Carbs and Cancer

Here is a video of Craig B. Thompson, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer talking about how cancer grows and how it is connected to carbohydrates.  The first 20 minutes is basic stuff to back up his conclusion.  


Craig B. Thompson, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer

30 days hath September

Ahhh September.  It is only the 5th and it already feels like fall.  I am always amazed at how fast the sun starts heading south.  I think it is ironic that this is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.  The last 3 out of 4 Septembers I found out I had a tumor. The last 3 out of 4 Octobers I was in surgery. The last 3 out of 4 Novembers I started chemo. I am aware.

My low-carb diet is going well.  I haven't lost much weight. Only about a pound a week.  But that is not my purpose. Was just hoping for a nice side effect. Although, my clothes seem to be fitting looser so maybe I am losing fat and gaining muscle. I don't crave carbs but they are hard to resist when they are sitting in front of me (chips at the Mexican restaurant, facochia bread at Barking Frog, Stan's fries at Red Robin).  I have discovered some wonderful recipes. Yesterday I made a Rhubarb Custard Pie that was sooooo yummy from Judy Barnes Baker's cookbook CarbWars. The pie crust was an Almond Pie Crust from her new book Nourished, which hasn't been released yet. I should have taken a picture of it.  My friend Joe often posts "Food Porn" on his blog and this would have been a good one. It was full of rhubarb, eggs, and cream. If there had been any left over it would have made a tasty breakfast.

Judy has a very interesting blog: http://carbwars.blogspot.com/

Post Script: I made another pie and took a picture.

The science lab

I tried to make low carb cheddar biscuits today.  I went to the store and bought all these weird ingredients; ground almonds, whey protein, whey flour.  I felt like I was conducting a science experiment rather than baking biscuits. First I had to make a flour substitute mix. Second, using the flour substitute mix I had to make a "Bisquick" type mix, Then finally I could make the cheddar biscuits. So I line up all my crazy stuff and start mixing and moving along...I needed 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Everybody has baking powder...except me. I only had 1 teaspoon left at the bottom of the can.  Soooo...hmmmm...substitute for baking powder...baking soda and buttermilk...maybe sour cream will work.

Stan hated them. I didn't think they were THAT bad.  I will have to get some baking powder and try again.

Is Sugar Toxic?

My brother asked me if I was doing this to avoid another turn at cancer or to loose weight.  I told him to avoid cancer.  Losing weight is a positive side effect.  Weight loss will probably be mentioned more than the cancer aspect because how many times can I say "I don't have cancer today."

Here is a recent article that I am finding more and more prevalent: NYTimes Asks: Is Sugar Toxic?
I would take this article one step further and say it is not just sugar but includes all foods high in carbohydrates. Many diabetics have been able to stay healthy and off drugs by going low carb.  And the link between diabetes and cancer grows closer every day. It is little tidbits like this article that encourage me to stick with it.

There probably isn't much funding for this type of research. Not much money in curing cancer by not eating carbs.  Pharmaceutical companies are behind most of the decisions of what gets funded and what doesn't. So I don't see any monies being thrown at this type of research soon.

Not everyone who eats sugar is going to get cancer. Truth be told, if I hadn't been hit on the head by God I would still be eating donuts, pasta and garlic toast.

Now on a lighter subject...Remember the faux mashed potatoes I was going to try?  Well I tried the Faux Rice instead. Also made with cauliflower and it was delicious!

DIET UPDATE: I wasn't on my best behavior over the weekend. My daughters took me wine tasting for my birthday but other than that I ate my hamburger without a bun, cheese without crackers, Tuna on lettuce instead of bread, and no sugary deserts. So I only lost 1 pound over the weekend. Total weight lost 3 pounds.

Ewwwww gross

Pork rinds. Fried pig fat. 0 carbs.

I know, right? Fried pig fat? bleech. That is right up there with pickled slugs.

I have started buying them by the case load.  It is a simple snack item with ZERO carbs and when you crunch them up they are a great replacement for bread crumbs. Bread crumbs that you would add to meat loaf. Bread crumbs that you bread chicken or fish with. I especially like the spicy ones.

Next I am going to try Faux Mashed Potatoes.  Made with Cauliflower *grimace*.  Hope I am as surprise with this as I am was the pork rinds.

Diet Update: So far the hardest part of the Adkins Diet is getting enough carbs from vegetables. I am also finding that the following tidbit is true. I have lost 2 pounds in 2 days.

Interesting tidbit: Carbohydrates make you hungry. Fat and protein actually reduce the total number of calories needed to keep you feeling satisfied. Gary Taubes, author of Good Calories, Bad Calories, said that studies showed that those who cut down on carbs ate less, but that it was important to remember that “no one was telling them to eat less!” From Judy Barnes Baker's soon to be printed book, Nourished.

I have a plan

I am going to start the Atkins plan.  Starting out with 20 carbs a day.  15 of those being greens.

I went to the doctor today and got a clean bill of health.  He was in intrigued with my no sugar idea of stopping cancer.  He says it has been know for a long time that cancer likes sugar.  That is what makes it so easy to see in a CT scan.

I made a pie

I made a recipe that is in the new cookbook I am working on, Nourished, by Judy Barnes Baker. Okay, I cheated a little. I couldn't find all the ingredients for the crust so I bought a graham cracker crust at the store. I will get there. Give me time. Here is the recipe:


Lemon Icebox Pie


My mother used to make a lemon icebox pie that had just three ingredients plus a graham cracker crust: sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks. It seemed like magic when the acid in the lemon juice made the egg yolks set up. Here’s my super-easy version for the time-challenged. You don’t even have to measure anything, just open the containers and combine. You can leave out the lemon zest if that’s too much cooking for you!


Baked Almond Pie Crust, p.XX 
16 ounces (two 8-ounce tubs) whipped cream cheese 
1 eight-ounce container plain, Greek-style yogurt (full fat, if possible), with live cultures
3 packets of Crystal Light® On the Go powdered lemonade mix or the equivalent amount of any sugar-free lemonade mix
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, optional 


Beat all ingredients together. Pour into cooled Almond Pie Crust, p.XX. Refrigerate until set. Top with sugar-free Whipped Cream, p.XX, if desired.

It was so yummy. Even Stan liked it.  He doesn't know it yet but he is going low carb also - lol.