Exercise & Eat Right to Stay Healthy After Cancer
16 June 2008A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that cancer survivors who practiced the positive lifestyle behaviors recommended by the American Cancer Society had a higher quality of life than those who made fewer changes.
Over ten million Americans have had some form of cancer; fortunately, certain lifestyle behaviors can help beat it and keep it from coming back. For example, physical activity helps prevent many types of cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors get at least 150 minutes of moderate to strenuous or 60 minutes of strenuous exercise per week. They also recommend eating “5-A-Day”—five daily servings of fruits and vegetables—and not smoking.
The new study surveyed 9,105 survivors of six different kinds of cancer—breast, prostate, colorectal, uterine, skin melanoma, and bladder—to see the extent to which the survivors followed the American Cancer Society's recommendations and how their habits affected their health-related quality of life.
A range of healthy habits is the key
Physical activity goals were met by 30 to 47% of the survivors, while only 15 to 19% met the 5-A-Day fruit and vegetable recommendation. Most survivors (up to 92%) did not smoke. “This suggests that it may be important to develop a multibehavioral lifestyle intervention rather than develop single behavior interventions,” the study's authors commented.
Survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers who met the 5-A-Day or not smoking recommendations had a significantly higher quality of life than those who didn't, and survivors of all types of cancer who were more physically active reported a higher quality of life. “Physical activity is a key lifestyle behavior that should be incorporated into all the interventions to improve health-related quality of life,” concluded the authors.
Dr. Lise Alschuler, author of Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrated Approach to Prevention, Treatment and Healing, said, “It seems to me that the main reason for the low rate of healthier lifestyle adoption is the difficulty of the changes themselves. It is hard for anyone to change their diet and equally as difficult to increase exercise. People who are successful in making positive changes to their dietary and exercise patterns feel better. As a result of eating differently and exercising regularly, people become more engaged in the process of living and as a result have more vitality and wellness.”
(J Clin Oncol 2008;26:2198-204)
Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. She cofounded South County Naturopaths in Wakefield, RI. Dr. Beauchamp practices as a birth doula and lectures on topics including whole-foods nutrition, detoxification, and women's health.