Eating Healthy, Even if the Big C is in Your Life
It would seem, that everyone is now affected by Cancer in one way or another. The friend who is going through a difficult diagnosis. The loved-one who has passed. The sibling battling each day.
My guest blogger today is David Haas, a researcher and writer who shares his expertise about Eating Healthy. This blog is worth reading if you have Cancer or if you are touched by Cancer. You can help others. But it’s also a wonderful reminder to us to care for our own health and wellness, whether touched by the Big C or not!
Eating Healthy During Cancer Treatments
Everyone has heard about the importance of healthy eating. From mothers, teachers, and healthcare professionals, individuals are always being given information on what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. However, eating nutritious foods is not only important in healthy individuals, but it is extremely important in individuals who may be undergoing cancer treatment.
During the grueling process of chemotherapy and radiation, the body begins to do double duty. Not only is it trying its best to fight the cancer cells that have invaded it, but it is also fighting to keep the healthy cells in the body.
Therefore, in order to cope with the many side effects of cancer treatment, people should eat a daily source of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and cold foods.
Fruits and Vegetables
Because of the many antioxidants that they contain, many healthcare professionals recommend for cancer patients to eat fruits and vegetable during their cancer treatment. Some of the antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids, and each of these antioxidants will supply the body with needed nutrients.
One of the major benefits of fruits and vegetables is having the ability to protect healthy cells from damage. And they will also aid in preventing the cancer cells from progressing further. Some of the most antioxidant rich fruits include berries, cherries, and plums. Other healthy fruits are oranges, lemons, and mango.
Many vegetables also contain lots of antioxidants. These include peppers, sweet potatoes + squash. Because of these healthy benefits, cancer patients should include lots of colorful fruits + vegetables in their daily meals.
Dairy Products
In order to get the proper protein the body needs, it is important to supply the body with lots of dairy products. Not only do these products give the body protein that it needs, but they also give the body lots of calcium and vitamin D.
During chemo and radiation treatments, the body’s muscles and bones become weaker, and in turn, this can lead to many fractures. By supplying the body with calcium rich dairy products, the muscles and bones will become stronger. And this will help to prevent the fractures from occurring.
Some of the most common dairy products are milk, yogurt, and cheese. However, patients can also benefit from adding milk to their cereal, soups, or smoothies.
Cold Foods
Finally, cancer patients can benefit from eating cold foods.
In many cases, foods that are cooked at room temperature will produce certain smells that may cause the patients to not want to eat. However, cold foods will not produce the smells that may cause nausea or other digestive problems.
The ability to be able to eat is extremely important in determining how well a cancer patient’s body will respond to the treatment. Therefore, pasta, chicken salad, or tuna salad will be easier to eat + digest than warm foods.
Cancer treatment is difficult to go through. However, if the body is supplied with healthy foods, the individual will be able to respond to the treatment better.
Thanks David for sharing your thoughts.
My thoughts:
Whatever type of treatment you or your loved ones may be undergoing for Cancer, eating healthy certainly isn’t contra-indicated. Choose Happy and Live Healthy. Eat whole, natural foods for Happiness + Health.
Thanks to David for supplying this blog.
Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Eating healthy is important in general. I am a firm believer that if you eat healthy many diseases can be averted altogether. Breast cancer runs high in our family tree and I have chosen to eat healthy and take a variety of supplements aimed at protecting myself from ever getting it. For those that are going through healing from cancer’s assault on the body these are great suggestions!
I think you’d love the book ‘Breast Cancer? Breast Health!’ by Susan Weed. Takes breast health to a new level with herbal support and loving them! Good for you Belinda. xox
This is great, and I appreciate the overall message of using food for healing and recovery. I have to suggest, though, that dairy is not necessarily the best source of protein, calcium or D for anyone (much less those with already-compromised immune systems). Better sources would be plant-based, such as nuts, broccoli, whole grains, and beans.
Ahh…the dairy controversy! Physical anthropologists tell us that age four, when lactose intolerance typically starts, is about when nature intended for humans to be wholly weaned onto solid food.
However, geneticists have confirmed that about 10,000 years ago a percentage of the population (those from herding backgrounds) developed a lactase persistence deviant gene on the second chromosome. (SNP C/T13910) So about 86% of the northern European population can digest milk products, where Southeast Asians have virtually zero lactose tolerance.
The best thing to do is ‘get in touch with your body’ and know what it likes and doesn’t like.
And to eat wholesome, unprocessed foods!
Thanks for sharing your views Jessica.
thanks Jacqueline for this post, recently my father was diagnosed with cancer and my Mum passed away from cancer 17 years ago, it made me revisit my eating habits and listen more to what my body needs.
Yes, we need to listen to our bodies. I trust your father will get through this and send love and light to you and your family
This is a great post AND reminder of the proactive approach people can take when they have cancer… my father had colon cancer 10 years ago and completely healed himself (no chemo or radiation but did go to Mexico for alternative, natural treatment) by eating this way. In fact he completely cut out any form of sugar, all meat, and most cooked foods. He did this for 4 years and then gradually added some of these things back in but he’s 75, healthy and whole! We truly ARE what we eat. Thanks Jacqueline for your wisdom.
Woohoo! That’s a great share Kelly…your father is inspirational! xox
Thank you for such a wonderful post. It was hugely informative and it goes without saying, such an important subject. Even though I am not directly affected by Cancer, it is a really important reminder that the way we nourish our bodies has a huge impact on our whole lives. I will use this post for reference.
Also, a question. I’m not sure if you will know the answer. Do you know if drinking Aloe Vera can help those undergoing Cancer treatment? I have recently become a distributor of Forever Aloe products, and I was simply curious if you had heard whether there are benefits. People claim that it helps your body use the nutrients of your food, so I wondered if you had heard of it or know if it helps for Cancer patients.
Again, thank you for this post. Wishing you well.
There are definite claims that cancer cell growth is restricted by aloe vera, including clinical studies.
Aloe vera boosts immune function and destroys cancer tumors
Scientific research shows strong immunomodulatory and antitumour properties for aloe vera polysaccharides. That means the gel helps boosts immune system function while destroying cancer tumors. One study published in International Immunopharmacology (1995) showed that aloe vera polysaccharides exhibited potent macrophage-activating activities including producing increased volumes of nitric oxide (which has antitumor potential).
Here’s a link for a great article http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. And it contains a link to those clinical studies.
Glad you liked the post and thanks for sharing! xox
A very important message indeed – diet is such a powerful factor in recovery from so many illnesses and is often overlooked. I agree wholeheartedly. Food alone can cure so much if you do it right!
That’s an interesting point about chilling food so you don’t feel nauseous because of the smell. I wonder if that tip could help pregnant women too?
However, being allergic to dairy and vegan, the bit recommending that we eat lots of dairy products really yanked my chain. I don’t personally agree with part of that statement, and it would have been nice if the author could have given some other suggestions and perhaps listed the nutrients we should focus on getting & a number of alternative sources for a more balanced view.
If I’m going to get really controversial now, there are also claims that the growth hormones in dairy products can actually make cancer cells multiply faster…
Ahh…the dairy controversy! Physical anthropologists tell us that
age four, when lactose intolerance typically starts, is about when
nature intended for humans to be wholly weaned onto solid food.
However, geneticists have confirmed that about 10,000 years ago a
percentage of the population (those from herding backgrounds) developed a lactase persistence deviant gene on the second chromosome. (SNP C/T13910) So about 86% of the northern European population can digest milk products, where Southeast Asians have virtually zero lactose tolerance.
My personal belief is: The best thing to do is ‘get in touch with your body’ and know what it likes and doesn’t like.
And to eat wholesome, unprocessed foods! Including you dairy products, if that’s your choice!
Thanks for sharing your views Helen. I’m sure David will enjoy the challenge!