Aging Backwards

Guest Article: What's Wrong With Sugar by Dr. Scott Olson

2008-12-28T11:53:11Z

Sugar is sweet and sugar is nice; sugar is the pet name for your sweetheart, or a cute little girl; sugar is the plum fairy dancing around the room. With all these fun images in our heads, it is hard to imagine that there might be something wrong with the sugar we consume. While sugar certainly puts on a pretty face, there is a darker side to the white stuff that no one is telling you about.

Sugary Harm

While sugar is, no doubt, a natural substance (it is found in many foods that we eat every day), what is not natural is to eat the highly purified form of sugar we consume. White sugar is more than 99 percent pure sucrose and there is no place in nature where you can find such purified sugar (well, except for honey). There are health consequences to consuming this "high octane" fuel on a regular basis, let's take a look:

Addiction: Sugar addiction is real and the evidence to support sugar as a highly addictive substance is growing daily. Sugar addiction closely mimics other "serious" addictions such as alcohol, smoking and even hard drugs. The surprise is that addiction to sugar may result in more harm than all of those other addictions.

Sugar Weight: Eating sugar means added weight. This happens because our body only needs so much sugar energy at any given time. When we eat a high sugar meal, we are pouring too much energy into our bodies. This extra energy needs to go somewhere,and most of our bodies store the extra energy as fat.

Aging and Cellulite: Sugar combines with proteins in our bodies to produce advanced glycation end products (or AGEs for short). This sugar/protein combination spells trouble throughout our bodies, but when the aptly named AGEs hit the collagen and elastin in the skin, the result is older looking skin. Damaged collagen also becomes a magnet for the fatty deposits we know as cellulite.

Insulin Insensitivity: When blood sugar is high over a long period of time, the cells of our bodies become resistant to insulin. The more resistant to insulin our cells become the closer we come to becoming diabetic. While diabetes used to be a rare condition, it is now estimated that between 35 and 40 percent of us will have diabetes some time in our lives. Diabetes cuts years off of our lifespan (somewhere between 12 and 16 years by current estimates).

Toxic: Sugar is toxic to the cells of our blood vessels. Remember the AGEs and what happens when they attack collagen and elastin? AGEs also attack the proteins of our blood vessels. Damaged blood vessels mean damage throughout the body. This damage is easy to see in diabetics who have a much higher risk for kidney, heart and eye disease. Blood vessels are being harmed in people who are not diabetic, only at a slower rate.

Sugar Free Solution

Breaking free of your sugar addiction is not that easy, but a necessary step towards a healthier you. Much of the harm that sugar does can be reduced by changing the way that you eat. Simply stopping soda is a great first step, but every source of sugar that you can eliminate from your diet is a step in the right direction.

Dr. Scott Olson is a naturopathic doctor, an expert in natural medicine and the author of the book Sugarettes. Dr. Scott is issuing a 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge to anyone interested in breaking free of their sugar addiction. Find out more HERE.

My Family Doctor Magazine Features Aging Backwards

2008-12-19T10:44:01Z

I'm so honored to be included in James Hubbard's My Family Doctor Magazine blog! Check out the Aging Backwards mention HERE and be sure to look around this fantastic Web site!

Guest Article: Set Your Fitness Goals EARLY This Year by Angie Schumacher

2008-12-18T18:19:41Z

I know, most people wait until January before they decide to set some goals, but why wait? Let's get a head start and get through the holidays ahead of the rest! Setting fitness goals is one of the best ways to ensure you will achieve them!

Here are some good guidelines to help you set some goals:

1) List five to seven behaviors that you need to improve upon or change that will help you to reach your goals.

What should you be doing that you aren't? What bad habits do you need to get rid of or what good habits should you start?

2) Focus on the first two things on your list (order your list from easiest to hardest).

Spend three weeks just focusing on those goals and achieving them so that they become habits!

3) Once those habits have been formed and you feel comfortable adding more, move on to the next two things on your list and so on.

Here are some examples that will give you some ideas:

I will do my strength training workouts at 6 a.m., three times per week for 30 minutes. Strength training is very beneficial to your body. It will not only help you to burn fat quicker, but will also help to keep you strong as you grow older.

I will get my interval workouts in three times per week for 20 minutes, following my strength training workouts. Intervals are the best way to lose body fat - a quick burst of exercise followed by a rest period of equal or more time. Repeat that sequence four to six times.

I will do core work at least two times each week. Everyone needs to have a strong core. With a strong core, you should never have any back problems.

I will only weigh in one time per week and keep the scale out of sight. Weighing yourself more than once per week is just a bad idea. Everyone's weight can change from day to day.

Or something as simple as: I will go to the gym three times per week. I will go for a walk four times each week. I will go to a yoga/pilates class two times each week.

Whatever your goals, just make sure that you are able to follow through with them. Otherwise, you are less likely to reach them and you will only get frustrated and give up.

So now it's YOUR turn to get to work. Write down your goals and see how much better you feel getting a jumpstart on YOUR New Year!

Angie Schumacher is a Certified Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor in Colorado. She is the author of FatBlastingBootCamp.com. Visit her Web site HERE to sign up for the latest and greatest tips on fat burning, boosting your metabolism and getting rid of that belly fat. Receive your FREE report and transform that body in no time!

Say "I Do" to Aging Backwards

2008-12-09T11:22:29Z

I am so honored to have my book included among all the fantastic books for brides on the Association For Wedding Professional International's Web site! Check out my book, Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young in GOOD company on their site HERE.

Brides, you will NOT believe this! You can get a "fam" trip to have your wedding at exotic locations worldwide and check it out in person beforehand! I'm going to start looking for a potential husband for this one, LOL. Click HERE!

If you subscribe to their brides newsletter, you can win a wedding in Sacramento Ca, Appleton Wi, Fiji or Ireland. Sign up HERE.

People Jar

2008-12-02T09:41:28Z

See my profile and connect with others at PeopleJar.com.

Aging Backwards Book Giveaway

2008-12-01T13:07:45Z

WIN your own copy of my book at Bionic Beauty, where you can also find lots of great freebies and tons of beauty info! Click HERE to find out more.

Aging Backwards On Health News Digest - This is BIG!

2008-11-22T17:05:37Z

Wow, the premier electronic health news network, HealthNewsDigest.com has posted an article about my new book, Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young! Founder and publisher Mike McCurdy had this to say at the end: "The 'Expert Opinion Tips' are alone, worth the price of this book." I am so thrilled and honored to receive such high praise from one of the most respected news sources in the world!

HealthNewsDigest.com is a 9 year old Online Magazine that publishes news stories on the Health Industry on a daily basis. They are also the Health News channel on AvantGo, the handheld palm device service, with more than 7 million registered users worldwide.

In addition, they are syndicated to thousands of major health industry web sites, content and applications to PDA, wireless PDA, and smartphone users, with hourly worldwide news feeds. Also, over 2,000 news editors, directors, and health columnists subscribe and have free access to use any and all content. They are members of the New York Press Club, The Association of Health Care Journalists, and The Online News Association.

Sandpearl Spa Day Giveaway Winner Tells All

2008-11-22T08:58:34Z

Renee Juergens is Aging Backwards! She's the winner of the luxurious spa package giveaway from my book signing at The Sandpearl Resort & Spa on Clearwater Beach, Florida, last month. She spent the say at the spa yesterday and here's what she had to say about her experience:

"Good Morning Jackie, I had my spa day yesterday and it was amazing. I feel like a new person. The vichy was so cool. I was a little nervous because the room is all tile, but the water made me feel like I was in a cocoon. It also reminded me of sitting under a warm waterfall, but your own personal one. It definitely felt like a once in a lifetime experience. The customer service was excellent as well as the treatments. I walked out feeling like a million bucks. During the facial, they have this tool that sends microwaves into your face which puts the muscle back where they belong. I could see a difference in my cheeks - they seemed higher. It's like a healthy, non surgical facelift. That is something amazing women should know about. I believe they might even sell the machine. A good tip they shared was only use scrubs/exfoliants that are round, anything like a seed is coarse and uneven and will push into the skin and cause damage. Lunch was delicious as well. If you can believe this, even gratuity was included. It was amazing! My husband & I had dinner at the small restaurant by the pool. I'm so happy you choose the SandPearl! It is an amazing resort. Have a great day and thank you again."

Renee

Pictured: Jackie (L) with winner Renee Juergens

Love My Lashes!

2008-11-15T11:37:34Z

Check out my newest fave product, L'oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. I guess I'm not the only one who considers this product FAB, since their Web site says they're sold out of it! This is the first "tubes" mascara I've tried - it really works! My lashes seem twice as long as usual.

Kelley Maddison, president of Priia Mineral Cosmetics agrees. Here's what she told me, "I am in LOVE with L'oreal's new Double Extend Mascara! I've been a BLINC Kiss Me Mascara user for several years and didn't think anything would compare to it. I'll admit it- I was skeptical of L'oreal's new mascara but decided to give it a test run anyway. My lashes look longer, thicker and more voluminous than ever before! I'm glad I made the switch."

So, next time you get the urge to buy that expensive department store mascara, head over to CVS instead and try L'oreal, seriously.

By the way, have you ordered my new book yet? Get all my secrets, tips and shortcuts for looking and feeling young HERE.

What Does Your Nail Color Say About You?

2008-11-11T09:17:53Z

Women are diverse when it comes to their nail polish routines. Some stick to only one color while others must have a new shade weekly. Beverly Davis, 46, founder of SundayCosmetics.com, designs nail polish and labels each color with an uplifting, descriptive name.

Her collection offers affordability and high quality - available exclusively at SundayCosmetics.com. Only $10 for one clear/one color.

Here's her description of the personalities that match the colors from her collection:

Faith (clear)

Simple, basic, not fussy

MegaMogul (berry red)

Sophisticated, creative

Positive Attitude (iridescent pink)

Calm, cool, collected

Beautiful (black) & Carefully Choose Friends (burgundy)

Bold, daring, fashionable, fun