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I don't have a lot to add to all the advice and experiences given except to say that I really believe that we need to change how we look at healthy eating from "what will make me lose weight," to "what does my body need to be optimally healthy." Of course it is true that being overweight is unhealthy, but that should not be the focus.

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Very, very good point, Maria. That's something I need to be aware of in the way that I write/communicate about this. I'm a part of another running group that is *really* adamant about not talking about weight loss or dieting as part of your running routine -- that that's not the goal, being health is the goal. They don't want to encourage unhealthy or obsessive approaches to all of this; that's something I need to be more conscious of.

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I've talked about my diet in a previous post several months ago. Despite grinding hard in workouts and following a training plan to a T I still wasn't really seeing results and I felt heavy and sluggish on most of my runs. So I had to take a long hard look at myself and my diet. I realized that I could no longer outrun my less than stellar diet. I started with cutting out alcohol and watching how much added sugar was going into my belly. I was that annoying person at the grocery store reading every label. I followed a loose version of Whole 30 but didn't completely deprive myself because I need fuel in order to have quality runs and workouts. I also majorly increased my water uptake to about 100 oz of water a day (I'm 5'6; NOW 135 lbs. When I started my weight loss quest I was 149 which is the heaviest I've ever been). Between giving up sugar as much as humanly possible and drinking water my body started to naturally detox. I could feel the difference in my running within a week. A month later the times started to drop. Weight loss was slow initially: about 1.5 - 2lbs a week. That was frustrating BUT I focused on how much better I felt on my runs. My chronically tight hamstrings were less tight. I think the fact that I wasn't forcing my body to carry that extra weight was key. The first 10 days of my clean(er) eating was tough: your body 100% goes through withdrawls when you stop giving it sugar. Sugar really is like a drug! But after that 10 day mark it gets easier. That's my advice to people: just give it 10 days, then you'll see. We're runners and we have a higher pain tolerance and better discipline than the average bear...we can do this!!!!

I also highly recommend Shalane Flanagan's cookbook series "Run Fast, Eat Slow." Not only does she offer great recipe ideas to fuel runners but she writes about the foods that runners need. Its extremely helpful for high school and young female atheletes to see that you don't need to starve yourself to be fast. She considers good quality butter a 'super food.' Who can argue with that?!

Trust me: once you start feeling better on your runs, that will help you maintain your good eating. You can still allow yourself to occasionally eat the 'bad things' that you love as long as you get more of the good things ONCE you hit your goal weight.

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Mary, this is so, so helpful. And you're so right, the first 10 days are the hardest. I'm so amazed that you saw results in how you felt on your runs within just a week!! That's awesome.

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Even with a medical diagnosis that required drastic change (CSID), I struggle. It’s not you!!!! This kind of change is HARD.

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As I have discussed previously, I lost 100 pounds in 2020 and I am still there. I did so because I had decided that my retirement goal would be to live as many years in retirement as I worked for the employer I had retired from. (32). When I hit 290 and doctors wanted daily meds for about everything, it was enough. I started by learning food was fuel and not my emotional support system. I have to give FITBIT a lot of credit here because for all it's issues it can give you a good idea on how many calories are in what you have eaten and more importantly where your macros stand. (Proteins, Fats, Carbs)

Food is not evil and your favorite foods are more like your friends. It's nice to have them visit but you don't want them moving in. Guilt for eating something you like is unnecessary and unhelpful, but experimenting with alternatives can lead to new "friends" that are more efficient fuels. How you use that fuel is what brings the body into balance. The goal is not a number on a scale but how you feel about yourself and ultimately how you perform in whatever efforts you undertake.

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This is a great question and something that has been on my mind lately. I can’t say I had a turning point yet (too soon) but I’ve started eating more moderately since we discovered a day after last thanksgiving weekend that my husband had several blocks in his arteries and needed a quintuple bypass surgery two weeks later - and he is the healthy one, does not eat any sugar or meat, super slim and plays regular squash (blame genes). In contrast I always used my running as an excuse to double down on all kinds of sugary stuff. Long story short - he has done extremely well after the surgery and even back to playing squash, and I have become a bit more careful about what and how much I eat. No major change but passing on that extra helping or not eating more than one chocolate bar. And it has given benefits - I run somewhat faster and I’ve lost some 15 pounds since last TG, close to what my weight was before kids came along. Question is whether old habits will eventually prevail.. it’s a huge possibility given the quick fix take outs when there is too much going on .. but I keep reminding myself how much better I feel now compared to the last 10 years

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I registered for a triathlon and thought riding a bike and the other events will be better if I lose some weight so my wife and I are using the health plan optavia to reduce carbs and sugars, however it is difficult. I would burn a lot of calories however I couldn't drop lbs due to habits of eating before bed, eating too much sugar etc. We are gradually losing lbs and changing our habits.

Just want to thank everyone for their comments so inspiring!!!

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The habits are the toughest to tame/change. I have found that after dinner exercise (walking, swimming) dulls the cravings. Keep up the good work

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No epiphanies, I eat if I'm hungry, don't bother when I'm not. I prefer poor man's food which translates to rice, beans and vegetables--mostly with Mexican flavors and spices. Sugar does not exist, little salt. Fresh spices are king. We use some dairy--little at that, no eggs. One has to respect the body. It is the only place to live this lifetime. :)

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It is! It's interesting how much what you're describing overlaps with what I'm reading in 'The Blue Zones' -- that's essentially what people who live in these areas eat throughout their lives. Why no eggs? (I love eggs, but I understand I should limit them.)

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I think I grew up in the Blue Zones out in the Valley and continued on. Eating like we did was satisfying and so, here I am! . . .but, I have a love trying to make whatever people can buy. Can one make. . . whatever? . .crackers, beer,wine, ravioli, sweetened condensed milk?. . . you name it, I've probably tried it or continued on making it! Takes time, but oh, the learning experience! (For the record, I've made parchment, inks from chemicals, spun wool, etc. . . it's so exciting knowing how things are made from start to finish!)

People love eggs. I raised chickens when I was little and sold the eggs to the Mercantile. They were big and delicious. I had lots of them when I was little.

When I adopted the Hindu religion, we did not use eggs. Dairy, but no eggs. I suppose it has something to do with the not killing things. I was overjoyed as it meant learning to bake and cook a new way!

I don't know why you should limit them if you enjoy them. According to my brother, he can eat two or three hard boiled eggs that he makes in the InstaPot and not eat anything else all day! Fooey on the studies. they all vary from one day to the next! :)

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The one word that my wife and I haven't talked about for the last 10 years, is DIET! What to eat and how much. It's everywhere... what diet works and which one doesn't... Even with runners... If I can just lose those last few pounds I'll cut a minute off my times... My wife was never a big meat eater.. excluding BBQ Ribs... when she went to a plant based life style I figured it was just a phase, it wasn't. Now after 10 plus years, it's our life style. I still eat meat on and off but I have to be the one to cook it, she won't. At first the choices out there sucked... Most items tasted awful, even smothered in salsa or other toppings.. Now what's out there rivals the meat products and the choices are endless and they no longer taste like cardboard, though I still hate Tofu in its uncooked state... Do I feel better and are my times as good as they were in my 30's? Not a chance... I don't feel as bloated after a meal and we don't seem to eat as much as we used to...We stir fry a lot and cook most veggie burgers on the grill...Will I ever give up meat? No! I like a real burger once in a while and still crave chicken wings and a beer watching a sports event... but, after my yearly physicals, I'm told I'm healthy and to just keep doing what I'm doing...

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That's excelllent, Steve! That's where I want to be -- tell me more about the stir frying, because that's a great way to approach it, that also adds a lot of flavor when you cook with veggies. How do you all do it?

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We do a ton of stir frying with fresh veggies. We have salads at least 4 nights a week and I love my wife's beans and rice she makes in a crock pot. A lot of our meals are worked around Morning Star and Gardein ... I don't like everything but most item are good... They used to have a veggie ribs meal that if you didn't know it wasn't meat you never would have known... I find that they discontinue an item after a couple of years... They used to have a Mediterranean burger that we ate in a pita pocket with humus and veggies... one day it was there, the next it was gone... Gardien stop making it... There are new brands showing up all time... some are good... others not so much...

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Yes, I know potatoes equate to carbs, but if you ARE exercising, then those carbs ARE needed. Now, back to the potatoes. Wet the potato, score it every 1/2 inch all the way around, there generously coat the potato with garlic powder. Bake it for an hour and a quarter. When done, you need to add nothing, not even butter or butter substitute, it will have a great taste all its own

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Thank you for the recipe.. I'll give it a try...

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I have PCOS, which after I was diagnosed with it had caused me to gain 10 lbs in only one month, and it became worse from there. Several years later, I had given up. I was out of shape, and about 40 lbs overweight. Two of my close friends who are experienced thru-hikers asked if I would like to go to France with them and hike through the midi-Pyrenees. For some reason, I said yes, although I was not physically trained to go. I trained for three months and went, but continuously fell behind the others, sometimes by nearly a half hour. The epiphany moment came when they were so far ahead of me that I started to become lost, went out onto a road, and had to ask a local to give me a ride to the next point on the map. That was the pivotal moment when I decided that I would never, EVER let that happen to me again. That started the journey toward taking my health and wellness more seriously and getting the PCOS under control. I lost 40 lbs, and began running.

What finally helped me to lose the "final 10" that so many speak about, it a keto/flex, low carb diet. During marathon training peaks, I eat carbs again, but now for instance post-marathon, I have scaled way back until the next training cycle. It does take a lot of will sometimes not to slip into old habits, especially when very tired, or in a party or holiday setting where it's easier to say "oh, it's just this once" sort of thing. But, if I'm honest with myself, I know that I always feel better, and my body is happier, with low carbs, and no sugar. It's a continuous process, and it isn't always easy. Often in the mornings after meditation I offer gratitude for a strong body that can do so many things, and run races, and that can help to put myself in the right frame of mind to carry that gratitude into nourishing my body throughout the day in a way that is kind to it.

Sorry, long post. :)

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My daughter and son-in-law are firm believers in the Keto life style aren't going back either... I on the other hand couldn't do it... I missed a lot of my favorites..

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No apologies needed, Caroline! Thank you for sharing this. Your journey has SO much to teach us all. I can really relate to it being a continuous process; there are so many things all around us (in an American context, anyway) that seem to want to pull us away from the path you're describing. Thanks so much for the honesty that isn't always easy!

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I have no idea what to eat. It’s the cause of daily anxiety. With running specifically, I know by now that I run best when I eat nothing at all. That’s good for 15-20 miles, but beyond that I don’t have a clue. And if anything, I think I’ve used running as an excuse to eat badly, both during and between.

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I used to fast before a big race and a lot of times would crash and burn... your body needs something to burn for energy...

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YES! This, 100%. This is exactly what I used to tell myself, that I could eat anything I want because I'm running all these miles every week. Now, that worked okay when I was 25, 26... not so much now that I'm 51 😬

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Yes! I’m the same .. my biggest downfall is cheeseburgers and fries and beer hahaha but when the “lockdowns” came I had to give up “luxuries”….I found a 30 day challenge which listed about 12 things not to eat and I’ve followed it pretty close and along with

“intermittent” fasting have lost 60 pounds…it was surprising how much money I saved from not buying these things and how much weight I lost…after years trying to get rid of “menopause” obesity to back into a size 8 has changed my life … along with running which is my medicine I am getting back to “myself” again … at age 70 it has made me feel young

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My go to snack foods are celery and cucumber … yes, I do slip but weigh mysel every morning and take my BP twice a day. Keep up the great habits

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Did you follow the "Whole 30" ? Which plan did you follow? Struggling right now and knowing set guidelines and a list have always been successful in the past........I am 25 days into a Sugar Fast which has been a great start..............grateful for your input!!!

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The program I used was a 30 day challenge that listed the following … very simple

No chips

No potatoes

No ice cream

No fast food

No chocolate

No white breads

No soda or juice

No cakes or donuts

No cookies or candy

Which is very straightforward and basically no sugar and or empty calorie foods…giving up soda/juices alone in one month I lost 15 pounds…it’s doable 😊

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We eat a ton of fresh veggies and salads... We work around Morning Star and Gardein. My wife likes the soy cheese but I stick with the real thing... It takes time to find the products you'll like... not all are that good... Also, we love beans and rice dishes...

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Yes! Fresh food is the key…I love fresh salads and with the “challenge” I can still use salad dressing hahaha I guess it’s a sort of keto type thing… I like it because cheese is allowed hahaha

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Fresh veggies aren't cheap, but if you compare their costs to that of red meat, there is a huge difference...

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Yes I plan on growing my own in containers… cheaper and no pesticides

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You go girl!!!!

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Very interesting on the intermittent fasting -- how do you do that?

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If you use You Tube look up Dr Jason Fung…he is the one who inspired me and I have to say it has worked very well for me

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I answered this on the last discussion. 😁 I won’t bore you with the details, but I feel really good now and my yearly blood work is evidence! Healthy & happy!!!

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Nearly 10 years ago my husband and I watched Forks Over Knives and went whole food plant-based immediately. I've been able to stick with it because of how much better I feel and how my health numbers have changed for the better. To help with motivation I watch other great documentaries like The Game Changers and that also helps me stay on track. I don't miss meat or dairy one bit. I don't focus on what I no longer choose to eat, instead I focus on all of the goodness that I do choose to fuel my body with. Essentially it's a bit of a different mindset. My husband flexes and sometimes will eat meat or dairy if he has a crave, which seems to work great for him.

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You two sound like my wife and I. It's a life style change that had good results...

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So many positive results is hard to list them all! It's also hard not to shout about it from the roof tops. I often think about how much suffering happens needlessly if people only knew how easy it can be to regain your health and vitality.

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What a great title... "Forks Over Knives" 😃

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It's such a great play on the idea that what is at the end of your fork can keep you out of the hospital. It could be called Forks Over Meds too!

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I have eaten "clean" no added sugar and as many whole foods as possible since December. lowered my cholestrol from 333 to 177!! But my A1c went from 6.3 in December, went DOWN 3 months later to 5.7 (almost normal range) but went up 2 months later this week :-( I am back at 6.1 now which is the higher end of prediabetic. I don't want to give up carbs, especially as an endurance runner, i won't take meds at this point, but the dr won't even talk to me about diet, just meds! and I don't feel she has an understanding of athletic needs anyway. I don't feel "keto" "no carbs" is good for an athlete, but I don't know what to do. I have problems hitting my protein in a "normal healthy" diet, I can't imagine reducing carbs to 20 or 30g per day! and I don't want to give up fruit and whole grains. Any advice for runners who are prediabetic? or WHERE to turn for advice, good medical advice, etc.?

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There are medical people out there that understand what runners need... I hope you can find a good one...

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Thanks I’m really hoping i can find someone it so so frustrating

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Have you looked at Dr. McDougall's web site? He has so much free info and his plan is whole food plant-based with a focus on eating starches for satiety.

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I'd like to add looking at www.nutritionfacts.org to the great advice you've already gotten. Dr Greger devotes his life to reading/summarizing the latest worldwide hard science on how foods affect humans. He is not selling anything, not asking for $, just summarizing the facts in an unbiased way to help educate people like us! He also has podcasts and a YouTube channel. Hope this is helpful!

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I couldn't agree more, Bren! Dr. Greger is amazing. I saw him speak here at an event in Florida.

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No, thanks, i'll check it out! I just need to get this A1C under control, I don't want full blown diabetes! I want to continue my whole food diet WITH carbs, I am NOT a keto type person! I just hope I didn't wreck my body to badly the first 55 years that these last 3 are unfixable :-(

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Definitely check out Dr. McDougall's site, I think it will give you hope!

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Motivation, Terrell. That’s what always makes a difference in my changes. Otherwise, it’s like a New Year’s resolution, with steam that fizzles out. Motivation that gushes through you because of a new realization. Something that hits you between the eyes. Something strong. Something more than the look in the mirror or the numbers on the scale. With me, several times in my life, it was when I discovered something that contradicted what I had always known or had grown up with—double-checked the new info and found THAT to be true instead. That made me mad and determined. Then I made the change. Always the case, and it stuck for the most part, like 92%. One such change was 42 years ago, and that’s still 100%. If you don’t already, I would suggest that you start questioning EVERYTHING that you’ve been taught, everything that you “know,” being careful to use your “wisdom sifter.” Weigh things. Verify. One at a time. :)

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I stopped eating sugar three years ago. Yes, that means no processed foods, but I like to cook so that isn’t a hardship. High fructose corn syrup is in fricking everything! The biggest problem is the cocktail hour, every mixed drink has sugar. It’s interesting that you can order an alcohol free cocktail, but not a sugar free one. One of my adjustments is that when we go out to eat I drink coffee while everyone else has dessert.

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Sugar is in everything it seems... My wife is an excellent cook which helps... even though sometimes I have to satisfy my sugar fix... LOL

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That's a great substitution! (The coffee for dessert.) There's something about a cup after a meal that lets you enjoy the "landing" from the meal, I've always felt. Yes, totally, that IS what's so hard about changing, is the degree to which sugar is in SO many things that we don't even think about. Becoming conscious of this is not easy, is it?

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This is something that's been on my mind a lot lately! My partner and I are currently trying to limit the amount of added sugar in our diets and it's been a challenge, between sweet-tooth cravings and the fact that it's in *so many* processed foods! We don't have a great system yet, but it is a lot easier knowing that we are both on board and are eager to see the benefits. We're also allowing ourselves one day where we go on a long walk to get ice cream. Gotta earn that cheat day!

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Love the “earn the cheat day” philosophy … otherwise, the lifestyle change that encompasses “diet” becomes drudgery.

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I run most days... my typical run is about 4 1/2 to 5 miles... My Apple watch tells me everything I need to know.... even while I'm running... My bride goes nuts when it goes off because my heart rate goes below 40BPM... At 70 plus, I'm getting to know what my limits are and how to fine tune an aging body... I can lie quietly and get my body down to 32BPM and I can still run a 5K at 8 1/2 min miles... My goal for 2022 is to do the full Disney ... 5K, 10K, half and full marathon.... that is only if my knees don't act up again... had to walk the last mile on my half... knees started acting up and wasn't about to do any damage by being stubborn and pushing to finish... I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't run... take care...

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A Dopey candidate … good for you. Disneyworld was where I did my one and only full.

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The hardest part is taking that first step and when you fall, and everyone does, just start again... I don't have a sweet tooth, I have a full mouth of them... every once in a while I have to have as I call it, my sugar fix... but it's not every day and I work out a little harder the day after... it's not easy to cut sugar out of your life because it's everywhere and in everything!!!~

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Forgot to mention that in our house, hubby is NOT on board with organics. He is used to the old way, with the white flour, white sugar, white bread, white tortillas, and he won’t eat anything else. So I make some for him, and then I make my own loaf of bread. I’m willing, and I feel good about it. :)

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That can be tough when you're both not on board, can't it? It sounds like you've found a solution that works for you both, which is great.

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Katie, yes! It’s easier when both of you are on the same page! And you are so right, that changing your intake isn’t easy, with the way food is processed today. The sugars!! Two years ago I was motivated to step up and take more control of what goes in to my body. Yes, I still sneak ice cream—weakness! :) But in the morning, in my more lucid moments, I remember why I changed. The way Americans eat is generally NOT good. That’s obvious. But we can take back our control, because we don’t HAVE to eat the (pardon me) crap that’s out there! When I read that cancer feeds on sugar, I cut it out of my diet by 85%. I still like some sweets, but I substitute natural honey, OR I blend organic dates in filtered water to make a lovely paste that I can sub in recipes! Plus, dates are full of nutrients. Win! :) Substitutions take a little research, but you can still make delicious food! And I don’t mean tastes-like-hay-but-it’s-good-for-me-so-I’ll-make-myself-eat-it flavors. I mean really tasty. Find your motivation. :)

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You've really done your homework on this too, it sounds like. Are there any books you'd recommend?

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The book that I read two years ago is called CANCER: STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX, by Ty Bollinger. My cousin recommended it, and it exploded my mind. It made me angry, empowering, and made me wonder what ELSE are “they” lying about? Some may find the information too good to be true, but when I started researching some of the sources, they checked out. This book helped me connect several dots, AND armed me with what I could do to help myself prevent and even heal cancer. My brother-in-law’s friend healed himself through diet change. I know personally a man who with a just change to juicing, has kept his cancer of the spleen from growing at all for the last 3 years. I would recommend this book to anybody.

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Theresa, have you tried ice cream made from frozen bananas? It's AMAZING and no added sugar. I add a bit of vanilla and mint, or some cocoa powder. I use a Yonana machine to make the ice cream, but you can use a high speed blender or food processor instead.

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Marsha, I have not! And I happen to have 3 bananas that are 2 days from being banana bread ripe! I will DEFINITELY make this ice cream with cocoa powder and finely chopped mint leaves from my flower bed! Thank you!!

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YUM! those bananas sound like they are perfect for this. You want them to be speckled but not too brown. I peel them and break them in half and then freeze in a freezer bag. I always have some in my freezer ready to make a treat when the mood strikes!

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I love the idea of going on the long walk to get ice cream -- a great way to combine the work with the reward! What's so hard is the processed foods, I agree -- we don't even realize we're eating them, you know?

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