Life After Cancer Diagnosis- Follow These Nutrition Tips To Live Better

Life after a cancer diagnosis is daunting. The stress is hard to handle for most patients, and multiple rounds of painful treatment aggravate it further. Financial worries make life even more challenging down the line. But you have to see the silver lining to beat this deadly disease. A lot depends on your willpower and the right treatment. Eating right and embracing a healthy lifestyle can take you a step closer to recovery. Optimal nutrition is specifically beneficial for cancer patients, and it can speed up healing and protect you from further spread in the long run. Here are some nutrition tips you can follow to live better as a cancer survivor.

Make the right dietary choices

While your nutritionist will have apt dietary recommendations, there are some common-sense tips you can follow. Stick to a plant-based diet comprising fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, and other high fiber foods. A minimum of five servings of fruits and veggies can keep you healthy and fit. Steer clear of red meats and processed foods as they can be toxic for your body. Sugar, coffee, and alcohol are also a no-no for cancer patients. Good hydration is the key to recovery as water flushes out toxins from your system and takes you a step closer to good health.

Nutrition becomes even more important in the case of any gastrointestinal tract cancers. Since you can easily find prebiotic fiber on Amazon, adding this supplement to your daily nutrition is a very easy yet effective step to take in order to improve your overall wellbeing. This is important because it has been proven that prebiotics can limit cancer growth through strengthening your immunity, especially in the case of colorectal or other intestinal cancers.

Maintain a lean frame

Cancer patients may lose weight during and after treatment. At times, they may gain weight after completing a cycle of treatment. Obesity is the last thing you will want to deal with as a survivor. It elevates the risk of a relapse later. Further, it also makes you susceptible to other diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. It makes sense to maintain a lean frame and healthy weight throughout your lifetime. Check your body mass index (BMI) and ensure you stay in an ideal range. Avoid risk factors such as a larger waistline and belly fat. While you try to maintain a lean frame, make sure you do not become underweight. Seek advice from a nutritionist to pick ideal food options that keep you in the right weight range.

Add cancer-fighting superfoods to your diet

Relapse is the biggest concern for most patients. After getting through the painful treatment, the last thing you will want to encounter is a repeat diagnosis. Luckily, some cancer-fighting superfoods can actually curb your risk. Garlic, spinach, broccoli, spinach, and berries are some healing foods. You can go the extra mile with holistic diet healers such as agaricus blazei. Studies validate the agaricus blazei murill health benefits for cancer patients. The medicinal mushroom grown in Brazil, China, and Japan has helped several patients as a complementary therapy with chemotherapy.

Opt for healthier cooking techniques

The right dietary choices set you on track, but even the healthiest foods can make unhealthy recipes if you do not cook them properly. Imagine covering your veggies in creamy sauces or dipping your fresh fruits in sugar syrups. Either way, these recipes end up doing more harm than good. Cancer survivors need to switch to smart cooking techniques such as roasting, steaming, air-frying, baking, and sautéing. These healthy methods minimize the intake of oil. Even better, cooking at a lower temperature retains food nutrients so that you can derive the best benefits from them.

Adjust portion sizes

Another nutrition tip that can help cancer survivors live better is to control portion sizes. You may suffer from nausea right after your chemotherapy sessions, so smaller portions make sense. You can eat light yet frequently to ensure that you never fall short of nutrients. Adjusting portion sizes also implies sticking with larger portions of fruits and vegetables and opting for smaller ones of meat, starches, and desserts. It is a good idea to use smaller plates at home if you genuinely want to cut portion sizes. Measuring foods when cooking also helps.

Season with spices

Cancer treatment tends to take a toll on your taste buds. Food often tastes bland after chemotherapy and medicines. You can do your bit by seasoning it with flavorful herbs and spices. Try using lemon, ginger, garlic, dill, cayenne, and rosemary to add aroma and flavor to your recipes. Steer clear of acidic and spicy foods if your mouth is sore. You can experiment with recipes and ingredients to create ones your taste buds love. But make sure you pick only the healthiest ingredients. Find healthy substitutes such as honey instead of sugar and low-fat dairy instead of full-cream products. A little research and hard work enable you to relish your food.

Focus on food hygiene

After cancer treatment, you need to go the extra mile with food hygiene. Your immunity levels are not at their best, and you have to steer clear of infections. Cooking hygiene takes you a long way. Wash your fruits, vegetables, and meat thoroughly before using them. Always procure food from reliable sources, and use them when they are fresh. Stale food can make you sick as bacteria thrive in it. Also, make sure that you wash your hands and utensils properly before cooking.

Stay active and fit

While optimal nutrition is imperative for cancer survivors, you cannot rely on it alone. A healthy lifestyle is crucial to stay in shape and ahead of the disease. Limit sedentary activities such as watching TV, overusing gadgets, and playing video games. Devote time to physical activities at home. Cooking, cleaning, gardening, and playing with kids keep you active. Exercise for at least half an hour a day to start with, and you can extend the duration if possible. Meditation also helps you derive the best from your efforts with good nutrition.

Good nutrition can go a long way in healing and boosting your immunity. It can set your health on track after cancer treatment and even curb the chances of relapse in the long run. The good thing is that you need not do much to ramp up your diet after a cancer diagnosis. Just follow these tips, and you can support treatment with the right nutrition.