Healthy Lifestyle to improve cancer care
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How you live during/pre/post cancer can have profound effects on your health and wellness. Healthy living means making positive behavior changes as part of an ongoing, life-long process. There are several things that you must do to improve your chances of recovery. Attaining a quality of life that has purpose and meaning, adequate and appropriate nutrition, sleep, physical activity and effective stress management are all fundamental for good health. |
1. ACCEPT PRACTICAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Having a network of supportive people is very beneficial for your health, especially emotional support. Studies have compared people with cancer who had the most and least social support. Those with the most social support had a better quality of life and lived longer.
Here are some suggestions for building a support system:
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O Ask for help. People often want to help but don’t know how. So, make your requests specific. It is good sense to ask family, friends, and coworkers for help. Think about particular tasks you need help with beforehand. People appreciate being able to help in specific ways. For example, family or friends may be able to help with shopping, meal preparations, pet-sitting, or picking up a child from school.
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O Join a support group. Sharing with others who have similar experiences may help you cope. Support groups offer you the chance to talk about your feelings and fears with others who share and understand your experiences. You can also talk with a trusted friend, a counselor, or a social worker.
2. EXERCISE
Exercises make your heart beats at a faster rate thereby forcing you to breathe harder as the body calls for oxygen. Blood gets pumped faster as well. Aerobic exercise such as walking or cycling will help your body utilize oxygen and remove waste through the lymphatic system.
This is important even at a low level. During exercise, toxins are released from the fat cells and eliminated from the body. Exercise generates sweat, as well as strengthening the heart, bone and overall strength of the body. Additionally, when your body moves, your lymph (part immune and part filtration) system is also stimulated. By exercising regularly, the lymph system is constantly pumping fluids through its channel, providing extra filtration of the blood. If you do not exercise regularly or not at all, just start slowly and then increase the intensity of your workouts.
3. POSITIVE OUTLOOK
The healing of the body starts from the mind due to the simple fact that your thoughts, fears and attitude affect the rest of your body. Your attitude is important for two reasons:
- it influences the emotions in response to your illness and
- it determines the actions you will take.
An attitude of helplessness will feed depression and passivity whereas a positive attitude brings optimism and motivates one towards success. We know of people who survive the most severe illnesses by sheer determination and by embracing the necessary changes - and we also know of others who lose the will to live or have so many emotional burdens that they welcome the disease as a way out.
If you are determined to beat cancer, you have to ‘lift’ your mental state from that of a victim to that of a survivor. When it comes to your potential for health, you are in the driver’s seat. Do not underestimate the power of your mind. Use it positively in your overall strategy to overcome this disease.
One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is to choose happiness. Happiness has many meanings. Very often we think that happiness is something that comes from outside us, but it really starts from the inside. Even when life is filled with pain, sorrow, and disappointment, you can still choose to be happy regardless of the outward circumstances—easier said than done right?
In the last few decades, researchers have studied laughter's effects and have shown the beneficial effects on health. For example, laughter improves the immune system through the release of neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses. Laughter can also enhance the intake of oxygen-rich air, thus stimulating the heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. It also activates and relieves the stress response and soothes tension, stimulates circulation and aids muscle relaxation.
Start learning how to laugh, love and enjoy life more. Laughing is one of the best cures for heart and soul. Watching funny videos, movies etc., can reduce stress, and balance blood pressure.
Make time for fun and relaxation - Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.
Learn to manage stress - It's well known that chronically high levels of stress hormones (such as adrenaline and cortisol) suppress the immune system and reduce the body's ability to defend or repair itself. Therefore, it is important that you learn how to avoid/ minimize/ deal with stress.
4. ADEQUATE SLEEP
Sleep is not an indulgence it is essential to help the body stay healthy and heal. Try to get 7 or more hours of sleep each night. Naps during the day can also help. Adequate sleep improves your health, coping ability, mood, weight control, memory and attention, and more. The following are tips to improve your sleep.
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Cut back on caffeine. Avoid coffee particularly after lunch, so that you are more likely to be sleepy when it’s time for bed. If you are intolerant to caffeine, avoid coffee or tea.
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Limit alcohol. These are stimulants that can make it difficult to fall asleep.
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Stay active and get sunlight. Getting exercise and sunshine during the day is important. Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. Include physical activity in your daily routine but try to exercise earlier in the day as exercise before bed can keep you up.
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No screens before bed. Computer and phone screens trick your body into thinking it’s daytime. A good rule is to turn them off 1 to 2 hours before sleep.
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Keep the bed for sleep. The bed is meant for sleep and intimacy. Try to keep all other activities, like eating or work, outside bed.
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Create a restful environment, a room that's ideal for sleeping. This means cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques, might also promote better sleep.
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Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed. Avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime.
5. AVOID SMOKING
Smoking is an obvious oxygen drainer for both direct and secondhand smokers. If you are a smoker, stop smoking immediately, if you are not, do not hang around people or places that are filled with smoke. Remember, secondhand smoke is equally bad.
Set aside a few minutes every hour to relax and enjoy a sense of calm. Calm and inner stillness can help you to maintain a healthy distance from the stress that cancer can cause. Feeling calm and rested prepares you to handle demanding situations with greater confidence and resolve. It also gives you space to enjoy the lighter moments that help you to recharge your batteries.
Try taking a few deep breaths that fill the chest and abdomen, closing your eyes, and relaxing your jaw muscles to step away from the sources of stress. Use relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, meditation, and yoga.
Be realistic, although you can try to reduce the number of stressors in your life, you cannot completely avoid it. Hence, it is important to learn how to cope and manage stress. Consider the following tips for reducing stress:
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O Avoid scheduling conflicts and prioritize your tasks. Do not schedule too many activities. Rank your work and household chores and focus on the tasks and activities that are most important to you.
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O Be aware of your limits. If you do not have the time, energy, or interest, it is okay to politely decline when people ask you to take on tasks. Do not feel guilty about saying no.
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O Ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness.
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O Break down tasks into smaller steps. This process can make overwhelming problems easier to handle. For example, instead of spending an afternoon cleaning your entire house, tackle 1 or 2 rooms each day.
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O Concentrate your efforts on things you can control. A stressor may be something you cannot change or control, even with the best planning. For example, Traffic. Keep your stress low by remaining flexible. Sometimes the only aspect of a problem you can control is how you react to it.
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O Schedule social activities. Make time to socialize with family or friends, as it is a good way to lower stress.
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O Schedule daily relaxing time. Spend time doing an activity you find relaxing, such as reading a book, gardening, or listening to music.
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O Do things you enjoy. Eat at your favorite restaurant or watch your favorite television show. Laughter reduces stress, so consider seeing a funny movie or reading a humorous book to help cope with stress.
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O Write in a journal. Writing about the stresses and events in your life provides a private way to express your feelings.
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O Learn a new hobby. Engaging in a new and challenging activity gives you a sense of accomplishment and provides a distraction from daily worries.
7. MAINTAIN HEALTHY WEIGHT
Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for several types of cancer. Studies have shown that overweight and obese people are more likely to develop cancer than people with healthy body weight. This is because they have more fat tissue that can produce hormones, such as insulin like growth factors or estrogen, which may cause cancer cells to grow. Obesity is also linked to poorer cancer outcomes, including increased risk of recurrence and of both cancer-specific and overall mortality. It therefore makes sense that losing weight can help in keeping the cancer at bay.
The best way to lose weight is to eat healthily, eat smaller amounts and become more active.
8. EAT WELL
A healthy diet can help you manage cancer side effects, recover quicker, and improve health. It may also lower your future risk of cancer. Go to 'KEY NUTRIENTS FOR RECOVERY' for our tips to help you develop healthy eating habits.
9. SUNSHINE/ GO OUTDOOR
When was the last time you felt the grass beneath your feet? If statistics are anything to go by, you probably can't even remember. Fresh outdoor air contains more oxygen than indoor air (common sense will tell you that - avoid polluted areas though!). Make it a point to go outdoors, to the hills or among the trees and flowers in the park. Experience the "aaahh" feeling when breathing in fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, the sounds of the birds in the trees - stepping outside can help anyone feel instantly better.
Spend time outside. If possible, take a walk in a park or other natural setting. Sunlight, fresh air, and the sounds of nature can help brighten a person’s day. find that walking is a very effective way of releasing stress, as well as other forms of exercise for those who are physically able to exercise.
- Researchers at Tokyo's Nippon Medical School noted that women who spent two to four hours in the woods on two consecutive days experienced a nearly 50 percent increase in the activity of cancer-fighting white blood cells.
10. REDUCE THE USE OF CELLPHONES AND OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES
Cell phones and other wireless technologies emit radio frequency energy which is a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phone is held, such as the head and the neck.
Radiofrequency electromagnetic field is harmful - Based on the classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), radio frequency fields such as those produced by cell phones are classified as “possibly *carcinogenic” to humans (Group 2B – which is the same category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform) *Carcinogenic – cancer causing agent.More information is becoming available now highlighting the dangers of radiofrequency exposure for example the study conducted in Sweden which shows that people who used cell phones and cordless phones for more than a year were at a 70% greater risk of brain cancer compared to those who used cell phones and cordless phones for a year or less. Those who used cell phones and cordless phones for more than 25 years were found to have a 300% greater risk of brain cancer than those who used cell phones and cordless phones for a year or less. Brain cancer risk was also found to be greater in the part of the brain where the exposure to cell phone and cordless phone radiation was highest, on the side of the head where people predominantly used their phones3.
Things that you can do to minimize the risk
The amount of electromagnetic radiation a cell phone user is exposed to depends on the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone’s receptor and the user, the extent and type of use, and the distance from the transmitting towers.
Thus, it is wise to:
- limit mobile calls to those that are necessary
- keep cell phones away from the body eg. Do not put it in your trousers pocket or shirt pocket
- use the speaker or hands-free option where possible
- alternate the usage from one side of the head to the other. Avoid using a cell phone when the reception is poor – such as in elevators, buildings, mountainous and rural areas.
- use a corded land line whenever possible
- remove mobile phones (and other electrical devices such as TV and computer) from the bedroom
- turn off your wireless modem at night or when not in use.
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