Your Immune System on Sugar

I have recently made the commitment to start really focusing in on what fuel I am putting into my body and how each item I put in my mouth can create a positive or negative reaction in my body. The more I train and commit to being a professional athlete, the more I am awakened by the many ways I can impact myself and my performance.

There are many things out of your control when you are racing- but smart fueling, healthy decision making, emotion control, and proper recovery are all things that are in your hands to set up whether you have a coach or not. We all have the option to get a bit more organized, to read and become a little more aware and present, and we all know the importance of listening in when we need rest.

I happened to come across an awesome blog - http://www.crazysexycancer.blogspot.com/. Kris Carr, who is the author and creator of "Crazy Sexy Cancer" is a cancer survivor who made this amazing documentary about her winning battle with Cancer. In the film, you get to be along side her as she grows to become a killer advocate for healthy, joyful living. I loved the film and of course now I am dreaming about when I can by my own Vitamix 5200 and a Breville Juicer. For now Daily Juice is my juicy treat.

In an old post by her nutritionist on staff, she talks about how SUGAR FEEDS CANCER. I kid you not that I couldn't stop reading. Breast Cancer has "hit" my life, as my Granny is a surivior and I was a nanny to an amazing friend who is now a survivor. I instantly started to think about the number of Milk Duds and Twizzlers I have eaten in my lifetime. As I read on, it made more sense and I started to truly rethink WHY I put those little bits of sugar in my mouth anyway. Sure some of it is "emotional" eating other times I think it is just habit- like at a movie or wanting a "treat". What defines a "treat" and why can't veggies and hummus be a treat?

HERE IS A BIT OF NOTES I TOOK FROM HER POST:

- Neutrophils are white blood cells that eat the "nasty things" in your blood like a virus, bacteria, cancer

- To swallow up those bad guys (in my mind I thought about little pac-men) you need Vit C (thank goodness for Emerg-c packets...try the Pink Lemonade ones...LOVE THEM!)

- The bad news to the white blood cells is that sugar and vit C look structurally the same

- When there is lots of insulin/sugar in the blood it will compete with Vit C to get into the WB Cells

- The more glucose in the cells, the less Vit C, so the cells "pac-man" or eating job of the "nasties" weakens

- this is where you find that SUGAR weakens the immune system because we need STRONG cells to devour "the nasties"

It started to hit home. The little red vines I munch on during a movie are keeping me from being at my best performance. Swap them out for an apple and PB or maybe a juice blend (yeah- well once I get my juicer...note today I had a killer juice at Whole foods- pomergrante, carrot, apple! IT WAS AWESOME AND ORANGE!) and you will be tag teaming on making your immune system stronger than before.