Three Gentle Ways To Support Your Body Through Cancer Treatment
No doubt living through a cancer diagnosis and treatment is extremely hard. From the shock of the initial discovery through to coping with invasive treatments like surgery and chemotherapy, the process feels grueling, tiring, and quite often overwhelming.
At times like these, it can be very hard to think beyond what’s immediately in front of you, and yet taking a holistic approach to your treatment with the help of a certified cancer exercise specialist. Modern medical advances mean that millions are now living to make a full recovery, returning to a new, healthier way of life that supports their body and wellbeing.
You can start to take charge at any point – whether you’ve been newly diagnosed, are currently in treatment, or have completed it. It’s never the wrong point to start living more healthily.
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Take Regular Exercise
This factor varies a lot from patient to patient – and of course, no one is expecting someone undergoing radiation therapy to be running a marathon, but there are always ways to include some exercise in your life.
It doesn’t matter if all you can manage is a slow ten-minute walk outside, a gentle home yoga routine, or just some stretches to keep your muscles engaged. Doing something active is a way of giving back to your body when it’s been fighting so hard.
Exercise will boost your overall health and give you an outlet for some of the anxiety and frustration you may be experiencing. It can also help with the fatigue from cancer treatment and may lower the risk of recurrence and other related conditions. Make it a habit by aiming to do something at the same time each day, and find something that you genuinely enjoy.
Alter Your Diet
Correct nutrition has a hugely important role to play in supporting your cancer recovery, so it could well be time to overhaul what you eat.
Finding healthy delicious recipes doesn’t have to be difficult – it’s worth batch cooking and freezing meals in portions so that if you have a low energy day, there’s still a healthy meal ready to go at the end of the day.
Aim to eat a rainbow each day with as many different types of fruits and vegetables as you can. Smoothies and soups are a great way to add extra nutrients, and adding a powdered supergreens supplement to either of those things works really well. Try to cut back on saturated and trans fats, and take a probiotic and a 100 percent multivitamin with folates.
Cut The Stress
Undergoing cancer treatment can, of course, be an intensely anxious time – not only for your health but for your career, relationships, and all the other aspects of your life which are affected. But learning how to regulate stress is essential for good health.
Many patients find that positive visualization techniques can really help, as well as using a mindfulness app to switch off. The power of the mind in supporting the body to heal is undoubtedly powerful.
