It’s The Most Sugary Time of Year
Big Disclaimer: This is by no means medical advice. It is merely a collection of my experiences and desires. Talking to your health professional is the best way to get medical advice.
Booked! My next scan is on the books for November. It seems like just yesterday, I was prepping for my May birthday scan. I wrote about that special birthday celebration here. When I saw my oncologist to go over my routine scan, I remember confessing to him, “I eat birthday cake every day.” He laughed, like what in the world are you talking about. While every day is a birthday after beating cancer, it’s also not part of my remission regimen to eat cake every day.
At just about every appointment, I attack my doctor, “How do I keep the cancer away?” And his answer is always the same. In some way or form he goes on about living a healthy lifestyle, and not eating sugar. He always adds, “Enjoy the cake on your birthday, for sure. But get off the sugar.”
I’m confident he’s never experienced menopause and sugar cravings. Unfortunately, contrary to my liking, the sugar is still on my no list and his answer never changes.
Since that May encounter with the trajectory of my health (grateful to report: clean), I’ve been more conscious than ever of the immense amount of stressors on my hormones - some I have control over and some I don’t have any control over.
My body really absorbs all the goodness of extra sun and warmth. Where I live in Michigan, we even have daylight well past 9PM for the majority of the summer. The switch of seasons from summer to fall and winter to spring just about knocks me out every year. I shared my intentions to be proactive with my lifestyle in September, to get ahead of the season turning and keeping my mood in tact as best as possible here. Here are a few ways I challenged myself to preserve my summer energy over the course of September: 10,000 steps daily, improve water consumption, 2 workouts at the gym per week, and protein centered meals
Setting a goal for the most sugary time of the year seems just too intense. So while it would be nice to make it to January with consistency, I am working towards sustaining the following goals through October. Then, potentially up to my scan mid-November. To close out the year on track would truly be remarkable. Here’s where I want to be by the end of October:
Eating protein rich meals every three hours - hello, my little protein helper!
Drinking more than 1/2 my weight in water
Increasing my Vitamin D intake - a staple in cancer treatment, recovery, and lifting my mood when those gray skies hit.
Supplementing my body with nutrients - combatting mid-day fatigue, leg cramps, and nauseousness while working out! *See more below
Climbing my biggest mountain: 8 hours of sleep @ night
Attempting to continue from September: 10,000 steps daily and 2 workouts a week at the gym
That day in May, I ended up being the butt of my own joke. I also had to tell my doctor I had been getting bruises on my legs. He looked at my friend, who tagged along for the appointment and went right for it, “Your clothes are too tight. Like you said, you are eating birthday cake every day, right?” Shots fired. I still can see my friend laughing in the corner.
Now, when I see him this November, I will confidently say, “I am not eating birthday cake every day. I may still have gained thirty pounds since my diagnosis in February of 2022, I’m a whole different person than I was six months ago.”
Fighting to be trim like my cancer body is really just not realistic nor a healthy mindset. While being in good shape and eating healthy will play a pivotal role in mitigating cancer, there are bigger fish to fry.
Maintaining my energy to keep up with my family and rebuild from the side effects of cancer treatment is my top priority. I am excited to focus on curbing sugar and boosting my mood, energy and overall health.
Are you eager to reclaim your health too?
While it would be nice to fit back into my favorite pair of jeans, I just want the imprint of menopause to be a little less exhausting.
Are you like me and need accountability?
Let’s join forces. I’d love to hear which of my October goals interests you the most and connect with each other. Drop me a note here, or leave a comment at the bottom.
Are you wanting to go the extra mile?
Like me, do you want to be ready to combat the Halloween goodies, cozy fall desserts, big Thanksgiving suppers, and holiday dinners? Maybe you are in the same boat as me, and want to kiss a symptomatic life goodbye? Join me and a few friends of mine on Thursday October 17th at 8:30PM ET (7:30PM CT) to dive deeper into supporting our bodies in a way where sugar doesn’t get the final say. I will look out for your reply via text, Facebook Messenger, or the comments below to get you the link!
Scan season and the most sugary time of the year simply don’t make a great pair.
Let’s find the everyday gold in our health together!
