Last week I was asked if I am willing to feature a guest post on my blog. After I read the mentioned article I thought why not, I agree with everything written in it and it goes hand in hand with the theme of my healthy ‘but totes yummy’ eating blog. Not only is eating healthy the best tool for preventing all kinds of diseases, but it is also super important if you are suffering from an illness already. If this article helps anyone in any way that’s awesome! Thank you reader David Haas for providing the article.
How to Eat Better When You Have Cancer
by: David Haas
Whether you were just diagnosed with cancer or are suffering from mesothelioma treatment side effects, the way that you eat plays a major role in how healthy you are and feel. The saying that we are what we eat really is true for everyone, no matter how old they are or what their current state of health is. If you constantly eat processed foods that are dehydrated and packaged, you might notice that you do not get the energizing substance that comes from fresh and organic fruits or vegetables.
If you are a cancer patient, you should never underestimate the power of your diet and how it will truly impact your life. Changing your diet and living off of fruits and vegetables will definitely not cure your cancer, but it is a healthier option than living off a diet filled with greasy fast food and processed boxed meals. There are a couple of things you need to know as a cancer patient or survivor about changing your diet and how it will directly impact your life for the better. Again, do not assume that changing your diet is going to drastically change your condition and get rid of the cancer you have because it will not.
Why Eat Healthier Foods
Eating healthier foods is just a smart decision to make on a daily basis. Let’s say that you buy fresh vegetables and fruits from a local supermarket and decide to start supplementing your afternoon candy with these healthier alternatives. Fruits and vegetables are literally filled with vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin deficiencies are incredibly common and can cause a lot more harm than people give them credit for. Women, for example, can have erratic menstrual cycles just from having a deficiency in either iron or vitamin K.
While you can take a multivitamin every day and most doctors advise this, the best way to get vitamins is through your food. The food is when the vitamins are in their fullest and purest form so that the body can absorb everything a little easier and quicker. Fruits and veggies are also packed full of other good-for-you nutrients like phytonutrients and antioxidants. These two things will help the body to absorb more nutrients and vitamins, which will then improve your quality of life and sense of well-being.
The Effects of Eating Better
Eating healthier and more wholesome foods has a variety of different benefits that can be an advantage for someone who is battling cancer. One thing that eating healthier can do is to improve your mood and energy levels. If you’re constantly tired and lethargic all the time, eating fresher and more wholesome foods will actually help by introducing those B vitamins into your system that you may be lacking. Healthier foods are just a lot more nutritious and can be a wonderful addition to anyone’s life, whether they have a condition or are completely young and healthy.
Better foods can also taste delicious and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. As someone battling cancer, you need to make sure that you eat enough throughout the day and consume enough calories. The best way to get those calories is through a delicious fruit and vegetable smoothie that you can make right in your blender. Just add in your favorite vegetables, fruit and a little ice and you can blend it until it’s a frothy mixture. These smoothies can contain hundreds of calories depending on the fruit you’re using, so you can be sure you’re consuming enough throughout the day.
How to Start Eating Healthier
Eating healthier foods can sometimes be difficult if you’ve lived off of processed foods for your entire life. It definitely is easier to go into the local supermarket and grab a boxed dinner that can just be thrown into a casserole dish and baked. However, most of these boxed dinners simply do not have the nutritious values that fresher meals can carry. The best way to start implementing healthier foods into your diet is to make small and very gradual changes each week.
One example would be to switch out an afternoon chip snack with a piece of fruit or some vegetables with hummus dip. Don’t worry about living off of healthy foods all the time because you really should be focusing on those small, gradual changes as opposed to a lifestyle change that is difficult to stick with. Be sure to always consult with a doctor or registered dietitian before you make changes to the way that you eat because you need to make sure that your new healthy eating habits are going to be beneficial to you and not be harmful in any way possible because of calorie consumption or the type of food you’re eating.
Making healthy choices totes yummy! 