Life After Sugar

When she was in her 20s, Shannon's body was constantly stressed.  She was managing a gym and doing bodybuilding shows, but she'd never felt LESS healthy.  In fact, she was dealing with fatigue issues, hormone issues, gut issues, inflammation, pain... She  couldn't walk, or she had to walk with a cane. The only thing Shannon was offered were drugs, and she was told she would be on dr...

In this episode, I share a few of my favourite sugar free recipes. Full disclosure: I'm no Masterchef!  Plus I have a pretty busy life. So listen to get some yummy ideas for quick and simple meals that don't contain refined sugar or flour. P.S. Unlike the processed food industry, when I say "sugar free", I mean it! For example, here's the recipe for chaffles: INGREDIENTS  ...

Marieke lives in Belgium. She grew up eating healthy foods like whole grains and vegetables.  But Marieke also had a bit of a sweet tooth. And she had been suffering from migraines since she was 3 years old. And when she became a teenager, her migraines became monthly. Marieke's parents took her to see doctors. And when her doctor recommended that she cut sugar, Marieke went home and started...

Mark's health issues started early in his teenage years. Growing up in the north east of the UK, he'd been put on antibiotics for an ear infection, and at the age of 16 his doctor wanted to put him on anti-depressants.  But instead, Mark decided to study in the health field, which included changing his diet. And he started cooking for himself and experimenting with different foods. Mark...

It's a question I get a lot: What if I don't have enough willpower to cut sugar? Well... here's my own question: What if it's not even about willpower? In fact, you don't need willpower to cut sugar. Really! So in this episode, I borrow the definition of willpower from authors and researchers who've studied it. In fact, here's a couple of other questions:  Did yo...

This is part 2 of my chat with best-selling author Steven Gundry MD. Listen to Part 1 of our chat here. 2500 years ago, Hippocrates said: "All disease begins in the gut". In this episode, Dr. Gundry and I talk about which foods feed the good bacteria and improve your gut health... and which foods feed your cravings! You may not know a lot about fermented (probiotic) foods and drinks, bec...

Steven Gundry, MD is a cardiothoracic surgeon and bestselling author of "The Plant Paradox" as well as his most recent book, "The Gut-Brain Paradox". In this episode, we talk about gut health, a subject that is close to my heart (no pun intended!). And guess what substance is terrible for gut health? Yes - sugar!  Dr. Gundry and I have so much to talk about that I made two podc...

If you're a layperson like me (that is, not a health professional or a nutrition expert), then you may not know what "insulin resistance" is. I certainly didn't. It was only when I stopped eating sugar in my mid-40s, and experienced the amazing benefits of being sugar-free, that I started reading up on what insulin does. And after that, I read about how insulin resistance affec...

Back in her 20s, Colleen was suffering from chronic exhaustion, pain, and bloating. She was unable to function and she was sleeping all the time. Despite taking a cocktail of medications, nothing seemed to work. Then Colleen discovered  functional nutrition, and she tried something she had never tried before. She overhauled her diet, including cutting gluten and sugar. And to her amazement, after...

Martin grew up post World War II in the Czech Republic in central Europe, in a small village. He says that his family was poor, but they ate all kinds of organic foods, as well as hunted food, like pheasants and hares. Then Martin left the Czech Republic as a refugee and arrived in British Columbia, Canada. He ended up with a job with health insurance and dental coverage. And pretty soon, he had 1...

Hi! It's me, Netta. And I have to tell you that all my life I was a real sweet tooth. People made desserts just for me, and my whole identity was wrapped up in my love for sweet foods, desserts, chocolate, ice cream, whatever.  Chocolate was my best friend. And I also always had snacks on hand. Hidden in my drawer at work. Hidden away in my car. I used to always carry around snacks with me ju...

Cindy started swimming competitively when she was 10 years old. She didn't really think about what she was eating because she was just swimming so much. So she ate whatever was presented to her. But when she hit puberty, she became more muscular. Plus she had a swim coach who made her do weigh-ins and fat analysis. That's when Cindy started comparing her body to others and tracking calor...

My expert guest this week is Dr. Bob Rakowski who is a seasoned functional medicine practitioner with over three decades of experience.  In this episode, Dr. Bob describes how as a teen growing up in the USA, he lived on milkshakes, cheeseburgers, french fries, and Mountain Dew. Tons of sugar! By the time he graduated high school, he was overweight and lacked energy.  When Bob was just 18, he had...

What does it feel like to live sugar free? Every individual has a different answer.  And in this episode, Freedom from Cravings Formula graduate Noreen shares how she feels one year after signing up for the program.  The question is: How will YOU feel? Need guidance and support to get rid of cravings so that you can slim down and finally feel in control around food? To get personalized guidance fr...

When she was younger, Karen never had a weight problem. She was tall and slim. But then with the ups and downs of life, including several very stressful situations, her weight went up.  Covid and menopause definitely didn't help! But two things did help Karen: cutting down sugar, and intermittent fasting. Listen to Karen's inspiring story as she tells how she stepped out of the "cal...

Amy is a functional medicine nurse practitioner who is passionate about helping patients reverse disease and obtain true health and healing. In this episode, we talk about stress, and how sugar can actually increase the stress levels in your body. Sugar can negatively affect cortisol and adrenal levels, as well as your gut health. We often think that the stress in our life is "out there"...

"Netta, are sweeteners better than sugar?" It's a question I often get asked. So you'll get my answer in this episode... although it might not be what you're expecting! Because I question the concept of "good" and "bad" with respect to food, especially sugar and sweeteners. In fact, instead of focusing on the value of certain types of foods, I prefer to...

Pamela is an intermittent faster. And for her, eating less sugar (or low carb) fits perfectly with her IF lifestyle. For Pam, it was a process to find what works for her. And it may not be the same for you (in fact, it probably isn't - because we're all different). In this episode, Pam shares the benefits of intermittent fasting on her hunger, her health, and her lifestyle. And how reduc...

Sharon used to LOVE chocolate. She ate it every day. She couldn't imagine life without it. And she certainly never wanted to give up chocolate. So how did Sharon go from loving and needing chocolate to not wanting it or missing it anymore? Listen to Sharon's inspiring story to find out! Find Sharon here. Need guidance and support to get rid of cravings so that you can slim down and final...

It's the new year, and there might be some tweaks you can make to your everyday habits so that gradually you get to freedom from cravings. The book Atomic Habits by James Clear is a great reference if you're struggling with cravings for sweet foods or junk foods, and if you find yourself mindlessly snacking whenever you're tired or stressed or emotional. James Clear in his book talk...

This is the last episode of 2024, so let's finish off the year in good cheer and in good health. And maybe good health for you includes less sugar. But maybe it's difficult for you to imagine actually feeling better with less sugar because you've never done it before. Or you have, but you feel you failed, or you just can't believe that taking away all your favorite sugary comfo...

One of the fears that people have (and I definitely had it myself) is that if they cut sugar from their diet, then there's nothing left to eat. I mean, sugar is everywhere. Right? Well, not quite. Sugar - added sugar I mean - is nowhere to be found in whole foods: in fruits and vegetables, for example. But it is a very common additive in industrial highly processed foods, or "ultra proce...

It's the end of 2024, and this short episode will help you start to shift a few beliefs about how you will feel with less sugar. For example: how reducing or cutting out sugar can help reduce mood swings how eating less sugar can give you more energy how you can achieve freedom from cravings Don't believe that reducing or cutting sugar can do all that? Try it and see! Need guidance and s...

Meredith grew up in the 80s and 90s eating all the "low fat" products because she was convinced that eating fat made her put on weight. It was only years later, after grad school, that she learned that those products contain a bunch of added sugars. Meredith started to educate herself about the effect that sugar and processed foods have on her body and weight. And she decided to stop eat...

Camilla has experienced a lot of health issues in her life, including bariatric surgery. In this episode, she talks about how early her sugar addiction began, and how she almost lost her life because of post-surgery complications. Malnutrition is a common side effect of bariatric surgery. Camilla discovered that her health improved when she focused on eating clean and cutting sugar, sweeteners and...