What Will Help
Eat Your Veggies
Studies have shown that Mother’s advice is good for more than just growing up big and strong. The phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk for many different types of cancer, and it certainly won’t hurt to engage in proper nutrition, regardless!
Lab results have shown that flaxseed tends to slow cancer cell growth and improve treatment effectiveness. While more testing needs to be done to solidify findings, current tests have shown a marked decrease in the growth of tumors for subjects who were given flaxseed rich diets as opposed to groups with other types of diets.
You’ll need to keep up your strength to fight this disease. Protein-rich foods are a great way to stay strong. Foods like unprocessed lean meats, fish, and poultry, eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds, as well as milk, cheese, and yogurt are great sources of protein. Just keep in mind that processed meats and dairy can actually increase your risk factors and should be avoided or eaten sparingly.
A lot of people associate illness with a need for rest and relaxation. While this is true to a degree, it’s not only safe, but it’s actually very beneficial to engage in moderate exercise to keep up your strength, stamina, as well as mental and emotional well-being. If you already get regular exercise, you may need to scale back and ramp up slowly during chemotherapy. Overall, people who stay active tend to live longer and have a lesser chance of their cancer coming back.
There are a few things to keep in mind while you stay active during treatment:
- Those who have severe anemia should postpone physical activity until their anemia improves.
- People with weak immune systems should be careful to avoid public gyms until their white blood cell counts return to safe levels.
- Chlorine can irritate the skin of those getting radiation, so you should be wary of swimming pools.
Helpful Exercises for Cancer Patients
This is one of the staples of good overall health. It increases your heart rate, tones muscles, decreases fat, and increases your metabolism. You may have to exercise more often for shorter periods while undergoing treatment, but aerobic exercise is a great way to feel better and stay in shape before, during, and after cancer treatment.
Maintain muscle mass and bone density by engaging in resistance training (weight lifting). Chemotherapy causes cancer patients to lose as much bone density in a year as the average person loses in a decade.
With the decreased bone density and disorientation that occurs from cancer treatment, balance exercise is extremely helpful to reduce the risk of a bone-shattering fall. Try walking in a narrow path, one foot in front of the other, perhaps on a curb or railroad tie. Heel raises and single-leg stands are great too.
Particularly for cancer treatments that involve surgery, stretching can help reduce stiffness, pain, and a loss of mobility.
What to Avoid
Consuming alcohol can increase estrogens in your blood, which can increase the return of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer after you’ve been treated. This effect is worse in people who are overweight. Although moderate alcohol consumption has shown benefits when it comes to heart health, the positive effects should be weighed against other risk factors like age, weight, and medical history.
While results have been mixed, in women with estrogen receptor-negative cancers, there was a stronger link between eating a low-fat diet and preventing cancer from coming back.
Avoid Processed Meats
Studies have shown an increase in the risk of various types of cancer with the ingestion of processed meats. The American Cancer Society recommends limiting the intake of these foods, especially if you are or have been a cancer patient.