Should I give up sugar?

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poodleluvbug
poodleluvbug Member Posts: 171
edited June 2014 in Working on Your Fitness
Should I give up sugar?
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  • poodleluvbug
    poodleluvbug Member Posts: 171
    edited March 2011

    Hi Everyone! My Oncologist recently said that breast cancer patients shouldn't eat sugar...she didn't tell me this until nine months after my mastectomy, but I guess she thought I knew. I don't drink sodas of any kind...but I had enjoyed having dessert a few times a week. I live on a organic fruit farm so we make a lot of pies and fruit crisps. I am not overweight...so giving up desserts would be for the prevention of a reaccurance of the breast cancer. Has anyone else given up sugar? ...and if you have....did you give up fresh fruit too?

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  • nikola
    nikola Member Posts: 466
    edited March 2011

    Hi poodle,

    hair is growing I see, I did not give up fresh fruit, but I gave up cookies, cakes, pies...all sweets. If I really have cravings I would take some hard candy or popcorn and that would do the trick for me. I really had sweet tooth before and I am surprised  that I am doing fine without sweets.

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  • Meggy
    Meggy Member Posts: 530
    edited March 2011

    I think it is good to limit sugar.  I am true addict but have really tried to limit my sweets. 

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  • NatsFan
    NatsFan Member Posts: 3,745
    edited March 2011

    I never heard of sugar being associated one way or the other specifically with b/c.  Obviously reducing sugar in the interests of general health is a good idea, but that's something that applies to everyone, not just b/c survivors.  Poodle - did your onc reference any particular studies or give you other specific information on why she's telling you b/c survivors are at some special enhanced risk from sugar?  I'd be interested in learning more. 

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  • poodleluvbug
    poodleluvbug Member Posts: 171
    edited March 2011

    My Onc just said..."sugar is bad for breast cancer patients"...I should have asked why but she started talking about other things. I had a breast cancer survivor tell me that their Onc said that "sugar is the breeding ground for cancer". I'm not sure how much sugar to cut out...I would feel sad to give up dessert completely...my husband makes the best pie crust ever...lol!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2011

    Ironically, I started reducing my sugar intake before I was diagnosed.  I gave up artificial sweeteners too and just use Stevia.   I'm not so fastidious about it though that I won't enjoy a treat now and then.  I just consciously try to avoid the crap (sugar, processed foods, etc) 95% of the time.  Whether or not it will prevent a recurrence... I don't know... but I sure feel better. :)

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  • FireKracker
    FireKracker Member Posts: 8,046
    edited March 2011

    I was told by a friend whos husband died of cancer the dr.told her CANCER LOVES SUGAR AND FAT.I think its kinda true.i did cut out a lot of sugar as i used to be sooooo bad.eating chocolate pudding pie for breakfast.ha.The fat she was talking about was fried food.I never eat fried foods.The white flour and rice we all know is also junk.So whats left?????veggies...ugh.

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  • mdg
    mdg Member Posts: 3,571
    edited March 2011

    I suggest reading the book the AntiCancer: A new way of life.  The book does a good job of explaining how sugar fuels breas cancer.  I actually just wrote about why I am giving up sugar based on what I read on my blog.   A am trying to avoid all refined sugar and white rice/foods made with white flour.  I will use natural sweeteners when I want to have something sweet, but in moderation. I am doing more low sugar, healthy baking now and not buying hardly any packaged foods.  I can control more of what I eat this way.   I am making lots of dietary changes based on my reading about how different foods effect the body and breast cancer.  That book is really good...check it out. 

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  • mouse51
    mouse51 Member Posts: 29
    edited March 2011

    Another good book is Beating Cancer with Nutrition (Author is Quillin).  This book has alot of good information about diet, vitamins, supplements, and also has a recipe section.  Basically, cancer feeds on sugar, and alot of foods convert into sugars in your body.  I've pretty much given up sugar, except for fruits.  Fruits are fine as long as you limit them to only 15 - 20% of what you eat daily.  Even better if you eat a fruit with something else that contains no sugar, such as a vegetable.  When I use a sweetener it is Truvia, which contains stevia, a natural plant-derived sweetener (not a sugar).

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  • LiveFreeinNH
    LiveFreeinNH Member Posts: 40
    edited April 2011

    here is an interesting article:

    http://www.treating-cancer-alternatively.com/Sugar.html

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  • NatureGrrl
    NatureGrrl Member Posts: 1,367
    edited April 2011

    Cancer cells take up sugars & other nutrients at a faster rate than other cells in the body... that's part of the nature of cancer cells. I don't argue that reducing sugar intake is a good thing, but I've never been a big sugar-sweets person, I've eaten "whole foods," whole grains, etc., for over 30 years, and have eaten mostly vegetarian for that time, too, and I still got BC... and my brother and his family (and a lot of Americans) live on pop, sweet tarts, refined flours (white bread -- yuck!), meat at almost every meal, lots of fats, etc., and have no cancer. If sugar and poor eating caused cancer, I would have been the last in my family to get it.

    To emphasize:  I agree with the heathier eating and think we should all follow it -- but still, it's only one factor in a very complex equation.  And I don't think reducing sugar means cancer won't return -- it's just one small thing (in a long list of things) we can do to help it not return -- but an occassional sweet won't cause cancer, nor will a few servings of fruit a day.

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