My office manager kept pulling our complimentary copy of the “Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine” from the bottom of my reading pile with the comment, “You really need to read this.” I’m so glad I did and I was thrilled to find the article “Dangerous Foe in a Sweet Disguise” by Christine Horner, MD. She makes the connection between sugar consumption and cancer. I’m amazed how few cancer survivors are aware of this. Yes, giving up sugar is difficult, but if you can find a brand of Stevia you like, it is a lot easier. (The Stevia plant is indigenous to Paraguay and is 300 times sweeter than sugar.) As Dr. Horner explains, “Cancer cells love sugar. It’s their preferred fuel. The more sugar you eat, the faster cancer cells grow.” There are several other reasons to avoid sugar, but for those of us who have been through the cancer experience and are concerned about a recurrence, it’s imperative. I noticed in Bill Henderson’s book, “Cancer Free: Your Guide to Non-toxic Healing” he lists three safe sugar substitutes: Stevia, Agave Syrup and Xylitol. I had been keeping Agave syrup in the break room for my employees, then discovered at the Nutrition Conference it was no different than high fructose corn syrup. (Ooops!) As more research is done the guidelines change and just keeping up with all of this can be a full time job. (I’m doing my best to stay informed so I can pass the most recent information on to you.) Perhaps the best approach is to stay away from all sweetners, artificial sweeteners in particular, and give your taste buds a chance to adapt so you can ultimately enjoy the natural sweetness in whole foods.
I’m leaving next week for Europe so there won’t be any blogs for a few weeks. In the meantime, however, let me recommend two more incredible books: 1) The “Vitamin D Solution” by Michael F. Holick, M.D. There has been so much information published lately on Vitamin D, which really isn’t a vitamin at all: it’s a steroid hormone and you have to have cholesterol to produce it! I’m sure you will appreciate Dr. Holick’s clarification on safe sun exposure as well as the connection to Vitamin D deficiency and cancer. 2) “Statin Damage Crisis” by Duane Graveline, M.D. is a must read for anyone taking statin drugs. This book also gives you a better understanding of the vital role of cholesterol in our bodies. Dr. Graveline was a USAF flight surgeon and a NASA scientist astronaut. His research on the adverse side effects of statin drugs was generated by his own experience with transient global amnesia six weeks after he started taking a statin drug.
Happy reading and I’ll get back to you in late June. I’ll be spending a lot of time on airplanes and will have plenty of time to read more books. Stay tuned.