Stop SUGAR Support Thread

Congrats to all of you who are discovering all the benefits of going sugar free. Cancer loves sugar and it cutting it out is one of the best things we can do for our health-and the side effect is real energy and weight loss. For those of you still drinking coke, try to break this habit completely. I know it is hard, because I never went a day without one before bc. But I tossed every version of the stuff when I was dx'd and I can say I no longer crave any of it. In fact, the tought of it repulses me now. I have substituted Pelligrino with fresh squeezed lemon or lime. It is so refreshing and the extra vit c is great for the immune system and the digestion. All the chemicals in coke and all those fake sweetners just put more work on our liver. Keeping the liver healthy is a key to our health.

As for all the diets out there. There is no one size fits all. I have found the mediterranean diet is what makes me feel best, but some people thrive on a higher protein diet and some thrive on more carbs (vegans). If you are eating a diet, that is not right for your metabolism, whether you like it or not, your cells will not be happy. Read up on eating for your metabolism.

mumayan-I cannot believe they had junk food on a bc cruise. What a shame. You would think it would be a great way to get people energized with healthy eating. Good for you for having such willpower!

The best plan that I found for weight loss is Dr. Ray Strand's low glycemic. It is a perfect balance for me and he lays it out really well in his book "Healthy for Life". He has simple recipes and great explainations about why and how we metabolize glucose(which of course is sugar). This is the plan that finally got me healthy.

And for those of you who are stuck at a plateau, you might consider liver and colon cleanses. When you do a cleanse, the fat cells that store insulin will release toxins that store up there, and you will finally shed the extra pounds.

I used Dr Dahlqvist's Low Carbohydrate program in English.

It's really very simple and doesn't involve any counting of calories and you don't even have to count carbohydrates. You just avoid those that raise insulin high and fast. I found it relatively easy to lose 2lbs each week and I've stuck to eating this way for more than 3 yrs now without regaining weight so it really suits me, and I can still drink my red wine.

If UK readers would prefer a "guided" plan ZOE HARBCOME offers various levels of support at

The Harcombe Diet. 

She has put a lot of stuff online at youtube so you can get a good idea from the free online information. She is very much influenced by Taubes so it's worth also watching Taubes Search for 

IMS LECTURE WITH SLIDES AND Q&A "WHY WE GET FAT" by GARY TAUBES

Zoe Harbombe has another free online presentation that explains the laws of thermodynamics in a way that makes sense at.

www.zoeharcombe.com/2011/5/calories-energy-balance-thermodynamics-weight-loss/

 Another good video to help you understand better why we need to reduce our intake of caloric sweeteners is Robert Lustig's Sugar The Bitter Truth. It's on You Tube but allow plenty of time. It takes 90minutes and it's a bit hard going in places. I had to watch it more than once to grasp some of the science he is explaining. 

PS I have been notified the above post has been reported as spam. 

May I clarify the position. Dr Dahlqvist's program is, UNLIKE Dr Strand''s low glycemic programme, entirely free.

I do provide information about a supported program for those who like that kind of thing BUT I make the point that MOST of the information about the Harbcombe diet is available FREE at You Tube and in the link to the presentation I provided so no one is obliged to join thatplan to understand how it works. I don't have any financial or any other connection with that site although when they had a free open access day I did put up a few posts relevant to a low carbohydrate lifestyle.

The Lustig Video I encourage people to watch is also freely available at You Tube and so I really cannot understand why this post should be regarded by anyone as potential spam. If any diet plan is going to work it's important that those following the plan have a basic understanding of how calories are stored in and how they are released from fat cells. That is why I point people to Taubes, Lustig and Harcombe and think that Harcombe's basic presentation is a good lead into the subject followed by Taubles more detailed and finally Lustig. where we are suitably baffled by the biochemistry. I thought I had made it sufficiently clear initially that I don't think anyone NEEDS to join the Harbcombe plan (as most of the information is already available online free) but if the post I was replying to mentioned Dr Strand's program (which doesn't provide much free information) I see nothing wrong in mentioning a UK alternative FOR THOSE WHO NEED that kind of ongoing support. Dr Dahlqvist's program is entirely free. I managed to lose my weight without any ongoing support and simply continuing that way of eating has meant I haven't regained.

Sugar addiction can be beaten if you don't consume foods that raise insulin high and fast.   

All things in moderation Ladies!  Including a little red wine  

Jancie -- congrats on the weight loss!  I have lost 10 pounds in a month!  I am so happy.  And have my blood sugar totally under control.  Life is good.

Ted Hutchinson, your post was probably reported as spam because the breastcancer.org discussion groups are intended for people with breast cancer to discuss their own experiences and share ideas and support. I did not report you, but It feels like an intrusion when you dump information here, as if that's all you think we're looking for. I've read the guidelines, and technically you're within your rights to post here. But I, for one, wish you would go to chats about diets and sugar that aren't specific to breast cancer, and leave breastcancer.org. We sometimes bare our souls here and you can't know what this journey is like if you don't have breast cancer or aren't in close relationship with someone who does. You give no information about yourself except your name and the date you jooined. That makes you an outsider as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you, Marybast....

I'm looking at juicers that retain more of the fiber. I was almost settled on NativeJuicer when a friend told me yesterday she has a mega-juicer her mother bought after her diagnosis of rectal cancer, but then didn't use and was going to throw away. I don't know the brand yet, but will try it out and post the results. I'm doing more juicing to keep hydrated as well as for health benefits. The anastrazole has stolen my "juice." I did find a straightforward, easy to understand article that summarizes the different types of juicers, how they work, and what each is best for at http://discountjuicers.com/bestjuicer.html. They don't have the best prices but I like the clarity of the article.

I'm going to echo what Vivre said about coke. I used to drink TONS of diet coke, and after my DX, I stopped cold turkey in December. I've had an occasional coke slurpee when I had a serious craving, but I'm so proud of myself for not giving in to drinking even diet sodas. Lots of green/black tea and water.

I'm kind of scaring myself lately because I'm reading "Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life" by Russell Blaylock, MD. The chapter on mercury was scary, but the chapter on fluoride has really freaked me out. According to the author, mercury, fluoride and aluminum are incredibly toxic components - and yet we are exposed to them in so many of our everyday foods and beverages. From his book...

"To prevent local supplies from altering a soda's standardized taste, most water used in soft drinks is normally filtered of all impurities or is manufactured using distilled water. Ironically, the Coca-Cola Company bottles and sells water (under the brand name Dasani) purified by the reverse osmosis method, which removes fluoride from water, but their soda actually contains fluoride. Presumably, Dasani is the same water they use to make their soft drinks and it would make sense that Coke should actually be fluoride free. That it isn't would indicate they are purposefully adding fluoride back in. Furthermore, the longer a canned drink sits, especially at higher temperatures, the more aluminofluoride compound will be created in the drink. ... In addition, the drinks contained the toxic sweetener aspertame, which in the heat breaks down very quickly into the carcinogenic compound diketopiperizine, as well as formaldehyde and formic acid."

Ugh - that will make me think twice about ANY soda consumption, especially in cans! It just seems like we can't trust any manufacturers at all anymore (if we ever could to begin with). 

I've slipped back into old habits of a treat at night. We get pre-made cones and enjoy them at the end of our day. I'm also halfway through a huge watermelon!!! Not so bad, I know, and I'm using it to stop cravings. NO chocolate from the vending machine this week though!

I find that having a few pieces of 70% dark chocolate with my raw almonds has helped me from having sugar cravings.   I make snack bags of 28 almonds with a few pieces of the dark chocolate and bring it to work.     I'm reading The Anti Cancer Cancer - A new way of Life book by David Schrieber.  It's very interesting, a easy read and good color pages with details of what to eat, avoid etc.   Of course I'm driving my whole family crazy on telling them what NOT to do/eat etc.   

I also freeze grapes and snack on that at night if I get a craving.  Pretty good actually.

mdg - it's ok to cheat now and then.  I went to a wedding a few weeks ago and had a small piece of wedding cake.

I do take a bite of my boyfriend's desert when he orders something if we go out for dinner on the weekend -- a few bites won't kill you! -- and anyway having a bite of his keeps me from ordering an entire desert for myself

Wow yogurt every morning Jancie?  I eat eggs... also I really like those GG Scandinavian bran crackers with a little smoked salmon (yum) -- the crackers are low carb (12 grams of carb each) and high fiber.

I also enjoy those sugar free popsicles at night.. helps with the sweet craving and only 10 calories.

But I am loving the idea of dark chocolate and raw almonds!

I find I do better with no sweets at all except fruit and high cocoa dark chocolate.  If I eat the sugar free items I get the same sweet cravings.

I think Diamond makes dark cocoa-covered almonds.  I've bought them in a big jar at Sam's Club.  No sugar in these!

Michelle

Doing great Michelle -- I've lost 10 pounds and holding steady.  (And on the diabetes front -- you are still my hero!  My blood sugar remains steady at 80 - 100 pretty much any time I test it).  Taking the weight loss slow, which is extremely manageable!  How are you?

Michelle, I can relate to the DIEP and weight loss....after my dx weight loss I was not a candidate at all.  I had to get implants.  I did not gain weight really during chemo (maybe 3 lbs total).  I was small to begin with...my stomach would have only yielded one size A foob.....not gonna work!  I am getting size C's in two weeks.

Marianna I am the same as you.  I find that if I eat fruit I do much better.  I have practically cut out all sugar but I do use honey in my morning oatmeal and chamomile tea. If I eat a cookie that is it i just can't quit so I just can't let myself get started.