Stop SUGAR Support Thread

The reality is that ALL CARBS convert to sugar once they get past your mouth.  So  whether it's fruit, whole grains, veggies or processed stuff like flour, sugar, etc., it all converts to sugar.  Some of these foods do so more quickly than others (the theory behind the glycemic index).  This is a lesson I learned a decade ago, when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

There are lots of "theories" about whether or not "sugar" feeds cancer cells.  I think some people believe it's true because when we have those PET scans, the glucose attaches itself to the cancer cells and that's how they can see mets.  Other scientists theorize that it's too much circulating insulin that feeds cancer.  I think that the circulating insulin theory is the one that is associated with the metformin clinical trials.  Metformin's action is to reduce the amount of glucose released by the liver and to reduce insulin resistance to glucose at the cellular level.  When insulin resistance is reduced, your pancreas doesn't have to output as much insulin to take care of the glucose that your body produces from what you eat.  And your cells use (or take up) the glucose more efficiently, thus reducing the stress on your pancreas.  There are other ways to reduce circulating insulin, one of the best being exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. 

In Type 2 diabetes, the more carbs you eat, the more insulin your pancreas has to produce.  Eventually, the beta cells in the pancreas can "wear out" and that's when a type 2 diabetic has to begin using insulin. 

Regardless of whether you have breast cancer or any other health issue, maintaining a healthy weight with a healthy diet consisting of lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats is a good thing along with daily exercise.  We've been told this for decades.  Whether or not this prevents BC is still subject to debate.  What is known is that being healthy and getting regular exercise,  in general, helps us to handle whatever comes our way in the form of health issues. 

Spinner, packed in water is even better obviously, just haven't seen them that way down here. Yep, it is low-cost, high-nutrition item. I add the onions for their anti-inflammatory and other benefits. I pretty much try to eat some form of onions and cabbage daily.

My diet lifelong has been crappy. My mom fixed TV dinners for dinner or we went to McDonalds. We had 2 liter cokes in the house and M and M bags at all times. Other than bananas, I never saw fruit until I went to a friend's house. So yeah all us kids have a mouth full of cavities. I'm actually underweight and I could eat all the pasta and carbs and sweets I want and never gain a pound. People said after 40 I would ....I'm 47 and still nothing. But.....if there's one thing getting this damned disease has done for me is a 180 on my food habits. So even if sugar has nothing to do with breast cancer, it was a good way (sadly though) to get me to eat much better than I ever have. And type 2 diabetes is rampant on both sides of my family (ironically cancer is non existant save for me, yaaayyy....not), so it for sure will help me to stave that off.

I'm a pharmacist and read about the metformin clinical trials before I got diagnosed. The Mayo clinic here where I live is one of the places doing the trial, so I may look in to it. Very interesting study!

Oh and for those interested, it's Extra not Dentyne that makes the sugar free gum that tastes like dessert. Saw mint chocolate chip at the store today. I don't even chew that much of it, as fruits really have helped me take off the huge sugar load I was used to (took my canister of white sugar today and tossed it in the garbage). But it's nice to have every so often. And I discovered maple sugar. Now that's pretty darn good and I only use a tiny amount on oatmeal and such. Boiled a little in hot water and made some maple syrup for whole grain waffles. Pretty tasty! But overall I'm amazed that once I stuck to saying no more white sugar, I've been ok.....and I think my taste buds are finally getting more sensitive. The green pomegranate hot tea I had finally didn't taste like plain hot water to me. Baby steps! 

I am trying as much anti cancer diet as I can, taking better and more supplements, only buying organic, etc.....and I'm waiting to start tamoxifen. My receptors were both over 90%...but waiting on the Oncotype score yet to see about chemo then plug in all the numbers regarding that and tamoxifen. I know sooo many women have horrible problems on tamox, so I' hoping I'm not one of them. I also have 2 naturopathic oncologists in the area that I plan on consulting as well. Doesn't hurt to try everything and anything! Hopefully your new med onc in March will be a better help to you Kaara! Good luck! :-)

Cyborg- you  are onto something . I don't eat sugar but on occasion I have a wheat bagel. After which I have joint pain. 

Mumayan - that requires a herculean effort!  Good for you!

Got my Oncotype back today - 11. NO CHEMO!!!! I start now on tamoxifen.

So.....I'm going to keep up my good new healthy diet that I started back in Jan. Keeping the sugar out.....it's gonna be hard, but worth it if this does indeed help keep anymore cancer from ever coming back anywhere in me. Who knows, but it's worth a shot.....and I have to figure I'll be healthier overall. My hair stylist last Saturday at my appt remarked, "Just think of what a super woman you are going to be if your body has lasted 47 years on the absolute crap you fed it and you were never sick till this cancer....you're going to live to 120 and never have so much as a cold again in your life." LOL! I like her attitude. I was telling her about the Penguin cold cap and making plans for saving my hair in case I had to do chemo, so I filled her on on everything....including giving up my beloved lifelong Dr Pepper addiction. Even she knew I must be serious about being healthy if I gave THAT up.  

Hello.  My name is Kate and I am a sugaraholic.

Just found this thread and it's nice to know there's help out there!    Always been thin but since BC dx have packed on 20+ lbs and think it's all from sugar.  It feels like crack to me (or how I assume crack feels not having personal experience!).  (Honest!)  I've been known to hide candy bars in the house, hide ice cream bars beind the frozen peas and sneak into my son's bedroom and swipe his Halloween/Christmas stocking/Easter basket candy when he's not looking when the cravings get too bad.  (Usually the days when I'm all proud of myself because I exhibited great will power at the grocery store by not buying any of that stuff.)  Is there help for someone like me?   

Hey Kate!  Is weight gain an SE of tamox (or arimidex or whatever)?  Which I assume you are on as an ER/PR positive survivor?

Most of us put on weight with Arimidex.

Lilah- I'm not on Tamox but was on anti-depressants which I think contributed to the weight gain.  Throw in 5 surgeries, too much bed rest, depression, emotional eating, menopause, chronic pain from fibromyalgia, no job and a disabled DH (OMG, I'm a frickin' mess) the pounds have crept (leapt?) on over the past 2 years.  And sugar is my go to comfort blanket that's for sure.  

Just wondering, does everyone recommend using artificial sweeteners or does that just prolong the sugar cravings?  

Kate,

 Hi fellow Phoenician! (I live in Fountain Hills).

 I'm a lifelon sugarholic junk food vegertarian. Thin my whole life - genetics. Now I'm proud to say EX junk foodie. I gave up al white sugar and white bread. It was TOUGH for a couple weeks. I eat sourdough bread as I cannot stomach the darker breads - the one I buy at Whole Foods has no sugar added so it's zero sugar content and it's unbleached flour (but not whole wheat which I know is better - but at least sourgough is better than plain white bread). Once I gave up my daily Dr Pepper and sugar addiction, after a couple weeks I started tasting things more. Now for me red grapes and clementine oranges are so sweet that they satisfy my former sugar craving.

I would never recommend sugar subsitutes that are fake like splenda and equal and the like. I tried several forms of Stevia, BLECH! UGH! Couldn't stand them. So I looked more and found things like maple sugar/syrup, sucanant (dried beet sugar I think) can be subbed for real sugar and they aren't bad. I just had some flax outmeal which was bland, but I added some raisins and maple sugar and it was tasty. But mostly now I drink smoothies daily and the fruit really tastes sweet for me now. Never did before. Just remember things like equal and splenda are chemicals - and the sooner you can do organic foods and no fake stuff, the better. I do treat myself once a day to Ghiradhelli 72% dark chocolate. The serving size is 4 pieces but I find now I'm good after 1 piece, so I'm only having 1/4 the sugar that's listed on the package and that's hardly anything.

I lived on donuts and cupcakes and oreos and m and m's my entire life till this year when I got diagnosed. I'm 47. If I can do it, YOU can do it :-)

Cheri 

Kate33:  Good post...thanks!

I haven't been on here in awhile. Enjoying catching up on the posts. Makes me feel less alone in the struggle to give up sugar. I turned a corner about a month ago, got really determined to remove all crap from my diet. Gave up alcohol, sugar, gluten, and am in process of cutting way back on dairy (my primary doc tested my adrenals and they are low-normal and he was first person to say dairy taxes the adrenals). I am trying to avoid anything processed. Have discovered I love raw kale as a salad, with plain cooked chicken, garbanzo beans, and some olive oil/vinegar dressing. So I eat that for lunch almost every day. When I first tried to be serious about giving up sugar (after being diagnosed), I really struggled every day. Then got to point where during the work week I was very good, but blew it on weekends. Now I am a month into really "clean eating". It feels pretty good. It has improved my chronic insomnia, too -- quite an incentive to keep going on the straight and narrow !

Cherilynn:  We purchased a Brita water pitcher and cut up lemon in the filtered water.  We drink that all day, and maybe that is why we don't have sugar cravings so much anymore.  We are content to eat an orange or some dried fruit and nuts for dessert now.