Monday, July 23, 2012

6 ways to improve your health during cancer treatment

Quite often those living with cancer feel powerless and stripped of control over their health… NOT TRUE!  You are perhaps more EMPOWERED to impact your wellbeing than ever before!

Here's 6 tips to improve your health before, during and after cancer treatment.

 

1. EXERCISE OUTDOORS
Both exercise and Vitamin D from the sun are important factors in maintaining a positive mindset and boosting your immune system.  Vitamin D is clinically proven to inhibit cell proliferation (growth)  We would recommend 20-30 min outdoors exercising everyday.


2. DRINK GREEN TEA
Green Tea has SO many benefits! For those on chemotherapy, Green Tea  will increase the amount of drug that is able to enter the cancer cell therefore increasing its effectiveness!  Green Tea is super high in antioxidants which, in clinical trials has resulted in fewer infections, fewer days in hospital, improved tolerance to chemotherapy treatment and improved quality of life :)  Green tea is also important to cellular energy production, therefore drinking Green Tea will improve energy, reduce pain and improve detoxification.  We recommend about 20g of green tea per day which would account to about 6 cups.


3. CUT OUT SUGAR
Studies in mice have found that low carb diets promote tumour cell  death.  This diet involves eating high amounts of protein rich foods, salads, vegetables, nuts and seeds.  Low carbohydrate diets also reduce risk of diabetes and obesity; health conditions which are linked to poorer prognosis.

 4. REDUCE YOUR STRESS
Easier said than done whilst you are going through this I am sure!  Simple ways to wind down and relax which saves energy and promotes healing may include getting a massage, having a warm bath with magnesium salts, reading and listening to music.  Include your family and loved ones in this process as they are probably stressed too!

5. REDUCE INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is the driver of pain; therefore if we shift our body into an “anti-inflammatory” state we generally feel better both mentally and physically.  Simple ways to reduce inflammation in our body includes eating more omega 3 (fish, organic red meat, raw nuts and seeds) turmeric, ginger, paw paw, pineapple, tofu, lecithin and green vegetables.  We also need to reduce inflammatory foods such as processed meats, sugar, grains (pasta, flour, rice)  Fish oil supplements can be taken safely with cancer treatment and will provide higher concentrations than what is found in foods; but please advise your oncologist.

6.      ALKALIZE
Think of your cancer like a seed in a garden, to grow it would love a carbohydrate rich and highly acidic soil; therefore we want to offer it the opposite.  We have already spoken about carbs but we also want to alkalize.  The best way to do this is to eat GREEN! 





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