar is the same as 1 calorie of avocado oil.

Fact: High glycemic foods (sugar, bread, potatoes) spike blood sugar, stimulating hunger and causing people to overeat

Fiction: If you Exercise for an hour and burn 600 calories and then eat 600 calories of ice cream and cake you "net" out

Fact: 100 calories of fat, protein and carbohydrates have the same thermodynamic response in your body.

Fiction: 100 calories of fat, protein and carbohydrates have the same hormonal response in your body.

When you have a free 92 minutes one weekend or evening, pull up your subscription to Netflix and watch Fed Up. I highly recommend this movie to my clients, family and friends as they are beginning their wellness journey. Also, anyone with children in the public school system should dial in... very informative and now that I have a child of my own, it really lights a fire in me and a desire to do something to make a change.

I am a big fan of Dr. Robert Lustig and his book "Fat Chance". he is a leader in the health industry and is referenced frequently in the movie, Fed Up. He is a believer that sugar is the ultimate poison, that it is "hidden" in nearly all processed foods and that its addictive properties are what is making the food industry rich and is the #1 cause of obesity in the united states and arguably world wide.

As a SATELLITE member of the health/fitness industry, I probably have a leg up when it comes to understanding what happens in your body when you consume sugar as opposed to proteins or fats. As soon as you consume sugar, insulin is secreted, dropping blood sugar levels. high insulin levels lead to immediate fat storage and increased appetite and cravings. Sugar poisons our metabolism. It weakens our brains and intellect and thus our ability to remain COMPETITIVE in the global economy. There are much larger problems at hand than just a larger waistline.

The most powerful message that I received from the movie was from Dr. Mark Hyman, "Sugar is 8 times as addictive as cocaine. What's interesting is while cocaine and heroine activate only one spot for pleasure in the brain, sugar lights up the brain like a pinball machine". It is No wonder why it is so hard to "quit" sugar.

I AM NO STRONGER THAN THE NEXT PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO SUGAR. I LIKE SUGAR JUST AS MUCH AS THE NEXT PERSON AND IT CREATES THE SAME INTERNAL RESPONSE IN ME. I love the taste of an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. I can eat a buttery sweet pound cake like a champ. Sweets in my family mean love. We bake cookies at christmas time, pumpkin pie at thanksgiving and cake for birthdays. In my life, sugar is the serpent in the garden of eden. it is always around and very tempting. I have to have the greatest will power in the world and be incredibly vocal, almost to the point of hurting feelings, if I am choosing not to eat sugar. But it is a choice that i make in effort to live the healthiest life possible.

Just like quitting cigarettes you have to make a CONSCIOUS decision and work at it. You have to create positive habits. circle yourself with a support group.

But here's the problem, NO ONE talks about sugar being a problem as serious as cigarettes. but according to Dr. Lustig, it is worse. it is making our lives miserable in this epic battle of fighting weight gain, it is driving up the cost of healthcare and it is killing our country.

so what now? How do you quit something that is 8x as addictive as cocaine? the majority of americans have never experienced cocaine and therefore have no comparison, but many have seen films that depict the image of someone experiencing cocaine withdrawals. I'd argue that quitting a sugar addiction is not as physically painful, but it is emotionally challenging as you are surrounded by it every day.

The key to success in live is balance and baby steps are necessary to get there. the first step is recognition that sugar is a problem. one that is likely keeping you from reaching your goals. Also recognize that it is F***ing hard to make this change in your life. then baby steps. if you cut it all out at once, you will end up in a tub of ben and jerry's at midnight over your kitchen sink and fail like the best of us. just cut back at first. if you are a soda person, try to cut back to one a day. if you like chocolate, opt for dark chocolate only, once a day... then maybe once a week. try to reach for fruit instead of skittles. highly processed sugars like those found in the oreo cream are the worst offenders. stick to natural sugars that still provide fiber and do not create such an enormous insulin response in your body.

This is a terrifying problem for our country. The solution starts with you, making the decision for yourself to live a better life. When you are choosing your battles in life, what is worth it? i'd rather fight other battles, in my career or for my family than the constant battle to lose the weight that sugar continues to pack on.

So, don't come slithering around me serpent, I have a machete.

- IV

Sugar is the Serpent in my Garden of Eden