The children have left home. The nest is empty. But is it really? Have you managed to part ways with the "treats" the children loved, and that you used to stock up in the pantry and fridge?

While it can be hard to wish both farewell, this empty-nester period is the perfect opportunity to welcome a fresh start to a healthier lifestyle.

Our experience with many empty-nesters who dearly want to become healthier has revealed an addiction stronger than cocaine.

Shocked?

Well, it's true. It is the addiction to sugar. After 40+ years of being fed, feeding on, and not even knowing you are consuming sugar, the “Sugar Monster” in you is not going to be stopping in its tracks...unless we learn how to tame it.

Gary Wilson

Back in our hunter gatherer times, the sweet taste of sugar was indicative of the availability of food. Sugar became an evolutionary incentive to us to fuel up on as much high-energy food as possible, so we would have an adequate energy reserve in the event of later famine.

Today, sugar is no longer a scarce resource. In fact, it is quite the opposite - all you have to do is scan the ingredients list of most food or drink items you see in the supermarket. Nine times out of ten, you are guaranteed to see sugar on there, often topping the list.

Just like the cocaine hit needs more cocaine the next time to satisfy the addiction, our sugar monster needs more sugar to satisfy its deep cravings, so unconsciously we seek more and more sugar hits. What once served as a useful evolutionary survival mechanism, is today controlling us and slowly killing us. You just have to look at the skyrocketing plethora of modern lifestyle diseases caused by excessive sugar intake, such as diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even neurological problems.