Healthy Living After Cancer
Posted 12/26/2010
Posted in
This is perhaps a better match for a day after New Year's column, but I am fairly cynical about New Year's resolutions, so am trying to separate by a week this link and the traditional resolution day. (Totally as an aside, but I always think about how crowded the gym becomes for a couple of weeks early in January before everyone reverts to their usual habits).
Separate and aside from New Year's resolutions, I do think that many of us think about our health choices and habits after cancer. First, a big reminder: You did not develop breast cancer because of your diet or exercise routines. As far as anyone knows (ignore all those articles in the popular press), there is nothing about your eating habits that either makes it more likely that you will develop breast cancer in the first place or that cancer will recur. We all know that a healthy diet and moderate alcohol use and exercise are good for our general health. I meet with so many women who muse about their already good habits and how could this have happened when they run everyday and never eat red meat (or whatever). Answer: we don't know, but it is not related to your running and your carnivore inclinations. I do expect that being generally healthy and in good shape makes us better able to withstand the assaults of cancer treatment, and we all know that we feel better when we take better care of our physical selves.
With that in mind, here is the introduction and then a link to a short article about this from ASCO's CancerNet:
Healthy Living After Cancer
Last Updated: February 08, 2010
After a cancer diagnosis, many people want to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating better, exercising more, and finding better ways to manage stress. Although practicing healthy habits is important for everyone, it is especially important for cancer survivors because they can be at a higher risk for other health problems as a result of cancer treatment. Some of these health concerns include:
Obesity or being overweight
Heart problems, such as congestive heart failure
Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) and fractures
High blood pressure
Diabetes
http://tinyurl.com/2dre9ac
Tags: