Healthy Behaviors
Treatment for cancer can be very hard on your body. Good nutrition, exercise and other healthy behaviors can help your body heal from the physical harm cancer and its treatment may have caused.
Detailed Information
Suggestions
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Healthy Behaviors: Detailed Information
This information is meant to be a general introduction to this topic. The purpose is to provide a starting point for you to become more informed about important matters that may be affecting your life as a survivor and to provide ideas about steps you can take to learn more. This information is not intended nor should it be interpreted as providing professional medical, legal and financial advice. You should consult a trained professional for more information. Please read the Suggestions and Additional Resources documents for questions to ask and for more resources
Many people, including cancer survivors, can benefit from a healthy lifestyle. Good nutrition, exercise, and other healthy behaviors may help your body heal from physical harm cancer and treatment may have caused.
Activities that promote wellness and health in your life after a cancer diagnosis may be totally different from what you did before cancer. In some cases, you may be less active for a while and more active after treatment. Even with physical limitations, there are still things you can do to maximize your health. It may mean learning new ways to do the things you enjoy. Discuss this with your doctor. He or she can help identify ways to maximize your health and incorporate changes into a self-care plan for healthy living.
What is a self-care plan for healthy living?
A self-care plan for healthy living can help survivors decide on behaviors to help them feel better during cancer treatment and beyond. This is a plan that you can develop with members of your health care team. The plan provides practical ideas for maintaining a healthy lifestyle during your cancer journey.
A self-care plan should include recommendations for the following:
- Physical activity
- Nutritional recommendations
- Stress reduction
- Medical care
Each survivor has unique needs. Always consult with your health care team and discuss your medical history when developing your self-care plan. Your plan may differ from other survivors in a variety of ways including recommended diet and activities. Your plan should include daily activities chosen specifically for you in order to support a healthy lifestyle. A good plan can help improve your quality of life. It may also help lower your risk for illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
Many cancer survivors find that they feel better if they incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily routine. It is important to remember that not everyone’s healthy behaviors are going to be the same. Eating right for your health needs and including some exercise that relates to your recovery needs may improve how you feel. It may also reduce your risk for cancer and other major health problems. A good self-care plan may help you avoid these risks. Ask your healthcare team about your particular risk factors so you know what things you should avoid.
Some major risk factors for cancer include:
- Not getting the nutrition your body needs
- Being overweight
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Using tobacco products
- Spending too much time in the sun without protections
Even if you feel fine, you can benefit from incorporating healthy behaviors into your daily routine. Survivors who experience physical changes like weakness or changes in their weight after cancer may be more likely to discuss healthy behaviors with their health care team. However, all survivors can benefit from learning what healthy behaviors are good for them during their survivorship.
Healthy behaviors may be helpful in addressing concerns such as:
- Weakness
- Loss of balance
- Fatigue
- Stiff muscles and joints
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Problems sleeping
- Restlessness
How can a survivor identify the right healthy behaviors?
Discuss any changes in diet or an exercise plan with a member of your health care team before you start. However, you can read about healthy behaviors and bring a list of questions to your next health care appointment. Discuss what you learn from your research to learn whether the information is accurate and if it would be good for your situation. Take the following steps to prepare for your discussion:
As you start thinking about how to improve your level of healthy living, it is important to be realistic. Start slowly, and gradually increase your physical activity levels as prescribed by your doctor. For example, a long-term goal may be to walk a mile, but a short-term goal may be to walk a block. Short-term goals can be modified and added to in order to reach your long-term goals.
Healthy behaviors ensure that you are doing as much as you can to improve how well you heal and how you feel on daily basis. If physical problems continue to affect you after you have been following your self-care plan for a while, there may be other treatment options that can be helpful. This does not mean that you should stop using your self-care plan. However, it may mean that you and your health care team will need to consider making some adjustments to your plan.
This document was produced in collaboration with:
Sue L. Frymark R/N/, B.S.
Executive Director: Cancer Care Resources
Works Cited
Lorig, K., Holman,H., Sobel,D., et al. Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions. Colorado: Bull Publishing, 2000
Brown, J., Byers, T., Doyle, C., et al. "Nutrition and Physical Activity During and After Cancer Treatment: An American Cancer Society Guide for Informed Choices" CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 53(2003): 266-291
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Healthy Behaviors: Suggestions
The suggestions that follow are based on the information presented in the Detailed Information document. They are meant to help you take what you learn and apply the information to your own needs. This information is not intended nor should it be interpreted as providing professional medical, legal and financial advice. You should consult a trained professional for more information. Please read the Additional Resources document for links to more resources.
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Health Behaviors: Additional Resources
The resources listed below provide more detailed information and support services to help you with healthy behaviors. Please read the Detailed Information and Suggestions document for more information and questions to ask.
LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare Program
www.livestrong.org/survivorcare
Email: Send email through the LIVESTRONG website.
Phone: 1-866-673-7205
1-866-927-7205 (Spanish)
Intake Coordinator is available for calls Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Central Time). Voicemail is available after hours.
LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare offers assistance to anyone affected by cancer, including the person diagnosed, loved ones, caregivers and friends. The program provides information about treatment options and matching to clinical trials or treatments in development. Counseling services and assistance with financial, employment and insurance issues are also available. To provide these services, LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare has partnered with several organizations including CancerCare, Patient Advocate Foundation and EmergingMed.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
www.cancer.org
Email: Submit questions in English or Spanish from the "Contact Us" page.
Phone: 1-800-227-2345
TTY for deaf or hard of hearing callers: 1-866-228-4327
The American Cancer Society (ACS) offers information about many of the challenges of cancer and survivorship. You can search for information by cancer type or by topic. ACS provides a list of support groups in your area. You can join online groups and message boards. Some information on the website is available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. ACS specialists can answer questions 24 hours a day by phone or email.
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
www.aicr.org
Email: aicrweb@aicr.org
Phone: 1-800-843-8114
TTY for deaf and hard of hearing callers: 202-855-1000
Since its founding in 1982, the American Institute for Cancer Research has grown into one of the nation's leading charities in the field of diet, physical activity and weight management as it relates to cancer prevention. AICR supports research into the role of diet and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It also offers a wide range of cancer prevention education programs.
Smokefree.gov
www.smokefree.gov
Online: Through the website, you can connect to the U.S. National Cancer Institute's instant messaging system.
Phone: 1-800-784-8669
TTY for deaf and hard of hearing callers: 1-800-332-8615
The Smokefree.gov home page offers the "Online Guide to Quitting," which provides information and suggestions to help you stop smoking. Online instant messaging and telephone support are available. The site also provides information and tips for specific age groups and cultural groups, as well as contact information for support services in your state. Some information on the site is available in Spanish.
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Healthy Behaviors: Detailed Information
Treatment for cancer can be very hard on your body. Living a healthy lifestyle is especially important for cancer survivors. Good nutrition, exercise and other healthy behaviors may help your body heal from the physical harm cancer and its treatment may have caused. If you think healthy behaviors may help you feel better during your survivorship, you might want to consider creating a self-care plan.
A self-care plan is something you can develop with members of your health care team. It provides practical ideas for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Everyone's self-care plan may include different diets and different activities. However, all self-care plans should include choices in daily activities that support a healthy lifestyle. A good self-care plan may improve your quality of life and may lower your risk for illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.
Four parts of a self-care plan are:
- Physical activity
- Nutritional recommendations
- Stress reduction
- Medical care
Each survivor is different and therefore each self-care plan is different. It's extremely important that you consult with your health care team and discuss your medical history when developing a self-care plan.
Some healthy behaviors that a self-care plan may include:
Physical activity
- Breathing exercises
- Walking
- Hiking
- Running
- Cycling
- Swimming or water aerobics
- Gardening and outdoor work
- Playing sports you enjoy
- Dance or movement classes
Nutritional recommendations
- Eating five to seven servings daily of fruits and vegetables
- Eating plenty of fiber
- Eating enough fat - up to 20% of your total calories per day
- Drinking eight to ten glasses of water per day
- Avoiding salted, pickled or smoked foods
- Not eating a lot of red meats
- Not smoking
- Drinking little or no alcohol
Stress reduction activities
- Doing things you find fun and that make you laugh
- Doing things that make you feel relaxed
- Taking classes - like music, painting or other hobbies
- Writing in a journal
- Praying and meditating
- Attending support groups or counseling
Medical care
- Taking your medications as directed
- Having regular medical follow-up
- Knowing what symptoms to look for and when to contact a member of your health care team
If you are living with a disability from cancer or its treatments, activities that promote wellness and health in your life after cancer may be totally different from what you did before cancer. Even with physical limitations, there are still things you can do to maximize your health. It may mean learning new ways to do the things you enjoy. You might want to consider discussing with your doctor ways to maximize your health and incorporate changes in your body into your self-care plan.
Who benefits from healthy behaviors?
Many cancer survivors find that they feel better if they incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily routine. It's important to remember that not everyone's healthy behaviors are going to be the same. Eating right for your health needs and including some exercise that relates to your recovery needs may improve how you feel. It may also reduce your risk for cancer and other major health problems.
Some of the major risk factors for cancer are:
- Not getting the nutrition your body needs
- Being overweight
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Using tobacco products
- Spending too much time in the sun without protection
A good self-care plan may help you avoid these risks. You should ask your health care team about your particular risk factors so you know what things you should avoid.
When are healthy behaviors important?
Even if you feel fine after your cancer treatment ends, you can still benefit from incorporating healthy behaviors into your daily routine. Survivors who experience physical changes like weakness or changes in their weight after cancer may be more likely to discuss healthy behaviors with their health care team. But all survivors can benefit from learning what healthy behaviors are good for them during their survivorship.
Healthy behaviors may help some survivors who experience:
- Weakness
- Loss of balance
- Fatigue
- Stiff muscles and joints
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Problems sleeping
- Restlessness
There is no guarantee that healthy behaviors will cure or prevent possible aftereffects from treatment. However, healthy behaviors may make you feel like you are doing as much as you can to improve how well you feel on a daily basis. If physical problems still affect you after you have been following your self-care plan for a while, there may be other treatment options that will help you. This doesn't mean you should stop having a self-care plan. It may mean that you and your health care team need to make some adjustments to your self-care plan or that you receive other medicines or treatments that become part of your self-care plan.
What are ways that survivors can incorporate healthy behaviors into their lifestyle?
Below is a brief list. For more information, see Suggestions.
- Talk to your health care team about what diet and exercise plan are best for your recovery needs
- Establish some long-term goals and also set realistic and specific short-term goals to include more healthy behaviors in your life
- Explore the different ways you can manage stress in your daily life
This document was produced in collaboration with:
Sue L. Frymark R/N/, B.S.
Executive Director: Cancer Care Resources
Works Cited
Lorig, K., Holman,H., Sobel, D. Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions. Colorado: Bull Publishing, 2000.
Brown, J., Byers, T., Doyle, C. “Nutrition and Physical Activity During and After Cancer Treatment: An American Cancer Society Guide for Informed Choices.” CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 53 (2003): 266-291.
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Healthy Behaviors: Suggestions
Talk to your health care team about what diet and exercise plan are best for your recovery needs:
You must discuss any changes in your diet or exercise plan with a member of your health care team before you start. You can, however, read about healthy behaviors and bring a list of questions and healthy behaviors you are thinking about to your next check-up appointment. Discuss what you learn from these resources with a member of your health care team, and see if they are accurate and provide helpful information for you during your survivorship.
- Write down what you eat and drink for a week, including any nutritional supplements and herbal products. Bring this information if you visit a nutritionist. Nutritionists can be found through a local hospital or care center. Many cancer centers now have nutritionists who can discuss your food choices with you. This may be a free service at your care center or local hospital.
- Before developing an exercise plan, discuss with your health care team what exercises, if any, would be good for you. After you understand what exercises are good for your recovery needs, you may want to consult either a physical therapist or a fitness expert at a local fitness center.
Establish some long-term goals and also set realistic and specific short-term goals to include more healthy behaviors in your life:
Once you start thinking about how to improve your level of stress, nutritional state and fitness level, you can feel overwhelmed, especially if you were not concerned about these issues prior to your cancer. It is important to be realistic. If you and your health care team decide that you should try to exercise more, you may want to start by just becoming more physically active throughout the day rather then resting. You can then begin to gradually increase your activity.
Your long-term goal may be to walk a mile in six months, but a short-term goal may be to walk a block within two weeks. Your short-term goals can be changed as you meet them in order to reach your long-term goals.
Explore the different ways you can manage stress in your daily life:
Some of these activities may help you manage stress:
- Walking around your neighborhood or a park
- Getting a massage
- Practicing breathing and relaxation techniques
- Practicing yoga
- Talking to friends and family
- Talking with a professional therapist
- Attending a support group
- Making time for hobbies and things you enjoy
- Asking for help with daily activities such as housework, errands, cooking
- Writing in a journal
- Listening to music
- Reading
- Watching your favorite TV show or movie
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Healthy Behaviors: Additional Resources
The resources listed below provide more detailed information and support services to help you with healthy behaviors. Please read the Detailed Information and Suggestions document for more information and questions to ask.
Click a resource for more information:
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
www.aicr.org
| Email: |
aicrweb@aicr.org |
| Phone: |
1-800-843-8114 |
| |
TTY for deaf and hard of hearing callers: 202-855-1000 |
AICR fosters research on diet, nutrition and cancer and educates the public about the results. Free educational materials, a Cancer Resource for newly diagnosed patients, and an online Cancer Survivor's Guide are provided. Call toll-free to request educational materials, information on specific cancers and personalized answers to your nutrition questions. A registered dietitian will return your call within three business days.
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American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
| Email: |
Questions can be submitted in English or Spanish from the "Contact Us" page. |
| Phone: |
1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345) |
| |
TTY for deaf or hard of hearing callers: 1-866-228-4327 |
| |
English-speaking information specialists are available 24 hours a day. Spanish-speaking information specialists are available Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (CST). You can leave a message in English or Spanish 24 hours a day. |
The American Cancer Society Web site contains information about many of the challenges of cancer and survivorship. You can search for information by cancer type or by topic. ACS provides a list of support groups in your area, or you can join online groups and message boards. Some information on the Web site is available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. Information specialists can answer questions 24 hours a day by phone or email.
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Smokefree.gov
www.smokefree.gov
| Phone: |
1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) |
| |
TTY for deaf and hard of hearing callers: 1-800-332-8615 |
| Online: |
Through the Web site, you can connect to the National Cancer Institute's instant messaging system. |
The Smokefree.gov home page offers the "Online Guide to Quitting," which provides information and suggestions to help you stop smoking. Online instant messaging and telephone support are available. The site also provides information and tips for specific age groups and cultural groups, as well as contact information for support services in your state. Some information on the site is available in Spanish.
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LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare Program
www.livestrong.org/survivorcare
| Email: |
Send email through the Web site. |
| Phone: |
1-866-235-7205 |
| |
Case managers take calls Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST). Voicemail is available after hours. |
LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare offers assistance to all cancer survivors, including the person diagnosed, caregivers, family and friends. The program provides education, information about treatment options and new treatments in development, counseling services and assistance with financial, employment or insurance issues. To provide these services, LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare has partnered with several organizations, including CancerCare, Patient Advocate Foundation and EmergingMed.
The LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebook is a tool that can help you organize and guide your cancer experience. The portable, three-ring binder contains a variety of information covering a full range of physical, emotional and practical survivorship topics. You may order a free LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebook at www.livestrong.org/notebook. Shipping and handling charges will apply.
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