America's #1 Addiction

The concept of a sweet tooth takes on a different meaning when we realize it's not just a matter of liking something sweet after dinner, but sugar in our coffee and an afternoon treat as well. Without the constant sugar boost we feel deprived. Sugar can be a drug of choice, and constantly grazing on even so-called healthy hidden-sugar foods can train a body to demand it constantly. Here's the hopeful news: sugar addiction is not your fault.

“Being addicted to sugar and flour is not an emotional eating disorder,” says Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet. “It’s a biological disorder, driven by hormones and neurotransmitters that fuel sugar and carb cravings — leading to uncontrolled overeating. It’s the reason nearly 70 percent of Americans and 40 percent of kids are overweight.”

Studies confirm a food addict’s brain operates similarly to a drug addict when they think about eating sugary, fatty foods. As these and other studies emerge and prominent experts speak out, sugar addiction has become a legitimate, concerning focus as sugar consumption, particularly as high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), escalates.

“Animal studies have shown that refined sugar is more addictive than cocaine, heroin or morphine,” says Dr. Pamela Peeke, author of The Hunger Fix. “An animal will choose an Oreo over morphine. Why? This cookie has the perfect combination of sugar and fat to hijack the brain's reward center.”

It’s not just the immediate gratification that creates damage. Sugar addiction also sets the stage for future hunger, cravings, and food intolerances. Unfortunately once you are hooked on sugar hormonal havoc ensues. High blood sugar elevates insulin, which blocks your satiety hormone leptin. High levels of cortisol, your stress hormone, increase your urge for comfort foods. High cortisol during sleep increases ghrelin, your hunger hormone, so you’re more likely to ask for a stale donut the next morning with your caffeine fix.

The good news is with the right strategies, you can crush your sugar addiction in just weeks. In my office I help patients identify the so-called healthy foods that could also feed that addiction. Bottled drinks, vinaigrette dressings, and glazed meats are among the many “sneaky sugars” that add up. Going cold turkey isn’t the answer in my office. Instead, I want you to gradually taper off sugar so you never feel deprived or struggle with withdrawal. It helps if things from your diet are replaced with healthy alternatives so you don't feel so deprived.

You’ll really shift from sugar burner to fat burner when the weight falls off and you reset your body and taste buds. You can break permanently your sugar addiction in just weeks, without feeling deprived, hungry, or struggling with miserable withdrawal. Simply transition to low-sugar impact foods and before you know it, you’ll be a 24/7 fat-burning machine!



142 Reasons Not to Eat SUGAR!

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100% Pure Makeup Can Now Be Found at Duane Reade!

About a year ago I blogged about 100% Pure makeup. I was super excited to find a makeup line that was chemical and metal free. I hadn't heard about this company until one of my patients came in with it to be muscle tested. I couldn't wait to go to their website and start my own research and it is an amazing company! I now just found out (from a different patient) that they started selling 100% Pure at Duane Reade! It's important to sample makeup and I'm so glad it's now easily accessible. So I went across the street from the office and sure enough, this is what I found!



Most makeups contain not only chemicals but also heavy metals such as titanium and iron oxides that can be toxic to the body but this makeup line uses 100% natural ingredients and most of them are organic too! They use actual fruit to make the colors and for those patients of mine who are not supposed to eat fruit, no worries, putting the fruit on your face is okay. They do have titanium in their makeup with spf so read ingredients carefully not to use those.

I currently use their eyeshadow palette, luminous primer and mascara. I have tried their lipsticks but find the colors too bold for my complexion.

Here is an example of an ingredient list of one of their eye shadows:

Organic Rice Starch*, Pigments of Organic Carrot*, Squash, Organic Apricot*, Organic Peach*, Papaya and Organic Tomato1, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Organic Lavender*, Organic Rosehip OIl*, Organic Avocado Butter*, Organic Cocoa Butter*, Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Mica (natural shimmery mineral) * Certified Organic

To check out more products go to http://www.100percentpure.com or to Duane Reade!

Blue Apron, Fresh Ingredients Delivered to Your Door

When giving dietary changes to my patients I know it can be overwhelming for them sometimes. Blue Apron delivers healthy ingredients to your home to take out the stress (thinking) and is a good tool to use during this transition time or all the time!



You go to blueapron.com and pick out your meal, either 2 person or family meal (4 people) and they deliver all the ingredients you need to make the meal. Food is 'farm to door' for they work directly with artisanal purveyors and hundreds of family-run farms that support sustainable practices. Meals are anything but boring. Steak tacos with mole verde sauce, lemon glazed catfish with ginger collard greens, to only name a few. They accommodate a variety of dietary preferences - e.g. vegetarians, pescetarians, or if you don’t eat red meat, fish, shellfish, pork, or lamb - and personalize your menu each week based on your preferences.

The lowest commitment level is 2 meals a week and you have to sign up for weekly deliveries that can be cancelled any time, 6 days ahead of schedule. If traveling, you can skip a week as well. Price per meal is about $9. They deliver nationwide, Tuesday - Friday in most locations, and select locations are eligible for Monday and Saturday deliveries. Delivery is always free and their refrigerated boxes are packed with ice packs and insulated liners to ensure that ingredients will stay fresh for the full delivery day, even if you’re not at home to accept the delivery.

Hu Kitchen

Hu stands for Human, as in their logo, 'get back to human' and their food philosophy is paleo. My diet is paleo, minus the fruit, so of course, I love this place! But Hu Kitchen is so much more! It's fresh food is farm to people and it also has shelves stocked with paleo friendly food. If you aren't familiar with the paleo diet, just know that it is gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, soy-free goodness! You also won't find any GMOs in this place.



What I love most is Hu Chocolate and instead of telling you what is in it, Hu tells you what is NOT in their chocolate. No refined sugar, soy lecithin, gluten, emulsifiers, GMO or cane sugar. They use coconut sugar as the sweetener which is paleo friendly. I suggest Hu chocolate so often to my patients as a healthier alternative that I can't believe it took me this long to get them in the office for patients' convenience. We are now selling them in the office for $5 a bar and we carry a variety. You can also make your own chocolate using honey with this recipe. For more info on how healthy cocoa is for you, read this article.

Bad news: there is only one Hu Kitchen, at 14th St and 5th Ave.
78 5TH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10011
to be exact.

Good news: you can buy their chocolate at the office!

Candida Can Cause Cancer, Turmeric Can Kill Both

New research supports the controversial theory that yeast (aka Candida) not only contributes to cancer by feeding cancer cells but can actually cause it. The study was published in Critical Reviews of Microbiology and states:
"There is currently increasing concern about the relation between microbial infections and cancer. More and more studies support the view that there is an association, above all, when the causal agents are bacteria or viruses. This review adds to this, summarizing evidence that the opportunistic fungus Candida albicans increases the risk of carcinogenesis and metastasis. Until recent years, Candida spp. had fundamentally been linked to cancerous processes as it is an opportunist pathogen that takes advantage of the immunosuppressed state of patients particularly due to chemotherapy. In contrast, the most recent findings demonstrate that C. albicans is capable of promoting cancer by several mechanisms, as described in the review: production of carcinogenic byproducts, triggering of inflammation, induction of Th17 response and molecular mimicry. We underline the need not only to control this type of infection during cancer treatment, especially given the major role of this yeast species in nosocomial infections, but also to find new therapeutic approaches to avoid the pro-tumor effect of this fungal species."

The three ways which Candida may contribute to cancer is:
1) Candida produces nitrosamines and acetaldehyde which can cause cancer.
2) Candida causes prolonged, unresolved inflammation which can promote cancer because inflammation damages tissue.
3) The immune system cells that respond to Candida also secrete proteins that increase tumor incidence and growth.



The new research not only substantiates the concept that yeast overgrowth can be a contributing cause of cancer but indirectly increases risk of cancer due to an increase of sugar and alcohol consumption which most people with Candida do because that's what Candida like to eat. This increase in sugar and alcohol consuption skyrockets your chances of cancer. Sugar has not only been found to feed cancer but contribute to the transformation of healthy cells into cancerous ones, read "Research Reveals How Sugar CAUSES Cancer."

Since sugar promotes yeast growth which means sugar is directly AND indirectly a carcinogenic it is really concerning that cancer treatment wards in hospitals give sugary foods and beverages to their patients in the waiting room. It was okay that my father eat Oreos to put weight back on during chemo. There is such a disconnect between nutrition and health when it comes to cancer in Western medicine I only hope in time that more studies like this one keep coming out so Western medicine is not so blind.

So what can we do about it? Well, a new study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology reveals that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, known as curcumin can not only help in killing Candida but also cancer. The study states:
"Curcumin is an up-and-coming drug of natural origin with multi-target properties, and it has exhibited efficient anticancer and antifungal activities alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy drugs and antifungal agents. The dual pharmacological activities of curcumin may make it a good candidate for the prevention and treatment of cancer and its cancer-related invasive fungal infection related complications. Further investigation is necessary to clarify curcumin's anticancer and antifungal mechanisms for better understanding."

Turmeric is a wonderful spice to start cooking with if you haven't already. If you do cook with it just cook more. I love grating the fresh root. A wonderful, organic turmeric that I like using comes from Wellblends. To read more about it, click here.

Chakra Class now in Brooklyn!

Healing Arts NYC is proud to announce the opening of a second Chakra Class! The first Chakra Class is going so well in Manhattan that I wanted to open up a second one to be more convenient to our Brooklyn patients. Only blocks away from the Awakening office location will be the Chakra Class on Tuesdays at 9am at Breakin' Boundaries at 11 Newel St. between Driggs Ave and Nassau Ave. The 8 series class starts on January 19th with the first class being a balancing of all the chakras, starting with the root chakra and working our way up to the crown chakra. The second class will then balance all the chakras but with more emphasis on the root chakra with the third class having more emphasis on the sacral chakra. You can take all 8 classes or just the classes that are specific for the chakras you want!



To learn more about the chakras, what they are and how to balance them, read our blog. The class was developed by Dr. Alicia Armitstead and Kenna Tuski. They took their knowledge of the chakras and movement to create an exercise class that opens up the chakras so one feels less stress and more centered and at peace in their body. It's also a great workout that combines movement from pilates, yoga, basic exercises and Kenna's dance background in a specific sequence to give you the best possible results.

Each class is $18 and can be paid at the time of class with check, cash or credit. Bring your yoga mat or $1 mat rental.

Here is also the Chakra Class video that gives you a taste of what the class will be like!

Quintessence Restaurant

I was lucky enough to have a dear friend of mine take me out on New Year's Eve to the East Village and show me a few gems of health food stores and restaurants before doing an 1130pm yoga class to celebrate the New Year. After eating dinner at Souen, a macrobiotic restaurant, we walked to Quintessence for dessert. Going out for dessert is not something I do so I thought this would be worth blogging about especially since it tasted so good!

Not only is Quintessence gluten-free and sugar-free but also raw and vegan! They not only serve sweets but also lunch and dinner. The menu includes crepes made from yam, apricot, avocado, vanilla, and coconut flakes. They have cashew cheese, fresh coconut water, squash coconut bread and so much more!



In their desserts they don't use refined sugar but coconut sugar or stevia instead. Their ice cream is made of a fresh blend of ice, a natural fat like coconut, avocado, or nuts with fruit or other flavors and sweeteners that whip up into a creamy frozen treat. Their most popular dessert is pecan pie which I will have to go back and try. For my first time I decided to go for chocolate and ordered this:

Pavé de Chocolate Raspberry: $12 (ala mode $15)

This divine creation features a crunchy pecan-date ganache sandwiched between two chewy almond chocolate fudge cakes, coated with a raspberry infused hard dark chocolate coating with white chocolate highlights.

Ingredients: Pecans, Almonds, Dates, Cacao, Coconut Sugar, Sea Salt, Raspberry Flavor, and Stevia
To find out more go to Quintessence

I also ordered their cranberry chaga tea which was just sweet enough that I didn't have to add any honey. Chaga tea is made from the chaga mushroom which has lots of health benefits because of their high antioxidant levels. It helps boost the immune system, have anti-cancer effects, decrease stress and help the skin glow. With all of those health benefits how can you not drink it?!

I raise my chaga tea cup up, in celebration for a healthy, happy New Year! Let's make it a great 2016!