• Physical Addiction
• The Cravings
• Too Many of the Wrong Bugs
• There is Help!
• Take the Test!
• Upcoming Health Seminars & Classes
• Healthy Sweets for Your Valentine

The issue of sugar cravings is a tricky one because for many people it brings up feelings of shame. You may think “I should be able to just say no” When the desire becomes uncontrollable and you finally succumb, you experience feelings of failure.

Other people seem to be able to say "no", or to have a little bit and stop, so why can’t I? Will power is one factor in dealing with cravings, it is not the entire story. There are physiological causes for cravings that often go unrecognized.

As an example, if you have very intense sugar cravings that prevent you from cutting down on sugary foods, it is possible that you have an imbalance in your digestive flora (What's that? Read on) that is making your body crave sugar. If you also have symptoms such as mental weakness or confusion, excessive intestinal gas or bloating, frequent colds, or blotchy red skin rashes, it is quite likely that this imbalance exists in your body.

Here is how it works. A healthy human intestinal tract is populated with microbes (I'll call them "bugs") such as bacteria and yeast. These can be divided into "good bugs" and "bad bugs". We want there to be more good bugs than bad bugs. In this case the "good bugs" keep the "bad bugs" frommultiplying too rapidly and we stay healthy.

The "bad bugs" feed off of refined foods such like sugar and white flour products (bread, pastries, pasta, etc.). The good bugs are supported by vegetables, acidic foods, and foods with "live cultures" such as yogurt. When we eat too many refined foods over an extended period of time the "bad bugs" become more abundant than the "good bugs" and we begin to have symptoms of imbalance.

Because these "bad bugs" feed off of sugar, they will make you crave sugar so that they can continue to thrive. This creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to get out of.

There is help! Because this overgrowth of "bad bugs" makes it extremely difficult to stop consuming sugar, we may have to take a different tact than simply avoiding sugar. As a first step, lets feed the "good bugs" so that they will begin to crowd-out the "bad guys. As I mentioned before this can be done by consuming yogurt with live cultures, lots of vegetables, and fermented acidic substances like apple cider vinegar. It can also be accomplished by using a probiotic supplement such as Lactobacillus acidophilus.

There are many such products on the market. In my naturopathic practice I recommend Lact-Enz by Standard Process. With this product I see amazing results of diminished or totally absent sugar cravings! For those who have suffered from uncontrollable sugar cravings, this is a remarkable event. This probiotic then gives the individual the ability to decrease their consumption of sugar without much difficulty.

Find out if you are sugar sensitive, and likely addicted to sugar by taking this test by Nancy Appleton Ph.D.. Follow the Link below.

Take the Sugar Test

My popular yoga class exploring the issues of body weight and body image will be given in a compact format at the Movement Center; Yoga for Everyone as part of a week long yoga retreat. The retreat dates are March 5-11. It is designed with many options for participation to fit into your schedule. For More information call The Movement Center at 503-231-0994.

I give two free health seminars each month. These are great opportunities to expose friends and family to new ideas and ways of thinking about health. Each seminar is on a specific health topic, and includes general information on exciting diagnostic approaches and natural therapies.

February 8 - A Healthy Heart: Cholesterol Myths and Truths
February 22 - Beating the Winter Blues - Naturally
These seminars are held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8 PM at Yoga in the Pearl. Please RSVP by calling 503-525 -9642.

More on the March Yoga Retreat

Nourish the Heart of your loved one this Valentine's Day with The Art of Health's Sweet Heart-Ease tea. This delicious blend is sweetened naturally with whole stevia leaf. In its whole form, stevia is a completely unprocessed natural sweetener that actually benefits your health.

Order a jar of Sweet Heart-Ease tea in the month of February and receive a charming bamboo tea strainer at no charge. The bamboo strainer makes preparing all whole leaf teas simple.

Another healthy spin on a classic Valentine's Day gift - chocolate that's good for you! Rapunzel makes their dark chocolate bars with a whole sugar called Rapadura. Because Rapadura has been minimally processed, it actually has minerals in it, and tends not to cause the "sugar rush" of so many other chocolate bars.

More on Sweet Heart-Ease Tea