Guest Blog: Incorporating Proper Nutrition into Your Cancer Treatment

We are pleased to post a guest blog from Jillian McKee, blogger and outreach coordinator for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Jillian emphasizes the importance of eating natural foods for healing and preventing disease--a message we embrace wholeheartedly. Remember, also, to keep balance in mind when approaching your diet!

If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, you may be trying to change your life for the better.  Changing your diet and the way that you eat is one of the best things that you can do. Proper nutrition can help anyone's health, whether it be someone with cancer or someone who is trying to prevent it. There are several things you will need to know about proper nutrition and the benefits that you will notice once you change your diet. These benefits will improve your well being so that you can feel better each and every day.

It is important to remember that proper nutrition is not a cure for cancer. What does come from changing to a healthy diet is more energy and better recovery from cancer treatments. You will find that having more energy is a much-needed benefit because after treatments, such as those treatments for mesothelioma, you may feel very drained. You will find that a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for yourself during these rough times.

The diet you should be following is one that is rich in vitamins and nutrients. As a cancer patient, weight loss is a major issue that you are going to face. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will help you to maintain a higher caloric intake while ensuring that you are getting all of the vitamins that you need.  Vitamins are essential for helping the body to repair itself and protect against illness. You will find that many natural and wholesome foods contain a variety of vitamins that your body is more than likely craving.

As with any diet change, it is essential that you speak with your doctor before just going and changing the way that you eat.  Only your doctor knows your individual health history and will be able to advise you on what you should or shouldn't be eating. Many doctors will establish a diet plan for you so that you can get enough calories in the day to prevent weight loss. Discussing healthy options with your doctor may be a good idea to help you on the journey to recovery.

Proper nutrition is one of the best things you can incorporate into your daily life. Whether you are currently diagnosed with cancer, trying to prevent it, or are in remission, the right diet will help your body to be healthier overall. You cannot simply live off of processed junk food and assume that these empty calories are going to help your body to heal and thrive. Vegetables and fruits that are organic and packed with vitamins are a far healthier choice for you to be making. Be sure to incorporate a healthy diet with your cancer treatment so that you can improve overall well being.



(Photo by mhaller1979 [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)