Is sugar a “friend” to anyone?

More and more individuals in the U.S. are receiving the dreaded diagnosis of cancer. There are many things that can be done to diminish your risk plus deal successfully with cancer if you are diagnosed.

I chose to write this particular blog because a patient has recently been dealing with a very aggressive case of cancer. We were talking about dietary strategies and I mentioned the danger of sugar. She had an interesting experience when she was first diagnosed. She said, “I got the diagnosis and literally the first thing the nurse said to me was, ‘You know, you’ll hear that you shouldn’t eat sugar. That’s nonsense. Just enjoy. Eat what you want.” There’s absolutely no truth to the fact that sugar causes cancer.”

I was horrified and so angry it made me want to scream. Did the nurse feel “sorry” for my patient and felt there was no hope so she may as well eat whatever she wants? It wouldn’t be the first time I had encountered that sentiment.

Sugar is the preferred fuel source of cancer

A PET scan to track cancer growth and spread is a radioisotope of sugar. Sugar is used because cancer cells LOVE it. Sugar attracts the cancer cells and they literally light up on the test.

It’s absolutely proven that cancer cells adore sugar.

If you have cancer, if you’re predisposed genetically in some fashion, or if you want to make sure you don’t get cancer, don’t eat any sugar. It really, truly is that simple.

I tell my patients sugar is the devil, and it really is. I know this personally as well as professionally. I was a complete sugar addict when I was younger, so I know exactly what the addiction feels like. But I also know how to reverse it.

Does “no sugar” = miserable life?

Does no sugar mean no enjoyment in food? It can certainly feel like that at first, but fortunately not for long.

Fresh fruit is delicious and it’s important to reiterate that fresh fruit is absolutely fine, in moderation. There is a lot of false data that fruit and refined sugar are the same things – absolutely untrue.

I do appreciate that if you’ve been consuming a lot of sugar, your sweet taste is very desensitized, meaning it takes a lot for you to taste sweet. So there is a transition period where you’ll feel that nothing is sweet enough. The good news is that passes quickly.

I’ll also review below all the many options other than sugar that you can enjoy, and yes, even desserts.

Your sweet “tooth” mellows quickly

When you start to eat less sugar your sensitivity really increases. If you’ve ever avoided for Lent or any religious holiday, or just decided to take a break you likely experienced this. All of a sudden a piece of fruit tastes delicious and very sweet. Something that was much less sweet in the past now tastes very, very good.

Healthy sweet alternatives

Fresh dates are very, very sweet. For some people, they can enjoy dates and do fine. Other patients have told me they are just too intense. Moderation is key and if you tolerate them well, consider making desserts with them. For the powdered variety, there’s date sugar, which is just dried dates, so it’s no less a real whole food. There’s also date syrup.

A little bit of maple syrup or honey is also an option, but I prefer these to be in strict moderation.

Enjoying naturally sweet fresh fruit and a little unsulfured dried fruit is fine.

Additionally, there’s stevia, a very sweet plant that can be used in moderation. It’s a personal preference but I find stevia powder to have an aftertaste. I have no vested interest, just personal opinion, but my favorite company is Sweetleaf, they have a variety of liquid flavors and while a single bottle is pricey, it seems to last “forever”.

Note: please avoid ALL artificial sweeteners, they are as equally dangerous as sugar. Stevia does not fall into this category.

Dessert recommendations that won’t get you in trouble

We have many dessert recipes on our website, rootcausemedicalclinics.com. We have hundreds of recipes and many are desserts because we want our patients to appreciate how they can enjoy things that are sweet, without the sugar.

Give some recipes a try and give us your feedback. These are well-tested recipes and we keep them simple.

Please take the “no sugar” recommendation seriously for you and your family

I hope you take this recommendation to heart and make an effort to free your diet, your family’s, and your children's from sugar.

I’m not saying it’s the only cause. Nor am I saying every person you know who eats a lot of sugar is going to get cancer, but the association is very well known.

Of course, sugar causes many unhealthy conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and more. It’s highly inflammatory, and therefore it causes a lot of health problems that we want to avoid. If you make an effort, especially with your children, whose palates are forming, you can really make a dent in our poor health status.

Avoid sugar “rewards” for your children

Stop having rewards for your kids be sugary, sweet treats. I was leaving the gym the other day and I witnessed a conversation between a dad and his young son. Dad had been working out while the little guy was at the childcare center at the gym. The child ran up saying: “Daddy, Daddy, I want candy.” Dad said, “Were you good?”

Hey, I grew up that way too; my mother LOVED sugar and it was absolutely used as a reward. Many of us did. But the unfortunate result of that is sugar becomes the “go-to” for a reward as well as for solace associated with a bad day. And it extends way past childhood.

Shifting that mentality will go a long way to helping us be so much healthier, so give it some thought. Look at your options. I’ve made many changes in my family’s diet over the years as I’ve learned more and more about various foods. These changes can be made if you truly intend to make them. You can still have delicious treats, but the sugar really must be avoided.

Are you ready to improve your health?

I hope this was helpful. If your health is not the way you want it to be or a member of your family’s health is not the way you want it to be, please reach out. That’s why we’re here.

We specialize in identifying the underlying reason why you have the symptoms which are bothering you.

We have great tools to really get the answers of not only “why” but what can be done about it.

You deserve to enjoy great health; please give me a call if you want some help.