Can “Diet” Make You Fat? The Truth about Artificial Sweeteners

Added sugar is a disaster and many people are trying to avoid it.

But most of us are accustomed to sweet foods, and don’t want to live our lives without them.
For this reason, various artificial chemicals have been invented to replicate the effects of sugar.
These are substances that can stimulate the sweet taste receptors on the tongue.

They usually have no calories and don’t have the harmful metabolic effects of added sugar.
These chemicals are known as “artificial” sweeteners… as opposed to “natural” sweeteners like sugar or honey.

These chemicals are very sweet, and they are often added to foods and beverages that are then marketed as weight loss friendly… which makes sense given that they are virtually calorie free.
However, despite increased use of these low-calorie sweeteners (and diet foods in general), the obesity epidemic has only gotten worse.

The evidence regarding artificial sweeteners is actually fairly mixed and the use of these substances is highly controversial.

So… what is the truth about artificial sweeteners? How do they affect appetite, body weight and our risk for obesity-related disease?

Let’s have a look…

There Are Many Different Types of Artificial Sweeteners

There are numerous different artificial sweeteners available and the chemical structure varies between them.

What they all have in common, is that they are incredibly effective at stimulating the sweet taste receptors on the tongue.

In fact, most are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, gram for gram.
Some of them (such as aspartame) do contain calories, but the total amount needed to provide a sweet flavour is so little that the calories you ingest are negligible (1).

Here is a table showing the most common artificial sweeteners, how sweet they are relative to sugar, and brand names they are sold under:


Then there are other low-calorie sweeteners that are processed from natural ingredients and therefore don’t count as “artificial.”

This includes the natural zero-calorie sweetener stevia, as well as sugar alcohols like xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol and mannitol. Sugar alcohols tend to have similar sweetness as sugar but less than half as many calories.

This article is strictly about the artificial sweeteners… but you can read about the natural ones here.

Artificial Sweeteners and Appetite Regulation

Animals, including humans, don’t just seek food to satisfy energy needs.
We also seek so-called “reward” from food. Sugar-sweetened foods trigger brain chemicals and hormones to be released, part of what is known as the “food reward” pathway (2, 3, 4, 5).
“Food reward” is crucial to feeling satisfied after eating and shares brain circuitry with addictive behaviors, including drugs (6, 7, 2).

While artificial sweeteners provide sweet taste, many researchers believe that the lack of calories prevents complete activation of the food reward pathway. This may be the reason artificial sweeteners are linked with increased appetite and cravings for sugary food in some studies (8). Magnetic imaging in 5 men showed that sugar consumption decreased signalling in the hypothalamus, the appetite regulator of the brain (9).

This response was not seen with consumption of aspartame, suggesting that the brain does not register artificial sweeteners as having a satiating effect. It may be that sweetness without the calories leads to further food seeking behavior, adding to your overall caloric intake. But… there have also been studies where artificial sweeteners did not affect appetite or caloric intake from other foods (10, 11).

In a 6 month study of 200 individuals, replacing sugary drinks with either artificially sweetened drinks or water had no effect on food intake (12).

Bottom Line: Some researchers believe that artificial sweeteners do not satisfy our biological sugar cravings in the same manner as sugar, and could therefore lead to increased food intake. However, the evidence is mixed.

Sweeteners and Sugar Cravings

Another argument opposing artificial sweeteners is that the unnatural sweetness encourages sugar cravings and sugar dependence. This idea is logical considering that flavor preferences in humans can be trained with repeated exposure (13). For example, we know that reducing salt or fat for several weeks leads to a preference for lower levels of those nutrients (14, 15). Sweetness is no different.
While this is not proven, it does seem to make sense. The more we eat of sweet foods, the more we want them.

Bottom Line: The strong sweetness of artificial sweeteners may be causing us to become dependent on sweet flavor. This could increase our desire for sweet foods in general.

Observational Studies on Artificial Sweeteners and Body Weight

Many observational studies have been conducted on artificial sweeteners. These kinds of studies take a group of people and ask them about various factors, such as what they eat. Then many years later, they can see whether a particular variable (such as artificial sweetener use) was associated with either an increased or decreased risk of disease.

These types of studies don’t prove anything, but they can help us find patterns that warrant further investigation. Several of these studies have paradoxically found that artificially sweetened drinks are linked to weight gain rather than weight loss (16).

However, the most recent review, which summarized the findings of 9 observational studies, found that artificial sweeteners were associated with a slightly higher BMI, but not with body weight or fat mass (17). I should point out that this study was industry sponsored. It doesn’t mean that the results are invalid, just that we should be extra skeptical because the funding source of a study can often skew the results and the interpretation of the data (18).

That being said… correlation does not imply causation, so these studies don’t prove anything one way or the other. Fortunately, the effects of artificial sweeteners on body weight have also been studied in numerous controlled trials (real science).

Bottom Line: Some observational studies have found artificial sweeteners to be linked with increased weight, but the evidence is mixed.

Controlled Trials on Artificial Sweeteners

Many clinical trials have concluded that artificial sweeteners are favorable for weight control (19, 20, 21, 22). One of the largest trials looked at 641 children aged 4-11 years who had to drink either 250 ml (8.5 ounces) of an artificially sweetened drink, or the same amount of a sugary drink every day for 18 months.

The children who were assigned the artificially sweetened drinks gained significantly less weight and less fat than the sugar-drinking children (19). The most recent review of 15 clinical trials found that replacing sugary drinks with their artificially sweetened versions can result in modest weight loss of about 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg), on average (17).

Two other recent reviews led to similar findings (23, 24). So… according to the best available evidence, artificial sweeteners appear to be mildly effective for weight loss. They certainly don’t seem to cause weight gain, at least not on average.

They certainly don’t seem to cause weight gain, at least not on average.

Bottom Line: Numerous controlled trials have studied the effects of artificial sweeteners on body weight. On average, replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with diet beverages may cause weight loss of about 2 pounds.

Artificial Sweeteners and Metabolic Health

All of this being said, health is about way more than just weight. There are some observational studies (again, studies that don’t prove anything) linking artificial sweetener consumption to metabolic disease. This includes an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Sometimes the results are quite staggering… for example, one study found that diet soft drinks were linked to a 121% greater risk of type 2 diabetes (25). Another study found that these beverages were linked to a 34% greater risk of metabolic syndrome (26). This is supported by a recent high-profile study on artificial sweeteners, showing that they caused a disruption in the gut bacterial environment and induced glucose intolerance in both rats and humans (27).

It is known that the bacteria in the intestine (gut flora) are incredibly important for health (28, 29, 30).
Whether artificial sweeteners cause problems by disrupting the gut bacteria needs to be studied further, but it appears that there may be some cause for concern.

Take Home Message

Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners may be helpful in reducing body weight, but only very slightly at best.

Their intake certainly does not seem to cause weight gain, at least not in the short-term. At the end of the day, artificial sweeteners are not “toxic” like some people make them out to be, but I’m not convinced that they’re perfectly safe either. The research goes both ways… and the decision about using them must come down to the individual.

If you’re healthy, happy and satisfied with the results you’re getting and you happen to use artificial sweeteners… then there’s no need to change anything. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. However… if you suffer from cravings, poor blood sugar control or any mysterious health problem, avoiding artificial sweeteners may be one of many things to consider. Different strokes for different folks.

Source: Authority Nutrition

5 Foods To Help Wean Yourself Off Sugar

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

On my weight loss healing journey, my starting place for radically transforming my health was to eat real foods, especially vegetables. 

My patient Lynette was almost in tears. “Every diet I’ve ever been on has failed!” she told me in frustration. “And it’s always for the same reason — my awful sweet tooth. I just don’t have any willpower.”

“Lynette,” I said, “This is not a matter of willpower. It's not a matter of discipline. It boils down to one thing: your microbiome.”

 

Why You Crave Sugar

If your microbiome is out of balance, your sugar cravings can feel like an alien force that has taken over your body. That’s not surprising: your cravings are the product of unfriendly bacteria that have high jacked your microbiome: the community of trillions of bacteria living within your body.

Both friendly and unfriendly bacteria inhabit your microbiome in an ongoing battle for dominance. The friendly bacteria are a crucial aspect of your health, helping to govern your digestion, appetite, metabolism, immune system, mood, mental sharpness, heart health, and bone development.

By contrast, the unfriendly bacteria find numerous ways to undermine your health. If you crave sugar, the unfriendly bacteria are frequently the culprits. Many of the unfriendly bacteria feed on simple sugars — the easily digested carbohydrates that are found in sweet and starchy foods.

Basically, they crave sugar. And when your unfriendly bacteria crave sugar, so do you.

 

The Solution: Balance Your Microbiome

Luckily, as I told Lynette, there is a simple solution. Shift the balance within your microbiome from unfriendly to friendly, and your sugar cravings will disappear. Eating microbiome-friendly foods is a great place to start.

Below are five foods that can help balance your microbiome and free you from your sugar cravings.

 

1. Kimchee

This spicy fermented cabbage is a traditional Korean dish that has grown in popularity over the last few years. You can find it in many health-food stores or order it online. Although the traditional dish is very hot and spicy, many companies now make medium and even mild versions.

As a fermented food, kimchee is loaded with live bacteria, which I admit doesn’t sound very appetizing. However, when you picture those friendly bacteria supporting your weight-loss efforts, lifting your mood, and vanquishing your sugar cravings, you will be delighted to welcome them into your micro biome.

 

2. Kefir

A fermented milk drink popular in the Balkans and the Middle East, kefir tastes something like liquid yogurt. It’s delicious as a beverage or poured over a dish of fresh berries. You can even find kefir made from goat’s-milk. Kefir is also rich in live bacteria, which makes it a wonderful microbiome-friendly weight-loss food and a terrific way to end your sugar cravings. I often suggest to my patients that they use kefir in their protein shakes and smoothies, for an extra microbiome boost in the morning.

 

3. Jerusalem Artichokes

Kimchee and kefir are natural probiotics — sources of live bacteria. Jerusalem artichokes are your go-to prebiotic—a food that nourishes your friendly bacteria and helps them to dominate. Prebiotics in, sugar cravings out. Not to be confused with regular artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes are small, knobby, starchy root vegetables also known as “sunchokes.” They are rich in inulin, which is one of your friendly bacteria’s favorite foods. Soon they'll be one of your favorite foods, too! Scrub them clean as you would a potato and steam them, bake them, or enjoy them raw, sliced thin, with lemon and olive oil.

 

4. Leeks

This elegant green vegetable is another delicious prebiotic, an inulin-rich food that alleviates sugar cravings by nourishing your healthy bacteria. Slice them into a soup, omelet or steam them lightly and dress with vinaigrette. Your microbiome will thank you, and so will your taste buds.

 

5. Grapefruit

Drinking fruit juice — even grapefruit juice — can actually promote sugar cravings because the juice is full of simple sugars. But eating grapefruit in sections or cut in half is a terrific way to break a sugar craving. The fiber in grapefruit is a natural prebiotic that nourishes your healthy bacteria, while the grapefruit itself helps to balance your insulin levels and stabilize your blood sugar.

 

Free at Last

Sugar cravings can be a powerful force, one that even the most iron-willed among us finds hard to resist. But if you nourish your microbiome you can put your sugar cravings to rest.

That’s what Lynette found. After only a few days on my Microbiome Diet, she felt a sense of ease with food that she hadn’t experienced for a long time. And after just two weeks, her sugar cravings had vanished.

“Honestly, I feel liberated,” she told me at our last meeting. “My appetite is my own again, and the ‘alien force’ is gone!” 

Source: Mind Body Green

Sugar and Weight

commons.wikimedia.org

Deciding to cut out sweet things in order to drop a few (or many) pounds is a very wise choice. Sugar is, after all, a source of empty calories. Cutting back on sugar to control weight seems like a no brainer, but there is even more to it than meets the eye.

Sugar contains the molecules glucose and fructose. Although glucose is essential for survival and is used by our whole metabolism, fructose is a different story. Fructose has very little use in the body, apart from in the liver where it is turned into fat. When we eat sugar we are, in effect and in a possibly overly simplified way, just adding to our fat reserves unless we burn the sugar off immediately.

The fructose part of sugar can also lead to leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone which is released by our fat cells to tell the brain that we have enough reserves and can survive for a while without eating. Leptin tells the brain that we do not need to eat. When the brain is not getting these hormonal signals, it thinks we still need to eat to avoid the risk of starvation. It also makes us burn less calories so that we can store more fat. No matter how great our willpower is, it is very hard to overrule this metabolic survival circuit in our bodies. That is why simply cutting back on calories (while still consuming sugar) and moving more normally does not work.

The fructose part of sugar is also largely responsible for insulin resistance. When we are insulin resistant the levels of insulin in our bodies are raised. This causes more fat to be stored in our fat cells (in the long term it can lead to type II diabetes, among other things).

As an aside, while consuming foods which contain glucose (think complex carbohydrates) make us feel satisfied, consuming foods which are high in fructose are more than likely to leave us still feel hungry, or feeling hungry again very quickly.

So, if you are wanting to shed a few pounds, or increase your general health and well-being, you would do very well to reduce the amount of sugar you eat and avoid foods which list high fructose syrup or other forms of refined sugar as ingredients.

Please note that I have always referred to 'the fructose part of sugar' here. The fructose which occurs naturally in fruits does not react as radically on our bodies and fruits contain a lot of vitamins, fibers and other good things for your body - so you can still enjoy them in moderation.

This is a simplified version of a complex subject. If you would like more details on how sugar reacts in our bodies with relation to weight, there are a number of very good articles and studies available on the internet and in medical journals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8679987

Weight Loss 101 - How to Lose Weight

commons.wikimedia.org  / weight loss pyramid

Losing weight can be a challenge and keeping it off after you've lost it is often just as difficult. When it comes to weight loss, especially fat loss, there needs to be a combination of the right diet along with resistance training. There are many things that can help you and hurt you when it comes to weight loss, but here are 10 tips on how to lose weight fast that can help just about anyone.

 

1. Do NOT starve yourself - Many people think weight loss is strictly about creating a calorie deficit. This is true to some degree, but in order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to nourish your body with the right foods. When you put yourself through extreme, low calorie diets, your body goes into "starvation" mode and begins to store excess fat and slow your metabolism. It does this because it thinks you are going to STARVE if it continues to burn calories at a normal pace.

2. Limit your starchy carbs - Starchy carbs like white rice, white bread, tortillas, chips, etc make losing fat difficult. Help yourself by packing your diet with non-starchy carbs like vegetables! Brown rice and wheat bread are OK too, but don't overdo it.

3. Consume more protein, fiber and water - Protein provides your muscles with the nourishment it needs to grow and stay healthy. Weight loss doesn't do much good if you're just losing muscle! Fiber has numerous benefits, and ironically, most people don't eat enough fiber! Fiber helps you feel fuller, controls blood sugar, reduces the risk of stroke, improves skin, increases heart health, and more! Check out this article to learn more about the benefits of fiber.

4. Get a good night's sleep - Your body does most of it's growing and repairing during sleep, not while you're at the gym or exercising outside. Without a good 7-9 hours of sleep every night, you'll be stuck wondering how to lose weight. Allow your body the time it needs to get healthier. Go to bed!

5. Start a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program - Countless studies have proven that HIIT is more effective in a shorter amount of time than steady state cardio. If you're trying to lose weight for a wedding, reunion or just because, High Intensity Interval Training is the fastest way.

6. Limit your sweets - Obviously if you're wondering how to lose weight, eating cookies, candy and cake isn't the way to do it. However, the real key is to watch out for hidden sugars in places like juice, high sugar fruits, and yogurt. Avoid anything with a high sugar content. Some classic sugar risks are pop, candy, dried fruit, fruit yogurt, granola bars and cereal. Be sure to check the nutrition facts before you mow down on a "healthy" snack.

7. Don't avoid weight lifting - People often avoid lifting weights because they're so worried about their weight going up. Building muscle is a good thing, and an essential thing when it comes to how to lose weight and keep it off. Muscle naturally burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. You will see a drastic difference in how you look (which is typically what people care about when it comes to exercise) if you start focusing on building muscle and lowering your body fat percentage, rather than just looking at your weight.

8. Try to keep your stress LOW - Stress raises Cortisol levels which can increase hunger and cravings for things you shouldn't be eating! Try some de-stressing activities like yoga or tai chi. Even things like a hot shower, reading, and meditation will help.

9. Consider working with a personal trainer - Personal trainers will ensure that you have an effective and efficient workout. They also work hard to provide the right motivation and encouragement while monitoring your form to keep you injury free. If you're new to weight lifting or exercising, this is a very important step towards getting healthier and losing weight.

10. Pick a time you can exercise at consistently - Exercising requires a habit. The easiest way to stick to your work out is to find a time that works for you almost every day. Don't try to just wing it whenever you're available. Block off 30-60 minutes on your work out days and stick to those times. Make it a routine.

If you're always wondering how to lose weight fast, this is a great place to start. There are many things that contribute to weight loss, and every person is different, however, if you stick to these guidelines, you will see results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8488437

How To Overcome Your Food Cravings

10 Food Rules For A Leaner Body & Glowing Skin

Although no standard set of rules is perfect for everyone, these guidelines can help people of every shape and background get on the path toward vitality. Following these principles 80 to 85% of the time will give you more energy, better sleep, a leaner body, glowing skin and much better digestion … and who doesn't want all that? 

1. Avoid added sugars, whether they're visible, hidden as starch, or artificial.

That's the best advice I have for you! Eat too much sugar every day and you'll grow old in a hurry.

Although I have been dubbed the “Sugar Police,” because of my strict stance against the stuff, many people don’t know that I actually spent a long time addicted to sugar. I constantly felt tired, lazy, insecure, or bloated, and I suffered from severe eczema and had digestive issues. Plus, I always craved sweets, bread, and cereal. 

Maybe you can relate? 

I'm not the only one who hates sugar. A recent study published in JAMA found that consuming too much sugar (which most of us do) is linked to an increased risk of heart attack, dementia, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, liver problems, cancer, and more. 

Sugar has many names (including sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, dextrose, maltodextrin, starch, corn starch, and modified high corn syrup.) But not everyone realizes that bread has almost the same negative effects on the body. 

White bread is particularly problematic because the nutrients from the wheat have been removed, leaving only starch and gluten. My clients who eat white bread often say that they experience bloating, pains, mental confusion, digestive troubles, and worse. 

Whole wheat bread is a bit better for your blood sugar and digestion, but even if the bread is made up of healthier grains like rye or barley, it still contains gluten, which for many people causes digestive trouble. In the end, there isn’t much nourishment in bread that you can’t get by eating other foods.

If you do just one thing, cut sugar from your life!

2. When (and if) you choose to eat bread, eat whole grain products.

Your body can't use the refined products. If gluten's not for you, choose whole grain gluten-free foods (such as wild rice, quinoa, and millet). 

3. Don’t avoid fat. Instead, choose the right fats — they are slimming and good for you.

Many of us blame fat for causing obesity and heart disease, even though this isn’t true. Added sugar, starch from white bread, and pasta are the leading causes of these problems. Your body needs healthy, quality fats for your hormones, nervous system, and immune system. It's essential for good mood and for taste! Among healthy fats are saturated fat from grass-fed animals. This might come as a surprise, since for years it was thought that animal fat is the killer fat. It can be, if the animal is raised on grains and processed food, but NOT if the animal is fed on nontoxic grass. 

Organic coconut oil is good for cooking at high temperatures, but avoid cooking with organic virgin plant oils (like olive oil and flaxseed oil), which have a lower smoke point. It’s also good to have avocado and pumpkin seed oil on the table at home. 

4. Eat good quality protein from grass-fed animals, organic eggs, fish and plant-based proteins.

If you constantly feel tired, both physically and emotionally, you may need more protein. Good quality grass-fed animal protein, organic eggs, and wild fish are a great source of all the amino acids that the body needs. It’s a bit more of a challenge to meet your protein requirements by only eating plant-based foods, but a good combination of nuts, organic tofu, sprouts, lentils, legumes, and wild rice can do it. 

5. Enjoy nuts, almonds, seeds, and kernels every day.

These are great snacks loaded with nutritional value. Even better, they're perfect for combining with other foods to make healthier meals, treats, and desserts. 

6. Eat for beauty by getting several cups of organic greens, vegetables, fruits and berries everyday.

Although nutrition experts disagree on the best way to eat, there is a consensus that we should all eat less meat and more greens and vegetables. When you optimize your food intake to include all the colors of the rainbow, you're also optimizing your vitality. Whole foods that are red, orange, green, purple, yellow and blue — they’re not only beautiful, but they send healthy messages to your body via phytonutrients that "turn on" your health-promoting genes. 

7. Drink 1½ liters of water, as well as pure vegetable juice, green tea, and herbal tea everyday.

The human body consists of 70% water. It’s essential, period. If you don’t drink enough, you'll feel tired, confused, constipated, dehydrated, and suffer from dry wrinkly skin. Green tea is the mothership of herb tea, rich in nutrients, a great energy booster, and an inflammation-fighter. Enjoy green tea every day! If you absolutely must have coffee or alcohol, choose only top quality and enjoy in moderation. 

8. Eat regular meals, and never skip breakfast.

There are three major reasons why people skip meals: (1) They don't have time, (2) They think it will help them lose weight; and/or (3) They have been misinformed that this can be healthy. Unfortunately, these ideas are all wrong. 

Skipping a meal won't save you time, it will only make you tired and confused, costing you more time later as your performance at work or school slows down. Not eating in order to lose weight will switch on your biological defenses, slowing down your metabolism and actually making you gain weight. The misinformation is about not honoring your body’s needs and ignoring love for yourself. 

9. Eat several small meals a day if the standard three-meal structure doesn’t suit your lifestyle.

Eating healthy is about getting variety and eating smart food combinations. Plant-based foods should take up the most room on your plate, about 40%. The healthy fats mentioned above should make up about 30% percent of your plate, and the last 30% could come from the good quality proteins. If your personal needs require a different structure, adapt accordingly. 

10. Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement everyday, even if you eat a healthy diet.

Most of us live in a fast-paced world filled with multitasking, pollution, and other factors that stress the body’s natural functions. Keep in mind, too, that the soil in which we currently grow our food does not have the same nutritional quality as it did before the massive “pesticized” cultivation. Minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc are depleted from the earth in many places around the world. We also have to face that not all of us eat organic all the time. That’s why I recommend quality basic supplements, antioxidants, and vitamin D3. 

If you want to take other food supplements, you should consult a health care professional who can take your personal needs into account. 

Source: Mind Body Green

7 Steps To Get Over Food Cravings & Gain Control Of Your Life

Do you find yourself frequently thinking about sweets? Do you feel obligated to finish a whole bag of chips once you start? Do you eat more than you want to? Do you ever feel bad about yourself after eating something?

Confessions of an Ex-Sugar Fiend

Most of us are familiar with food cravings, which are just as real as addictions to cigarettes, cocaine, and alcohol. Mine started in medical residency. First it was sugar. Then caffeine. I was driven by stress, fatigue, and the need for quick “food” and comfort in the face of long, grueling work hours.

It started with the occasional Dunkin’ Munchkin that was ubiquitously available at morning meetings after overnights awake caring for sick patients in the cardiac ICU. I became fond of the chocolate ones. 

I progressed to peanut M&Ms — surely a gateway drug for many of us — because the combination of fat, protein, and sugar kept me awake and staved off hunger overnight. Energy bars fit in there now and then. And those little 100-calorie cookie packages stashed easily in my white coat pocket next to my stethoscope and patient notes. 

Pretty soon anything with sugar and fat was fair game, and if it had salt that was even better. Junk stashes were available at pretty much every nurse’s station, staff meeting, and in resident conference rooms. The really nice nurses brought in homemade brownies and cookies and gave us first dibs before morning rounds. I drew the limit at soft drinks and artificial colors and flavors. (Well, except for those M&Ms.) 

About halfway into my first year of residency, I started drinking coffee. Just a half cup so I could make it through the night until noon the next day, when my 30-hour shift ended. I’d didn't even like the taste of coffee! But I am super caffeine sensitive so it’s a great “drug” for me. To circumvent the taste, I added sugar and a small amount of milk. 

I gained eight pounds that year, all around my waist, and got sick more times than I had cumulatively in the decade prior. My periods became irregular with intense PMS prior to them. I slept poorly even on my nights off, and in my early 40s got some zits. 

On my days off, I craved a muffin for breakfast instead of my previously typical healthy fare of a whole-food, protein-rich breakfast. I wanted sweets every day, and when I wasn't eating them, I was thinking about them. And I started to really love lattes. 

In spite of 30 years of living and teaching a healthy lifestyle, becoming a doctor turned me into a sugar fiend! Ah, the ironies of the health care system. Becoming a doctor was literally making me fat and sick! 

An Unexpected Detox

4 Foods to Banish Sugar Cravings & Belly Fat