January 2013 Many people begin the New Year with resolutions and among the t o p resolutions are t o lose weight. This month's topic is

addiction score than in women who didn't report additive eating. Quick Sugar Highs and Lows

sugar addiction as sugar is a leading cause o f weight and health issues.

The Truth about Sugar Addiction You say you can't live without your daily donut -but are you really "addicted" to sugar? The answer i s complicated. Researchers think a pattern of withholding and binging- not sugar itself may lead to additive-like behavior and even brain changes.

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Whether you call it an addiction, an eating disorder, or simply a bad habit, there are signs of an unhealthy use of sugary foods. You may lose control and eat more than you planned. You may have withdrawal symptoms when you skip your regular cookie "fix." You can get low blood sugar symptoms, which would include a little bit of anxiety, shakiness, jitteriness and maybe a cold sweat.

When you eat cake, the sugar in that treat - converted to glucose in your bloodstream. Your blood sugar levels rise and spike when simple carbs are eaten alone, as when you grab a candy bar mid afternoon. All simple carbs are absorbed quickly, most especially the processed, concentrated sugars found in syrup, soda, candy, and table sugar. Simple carbs are also found in fruits, veggies, and dairy products- but fiber and protein slow absorption and provide wholesome nutrients. Your pancreas releases the hormone insulin to move glucose out of the bloodstream-and into your cells for energy. As a result, your blood sugar level may drop pretty dramatically. That lonely afternoon candy bar has set you up for worse eating. When you have a very high spike followed by a very low drop, you tend to get hungry again. Low blood sugar leaves you feeling shaky, dizzy, and searching for more sweets to regain that sugar "high."

Your Brain on Sugar Sugar fuels every cell in the brain and influences brain chemicals, too. And overloading on sugar foods may alter the brain receptors that regulate how much we eat. In laboratory studies, rats that binged on sugar had brain changes that mimicked those of drug withdrawal. In humans, just seeing pictures of milkshakes triggered brain activity similar to what's seen in drug addicts - and that activity was stronger in women with a high food

When Starch Equals Sugar Do you overdo it with bagels, chips, or French fries? These starchy foods are 1-,: " f complex carbohydrates - but the body breaks them down into simple sugars. When eaten alone, without better foods, some starches such as white flour, white i rice, and white potatoes can trigger the .v -< same surge and crash cycle of blood 1.-. ,. sugar seen with sugary foods. Highly refined starches are the worse culprits: white bread,

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pretzels, crackers, and pasta. Grain-based desserts can be a double whammy of sugar and refined grains. Do Sugar Detox Diets Work? Can you beat your sugar addiction by quitting cold turkey? Some sugar detoxes urge you to eliminate everything sweet - including fruit, dairy, and all refined grains-to purge your system of sugar. Diet changes like this are too drastic to be realistic. If you are doing something that is not sustainable, that you can only do short-term, then you will ultimately go back to your old habits. You don't need sugar as much as you think you do. If we wean ourselves off sugar, we can train our taste buds t o enjoy things that aren't as sweet. Try eliminating one sugary food from your diet each week. Pass on dessert after dinner. Slowly reduce the sugar in your coffee or cereal. Over time, you will lose your dependence on that sensation. You don't have t o give up sweetness-just get it from other sources. Try fresh fruit or pureed berries on oatmeal instead o f sugar. Fruit in many different forms beats table sugar: dried, frozen or canned fruit (without too much added sugar). A glass of low fat milk or low sugar yogurt can satisfy too. These contain the milk sugar lactose, which doesn't taste sweet. And of course, these dairy foods are packed with protein and calcium. Kicking the Habits Don't get dlrastic. Make small, simple changes t o your diet that you can sustain over time. Eat and use fewer processed products. Start buying unsweetened foods and add just enough sugar to satisfy your taste. Cut out a little bit of sugar each week. After a few weeks o f trimming back the sugar, you'll be surprised at how little you miss it.

When you're starving, every cookie cries out to you. Hunger robs you of the willpowerto resist sugar cravings. Eating protein is an easy way to curb those cravings. High protein foods digest more slowly, keeping you feeling full for longer. Protein doesn't make your blood sugar spike, like refined carbs and sugars do. When you pick a protein snack, choose healthy sources like lean chicken, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts or beans. Fiber always helps with fullness. High fiber foods also give you more energy, and they don't raise your blood sugar so there's no hungry crash afterward. Look for soluble fiber from fruits and vegetables, as well as insoluble fiber from whole grains. Or, smear some peanut butter on an apple for a protein/fiber combo. As a bonus, fiber can also protect against heart disease and some types of cancer. Exercise doesn't "cure" sugar addiction, but it could change the way you eat in general.

People who get into exercise program and start to feel better about them are more likely to try another healthy behavior- like eating less sugar. Whatever exercise you prefer --- walking, biking, or swimming - try to do it for at least 30 minutes at a time, five days a week. The Truth about Sugar Substitutes Before you sprinkle that packet o f artificial sweetener into your coffee, consider this: researchers have found that sugar substitutes may leave you craving more sugar, making it harder - not easier-for you to control your weight. You never get out of the sense of needing sweet and eventually you're going to grab the real stuff. Honey, brown sugar, and evaporated cane juice all sound healthy but are they really any better for you than white table sugar? Not really. Sugar is sugar. And whether it comes from bees or sugar cane, it can cause your

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blood sugar t o rise. Honey and unrefined sugars are slightly higher in nutrients than processed table sugar, but they still contain calories, which will go straight t o your hips if you eat too much. How Much Sugar Is Too Much? Most Americans are eating 19 teaspoons or more o f added sugar a day. That means about 285 o f your daily calories are coming from sugar, which health experts say, is way too much. How much sugar should you be eating? No more than six teaspoons (100 calories) daily for women; and about nine teaspoons (150 calories) for men.

the effects of insulin. And insulin resistance increases your risk for diabetes. Tame Sugar Withdrawal When you first cut back on sugar, you will go through a sort o f withdrawal. You may feel tired, listless, or edgy. I f s very short lived. Having goals - like vowing t o lose 10 pounds or cut out desserts for a week- can help you get through your sugar withdrawal. Knowing that you'll soon be free from your sugar addiction and on the road t o better health can also be a real motivator. (adapted from www.webmd.com)

Happy Birthday!!!! Just because you don't see the word "sugar" on a food label doesn't mean it isn't hiding inside the package. Sugar goes by many different aliases, including: Agave nectar Brown rice syrup High fructose corn syrup Dextrose Evaporated cane juice Sugar isn't just in ice cream and candy. It can hide i n foods where you least expect it. Although you don't think of them as being sweet, ketchup, barbeque sauce, spaghetti sauce, and reduced-fat salad dressings can all be loaded with sugar. Bread may also be high i n sugar. So are baked beans and some flavored coffees. Get in the habit of reading labels, and filtering out high-sugar foods before they go into your shopping cart. Does Sugar Cause Diabetes? You may have heard that too many sugar splurges can lead you straight down the road t o diabetes. Sugar doesn't cause diabetes, but it can trigger a chain of events that make you more likely to get the disease. Eating too much sugar can contribute t o weight gain. Being overweight makes you body more resistant t o

Anita Pitchenese Esther Pitchenese Barb Pitchenese Otis Pitchenese Dwayne Brown Emily Brown Adam LaCroix Breeann Gordon Raymond DerosierJr Pierce Brown Justin Gordon Savannah Morrison

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Recipe of the Month 2 Step Honey Dijon Chicken What U Need! 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1tbspn Oil 1Can cream of chicken soup K c u p water 3 tbsp Dijon style mustard I t b s p honey What 2 Do! Brown 4 chicken breast in 1tbsp hot oil, in skillet.

Add 1 can of soup mixed with % cup water, 3 tbsp Dijon style mustard and 1 tbsp honey. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Thank U's To the volunteers who assisted with all the community Christmas events!!!!

Weird but True Health Fact The largest cell in the human body is the female egg. The smallest cell is the male sperm. (www.hub~a~es.com)

Eco - Living Tip You can guess just from the strong smell of some household cleaners that they include toxic chemicals - chemicals that inevitably end up released into the environment. You can buy less or non toxic cleaning products but there are an even better option. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle is great for glass, mirrors, countertops and tile. You can add a drop of essential oil if you can't stand the smell of vinegar. Baking soda mixed with water is excellent at scouring sinks and tubs.

Quote of the Month The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years. - Deepak Chopra

Judo Classes 6-9 Food Bank

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Skating Party 7-8:30

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Fitness 4-6 Judo Classes 6-9

Fitness 4-6 Tot Time Dryden 10-2

Broomball @ rink 4-6 Judo classes 6-9 Beading 7-9

Night 4-6 Open Gym 46 Volleyball 6-8