Summary: In this episode of Pursuing Health, I sit down with the founder of the Sugar Free Revolution, Karen Thomson. Karen grew up in South Africa and battled addiction to multiple substances from an early age. She found help through an inpatient rehab center, but several years into recovery, she came to realize she still had one lingering addiction: sugar.<br> <br> Using knowledge from her own journey to recovery, Karen partnered with other rehabilitation professionals to develop a one-of-a-kind approach, treating sugar addiction with an inpatient program using the abstinence model. She paid special attention to the underlying issues leading to sugar and carbohydrate addiction, and identified the need for a support network for those trying to kick an addiction.<br> <br> She went on to write a book, Sugar Free: 8 Weeks to Freedom from Sugar and Carb Addiction, and also began sharing her message at conferences. It was at one of those conferences that she met CrossFit founder Greg Glassman, and they developed a friendship that resulted in the creation of the CrossFit Health Conference.<br> <br> Karen and her family recently moved to Palm Springs, CA, where she is focused on opening another rehabilitation clinic to help others recover from addiction and live their healthiest life.<br> <br> I caught up with Karen in Madison, WI, at the 2017 CrossFit Games to talk about how she made the choice to seek help, overcame her own addictions, and why she now uses her own experiences to help others do the same.
