How I Cut the Crap, Stopped Craving Sugar, and Kicked Cancer To the Curb!

First,  let's get one thing straight.  Sugar causes more harm than good.  In fact, sugar is killing us. Here are a few quick facts from the book "I Quit Sugar" by Sarah Wilson:    

• On average, Americans eat more than 2 pounds of sugar a week.
• 150 years ago, we ate next to none.
• "Studies are proving sugar to be the biggest cause of fatty liver, which leads to insulin resistance.  This then causes metabolic syndrome, which is now being seen as the biggest precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer."  
• Some scientists estimate that sugar is responsible for 35 million deaths worldwide.

Now let's get to the nitty gritty of why and how I decided to "Cut the Crap" and kick the sugar habit. It all began on a beautiful, sunny day in November of last year.  The day that I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  After walking out of my surgeon's office in a panicked stupor, I sat in my car, shed a few tears and called my husband.  The next thing I did was to drive to my local Public Library and arm myself with every book available on the subject.  I had to do something to take control.  I was ready to fight and I didn't want to waste any time.  Knowledge is power!  My husband was waiting for me when I got home.  We hugged and he told me I was strong.  Then we started planning our attack.  Cancer was not going to defeat me!

Food For Cancer

I started reading a book about cancer and nutrition that afternoon.  And one of the first things I learned was that sugar is bad.  Sugar feeds cancer and makes it grow.  So the hubby and I made a pact right then and there that cancer was going to starve, because we were not going to feed it any sugar, and he would join me and support me in changing our diet.  We went cold turkey that night and cut all sugar out of our diet.  This included white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc. The only form of sugar I allowed myself to eat was the fructose found naturally in fruit.

I went to the grocery store the next morning and took my time in the veggie aisle.  I was looking at organic mushrooms, when a woman next to me said, "Did you just get a scare?"  It took me off guard, but I replied to her, "Yes, I just got a diagnosis."  I don't know why, or how, but somehow she picked up that vibe from me.  She had just gone through it herself and was also in the process of changing her diet.  We talked there in the produce aisle about how eating a plant based diet could reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.  We bonded over mushrooms and then went our separate ways.

"Wow", I thought to myself, "This breast cancer thing seems to be getting more prevalent".  Or is it just that I noticed it more now that I had it myself?  When I got home from the store, I continued reading the books from the library and learned that indeed, the prevalence has gone up.

According to a group called Breast Cancer Action,  who has compiled statistics from the American Cancer Society, rates have more than tripled in the United States since the 1940s, when a woman's lifetime breast cancer risk was one in 22.  An American woman now has a one in eight chance of having breast cancer in her lifetime.  http://archive.bcaction.org/index.php?page=statistics-and-general-facts

Of course, there are a myriad of genetic and environmental factors that are believed to cause breast cancer.  Over the next year, I'll be examining some of these factors on my blog and offering some practical ways that anyone can help reduce their risk of getting cancer or having a recurrence.  

The Not So Sweet Side Of Sugar

In my research for this blog post I paid another visit to my Public Library and found a wealth of books available on sugar, how it is bad for you, and how to beat addiction to this substance that is such as HUGE part of the average American's diet.  Any of these books can tell you the scientific facts and studies that have been done on how sugar effects our bodies and how it is related to cancer. I'm going to focus my writing on what I have personally done to cut out the sugar.  So, if you need to see more evidence, look it up for yourself.

So What Was It Like Going Through Sugar Detox?  

OK, I'm not going to lie to you.  It hasn't always been easy.  And I'm still searching for easy, yummy recipes that my three kids are on board with.  Because, let me tell you, the kids are not on board with the no sugar thing.  This search will be an ongoing thread in this blog.

It's my opinion that it is better to quit sugar cold turkey and stay off of it for at least a few weeks before trying to eat it again.   There are differing opinions about how to successfully detox, but this is what worked for me.  And I just want to say that if I can do it, you can do it too!  


The first couple weeks of sugar detox were the hardest.   Mostly, we felt tired.  But there were two things that I feel helped us the most during those first weeks:  protein smoothies and eggs (all types of eggs, hard boiled, scrambled, omelets, etc.).  I think maybe the extra protein helped, but I have no scientific proof of that.  Once we got through that initial phase, we felt great and our energy levels were better than they had been in a long time.

I'm happy to report that my husband and I have now been mostly sugar free for about 10 months. I have occasionally indulged in a treat, for example at a party or on vacation.  However, I'm also happy to report that those indulgences did not give me cravings or sabotage my detox.  In fact, sweet things don't taste as good to me now as they did before the detox.

I also now eat a couple small squares of 85% Dark Organic Chocolate each day.  It contains a small amount of sugar, but the dark chocolate contains antioxidants with cancer fighting properties and also helps satisfy the desire for a little treat.

My Advice For You

• Find someone to quit sugar along with you.  It will help keep you on track. 
• Have plenty of snacks on hand that don't contain sugar and that will satisfy you when you start feeling cravings.
• Look out for hidden sugar.  Sugar goes by many names and is added to almost everything.  Do your research.
• Go cold turkey if you can, but if you decide to do it slowly, cut as much as you can the first week, then gradually eliminate. 
• Give yourself a few weeks to let your body adjust.  You will feel bad at first, but eventually it will pay off.  Your energy will increase and the cravings will decrease.  
• Some will advise you to eliminate fruit also.  I feel that fruit offers many health benefits, so I didn't cut it out of my diet.  You can try to eliminate fruits that are highly glycemic (like bananas for one) in the beginning if you wish. 
• I do not recommend the use of any artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, Sucralose, etc.) Natural sweeteners (for example, honey, molasses, maple syrup, Stevia extract, etc.) can be used in very limited quantities after you complete your detox.  

Today, I'll share one of the recipes that got us over the initial hump.  This smoothie helped satisfy us when we started feeling weak.  We still have one of these smoothies almost every day.

"Green Ninja" Smoothie

One of the best things I did that first week of sugar detox was to buy a Ninja brand blender for my family.  It turned out to be a great investment, and I highly recommend buying one.  After experimenting with the many smoothie recipes that came with the blender, my husband and I came up with this recipe on our own.  We've been drinking them almost daily since my diagnosis ten months ago.  I'm calling it my"Green Ninja Smoothie."  

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup packed baby spinach
1/2 to 1 cup frozen fruit (any kind--I usually use strawberries and blueberries, or a mixed fruit blend)
One scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
About 1 tsp of chia seeds
Unsweetened Coconut milk (or almond milk)
One frozen wheatgrass shot (Optional)

Variations:
 If I have a fresh pineapple on hand, I chop up the core into pieces and add a little of that to my smoothie.  Pineapple core has something called bromelain that has anticancer properties.
I have also added carrots to it with good results
Sometimes I add fresh banana.  Really any combination of fruit is fine.  Use what you have on hand.

Instructions:

This picture shows the Ninja blender's single serving size cup.  Pack the spinach in the bottom of the cup.

Choose your frozen fruit and add it on top of the spinach.  For this smoothie, I used this Tropical Fruit Blend from Costco.  Add any other fruit you wish to use, such as pineapple core.

Next, add a scoop of whey powder.  We use Life Extension brand.

Add desired amount of Chia Seeds.  I use about 1 teaspoon.  You can also add a frozen wheatgrass shot to give it some extra cancer fighting power.

Finally, add the unsweetened coconut milk up to the top.  Blend and enjoy.

This subject will definitely be brought up again in future posts.  So check back for more recipes.  

Happy Detoxing!!!