Cancer seems to be the big, new, scary disease right now. When I was a kid, maybe one out of 20 people had cancer and died of it.
Today, it seems like it’s every other person.
In fact, just recently I was walking down the street in my neighborhood, and I met up with my next door neighbor who was out walking his dog.
He told me about how the guy across the street had died from lung cancer.
And the guy two doors down from me had died from bone cancer…
… and his own wife had had a breast cancer scare not three months prior.
I gave my condolences for the people who have passed away and my best wishes for his wife, but as I walked back to my own house, I found myself freaking out a little bit inside.
After all, if cancer is that common, could I be giving it to myself simply by what I do everyday?
I went home determined to find answers. I needed to find out what feeds cancer and figure out how to modify how much of it was in my diet.
Sugar Does Feed Cancer…But It’s Not The Only Meal On The Table!
It didn’t take me very long to find out that cancer tumors in the gut do, indeed, get their fuel from sugar.
The most recent research shows that cancer tumors might grow faster when they have access to glucose.
The sad thing is fat people in the studies were drinking about 12 oz of high fructose corn syrup-laden drinks every day.
That is a LOT of sugar!
Now, just in case you think you don’t eat that much sugar, please know that high fructose corn syrup is found in bread, ice cream, energy drinks, and all kinds of sweet treats we buy at the local corner store.
Because of how dangerous it is to give human beings high levels of sugar, the study has not yet been tested on humans – only on mice.
Now…the good (or possibly bad) news is that researchers have discovered sugar isn’t the only thank cancer likes. It also likes a diet of unhealthy fatty acids and glutamine – the precursor to glutathione.
That’s 3, big food groups for cancer – and knowing this helps explain why certain cancers (like pancreatic or astrocytomas) are so hard to fight.
Not every cancer feeds primarily on sugar. 🙁
(And even if it starts out that way, cancer can change metabolism and feed on something else if it wants to.)
Is Anything Good Left On The Menu??
When you look at the fact that cancer feeds on sugar, fat and glutamine (the precursor to glutathione), you might start to wonder if there’s anything you can eat.
Well…I’m glad you asked.
A balanced diet should include lots of green leafy vegetables, minimal fruit (because of the sugar content), and healthy protein.
Some people choose to give up animal protein, but that’s a personal choice.
It depends on whether or not you’re already sick, your weight, your energy levels, and how you feel from day to day.
it’s all about balance.
You should also read as much literature as you can so you get an education on your diet.
People go overboard on getting rid of sugar – and that’s a good thing – but it’s not the only thing you need to be doing.
Here’s a general guideline:
- Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count.
- Base meals on potatoes and gluten-free bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates.
- 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 gluten-free cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of gluten-free bread and large baked potato with the skin on.
- Dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
- Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
- Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts. These won’t feed your cancer.
- Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day.
- Adults should have less than 6g of iodized salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day. Be sure you always double or triple your potassium amount since health salt levels in your cells are always balanced by potassium.
It is 100% true that sugar is bad for you if you have cancer… but it’s not the only thing.
I hope this article open your eyes and gave you something new to consider. I spent years believing that sugar was the only thing I needed to get rid of in my diet.
It was a bombshell to find out that everyday food could be contributing to me being sick in the future.
Remember: Cancer feeds on 3 things – not just sugar. It’s important to look at everything you consume on a daily basis and work backwards from there.
I hope this was useful to you!
Do you think that people who pay very close attention to everything they eat are obsessive? How closely do you monitor your (potentially) cancer-causing eating habits?
