Glucose, Stress and Cancer
Big Mac anyone? + Abortion, a most controversial subject
Greetings to all,
Continuing with our journey in the new cancer paradigm, let’s talk about glucose and stress.
Bloodstream glucose seems to be another important marker for the onset of cancer as well as for longevity. Our bodies, especially the brain, need glucose to function. Too little glucose: our cells starve and begin to die. Too much glucose: water is drawn out of our cells, leading to cell dehydration and destruction.
We have an amazing organ which regulates blood sugar levels: the pancreas. When glucose level in our bloodstream is too high, it releases insulin to bring it back in balance (our cells absorb sugar out of the bloodstream). When glucose levels drop too low, it releases glucagon to bring it back in balance (our cells release stored sugar into the bloodstream.
It seems that cancer cells LOVE sugar. They absorb it right out of our bloodstream. New studies also show that cancer cells may use a sugar pathway; we don’t need to dwell on that as it is new and gets a bit more complicated.
The more we learn, the more we find out the amazing balance systems we have in our bodies which, if we paid attention, could lead us to live 150 years, in perfect health!
Our wonderful pancreas, however, can become tired and unable to keep up with extreme changes in blood glucose. How can we help the pancreas?
Greatly moderate our intake of sugars (that includes items made from flour, pasta, cakes, pastries, breads…) and totally give up refined sugar - Beware: if you decide to stop sugar altogether - cold turkey - you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms, a “healing crisis,” which can be quite uncomfortable, yet usually only lasts 3 days
Mitigate stress - high levels of constant stress is also one of the main causes of weight gain
In her book Food and Behavior, author and probation officer Barbara Reed Stitt links crime to nutrition, focusing especially on the connection between blood glucose levels and crime. Once juvenile delinquents were given nutritious and balanced meals, their whole demeanor changed. They had a much lower level of recidivism if they continued on a healthy diet.
Schools who implemented a return to nutritious foods saw the bills for school repairs (broken windows, holes in the walls) plummet. There was an initial investment to retrofitting kitchens, yet it paid off in less than a year.
What food should we choose? Foods we can fish or hunt, that grow in a garden, that one can gather in a forest - I used to live in a place where workers building a dam had thrown the seeds of their fruits in a forest; we had wild apple, pear, Indian peaches, and plum trees scattered throughout the forest, as well as patches of blackberries.
If you cannot grow your own food, choose Farmers’ Markets or Natural/Organic food stores. If you eat fish, choose wild caught ones. Meat? grass-fed, grass-finished beef, venison, elk or bison, pasture-raised chickens and their eggs…
Brightly packaged foods are usually high in calories and low, very low, in nutrients.
Let’s now talk about stress, which can also raise our blood glucose. You probably heard about the fight-or-flight response (we now talk about the fight-flight-freeze- fawn response).
Here is a great short video explaining the stress response.
What happens when we get stressed? A massive amount of glucose gets poured into the bloodstream, so we can react appropriately and run away from that saber-tooth tiger that is chasing us.
Oops… we don’t have to run from saber-tooth tigers any longer. Unfortunately, we still respond as if we do.
A letter from the IRS in the mail? Stress… glucose gets poured into the bloodstream.
A heated discussion with an unfriendly neighbor? Stress… glucose gets poured into the bloodstream.
Somebody cuts us off on the freeway? Stress… glucose gets poured into the bloodstream.
And so on.
When we came face to face with a saber-tooth tiger, we ran, using up this excess glucose. Then, we either escaped and were safe… or were eaten, and the problem disappeared.
In modern times, we get triggered several times a day, yet don’t run to use up that excess glucose/energy. It thus stays in the body for a long period of time.
Here is another video explaining adrenal fatigue.
Our bodies cannot be in a state of stress/cell breakdown (sympathetic mode) and of peace/regeneration (parasympathetic mode) at the same time.
Students are under stress during an exam: their urine shows excessive amount of glucose. Workers in boring jobs are under stress as well.
Our minds can cause us to be stressed out, when we catastrophize (awfulize) a situation. You probably heard that a high percentage of what we fear never happens.
Being under stress for long periods of time weakens the adrenal glands. If we don’t regenerate between stressful incidents, the adrenals get weaker and weaker and we start to experience dis-eases.
The latest studies show that 80% of Americans suffer from adrenal fatigue.
Take time to exercise (a brisk walk will do) to burn up the excess glucose, then rest, meditate, do gentle movements like Chi Gung or Tai Chi.
Did you download a copy of my free booklet “3 Mind Hacks to Help You BreakThrough Challenges? You can find it on my website.
Speaking of food high in calories and low in nutrients (it’s called junk food), I just came across a video by Dr. Paul Saladino, examining what’s in McDonald’s food. He mentions that the beef patties are 100% beef. Some people have doubts. I was not able to find a perfect response. I’ve never eating a fast food burger since coming to this country in 1979. I make my own burgers with grass-fed, grass-finished beef, bison, venison or elk.
Today, Dr. Malone focused his attention on the division between pro-life and pro-choice groups, one of the most controversial topic of our times, in his newsletter. Neither pro-life nor pro-choice, his article focuses on his experience as a pathologist. Here is the link to his newsletter.
I watched the ultra-sound video of an abortion in 1982. The baby was trying to avoid the knife the abortionist was using to chop him up into pieces. It left an indelible impression on my mind.
At the time of the Roe v. Wade court decision in 1973, we knew very little about the development of a baby in the mother’s womb. It’s not the case any longer. In utero babies have dreams, their own fingerprints and especially a nervous system which allows them to feel pain.
We don’t often talk about what happens to the mothers of these aborted babies. My professional experience with women who had abortions showed that they often suffer from recurring bouts of depression; they have been psychologically scarred. Of course, the wound can be healed, yet it’s not routinely done or even offered at the time of the abortion.
Here is a beautiful video about the development of a baby in the mother’s womb.
Eat well, move, relax and
LIVE with PASSION, PURPOSE and DELIGHT!
Danielle