Sustenance and active work are different for each childhood cancer survivor. Some of them lose weight drastically while others have a hard time losing weight. The capacity of the child to be physically active also affects how much children can take care of their health. However, it is important to take good care of your health and be physically active. The benefits of maintaining a proper diet and doing regular exercises have an important role to play in the recovery process.
Why should one be conscious of them eating the right food and being physically active?
- Right diet consumption and getting regular exercise are important for both your mind and body. The following are the benefits of doing so.
- Builds strength and endurance
- The risk of developing cancers in adulthood and other diseases can be greatly reduced
- Promotes tissue repairing and healing of any organ damage that might have occurred while undergoing cancer treatment
- Provides a feeling of well-being thereby reducing stress
What is the right way of eating?
A sound eating routine comprises most organic products, vegetables, entire grains, and sans fat or low-fat milk items notwithstanding poultry, beans, eggs, nuts, and meat is likewise a solid eating routine arrangement. Food sources that have low immersed fats, trans fat, salt, added sugars, and cholesterol can likewise be added.
Follow these tips to maintain proper eating and a healthy diet
- Personalize your nutrition plan by seeking the help of your dietician. You can choose a variety of food from all food groups.
- The foods that you choose must have very little or no added sugars
- Choose to eat half a plate of fruits and half a plate of veggies and another half of your grain intake as whole grains
- Food that is high in solid fats should be avoided
- Switch to low-fat or skimmed milk
- Reduce the intake of smoked, charbroiled, pickled, and hard-boiled foods
- Alcoholic drinks should be avoided completely
If you feel the need to lose weight, do so by seeking help from our healthcare team and our nutritionist. The best meal plan will be worked out for you based on the type of treatment that you have undergone and the type of cancer that you are having.
Before you indulge n the process, ask to analyze yourself by asking,
- Whether the goals that you have set for your weight loss are realistic and achievable
- Are the foods included in your diet plan the ones that you will enjoy forever or whether you will lose interest in them after a few weeks?
- Does the diet plan have a variety of foods?
- Are the foods that are included in your plan provided by the supermarket
- Does your diet plan go song with your lifestyle, budget, exercise plans, and daily schedule
- In addition to this diet plan, does your lifestyle change guide you to your weight loss goal and help you maintain your weight loss.
Not all the herbal supplements available are truly healthy so talk to your doctor and your dietician before you start to take any one of them.
What is the right amount of exercise that I need to give my body?
It is better if you are practicing a physically active lifestyle. Being physically active means that an average adult requires at least 30 minutes a day or more the day of the week and that includes riding a bike, gardening, and brisk walking. In the case of children and adolescents, an average of 6-0 minutes a day should be spent on doing activities such as hopping, dancing, swimming, and running.
- It is okay even if you take short bursts of activity that last at least 10 minutes a day to include it in the count of your physical activity goal. Make sure you follow the below-given tips to remain active even without going to the gym
- When you are running errands take a bicycle
- Do not use the elevator but take the stairs
- Engage in outdoor physical activities such as washing your car, painting furniture, and cleaning out your garage.
- If you are on a stationary bike or a treadmill, watching TV, or reading the paper
- Be a part of the sports team
- Ask your family to take part in going out for a family hike or bike ride instead of going out to eat or watch a movie.
How to get started:
Before you start your routine, you must have a clear idea of what you want to do and the type of activity that you choose. When choosing an exercise plan, ask yourself the following questions,
- Do you gave the strength and endurance to reach the goals that you have set for yourself
- Does the physical activity that you have planned fit into your everyday schedule
- If the activity safe
- Will your budget cover the expenses if the physical activity that you have chosen has any type o special equipment or protective gear
- Do you enjoy the sports activity that you are doing
- Do any type of special changes be made to fit the sports or activity into your schedule?
If you have planned out an activity in your mind, make sure to follow these simple steps,
- Always begin your exercises with a warm-up and end it with cool-down exercises
- Start slow. Do not put too much strain on your muscles by working too hard or by doing exercises beyond your capability.
- Exercise only till you are tired
- Alternate the exercise and make sure that all parts of your body work the same
- Choose the muscles that need to be worked on to build strength and work them
- Gradually increase the duration of your exercise and intensu=ity but it should not be more than 10% per week
- Make sure to use only the right equipment and shoes to avoid any accidents or sprains
What if your child has special needs?
Cancer survivors with special needs can talk to their physical or occupational therapist and take part in exercises that are suitable for them. To help find insurance coverage or other resources the help of a social worker can be availed. Also, you can find the right exercise programs for children having special needs within your community or your healthcare center.
What should I let my doctor know?
Before you start any sort of diet or exercise, you need to talk to your healthcare team and seek their consultation. by valuing your condition based on your medical history, a healthcare plan will be drafted and the right type of exercises will be recommended.
How to exercise safety in terms of food and diet?
Most cancer survivors will have this thought going through their minds. Is there any type of food that should be taken? This is because the immune system is weakened during therapy and as a result of the cells too, therefore a small misstep can cause you to severely lose energy. At the point when the immune system of the survivors is in such a condition, it is shrewd to keep away from the utilization of food sources that are hazardous or may contain microbes. The foods that are to be given to cancer patients should be handled with great care. Carefully follow these simple steps at all times.
- Wash vegetables and organic products well.
- Completely spotless all utensils, ledges, cutting sheets, and wipes that have contacted crude meat.
- Utilize unique consideration while taking care of crude meats, fish, poultry, and eggs. Get them far from different food sources.
- Meat, poultry, and fish ought to be completely cooked. Utilize a food thermometer to take a look at the inside temperatures of meats prior to serving.
- Stay away from crude honey, milk, and organic product squeeze, and pick sanitized renditions all things being equal.
- Clean up when planning food, and before eating.
- Keep hot food varieties hot (hotter than 140° F) and cold food varieties cold (cooler than 40° F).
- Store food sources in a cooler or cooler (underneath 40°F) just after getting them to restrict the development of microorganisms.
- If you utilize well water in your home and are worried about its security (virtue), ask your general wellbeing office to look at it for microscopic organisms.
Physical activity:
Can one exercise during cancer treatment and recovery?
Studies have shown that being physically active is not only safe when undergoing treatment but also helps in the improvement of the body’s physical functioning. And improved the quality of life too. The side effects of cancer symptoms and their side effects are improved by doing moderate kinds of physical exercise too and these include anxiety, depression, extreme fatigue, depression, and sleep. The blood vessels, body composition, and muscle strength are also known to be improved greatly.
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy who are also doing exercises should go at a slower pace and intensity than those who are not getting cancer treatment. The objective of doing activities ought to be to keep themselves genuinely dynamic and work fair and square of action over the long run after treatment.
Before you start any sort of treatment, make sure to consult with your cancer care team and follow their recommendation carefully for safe and effective results.
Does the chances of survival increase with regular exercise?
The answer to this question varies according to the type of cancer the patient is getting treated for. Nonetheless, there is proof that shows that patients who are dynamic after the conclusion of colorectal, prostate, female regenerative cancers, and breast cancer are known to have lower chances of assuming they are all the more truly dynamic.
Physical activities are known to greatly reduce the risk and prevention of diabetes, blood vessels, and osteoporosis. All cancer survivors must keep themselves physically active. All your physical activity efforts might be based on the type of cancer that you might have had and the diagnosis that you might have received, its symptoms, and side effects.
