Junk food is addictive.  You have probably heard that before, and simply brushed it off as the grumblings of a health nut who doesn’t touch the stuff.  After all, when we think about someone with an addiction, we think of nicotine, alcohol or drugs, not junk food.  The idea that junk food could be addictive is inconceivable, right?  

Well, let me ask you this.  Do you think you could easily – if you wanted to of course – give up those high-calorie, high fat, sweet and salty treats you love so much?  Could you turn your back on them and never again crave Twinkies, potato chips or your favorite fast food?  If you are hesitating, then like most of us, you probably struggle with cutting junk food completely out of your diet.   You are not alone.  It seems like we know it is bad for us, but we just can’t seem to get that proverbial monkey off our back when it comes to eliminating it from our lives.  

While you might be beating yourself up, thinking you are weak, or haven’t tried hard enough to make healthier food choices, the truth is it may be more challenging because you are struggling with an addiction to junk food.  A new research study supports this conclusion as well.

Last year, researchers at the non-for profit Scripps Research Institute published a study on how the brain responds to junk food.  The study, conducted on rats, found that junk food had the ability of eliciting the same addictive behavior as heroin or cocaine did.  High-calorie, high-fat diets had a “profound reduction” in the sensitivity of the pleasure centers in the brains of these rats.  As they became less and less responsive, they began consuming more and more, leading to significant overeating and obesity.
 

Health food store regulars are probably quite familiar with agave syrup or nectar.  For those of you who are not, it’s a type of sweetener often used as a sugar or honey substitute.  In recent years, agave syrup has moved from being sold predominately in health food stores to more traditional outlets such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. 

Manufacturers and distributors have longed billed the product as a healthy, natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners.  Additionally, the promotion of agave syrup as a low glycemic food has many diabetics excited about it use.  However, some health and nutrition experts are not so convinced, arguing agave is neither natural nor healthy.

After taking a closer look at the research and controversy surrounding agave syrup, I have to tell you, I see several red flags that should give anyone pause before adding this product to their diet.   Here are just a few of my concerns:

Americans love sweets, but it is a guilty pleasure for many.  We know if we consume too many delectable deserts and sweet high-calorie beverages that we could potentially end up paying the piper by packing on the pounds.  Thus, we control (most of the time) our urge to sit down and consume entire pints of chocolate Hagen Daz, or half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts at the morning staff meeting. 

Most of us however typically do not monitor the amount of sugar we ingest through our other foods.  Admit it.  When was the last time you scanned a label looking specifically at the sugar content?  You probably looked at the calories and fat grams, but sugar, like salt, tends to only garner a passing glance, but maybe it is time you took a closer look.  Here is why. 

Eliminating refined sugar is one of the easiest steps you can take when trying to lose weight.  You simply put the sugar bowl away.  However, eliminating that other commercially refined sugar -- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) --is not as easy because it has been incorporated into so many of the foods we eat daily.  It is in everything from ketchup and spaghetti sauce to raisin bran and yogurt granola bars.   

Are you finding it difficult to embark on the exercise journey? Hey, it happens! Less than 30% of America does any sort of consistent exercise. We know exercise is important and yet so many of us struggle to consistently add exercise into our daily lifestyle.

Sound familar? Then, "Overcoming Exercise Procrastination" is for you!

• Are you setting yourself up for success or failure?
  
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• Is this just an occasional bout of laziness or a cycle of failed commitment?
  

This amazing eBook, courtesy of Dave DePew will explore the reasons many of us get caught-up in the endless cycle of wanting to get fit, starting, and then dying out. It contains practical strategies to help you stop sabotaging yourself; how to overcome your fears of success; and how to set realistic goals, and then push forward to achieve them.

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