How long does it take?
I overdid it the week of Thanksgiving. Not only did I indulge in an apple pie on the day (fruit-sweetened, of course, and with soy ice cream on top), but also in the days leading up to and after Thanksgiving…
How we become addicted to sugar/carbs, Part 1: Dopamine
In the course of freeing myself of a sugar addiction – which long hid behind the veil of “I’ll just work it off” –-- I discovered that there are (at least) five different ways that our bodies become dependent…
Strengthening the “I’m Good” Muscle
When I first started doing push-ups back when I was a teenager, I couldn’t do more than three of them for a loooong time. Years it seems. Just three push-ups. I was starting with zero tone in my muscles, so…
Are you human? Then you shouldn’t be eating (so much) sugar
With the advent of agricultural and food processing technologies over the past 100 years, we have been able to feed and grow the population. But those very technologies and many others have also led to a surge in chronic diseases,…
Harnessing the Power of Pleasure
Did you know that there's power in your pleasure? Or rather, you hold the power to direct your pleasure, which can be a mighty tool as you improve your health. It starts with understanding your biology. But you might ask:…
Does a fish know it’s in the water?
Does a fish know it's in the water? Or, How has the American media culture machine contributed to our woes? Every day we swim through a sea of cultures: Among them are family culture, religious culture, regional culture, and organizational…
Can We Make American Healthy Again?
Imagine for a moment that a research expedition from another planet visited Earth. The aliens were studying what humans ate, how they got their food, and the health outcomes they experienced. When they touched down in the more primitive societies,…
Can Gratitude Help You Lose Weight? Neuroscience has the clues.
One of the biggest barriers to starting a weight-loss plan is that people don’t want to feel deprived – something they anticipate when they think about not being able to eat their favorite foods. Totally understandable! This article will explain…
How I discovered I was addicted to sugar/carbs
When I became a vegetarian at age 13, I promptly became a carb addict. Basically, I just took the meat out, and filled-in the void with extra carbs. I knew about the importance of protein, so ate some beans and…
Two Weeks and Two Years
How long does it take to get over a sugar addiction? That depends on how deep you're in it. On the one hand, it can take up to two weeks (sometimes longer) to get over the physical cravings for sugar,…