Stop SUGAR Support Thread

Valgirl - do you like nuts?  That's always been my "go to" snack.  Of course, there's always Jello Sugar-free chocolate mousse or chocolate pudding (that mousse is really good, by the way).  And I always have SF frozen fruit bars and Italian Ices.  And there is always cheese.

Michelle

I have such a hard time with the 'sugar' issue.  To me the artificial stuff is 10x worse then real sugar so I have a hard time going to the SF snacks.  I cannot imagine what they must put in SF or Low fat items that make them taste good...  Any input?

I don't eat much processed or artificially sweetened foods but I must say that, for me, the sugar free popsicle is a lifesafer.  15 calories for one (so I usually eat two at night) and it satisfies my craving for a little something sweet in the evening.  Otherwise I pretty much avoid sugar except for the fruit variety.

blondelawyer - regarding stopping sugar, cold turkey with a few days of cravings is the best way to go. I recommend this from personal experience. Also sugar means no starches ot starchy veggies. Continuing just a little sugar will keep your insulin response and cravings going. Fruit - leave off bananas and dried fruit but berries are great.



Take it from someone who has lost 138 pound over the past 2 years. At first I just counted calories. After repeated plateaus and much reading, I cut sugars, starches AND grains in January. Steady loss since then. I still eat nonfat Greek yogurt although some say dairy contains too many carbs. I also use Stevia occasionally because it does not rev up my sugar cravings. Some folks have to cut all artificial sweeteners. Bite the bullet. Grab some healthy coping techniques and a strong support system. Consider making a list of why you are doing this and keep it close by.

Thanks for the advice.  I am a carb addict!  Did you cut out all carbs or just the white variety?  My ND wants me to keep eating whole grains.

ma111, studies are only just beginning to be done on the effects of high and low calorie diets, insulin and different dietary compositions on cancer. The results so far are fairly predictable.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2888909/      2011 September 1
 

Dietary energy availability affects primary and metastatic breast cancer and metformin efficacy

Introduction
Epidemiological studies have established a clear relationship between breast cancer and obesity. Specifically, obesity and weight gain have been directly correlated to increased breast cancer risk and mortality [1, 2]. A large prospective study has defined an increased risk of mortality from breast cancer up to 2.12-fold for women with increased body mass index (BMI) compared to normal weight individuals [3].
The relationship between excess dietary fuel intake and cancer has been modeled in a number of transplant and endogenous cancer animal models. In a review by Freedman et al., it was highlighted that higher caloric intake was sufficient to significantly increase the development of mammary tumors in rats and mice [4]. More recently, diet-induced obesity has been shown to promote the incidence of mammary tumor development in the MMTV-neu model of breast cancer [5]. However, few studies have directly evaluated primary mammary tumor growth and metastasis in conjunction with increased caloric intake.
Caloric restriction has been demonstrated to be an effective method to decrease cancer incidence and tumor growth including mammary tumors (reviewed by [6]). While a number of studies have demonstrated reduced mammary tumorigenesis associated with caloric restriction or dietary energy restriction, few have investigated dietary energy restriction as a direct treatment for primary or metastatic breast cancer. However, models of primary prostate and brain tumor growth have shown to be effectively suppressed with dietary restriction [7, 8].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Since epidemiological studies suggest that up to 50% of our population over the age of 50 exhibit metabolic syndrome [45, 46], representing a pre-diabetic condition related to high caloric intake and a sedentary lifestyle, the relationship of metabolic imbalance and the initiation and/or progression of breast cancer has become critically relevant. The data presented here imply that primary tumor growth and secondary tumor cell metastasis is supported by high energy consumption. 

Once again I get frustrated by the amount of foods listed that we should NOT eat.  How about compile lists and lists of food that are OKAY to eat.  jyg, you cut out sugars, starches and grains; what is it that you do eat? Okay, corn flakes on the 'do not eat' list; which cereals would be better to eat?  

This food thing is very difficult.  Walk into any grocery store and you are surrounded by tons of food that you should not be eating.  I made brown rice the other day and it was pretty horrible to eat.  I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, yet I am still hungry.  I've replaced sugar with stevia but must I deprive myself of the occasional brownie?  

There's lots of talk about dietary restrictions, but what about the plain fact that if you don't eat enough, you are constantly hungry?  And I'm not a large woman, pretty much average, weighing less than 150 lbs.  Also as mentioned, eating healthy costs money.  Plus does my husband have to be deprived of the foods he's eaten his whole life?  He didn't get bc.  So what do you do about taking care of providing meals for the other people in the household?  

I just find it all very complicated. 

Yes, Mrs M.  I agree, we're surrounded by people who don't appreciate the fact that their diet may be causing cancer, heart problems, any number of health issues.  If my husband continues to eat as he does while shunning a healthy diet then he may pay a high price.  Most of us with BC have had a chance to change our ways, but many get deadly cancers with no second chances. That leaves us with all those unhealthy food choices and often nothing on the menu that's healthy.  So do we just give in and risk our health?  
I've never enjoyed cooking so I'm probably not the right person to ask.  I rely on eggs, dairy, fish, nuts, beans and mycoprotein meat substitute for protein.  Fruit, vegetables and salads are obvious choices.  That leaves us with carbs, and I do use buckwheat and quinoa but not much more other than beans and nuts.  Most of our modern diet includes sugar, flour or bad fats but we can set an example if we put our minds to it.  Does anyone know of a good recipe book or web site for healthy foods without the flour, fats and sugar? 

I did not stop sugar because of worrying that it would feed my cancer.  I only stopped it as a means of losing weight.  For all I know the 5 cups of coffee I drink every morning caused my cancer and that I am not willing to give up.

I used to digest way too much sugar - just in hot tea alone each day I would intake at least 8 tablespoons of white sugar.  Now add in the chocolate, fruit juices, regular cokes, etc. and so it didn't matter how much I exercised I could not lose any of my chemo weight.

Changing this was very difficult for me as I had been intaking massive amounts of sugar for years but it can be done and that is why I am here supporting this thread.

Making a change like this could be for several different reasons so please don't assume that people cutting out sugar in their diets is strictly because a study came out that tells us that sugar feeds our cancer. 

I think I am being super sensitive today.  Sorry.

The problem with trying to eliminate sugar from your diet is that it is in everything!  If you start checking the labels, the high fructose corn syrup, which is the worst, will always appear, even in a dish that is not sweet.  We have tried to eliminate everything white, which converts to sugar, drink very little, only have desserts on special occations, and eat lots of fresh salads and veggies, along with our protein.  This means, no rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc...NOT FUN!

The interesting thing is, when we began to eat this way, after a few weeks, we no longer crave sweets like we used to.  The real test will be when we go on our cruise next week and see all those pastries and cakes! 

Mrs. M:  I like mixing my brown rice with black beans, melting some pepperjack cheese on top, and putting in a small corn tortilla. I add avocados and salsa if I have them handy. Just an idea for you !

I just came across this thread today and have just read some of the posts. Lots of encouraging information in here.

I'm a mad sugarholic. I did lose my taste for most foods including anything sweet during chemo. The only exception was icecream. I indulged in Haagen Dazs almost every day. I lost about seven pounds. When chemo was over and I started to regain my appetite, I immediately started to pile on weight and am now twenty pounds heavier than my pre-chemo weight. It turns out that my thyroid is underactive. Doc gave me an Rx for levothyroxine a couple of months ago and I just went to Costco to have it filled tonight. I have heard that a gluten-free diet can help get the thyroid functioning properly again but getting rid of all gluten in my diet would be a major overhaul. 

I appreciate you ladies listing recommended foods to eat.  The Anticancer Book recommends little or no meat, no processed foods, no sugar.  I eat many fruits, nuts and veggies, tho I've never eaten avocados and don't think I could.  I can eat eggs sometimes but can't stomach them every day.  I use organic milk but try to stay away from yogurt and cheese as they contain hormones.  I couldn't exist on eating only salads; I like whole grain bread: nothing like a toasted tomato sandwich!  Thanks also for the tips on making brown rice more palatable, will try.

Wow ladies great info and chat the last few days (figures all of it while I was away!) -- I have nothing to add but just wanted to say thanks for the info and keep up the good work.  The less you eat the bad stuff, the less you want it.  And there is SO much that is tasty and filling in the good options category.