Glycemia, Cancer And The Munchies

[notsurge]

I am still learning how to bypass the high, which a lot of people here call the euphoria. The secret of that art is still a mystery to me. So after putting some drops under my tongue and later swallowing them, I got a nice buzz on. Then I got the munchies.

So I started thinking about what I've been reading: that cancer cells have this huge hunger for glucose, that fasting and reduced diets help, that it's better not to eat for a while after a treatment with cannabis.

So here's a question: could the munchies -- temporary hypoglycemia -- be a positive symptom in medicinal use? Is it a good idea to not give in to the munchies, to just feel them fully and still not eat, at least until later?

 

[Nixie]

I haven't tried THC yet, only CBD so no personal experience of the munchies - but Google - as ever - is my friend and tells me that cannabis flicks a switch in the brain - it is something almost irrelevant to the effects of cancer itself unless a.) you need to gain weight and b.) you need to avoid glucose or too much protein in order to starve, weaken and slow the cancer.

I AM beginning to learn from my own experience that this diet business is not straightforward. I fast before, during and after chemo purely to expose the cancer, rather than my own cells, to the chemotherapy; the cancer cannot switch off or slow down; my own body cells, on the other hand, can cut their activity to a minimum. Chemo targets active cells, so the cancer cells take the hit and I suffer fewer side effects. When I have not fasted in this way, the side effects of the chemo have been significantly worse; so it works!

However, if you are not on chemotherapy, you obviously won't be fasting for the same reason as I am, but rather as a health benefit in its own right; and I know very little about this, except that it is recommended as part of the keto diet as a way of forcing your body to burn fat for energy rather than expecting to be fed on glucose - or even too much protein, which will inadvertently feed the cancer.

I have been trying to follow the keto diet and I find it very hard - the fasting is actually easier, and I may opt for a different version suggested by the Aunt Zelda's people (DO Google Aunt Zelda!) which relies on a less extreme diet with intermittent mini-fasts.

The problem for me is the strict limitation on fruit and veg as part of the Keto for cancer diet; they have too much carbohydrate and you have to limit them to a miserable bit of broccoli now and then. I am not vegetarian or vegan, but recently I have had an absolute craving for lemons, tomatoes and ginger - all of which are reputed to fight cancer - so I think my body is telling me to eat these. (Broccoli is supposed to be good too, but it isn't speaking to me on that subject.)

The other thing is, the keto diet makes sense; the science behind it is real - it is impeccable - and it does work! However, regimes like the alkaline diet, the "science" behind which is nonsense - ALSO seem to work (in fact I know of a survivor who feels she has cured herself by means of this diet). The keto people have no explanation for this other than this diet gives a very low plane of nutrition which, of course, will work against the cancer; but given that the alkaline diet seems packed with carb-rich fruit and veg, it should really have the opposite effect, low plane of nutrition or not. I would expect the cancer to get fat and the person to get thin, if keto really is entirely right.

So I am rewriting my own diet, interspersed with short fasts, and will look to cannabis as my cancer killer, new green chemotherapy and additional vegetable. Just waiting for the ladies to grow...

As for eating as a result of the munchies - I guess you would have to be very sure that your diet is strictly in hand; not only after cannabis but at all times; then stick to that pattern of feeding and fasting, depending on your energy requirements rather than what cannabis is telling you. That is just my guess though.

 

[notsurge]

I haven't tried THC yet, only CBD so no personal experience of the munchies - but Google - as ever - is my friend and tells me that cannabis flicks a switch in the brain - it is something almost irrelevant to the effects of cancer itself unless a.) you need to gain weight and b.) you need to avoid glucose or too much protein in order to starve, weaken and slow the cancer.

I AM beginning to learn from my own experience that this diet business is not straightforward. I fast before, during and after chemo purely to expose the cancer, rather than my own cells, to the chemotherapy; the cancer cannot switch off or slow down; my own body cells, on the other hand, can cut their activity to a minimum. Chemo targets active cells, so the cancer cells take the hit and I suffer fewer side effects. When I have not fasted in this way, the side effects of the chemo have been significantly worse; so it works!

However, if you are not on chemotherapy, you obviously won't be fasting for the same reason as I am, but rather as a health benefit in its own right; and I know very little about this, except that it is recommended as part of the keto diet as a way of forcing your body to burn fat for energy rather than expecting to be fed on glucose - or even too much protein, which will inadvertently feed the cancer.

I have been trying to follow the keto diet and I find it very hard - the fasting is actually easier, and I may opt for a different version suggested by the Aunt Zelda's people (DO Google Aunt Zelda!) which relies on a less extreme diet with intermittent mini-fasts.

The problem for me is the strict limitation on fruit and veg as part of the Keto for cancer diet; they have too much carbohydrate and you have to limit them to a miserable bit of broccoli now and then. I am not vegetarian or vegan, but recently I have had an absolute craving for lemons, tomatoes and ginger - all of which are reputed to fight cancer - so I think my body is telling me to eat these. (Broccoli is supposed to be good too, but it isn't speaking to me on that subject.)

The other thing is, the keto diet makes sense; the science behind it is real - it is impeccable - and it does work! However, regimes like the alkaline diet, the "science" behind which is nonsense - ALSO seem to work (in fact I know of a survivor who feels she has cured herself by means of this diet). The keto people have no explanation for this other than this diet gives a very low plane of nutrition which, of course, will work against the cancer; but given that the alkaline diet seems packed with carb-rich fruit and veg, it should really have the opposite effect, low plane of nutrition or not. I would expect the cancer to get fat and the person to get thin, if keto really is entirely right.

So I am rewriting my own diet, interspersed with short fasts, and will look to cannabis as my cancer killer, new green chemotherapy and additional vegetable. Just waiting for the ladies to grow...

As for eating as a result of the munchies - I guess you would have to be very sure that your diet is strictly in hand; not only after cannabis but at all times; then stick to that pattern of feeding and fasting, depending on your energy requirements rather than what cannabis is telling you. That is just my guess though.

This is very interesting, thank you. I have a lot of experience with fasting which has many benefits, way beyond forcing the body to use fat for energy. But in the past few years, I noticed that I don't enjoy it as much. I take longer to get back to my pre-fasting energy level and I get pretty severe shortness of breath. (I have cancer of the vocal cords and I now have severe shortness of breath all the time.) In recent days, with a galloping tumor, I tried a couple of times to do a short complete fast (one day and two nights). It really seemed to make the problem worse in terms of the breathing obstruction and available energy level. I believe that in a long fast this effect would reverse itself and eventually the cancer cells would get "eaten" (in a process called autolysis). But the problem with a long fast is the logistics. Also, winter weather complicates matters. I might try it in the spring if I am still around.

 

[alltatup]

I am still learning how to bypass the high, which a lot of people here call the euphoria. The secret of that art is still a mystery to me. So after putting some drops under my tongue and later swallowing them, I got a nice buzz on. Then I got the munchies.

So I started thinking about what I've been reading: that cancer cells have this huge hunger for glucose, that fasting and reduced diets help, that it's better not to eat for a while after a treatment with cannabis.

So here's a question: could the munchies -- temporary hypoglycemia -- be a positive symptom in medicinal use? Is it a good idea to not give in to the munchies, to just feel them fully and still not eat, at least until later?

Fascinating discussion. Notsurge, why bypass the high? I see the high as an essential part of cannabis therapy. I mean, one doesn't have to get high every time one uses cannabis medicine, but the high is great for many things like mindfulness exercises, self-reflection, journalling, etc.

 

[notsurge]

Basically, I agree, but there is a practical issue. Everybody says the amounts that work for my kind of problem -- cancer -- are so high they would make it difficult to handle daily life obligations. Also, I don't have the kind of physical constitution that tolerates a lot of it. Everybody is different. But I do make sure to feel it at least some of the time, by varying the methods of ingestion.

 

[Nixie]

Fascinating discussion. Notsurge, why bypass the high? I see the high as an essential part of cannabis therapy. I mean, one doesn't have to get high every time one uses cannabis medicine, but the high is great for many things like mindfulness exercises, self-reflection, journalling, etc.

Basically, I agree, but there is a practical issue. Everybody says the amounts that work for my kind of problem -- cancer -- are so high they would make it difficult to handle daily life obligations. Also, I don't have the kind of physical constitution that tolerates a lot of it. Everybody is different. But I do make sure to feel it at least some of the time, by varying the methods of ingestion.

I do wish I had those experiences from the high but mostly I get a sort of mild paranoia; (as in, I actually thought a man walking down the street was going to kick in my door the other day. He was an innocent old chap toddling home from church!) I also get the sense of distant voices (like a television left on in a neighbouring room), an increasing heaviness and inability to stand up and walk straight, and when I lie down, a weird sense of rushing backwards through something like billowing clouds. I once had a very nice sense of snug well-being, but don't know what I did differently that time, other than it was made from pruning leaves from several plants.

I am onto a different variety now - Red Diesel - so see how that goes,

edited to say the billowing clouds thing is rather good - I don't like the voices though.

 

[alltatup]

Basically, I agree, but there is a practical issue. Everybody says the amounts that work for my kind of problem -- cancer -- are so high they would make it difficult to handle daily life obligations. Also, I don't have the kind of physical constitution that tolerates a lot of it. Everybody is different. But I do make sure to feel it at least some of the time, by varying the methods of ingestion.

I do wish I had those experiences from the high but mostly I get a sort of mild paranoia; (as in, I actually thought a man walking down the street was going to kick in my door the other day. He was an innocent old chap toddling home from church!) I also get the sense of distant voices (like a television left on in a neighbouring room), an increasing heaviness and inability to stand up and walk straight, and when I lie down, a weird sense of rushing backwards through something like billowing clouds. I once had a very nice sense of snug well-being, but don't know what I did differently that time, other than it was made from pruning leaves from several plants.

I am onto a different variety now - Red Diesel - so see how that goes,

edited to say the billowing clouds thing is rather good - I don't like the voices though.

I understand the demands of the "practical issues" and also of cannabis paranoia. When I was starting to experiment with my tinctures, I went to work way too high one day, had a full blown panic attack, lay on the floor of my office for an hour dripping cold sweat, and finally managed to get myself up and into my car and drive home. When I got home I didn't really understand how I had gotten there. The entire previous hour & 20 mins. seemed surreal. I slept it off.

 

[alltatup]

I do wish I had those experiences from the high but mostly I get a sort of mild paranoia; (as in, I actually thought a man walking down the street was going to kick in my door the other day. He was an innocent old chap toddling home from church!) I also get the sense of distant voices (like a television left on in a neighbouring room), an increasing heaviness and inability to stand up and walk straight, and when I lie down, a weird sense of rushing backwards through something like billowing clouds. I once had a very nice sense of snug well-being, but don't know what I did differently that time, other than it was made from pruning leaves from several plants.

I am onto a different variety now - Red Diesel - so see how that goes,

edited to say the billowing clouds thing is rather good - I don't like the voices though.

Nixie, I've thought and written quite a bit about this; hope it doesn't sound absurd to you.

Here's what happened to me: when I started growing my own, I fell in love with the plant and our relationship changed on all levels. Now I see her as a goddess and a spirit guide, and world's best medicine. The term "recreational use" is so limiting; I see all use as medicinal/ritual now.

A significant portion of the medicinal use for me is both psychological and spiritual: I use my tincture and I journal, analyse what's going on in my life and how I'm feeling (my anxieties are at a record low right now, four months after incorporating CBD into my regime); I'm using high THC/high CBD tinctures and mixtures of my home grown bud which I vape. I recently harvested Nordle CBD (CBD Crew) and old school Afghan Kush (World of Seeds): the Kush is pure Indica, which is calming and relaxing for me with a great high. The Nordle is calming and relaxing with a much more mild buzz. So there's that: one needs to understand and know which strains work best with one's constitution.

I've learned how to embrace and trust cannabis as my ally and spirit guide. She helps me to see and tell myself the truth about what's going on in my life. CBD came into the mix in December and began opening a wider, more serene and far less anxious/defensive space within me where I can learn and grow rather than avoid and repress. So my psychic space becomes more like an endless pasture as far as the eye can see, with rolling hills and nature at her best (my vision of peace and security) versus a threatening dark alley (anxiety).

I'm learning how to work with her and heal. If I can offer any more insight about my process, please let me know. I would be honored to be your ally; Notsurge, that goes for you, too.

 

[Nixie]

What a wonderful post! Yes, I would welcome your help; thank you for that offer.

 

[alltatup]

What a wonderful post! Yes, I would welcome your help; thank you for that offer.

Hi Nixie, So let's imagine that you want to start slowly experimenting with the incorporation of THC into your regime.
1. A fantastic essay about cannabis can be found in Dr. Julie Holland, ed., The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis. The final essay in the book is titled "Cannabis: Stealth Goddess," by Doug Rouskoff. This is what helped me to understand what it is what cannabis requires of us on the psychological and/or spiritual level. Above all, she requires authenticity and honesty. I wish this essay were published online, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. See if you can find the book.

2. Create the ideal circumstances in which you use THC. For me, it's early in the morning, 4:30, still dark out, everything quiet, I can concentrate best in these conditions. I do this kind of writing and sharing with folks at this time, and I also journal at this time. Make sure you feel 100% safe in your environment.

3. Go slow and invite the goddess to walk with you or lead the way. Using CBD along with THC and all the other good stuff will create a synergy with you that dispels paranoia. It may take a while for it to build up in your system: I don't know what your regime has been, but it took a couple-three weeks before I realized that my anxiety was at an all-time low and that my insights were increasing. That open pasture space was increasing: Nature, being in tune with nature, being close to mother nature, and worshipping her--this became part of my changing perspective. Create your safe space where you live, and then you can begin to create it within your being. I think if you find that space, you won't feel paranoia.

WHICH STRAINS? I usually grow a wide variety of strains in my two stealth grow boxes (one pretty big and one small). I just started growing around 21 months ago. I keep detailed notes on all my seeds because I love to mix strains and I can decide what to mix with what. If you'd like to see my notes and descriptions of strains, I'd be glad to show it to you. I am really into Indicas right now, and while I also like hybrids, I think Indica is better for my constitution.

 

[Nixie]

An amazing post. I must confess that I had not regarded the herb itself in this light, at least not until I harvested my first one, a lovely little auto; at that stage, having nurtured this little plant on a daily business I felt rather treacherous cutting her up, having already thwarted her wish to set seed; exploitation for my own survival... I

No time at the minute to reply properly but I AM digesting this - I suspect it is what I need, and will be back later to pester you for information.

 

[alltatup]

Hi Nixie, I see it this way: Cannabis and homo sapiens evolved together (as you know, it has been used for thousands of years), so it is true that both dog and cannabis are humans' best friends. These are reciprocal relationships: humans love their dogs and dogs love their humans; same is true with cannabis.

These are healing plants; I see cannabis's highest calling in its medicinal qualities, though hemp is a great thing, too. I'm on grow # 7 right now; cannabis and I participate together in this process of creating the most amazing medicine in the world. I feel that she generously gives me the big unfertilized buds, glistening with trichomes. Sometimes she gives me a few seeds as well!!

Yes, I know it's a lot to digest: I'm just trying to convey my perspective/experiences since I started growing, and also since I began incorporating CBD for anxiety; it has changed my life quite significantly. (And I've used cannabis since the 60s, so this really is a transformation of my perspective: I just used her before, but now I worship her.) Wish I could do it full time somewhere legal...