Are you a chocoholic? To some people, chocolate is an occasional treat. But for a true chocolate addict—and trust me, you’re not the only one—it is a deep-seated need. Anyone who’s tried to give up coffee knows that caffeine can also be very addictive.

Chocolate and coffee are not the only habit-forming foods. An increasing body of evidence suggests that meat, cheese, and sugar also seduce us into eating them again and again even though we know they are unhealthy and contribute to weight gain.

The science of food addictions first gained acceptance as researchers started to nail down the physical basis for chocolate addiction. Apparently, the taste of chocolate triggers the release of opiates in the brain, which, in turn, cause a rush of dopamine, the brain’s principal feel-good chemical. And although research is still in its early stages, studies suggest that the same sort of thing may happen with sugar, meat, and cheese.

Evidence suggests that a hefty portion of our current epidemics of obesity, cholesterol problems, hypertension, diabetes, digestive problems, and other conditions are, in fact, nothing but the natural outcomes of food habits exerting their effects year after year. And huge industries are working hard to make sure it stays that way.

Fortunately, we can change our habits. The best way to break away from food cravings is to commit to cut out the unhealthy, addictive foods in your diet for three weeks. Be sure to replace them with foods that steady your blood sugar. For example, beans, green vegetables, fruit, and whole grains help prevent blood sugar dips that can lead to cravings. A low-fat vegan diet can also help by reducing hormone swings that lead to cravings.

A vegetarian diet helps fight food addiction and lowers your blood sugar and cholesterol, and it also stands out as the healthiest way to lose weight. A 2006 scientific review of 87 studies on vegetarian diets and body weight concluded that excluding meat and other animal products from one’s diet can result in healthy weight loss, even without additional exercise or calorie counting.

Observational studies included in the review, which was published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, show that vegetarians have a body weight that is, on average, 3 percent to 20 percent lower than that of meat-eaters. The review found that obesity rates in vegetarian populations range from 0 percent to 6 percent.

This low-fat, vegan diet approach is easy—once you get the hang of it. The best method is to follow the diet completely for three weeks. That will give you enough time to adjust to new flavors and will also allow you to experience significant weight loss and see other positive health changes.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine offers a free 21-day program to help people try a vegan diet for three weeks. It offers meal plans, recipes, advice from doctors and dietitians, and even celebrity tips.

PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

REFERENCE

Berkow, S. Nutrition Reviews, April 2006

Donna Karan recently hosted a screening of The Big C, Showtime's newest drama about a suburban mother (played by Laura Linney) diagnosed with cancer, trying to find humor in the disease. When Showtime asked Andrew Saffir of the Cinema Society to organize the premiere in the Hamptons, he says, "One person, and only one person, came to mind: the amazing Donna Karan." Donna started the Urban Zen Foundation a few years to, and in the words of Andrew, "has made great strides in supporting cancer treatment and care and well-being, in part with her integrated therapist program, among others."

For those very reasons, the outdoor screening, a private event at Donna's South Hampton home, was a natural for Donna. During her welcome speech, she introduced the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program to a full house packed with guests such as Laura Linney; Matt Blank, Chairman & CEO, Showtime; Sarah Jessica Parker, Martha Stewart, Edie Falco, Calvin Klein and Gaborey Sidibe.  "Without question, at one point or another in our lifetime, each of us will be a patient as will our loved ones," Donna says.

The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy program was created to help create an optimal healing experience fo patients, loved ones, doctors and nurses. Each Integrative Therapy student undergoes a 12-month, 500-hour curriculum, including clinical rotations. Urban Zen Foundation is proud and honored to assist patients, loved ones and care givers on the path to wellness.

THE URBAN ZEN HEALING SANCTUARY AT SUPER SATURDAY

Urban Zen was proud to participate in Super Saturday 13 this past weekend at Nova's Ark Project in Water Mill, New York. A celebration held on an open field with shopping, food and kids activities, Super Saturday 13 brought together hundreds of people passionate about both philanthropy and shopping. Top designers set up stands selling their items with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund funds research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for ovarian cancer. The day was a fun filled family affair that supported an important cause.

Urban Zen filmed the festivities at last weekend's Super Saturday 13.  We covered the entire scope of the event from the shopping, to the children, to the Urban Zen Sanctuary. See all the action from the inside of such a successful and fun event benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund above.

The United States incarcerates more of its youth that any other country in the world.

Last month, Urban Zen hosted the Lineage Project One Day Teacher Training Program. The Lineage Project is one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations providing alternative tools for physical, emotional and mental wellness to at-risk and incarcerated youth ages 10 to 21. Through the teaching of yoga and meditation to over 600 of these youth annually throughout New York City, The Lineage Project provides a unique forum to cultivate resiliency and positive youth development.

The training was attended by about 15 individuals all interested in assisting at-risk youth through meditation and yoga.  The training program reviewed the curriculum of the Lineage Project and provided instruction on how to connect with youth in a positive, impactful manner. The program also illuminated the tremendous flaws in the Juvenile Justice System in the United States and New York City. Below are a list of facts from the Department of Juvenile Justice that highlight some of the disturbing statistics of the system.

United States:

• Over 500,000 youth are arrested and brought to locked detention centers annually.

• Up to 70% of youth are serving time for non-violent offenses.

• Approximately 75% of incarcerated young females have experienced sexual, physical, or emotional abuse  prior to incarceration.

• Approximately 70% of incarcerated youth suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

NYC Department of Juvenile Justice: Detention Centers for Arrested and Detained Youth

• NYC can arrest and place a child of seven in a locked detention center.

• Age at Admission: 12 and under: 3%; 13: 11%; 14: 23%; 15: 45%; 16: 12%; 17: 6%

• The majority of youth in detention, ages 14 to 15 read at a third grade level.

Urban Zen is excited to host a one-week training session with the Lineage Project in August. Please click here for more information.

CONNECT

The Lineage Project  |  www.lineageproject.org

On Thursday, July 22, Urban Zen Center was proud to support and host the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) program Dress for Success.Over 75 promising young men and women gathered at the Urban Zen Center to take in valuable professional advice on how to dress to evoke confidence and self-worth. The program is designed to build confidence through and through for the young adults and to prepare them for any professional and social environment; this we believe in.

When we at Urban Zen heard about Harlem Children's Zone and the Dress for Success program for promising young adults, we knew immediately it was an ideal relationship that we had to embrace with all of our support. Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) aligns with our initiative to empower children. It's a community-based organization serving more then 17,000 children in a 100-city block area of NYC. Their unique, holistic approach to rebuilding a community so that its children can stay on track through college and go on to the job market has offered education, social-service and community-building programs to children and families since 1970, becoming a national model and a subject of many profiles in the media. Its president and chief executive officer, Geoffrey Canada, named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News and World Report, is a leader and inspiration for educational reform.

Victor Alfaro created Dress for Success, a well thought out and deserving program, after watching Canada speak about HCZ one night on TV. Canada spoke about HCZ's pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem. His passionate story and incredible success record for education reform struck a profound emotional cord in Alfaro, who wanted to give back in a way he knew could be of great service to HCZ young men and women. Alfaro created Dress for Success to help give the young adults of HCZ an equal playing ground when they go in for interviews for potential internships and job opportunities.

We are looking forward to working with HCZ in the future as we truly admire their groundbreaking work with children in underprivileged communities.

CONNECT

Harlem Children's Zone  |  www.hcz.org