I Was Deceived -
A "Little" Sugar Does Hurt
Joan Sheffield from Thonotosassa, FL

I was diagnosed with MS in 1991. My left side from my waist to my foot had no feeling and I got to the point that I could no longer drive because I could not feel my foot. I stopped driving for a year. Three months after I was diagnosed my husband of 28 years, at the age of 46, died. The overwhelming stress and grief I encountered from 1991 to 1993 sent me to the medical community and I obediently did anything and everything they suggested I do.

It is my belief that incorrect eating and stress contributes and triggers MS. During this time I lost my vision. My vision would come and go over the next year and with no warning – WHAM – it would go blank – no color to the optic nerve. I was positive that my money could buy back my health so continued with all kinds of treatments, in and out of the country.

I went to a MS support group and it was so depressing. It became apparent to me that everyone who attended came in with some kind of assistance; a scooter, a cane, a walker or a dog. At this time I had all my money tied up in pharmaceutical stocks – but as soon as I realized that pharmaceuticals were not going to help me I cashed in all my stocks.

At the support groups I would sit and notice that as everyone told their depressing stories and woes, I began to see a pattern. People were binge eating bad foods and experiencing more symptoms.

In 1994 I heard that Dr. Atkins was having success with MS patients. So I went to him in New York and he introduced me to a doctor in Germany – an injectable vitamin therapy treatment was offered. The doctor said I also needed to eat a vegetarian diet. This regime kept me moving but I was addicted to sugar.

Dr. Atkins called me one day and said, “Joan, you are in trouble – you are spending all your money to come see me but I cannot throw you a life saver. You seem to have figured out that it takes five days for sugar to get out of your system and then you come see me. I do not allow any sugar on my diet. You are wasting your money coming to see me when you deceive yourself this way.” Apparently, I had not deceived him!

You had to be nicotine, sugar & caffeine free to see Dr. Atkins. If you weren’t he would say, “See you next time Joan.” Then take my appointment charge of $250 for our brief encounter. We spent over $14,000 a year with Dr. Atkins alone, never mind all the other alternatives we tried. We were also spending hundreds every month for supplements & vitamins. My symptoms were very bad. But I was already thinking ahead to the Holidays – how could I be sugar free through all the Holidays. At this point, I was in and out of a wheelchair from 1996 to 1998. My condition was worsening. I would be successful for short bouts, but the sugar would gradually find its way back into my diet and my symptoms would worsen accordingly.

My chronic fatigue was tremendous. One day in 2000, I was making my famous chicken salad while watching TV. Rev. Malkmus came on and was giving testimonies of people getting over serious illnesses. The only testimonies I had ever heard of were from the Perry Mason Show. At that time in my life, I did not watch religious programs – but because my fingers were all gunked up with chicken salad, I could not turn off this program – the 700 Club. As I listened, they mentioned a book they were selling for $7.00. My ears perked up, as I thought that quite strange – most everything on TV was $9.99 or $19.99, but for $7.00 I thought I should order it. When I read it, I just new that this was perfect for my husband (not ME of course). When we met, Bill came to me with two juicers under each arm and I knew this would be right up his alley.

My husband Bill, had gone to Dr. Atkins healthy. I was the one who was sick, but after 9 years on the Atkins diet, we were told that Bills’ PSA count was 9.4. We had eaten nothing but the best money could buy – organic chicken, beef, eggs, etc. We had eaten over 11,000 organic eggs on the Atkins diet. Now Bill had “Organic Cancer and Organic Macular Degeneration.” This was a real concern to Bill as he had lost his other eye when he was quite young. To loose another would mean total blindness. So Bill read the little book I bought, “You Don’t Have to be Sick.” He knew this was the only way to go! It made sense! He never tried to convince me to do it and he allowed me to continue on my meat-loving Dr. Atkins Diet. He jumped into the diet – alone - I observed my husband go through a horrible detox. His skin turned every color of the rainbow – green, orange, and brown. I never knew what color I would wake up to. I really was afraid he was going to die! But, in a short period of time, about 3 months, I watch my very devoted to the diet husband become Prostate Cancer and Macular Degeneration free.

At this point, my Chronic Fatigue was overwhelming. Bill would gently say, why don’t you consider juicing? Well, February 7, 2001 was the beginning of lent. So, being a practicing Catholic at the time I had a little talk with God and told him that I was going to give up all my meat and sugar and follow the Hallelujah Diet completely for 40 days. I made sure God understood that this was only going to be a 40 day plan, but I also told God that if I felt better at the end of that 40 days, I would do my best to stay on the plan. At the end of Lent, I felt wonderful (I was horrified when I realized the bargain I made with God – I was not happy).

I continued on the diet, but I struggled with just one little area. Sugar addiction. In 2002, we went to Hallelujah Acres and became Health Ministers. We were in the same class as Dave and Sherry Orcutt of Plant City, Florida. and have been friends ever since. We found out that they were starting a support group in Tampa, Florida, where we spend six months of the year. It was at these support meetings that we began to realize that there was so much more to tossed salads and baked potatoes. Her salads were delicious – and wow – her desserts. The food served there was wonderful, exciting and "legal." Sherry showed me that I could have awesome, easy to prepare desserts without sugar.

In 2005, I took a bad fall and had a meniscus knee surgery. I started getting a bit over-confidant and began to let sugar slip back into my diet. After another really bad fall the pain was severe and I started taking a lot of Tylenol.

April 2006 – Bill and I went to the annual Health Minister Reunion in North Carolina. One of the speakers was Dr. Francisco Contreras, the Oncologist from the Oasis Of Hope Hospital in Mexico. I was so impressed with this man – a man of God, an incredibly honest man, a wonderful doctor who understood the role of nutrition in the healing of the body. I decided to go tell him my woes, my pain. I will never forget his penetrating look – it seemed his eyes bore right into mine and he quite simply said, “When you give up sugar, you will be pain free.” Oh my gosh, he knew my little secret! It was like God himself telling me that my GIG was up! I had tried to rationalize that I only had a “little” sugar now and then. But a little bit does hurt. My fleshly stubbornness and desire for my little ice cream binges had deceived me all these years. Sherry always laughs at my story when I tell her that I always carried a spoon in my purse (I was a good Girl Scout – always be prepared) – so that any time I had an urge to stop for a pint (after all, we’re not talking a gallon here), I was prepared. I would sit in the cold of the New York air and consume my freezing ice cream in the freezing cold car. You see, I could not bring it home and eat it in front of “Saint William (my husband)” I had a sudden flashback of the 100 pounds I had lost, seven times. I had been deceived! I left the HM Reunion with the attitude, well, I will show Dr. Contreras. I just couldn’t believe that a little bit of sugar now and then would make that much of a difference.

When I became sugar free, it did make all the difference. I lost 70 more pounds and became pain free! I used to have very big mood swings not knowing it was caused by that “little bit” of sugar I was ingesting. My poor husband would not know what hit him sometimes. I do not get the sugar blues anymore. I sleep so much better, and now I am walking without any assistance (cane) for 8 to 9 hours a day. Last year I did an amazing feat – I walked on the beach, in the sand – an almost impossible feat for someone with advanced MS.

Bill and I have been volunteering at Dave & Sherry Orcutt’s monthly support meetings since 2002 and when they opened the Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle Center in Plant City, FL we volunteer there once or twice a week or as needed. We feel it is a privilege to serve and help them, it is wonderful to meet the guests, tell our story and it’s wonderful surrounding ourselves with like-minded people.

Today, I have been sugar free for over two years. I have gotten to like the new me. I now know that I am honest with myself. I have learned I cannot make an exception – I must remain faithful to myself and to the Hallelujah Diet. My friends and family are always happy to give me permission to indulge “just a little” but God has given me the strength to say NO. I just take things one day at a time. Dr. Contreras was right. I am so grateful that God used him as a source of stimulation for me.