George K.
It goes without saying – Cancer is hard. The diagnosis, the medications, and the treatment can be not only frightening but also excruciatingly painful and draining. Unfortunately, even after you have made past these hurdles, you will have to start your struggle as a cancer survivor. Owing to modern medicines, millions of survivors can live a longer life with a better quality of life. One of the best ways to do so is by taking measures to control your health.
Here, we have come up with ways to help you lead a life with a better quality of life post-cancer. Let us get started and take a look at the tips one by one.
Do not smoke
You may have heard it before, and you are hearing it again! The single most vital thing that you need to do as a cancer survivor is to quit smoking if you smoke. Many people think that they can get back to their old ways after cancer treatment, but that is their biggest mistake. Even after you have healed from cancer, you might soon develop second cancer if you continue smoking, says Davis, an online precalculus tutor. It also puts you at risk of stroke and other heart diseases.
What should you do?
- Try, and try some more. Usually, it takes about six to seven tries before you are finally in a position to quit.
- Take to your doctor about the methods to quit smoking.
- Join a support group.
Avoid second-hand or passive smoking
Whether you smoke or not, you have to take active measures to keep away from passive smoking. Of course, it is not as bad as smoking yourself, but this too aggravates your risk of cancer.
What should you do?
- Avoid smoky restaurants and bars.
- Ensure that you are in a non-smoking workplace.
- Keep your house smoke-free.
Lead an active lifestyle
A lot of people find it hard to squeeze exercise into their schedule. Moreover, cancer survivors who have had a significant interruption might find it even harder in their daily routines. However, the benefits that regular exercises can bring in make it worth squeezing into your routine. Regular exercise can not only be helpful for cancer survivors but also for people who already have cancer, points out Shelly, who works with EduWorldUSA. It can help uplift your mood and overcome the fatigue experienced from cancer. Furthermore, exercising regularly also reduces the risk of the recurrence of the disease.
You can engage in a simple aerobic activity, such as brisk walking for half an hour every day. Of course, the more you work out, the better it is. You can also include some strength training in your diet. It can be done at least two to three times a week.
What should you do?
- Opt for activities that you like doing. In exercises several things, such as gardening, walking, dancing, playing a sport, etc. can be chosen.
- Always ensure that you work out at a fixed hour every day. It will help your body get into a routine.
- Get yourself a workout partner.
Maintain a healthy body weight
Cancer treatment brings stress, side effects, and a lot of changes to one’s routine. Amidst all this, taking care of the weight often takes a back seat. As a cancer survivor, you need to maintain healthy body weight, or do the minimum of not gaining any weight, recommends Steve, who offers the best online statistics courses. After no smoking, it is the second most crucial rule for improving your quality of life.
What should you do?
- Limit the time you spend in front of a computer or TV.
- Include some movement or physical activity into your life.
- Eat a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Eat slowly
- Consume smaller portions
Consume a healthy and balanced diet
As a cancer survivor, it can be challenging for you to decide what and how you should eat. Articles and books and websites have several fad diets, which in reality, are not equivalent to healthy eating. These diets may have severe impacts on an average person’s body, and for a cancer survivor whose body is already frail, these can be life-threatening. As a cancer survivor, you need to consume a healthy diet to keep your weight in check. Feed your body with the right nutrients that it needs to give you the required energy to take you through the busy day, mentions Gargi, an educator with TAE.
Your diet should be the right mix of wholegrains, vegetables, and fruits. You can consume meat, but keep red meat to the minimum. Further, it would be best if you eliminated all the bad fats, such as trans fat, processed foods, additives and colorings, and saturated fats from your diet. Instead you need to consume healthy fats, that is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet.
Consuming folate and 100% DV multivitamin can be added to your diet.
What should you do?
- Ensure that all your meals have at least one fruit or vegetable included.
- If you are eating cereal, add fruits to it.
- Make vegetables your healthy snacking options.
- Instead of red meat, opt for fish, beans, and chicken.
- Opt for brown rice, wholegrain cereal, and whole-wheat bread over the refined carbs.
- Pick the dishes made with canola or olive oil, as these are the healthy fats that the body needs.
- Avoid junk food, such as store-bought cookies and snacks.
- Read the labels before shopping for food.
- Follow the safety tips to prevent food poisoning.
