If you have you ever tried to cut back on sugar, you may know how incredibly tough it is to wean yourself off from the sweet devil. In fact, eliminating sugar from the diet may leave some people with strong withdrawal symptoms such as intense cravings, headaches, edginess, feeling of depression and worse. Sounds like substance addiction? Well, science suggests that sugar is even more addictive than cocaine [1]. You heard it right. That gorgeous piece of chocolate cake or those delectable muffins seem to serve the same purpose as crack. So, what makes sugar so addictive? Why it does often makes you lose control? What exactly drives sugar cravings?

Researchers have long known that insulin resistance sets the stage for the development of Type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a condition where beta cells of the pancreas produce insulin but muscle, liver and fat cells are not able to efficiently use it to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. This leads to excessive build-up of glucose in the blood. As a result, the body gets signals to produce more insulin to take care of increased glucose levels until beta cells fails to keep up with this increased demand, finally leading to prediabetes and possibly Type 2 diabetes.

The WHO (World Health Organization) has declared Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern, mainly because of the virus’s suspected association with microcephaly, a neurological birth defect. And then you hear that the government of El Salvador is advising the women in the country against pregnancy until 2018, a strange recommendation indeed, but it only underscores the seriousness of the Zika outbreak and the underlying complications, no matter the debate on its origins.

The majority of us believe that taking Vitamin C will help us build a strong immune system. But if you smoke, you are likely to need more of this important vitamin to fight the harmful effects of smoking.

While it may be hard to define stress, most of us think of it as something psychological; worrying about bills, money, loved ones, meeting deadlines at work, and countless other issues. The truth is stress can be physical or environmental too. Factors such as poor sleep, fatigue, not eating well, exposure to toxins, getting sick and chronic infections also stress out the body at many levels

What is one thing you likely to never forget when stepping out of your home?

Yes, we are talking about your mobile phone. To say that the device has become an integral part of our life will be an understatement. With the world going more digital, the mobile phone too has transformed from a simple communication gadget to a smart device that has changed the way we live. Whether it is talking, texting, sharing e-mails, browsing the internet, playing games or staying connected on social media channels, the fact is we are spending more and more time using our mobile phones.