Breast Cancer Survivors: Nutrition and Fitness Tips
Breast Cancer Survivors: Nutrition and Fitness Tips
A bout with breast cancer is likely to leave you eager to do all you can to prevent a recurrence. You may be frustrated that there's only so much about cancer prevention you can control.
But you do have control over one area of life: your diet. Eating well can help you take off any weight you may have gained during breast cancer treatment. It may also help protect you in the future from a breast cancer recurrence.
Breast Cancer Survivor Stories
These four women lead very different lives, but they all have one thing in common: They developed breast cancer at a young age. They discovered community within the Young Survival Coalition, a national organization dedicated to providing support to young women with breast cancer -- and raising awareness of the disease in women under 40.
Read the Breast Cancer Survivor Stories article > >
True, what doctors know about your diet's power to ward off a cancer recurrence, as opposed to preventing cancer in the first place, is limited, says Melanie Polk, RD, Director of Nutrition Education at the American Institute for Cancer Research.
"We know that a diet that's high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and low in fat and high in fiber is cancer-protective," she says. "But a lot of these factors have not been studied in detail with regard to cancer survivors. Still, there's every reason to believe that dietary factors that are cancer-protective to begin with would be protective as well for cancer survivors."
While much more research is needed, it's a given that a good diet boosts overall health. It also clearly helps protect against heart disease and diabetes. It can't hurt you, and it may help you stay strong for years to come long after your breast cancer treatments are over.
Breast Cancer Treatment: Learn About the Latest Options
Foods known to have cancer-prevention benefits:
But you do have control over one area of life: your diet. Eating well can help you take off any weight you may have gained during breast cancer treatment. It may also help protect you in the future from a breast cancer recurrence.
Recommended Related to Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Survivor Stories
These four women lead very different lives, but they all have one thing in common: They developed breast cancer at a young age. They discovered community within the Young Survival Coalition, a national organization dedicated to providing support to young women with breast cancer -- and raising awareness of the disease in women under 40.
Read the Breast Cancer Survivor Stories article > >
True, what doctors know about your diet's power to ward off a cancer recurrence, as opposed to preventing cancer in the first place, is limited, says Melanie Polk, RD, Director of Nutrition Education at the American Institute for Cancer Research.
"We know that a diet that's high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and low in fat and high in fiber is cancer-protective," she says. "But a lot of these factors have not been studied in detail with regard to cancer survivors. Still, there's every reason to believe that dietary factors that are cancer-protective to begin with would be protective as well for cancer survivors."
While much more research is needed, it's a given that a good diet boosts overall health. It also clearly helps protect against heart disease and diabetes. It can't hurt you, and it may help you stay strong for years to come long after your breast cancer treatments are over.
Breast Cancer Treatment: Learn About the Latest Options
Go for a Diet Rich in Plant Foods, Fish, and Lean Protein
Foods known to have cancer-prevention benefits:
- Whole wheat breads. Forget the anti-carb mantra: whole grains (such as wheat and brown rice) have many potent antioxidants, which research has linked to cancer prevention. In fact, one recent study found that antioxidants' cancer-fighting abilities may be equal to the punch packed by fruits and vegetables. So, make sure your bread is 100% whole wheat. Also try whole wheat pasta, and ask for the brown rice at your next Chinese meal.
- Carrots, winter squash, pumpkins, apricots. Orange foods (no, not macaroni and cheese) are rich in carotenes, which have been linked to decreased risk of lung and oral cancers and may slow the progression of other cancers.
- Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, and other dark green vegetables. They also boast plenty of carotenes, along with fiber and folate. Two large studies suggest a relationship between increased folate intake and decreased breast cancer risk.
- Garlic, onions, scallions, leeks, and other vegetables from the allium family. Studies in animals show that allium vegetable components can slow the progression of several cancers, including breast cancer.
- Beans -- lentils, peas, kidney beans, navy beans, and so on. Beans are rich in fiber, and also in a certain kind of antioxidant that appears to slow tumor growth.
