You can make lifestyle choices to maximize your health and maximize your potential to improve your quality of life. A good quality of life requires the harmonious integration of the physical, willpower and spiritual aspects. In order to improve your quality of life, you must realize that what you think, say, do, feel and believe is related to your health. You can choose to improve the quality of your life at any moment and in any situation.
Improving your quality of life can help you recover from illness, regardless of your physical condition. For most people, improving quality of life means making significant changes in body, will and spirit. As we have said before, cancer recovery requires will and sanity. Conquering cancer requires transcending the physical abnormalities that come with the disease. Your emotional strength and mental strength can have a tremendous impact on recovery.
Kelly, 48, is the executive director of a master investment firm. He had malignant melanoma. “I underwent the surgery and radiation recommended by my doctor,” he says, “and I knew my real problem was that I wasn’t taking my health seriously.” For years, Kelly hadn’t exercised and had poor dietary and nutritional habits; he was unhappy with his job and was on the verge of divorcing his wife.
Like many survivors, Kelly took the cancer as an alarm. “I realized that my life had gone off the rails and now something had to change.” Many cancer survivors have a similar experience, seeing the disease as a message – a message that a lifestyle change was needed. kelly mused, “when I quit my job and opened my flower store, my life was completely healed and cancer was really a good thing for me “Cancer is a really good thing for me.
One can choose to “live happily” and to do so is to be responsible for the overall health of one’s life, a common theme among many cancer survivors. Regardless of the circumstances, the only way to win in life is to be healthy in mind and body.
Whatever the case may be, it means that while health can be affected by disease, the choices one makes can influence the outcome of the disease. Whatever the case may be, it also means that you can achieve a high quality of life in spite of a serious life-threatening illness. Don’t stress about conditions when it comes to enjoying this God-given gift of life.
The decision to “live happily” is not easy to make, but it is significant and far-reaching. Don’t think of health as a static state with no signs or symptoms, but rather as a dynamic goal to be pursued personally.
DIY (do it yourself): Start setting goals for your health. Open your mind to total wellness. On your healing journey, take note of what you are doing for your health today. Then take action and accomplish what is practical today. Resolve to live a new, high quality of life.
Guiding Recovery with a New Vision
The following table compares the differences between the traditional concept of recovery and the holistic concept of recovery.
1. Patients depend on medical personnel
Patients should have or develop independence
2.Professionals are the authority
Professionals are partners in rehabilitation
3.Treat the symptoms without searching for the root cause
Search for the cause of the disease while treating the symptoms
4.Focus on the problems of the body systems
Body and mind together
5.See the body as a collection of mechanical functions
The body is a constantly changing system
6.Relying mainly on surgery and drug treatment
Like precise and minimally invasive treatment, use non-invasive treatment whenever there is an opportunity
7.Pain and disease have only negative negative meaning
Pain and disease are alerts to value health and take immediate action
8.Will and spirit are secondary factors for recovery
Will and spirit are key factors for recovery
9. Separation of body and mind, spirit has no influence on recovery
The body, will and spirit are organically unified and influence each other
10, mainly rely on environmental factors (such as non-smoking, adjusting the diet structure, work and rest, etc.) to prevent disease
Disease prevention requires environmental factors + the whole: harmonious interpersonal relationships, work and goals; physical, volitional and spiritual balance
Behind these concepts lies an important mystery. The treatment team plays only a part in your recovery journey, the physical part of the body; health contains a much richer content. Holistic recovery is a goal, and the responsibility for achieving it falls on the shoulders of each patient.
DIY (do it yourself): Review the above ideas and circle the parts you agree with. Are you a traditionalist? Do you agree with the concept of holistic recovery? How have these concepts changed for you? Which of these concepts has benefited you the most?
Make a schedule for recovery
All important tasks need to be planned. There is nothing more important in your life right now than recovery. The problem is that most people think that health is for tomorrow. As a result, they work with little regard for their health, or they do it only occasionally outside of work. Immediately establish the attitude that working for your health is the most important thing you can do. Right now you need to make a greater effort in recovery, prioritizing it over family, work, community religious activities, or social responsibilities. Recovery is your overriding priority, and you need to introduce all the “commandments” related to recovery into your daily life.
I have recorded my weekly activities on a schedule. Please turn the page and you will see that my recovery journey is just like my work week.
06:00 AM Wake up and wash up
06:15 AM Exercise
06:45 AM Sitting in meditation
07:00 AM Shower, breakfast, go out
09:00 AM Go to work
Noon
13:00 PM Work at work
16:30 PM Go home from work
17:30 PM Sitting and meditating
18:00 PM Dinner
19:00 PM Family reunion time
21:00 PM Reading meditation
22:00 PM Go to bed
There is also time to meet with the doctor when needed. On my way to and from work, I often listen to tapes about recovery. On weekends, I devote more time to study and sit in meditation. Throughout the process, I became more humble, less demanding in the way I went out and tried to find more ways to heal myself. I kept to a strict schedule and made my recovery the most important thing.
DIY (do it yourself): Start, as I did, by creating your own weekly schedule to open up a new page in your recovery journey. Minimize the mental stress that comes with various responsibilities. Allow plenty of time for recovery work.
After you have made your schedule, it is recommended that you drop your current recovery work and take a break. Wait until tomorrow or until you have rested to begin the next part of your work. In the meantime, carefully consider how you will divide your time. Do you understand what “recovery is a way of life” means? For most people, this means a major shift in their lifestyle, and it is. Introspection (a way to see inside yourself)! Think about what I am suggesting. What is the evidence? What does it mean? Adjust your schedule now to prioritize your recovery efforts.
Stop Active and Passive Smoking
I am always puzzled as to why some cancer patients continue to smoke. john had colon cancer and received chemotherapy after surgery. Can you imagine him smoking all the time? Absolutely not! “I don’t have lung cancer,” he said as he left rehab. If I had insisted on convincing him to quit smoking when we spoke, I probably would have. If you are a smoker, quit now. Say goodbye to cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco. Don’t make any excuses, even nicotine addiction can bring carcinogens into the body.
The question is not whether you can quit smoking, but when. I have the most to say about this, I started smoking when I was a teenager and there is no doubt that smoking caused me to get lung cancer 20 years later. During those 20 years, I tried to quit five or six times, but it was difficult to quit by choice alone. Instead, a change in my thinking helped me to quit smoking.
It started with changing my self-perception. Initially, my self-perception of being a smoker was that I had chosen to smoke as a habit. Seeing smoking as a habit divorced smoking from the mental-emotional component. Then, I gradually identified myself as a non-smoker. In the back of my mind, I kept telling myself to keep the habit of smoking away from me. You can also adopt strategies to change your self-perception.
Also, avoid passive smoking. A Finnish survey showed that 30 minutes of secondhand smoke can reduce blood levels of vitamin C and other antioxidants to 1/3. Ask your smoking colleagues to smoke outside! You have to be brave and responsible in this situation. There is nothing more important than staying healthy, is there? Quit smoking actively and passively in recovery.
DIY (do it yourself): quit smoking immediately, with the help of nicotine if needed, and gradually reduce the amount; avoid people who smoke.
Adopt a proper dietary structure
There is no more important thing in life than eating well. Tumors can deplete the body’s nutrition and make weight loss. Both the tumor itself and the treatment of tumor will affect the appetite as well as the ability to digest food, creating a contradiction between high demand and low intake. It is scientifically proven that tumor recovery is highly related to diet. However, conventional doctors do not understand the importance of diet therapy. Patients often complain, “Why didn’t the doctor tell me about this?”
This reflects a narrow cultural ideology – all health information comes from the “so-called authority”, which is usually the doctor. In fact, if you try to get information about diet from an oncologist, the results are always disappointing. It’s not that the doctor has a bias against nutritional support, it’s that he often doesn’t have the knowledge to do so. Medical education is truly a slapdash approach to nutrition.
In order to maximize your potential in cancer recovery, the body needs the highest level of “fuel”. Among other things, diet structure and nutritional habits can make a significant contribution to recovery. While individualized nutrition plans are recommended, there are winning strategies that have been proven to millions of patients.
A. Maintaining a healthy weight
The ratio of muscle to fat is a better indicator of quality of weight (QOW) than weight alone. The diet should raise enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. Before treatment begins, set a weight gain of four or five pounds as a goal. You will be well on your way to building up reserves and should never start treatment when your nutrition is poor. Weigh yourself weekly and record it in your recovery journal.
B. Focus on protein
Eat more high-protein foods. The best foods are fat-free dairy products, cereals, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Low-fat protein can also be consumed from potatoes and fish foods. I also eat 8 ounces of fat-free yogurt daily, which contains not only protein but also Lactobacillus acidophilus, which boosts small intestinal probiotic levels. During treatment and recovery, protein and calorie needs are higher than usual. Emphasis on low-fat, primarily vegetable proteins helps keep energy at high levels, preserve strength, and rebuild tissues damaged during treatment.
C. Improve food quality
Consume fresh foods, the less food handling the better, preferably close to the original food is best. Refined foods often lose useful nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and often contain excess fat, salt, and additives. Preferred foods: fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and whole grains. Boxed, bottled, canned, and frozen foods are almost always processed and lose their fresh nutrients.
DIY (do it yourself): Resolve to eat better than you normally would during treatment. The strategy is: maintain your weight, eat enough protein and choose fresh, high-quality foods.
Follow the rules of smart eating
Unless specifically requested by your doctor, following the following dietary principles will help you conquer cancer
If in doubt, eat plant-based foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an appropriate choice at this time
Eat pasta made from whole grains
Eat more legumes for protein. Try brown rice with beans. Sprinkling ground nuts on vegetables and fresh salads is also a way to supplement protein
Reject red meat and limit chicken. Not only are meat dishes difficult to digest, but some researchers have linked them to stomach, bladder, prostate, liver, breast and colon cancers.
If you must consume animal protein, try water-packed “tuna” and steamed fish
Use low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Cheese or ice cream made from low-fat or fat-free milk is now available.
Use unsaturated fats, like canola and olive oil, whenever needed. If you have to eat fried food, use a non-stick pan
l Try to eat low-fat and low-sugar foods. Limit foods that contain fat and sugar
Strictly limit foods with high risk of disease, such as caffeine, alcoholic beverages, pickled, smoked, and kimchi foods
Some foods and nutrition are particularly useful for recovery. Start a diet plan, both for eating at home and eating out physically. The following is a categorized list of foods that are rich in various natural nutrients.
Vitamin A/carotene
Numerous studies have proven that vitamin A and its analogs, especially beta carotene and mixed carotenoids, have anti-cancer properties. Many studies have shown that high intakes of vitamin A and carotenoids can reduce the risk of esophageal, pharyngeal and lung cancers. A Finnish study did show an increased risk of lung cancer in male smokers due to beta carotene depletion, and a larger study immediately confirmed this: if you smoke, the carotenoids disappear. For non-smokers, beta carotene is protective against precancerous lesions in bladder, prostate, and breast cancers.
Dosage information also needs to be grasped: excess vitamin A is hepatotoxic, but the carotenoids present in vegetables and fruits are not; foods high in vitamin A/carotene include: apricots, kale, spinach,, fava, yellow-skinned pumpkin, red peppers, sweet potatoes, peaches, sweet lettuce, kale, Skim milk, pumpkin, cantaloupe, carrots, oranges, and mangoes.
Vitamin C
People who value vitamin C in their diet rarely develop stomach and esophageal cancers, but whether there is also some protective factor in these foods is unclear. Preliminary studies suggest that vitamin C may antagonize some of the risk factors that cause colon cancer. Foods rich in vitamin C include: kale, cabbage, collard greens, kiwi, melon, red peppers, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, grapes, mangoes, peas, green radishes, turnip greens, oranges, potatoes, lemons and limes, cauliflower, etc.
Calcium
Studies have shown that high calcium intake is associated with a lower incidence of bowel cancer, and high calcium intake also reduces the incidence of osteoporosis. Foods high in calcium include: kale, collard greens, salmon, fat-free cheese, tofu, figs, fat-free ice cream, olives, beans, and sardines.
Cruciferous vegetables
Studies have shown that eating vegetables in the cabbage genus may reduce the incidence of digestive tract cancer, including: kale, cauliflower, radishes, Brussels sprouts, headless kale, cabbage, and turnip kale.
Vitamin E
Several studies have shown that a high intake of vitamin E activates immune function. Studies have also shown that reduced blood levels of vitamin E are associated with an increased incidence of lung, colon and rectal lung cancer. Foods rich in vitamin E include: cabbage, kale, olive oil, canola oil, headless kale, malt, sweet lettuce, and mango.
Fiber
A high fiber diet is associated with a lower incidence of colon cancer. The recommended daily fiber intake is 30-40g. Fiber-rich foods include: apricots, brown rice, cabbage, headless kale, cauliflower, mango, peas, turnip kale, figs, dried plums, radishes, cereal bran, sweet lettuce, oranges, hard flowering kale, fava beans, yellow fruit, malt, black beans, pumpkin, strawberries, kale, kiwi, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cereals, fava, cantaloupe Grapes, bread, Brussels sprouts, popcorn, zucchini.
Selenium
Several studies have shown that high levels of selenium reduce the risk of tumor development. Selenium may have an inhibitory effect on breast and colon cancers. Foods rich in selenium include: brown rice, tuna, oatmeal, swordfish, whole wheat bread, skinless chicken, salmon, cereals, chicken breast.
Low-fat diet
Studies have shown that excessive fat intake increases the incidence of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. A high-fat diet leads to obesity, which is associated with the development of uterine tumors, gallbladder cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Americans derive 40 percent of their calories from fat, which should be reduced to no more than 20 percent. Low-fat foods include: fat-free milk, fat-free cheese, fat-free ice cream, fruits, various cereals, all vegetables (but not avocados), and various breads (but not cookies and croissants).
DIY (do it yourself): Keep an accurate weekly record of your diet, including all foods and beverages, in your recovery journey journal. Compare with the above rules to see where you can improve. Implement the “Eat Smart” strategy.
Replenish body fluids
Are you looking for a simple action that will greatly improve your survival and recovery status? Here’s one: Drink 8 glasses of water a day, remember water, not coffee, soda, or juice!
Cancer patients are dehydrated – that’s almost 100% true. Dehydration inhibits the immune function that fights off tumors. Cells do not grow in the blood, but in tissue fluids. The lymphatic system is a key component of the immune system, and the full function of this system depends on adequate hydration. The body loses water daily through sweating, breathing and defecation. To keep the organism in good condition it must be adequately hydrated.
I prefer water that is free of chlorides and fluoride, which is difficult to obtain in most municipal water systems, even bottled water (especially plastic bottles) cannot do that. Some studies have shown that sunlight can trigger a chemical reaction in plastic bottles that creates carcinogens in the water. How can I get clean water? I recommend using a home purified water system, or using tested, compound-free water in glassware.
DIY (do it yourself): Drink 8 glasses of clean water a day.
Know why you are eating
Long-term dietary changes require more than just menu changes. Our vegetarian dietary preferences have to do with culture and habits. Our enjoyment of things is such an important part of our lives that any permanent change must involve the diet itself and the cultural factors behind it. We always let the rules and regulations inside our minds – not the needs of our bodies – determine our dietary preferences.
Eating is often given the function of satisfying emotions, dispelling anger and frustration, eliminating worry and anxiety, and relieving feelings of guilt. Eating can easily relieve emotional disorders. For this reason, we often associate eating with emotional satisfaction. Such thinking is very dangerous.
We should be very conscious of why we eat. Patients who have just embarked on the cancer recovery journey often believe that they have to change their diet (are forced to). This view is wrong. I suggest that patients should see a change in diet as something they should and must do (initiate change). The following list of practical experiences will help you to adopt a sensible attitude towards your diet.
Don’t keep high-fat snacks around because you will be tempted
Set a rule: don’t eat in front of the TV because you’ll be distracted from what you’re eating and how much you’re eating
Don’t gobble, try to eat slowly and enjoy your meal, it takes 20 minutes for your brain to perceive that your stomach is full. Add a meal at break time
Value good eating habits, but don’t use food as a reward; if you feel good this week or have reached your recovery goals, go to a movie, a concert or a workout as a reward. Don’t punish yourself for not being perfect, just as you can’t reward yourself, and keep trying next week
Make every meal a great experience. When eating, don’t walk back and forth or stand on the kitchen counter. Find a place to sit and enjoy slowly. Pray for a short time before each meal to express your gratitude, which will nourish your emotions and soul as well as your body.
DIY (do it yourself): Distinguish between appetite, which is an internal craving, and hunger, which is a physical need. Watching food commercials can test your motivation to eat. Take action to eliminate the desire to eat and develop an attitude of sensible eating. Go for a walk, preferably with a friend, read a book, and evaluate whether it is a craving or a hunger. Value hunger, abandon the desire to eat, and eat sensibly.