Exercise Benefits Cancer Patients

This is a guest post written by Melanie Bowen of the Cancer Alliance blog, Mesothelioma. Melanie is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the suffering of Cancer patients through the combined efforts of a healthy diet and regular exercise - something that can often be overlooked when faced with a dominating health scare like cancer.



When people are diagnosed with cancer, one of the last things on their minds is fitness. However, many doctors consider exercise to be an important part of cancer treatment. Furthermore, research has shown that if people exercise during cancer treatments, they will allow their heart and lungs to be fully functional, and exercise will speed up their recovery process.

Benefits of exercise during cancer treatment

There are many benefits to exercising during cancer treatment. During cancer treatments, patients will experience a lot of fatigue; therefore, they may feel that they do not have the energy to engage in any type of physical activity. However, even light exercises will be very beneficial for patients. By engaging in light exercises, the patients will increase their energy level, and this will allow them to approach their remaining treatment sessions with enthusiasm. In addition, for those who can do moderate exercises, those could prove to be even more beneficial for patients. When patients engage in moderate exercises, they will have more energy, be more positive and experience less fatigue.

Mesothelioma and other cancers cause the body to lose muscle strength. By engaging in strength training exercises, the patients will prevent their bodies from becoming weaker. Finally, exercising will improve the mood of the patients. Cancer treatment can cause the patients to become sad, depressed, or angry; however, when they begin to exercise, their bodies will release endorphins. These endorphins will help to prevent these negative feelings.

Benefits of exercise after cancer treatment

Although exercise is great during the cancer treatment, patients will also benefit from exercising after their treatment is complete. After the treatment process is complete, the patients will have an increased risk of developing heart issues, and they will have an increased risk of bone fractures. Some cancer treatments may cause the patients to experience a lot of pain however, by exercising; patients can actually reduce pain and reduce the chances of the cancer returning.

Cancer can be devastating, but with a daily routine of exercise, people can continue to maintain a high quality of life. Furthermore, exercising can possibly give them the opportunity to enjoy the same activities that they enjoyed before they were diagnosed with cancer.

Katie says: As Melanie has stated, the benefits of fitness and eating healthy are indisputable during and after a diagnosis of any kind of cancer. While each different cancer has its limitations, if one can keep a healthy body, they have a much better chance to overcome this awful disease. It's definitely a message that needs to be spread, especially given how common cancer is becoming among our generation today. If you or any of your close friends/family are in the process of overcoming cancer, take a look over on the Mesothelioma blog to find out more. Thanks, Melanie :).

What Not To Eat Pre-Workout

High-fibre fruit such as these can actually impede your work-out session. Be warned!

Recently I posted about how my runs are often ruined by my ever-frequent stomach aches, something that really works against my overall running performance - the probable cause of which I've put down to my pre-exercise food intake.

While I've had an inkling of the source of this problem, my downfall lies within my incapabilities to control my diet prior to exercising/running (and the fact I never tend to plan a work-out session in the first place - it's more of a spontaneous decision, if anything). I tend to eat what I want, when I want - a sure fire way to destroy any decent work-out session!

Something that I had previously wondered about was the effect of fibre on exercise, because I'm often grazing on fibrous foods (grapes and fruit especially). Turns out that fibre can actually massively impede your workout efforts due to their resulting gas and/or bloating effects.

Stella Metsovas, a clinical nutritionist and diet expert in LA, suggests limited the amount of fibre you consume 2 hours before and after exercising. She also says, "Stay away from fiber supplements, bran, and high-fiber breads and opt for a mixture of protein and carbohydrates instead right before your workout."

For the same reason, beans are also a no-go area. And when you think about it, it does make a lot of sense; fibre is an indigestible substance that can lie heavily in the digestive tract when eaten in large amounts. Protein-loaded food including eggs and cottage cheese (and meat, of course) needs to be avoided as well for the same reason - their protein content stays in the stomach and takes a lot longer than 2 hours to digest. Similarly, high-fat choices including buttery baked goods are not a great choice pre-workout.

Your sugar and salt intake is also an effector when it comes to exercising. Whilst sugar does indeed work in providing that necessary spike in energy, it's best to stay away from artificial sweeteners (sugary 'energy' drinks included) and to choose natural sugars instead, as found in carb-based foods. Salt, meanwhile, can cause havoc with the delicate fluid-balance within the human body, so it's definitely equally in your benefit to stay away from salty crisps or nuts before a work-out session.

In summary, to make sure your workout isn't deterred by bad food choices, I'd recommend steering yourself away from all of those foods loaded with excessive amounts of sugar, salt, fibre, protein, and fat, and instead stick to a simple carb:protein ratio of 1:1. I'll definitely be passing on the grapes when it comes to my next running session - let's hope the outcome is worth it!

The Manuka Factor

For those of you who haven't heard of Manuka honey before, please let me introduce you to the powers of this wondrous pot of gold syrup.

Manuka honey originates from New Zealand, and is made from the native Leptospermum Scoparium or 'Manuka' shrub. The beekeepers set up their hives in wild, uncultivated areas where the Manuka bushes grow. The bees gather nectar from the flowers of the Manuka bush, and the honey making process is enriched by the pollution free environment for New Zealand, making it the purest honey available in the supermarket.

Honey protects against damage caused by bacteria and also stimulates production of cells that repair tissue damaged by infection.

Its healing powers don't stop there; Manuka honey also has an anti-inflammatory effect that can quickly reduce pain and inflammation once applied, which is why it's so often used for treating minor wounds and burns.

This is in part down to the hydrogen peroxide component found in natural honey, which gives most honey its antibiotic quality. But Manuka honey goes that one step further in terms of its antibacterial qualities.

Its special quality is known as UMF and the higher the UMF, the more potent the honey and its powers (a UMF of 10+ is necessary for the honey to be properly effective).

The major antibacterial component in manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MG). MG is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities. MG comes from the conversion of another compound - dihydroxyacetone - that is found in high concentration in the nectar of manuka flowers. It gives manuka honey its antibacterial power; the higher the concentration of MG, the stronger the antibacterial effect.

For anyone else suffering from the Winter lurgy and looking for a natural remedy, I'd recommend investing in Manuka. While it's slightly pricey, it's most definitely a worthy purchase - and, like with most health foods, you get what you pay for.

Processed, sugary honeys just don't cut it in comparison, and while the unique taste of manuka can be off-putting at first, the time period between this stage and the addiction stage is extremely short (beware!).

I can't get enough of the stuff - I've been using it in my tea (camomile with lemon juice and honey is an amazing combination!) for the past few days, and it's definitely had a positive effect on what was initially a very sore throat (now almost fully healed). I've also felt some improvements in my digestive system, which could also be another effect in conjunction with the steady flow of spoonfuls I've been feeding myself (being ill isn't quite as bad as I remember).

You can find Manuka in your nearest health-food shop (Boots and Holland & Barratts stock it). Watch out for the frequent H&B deals - they're often running BOGOFs and BOGO-for a penny, all the better to wait for before stocking up on your health cupboard essentials.

A Girl's Thing

I don't know about you, but my gift of the month tends to send my eating habits into complete and utter turmoil. Want examples?

Yesterday, I ate Thornton's chocolates for, ahem, 'lunch'. Yesterday's consumption of chocolate was more than I've eaten for the past month or so. The night before last, I drank four cocktails in the space of an hour - also most likely being more alcohol than I've consumed in the previous month. (today, I've learnt my lesson and have stayed on the straight-and-narrow).

For myself, emotional overdrive seems to naturally evolve itself into emotional eating (and/or drinking). Combined with a semi-spluttering cold, I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself, thus my excuse for allowing myself the finer indulgences in life - in other words, a lunch of chocolate. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on this hormonal-rollercoaster...

In my hasty bid to set things right and regain some sort of humanly social composure (did I hasten to mention I was sat in my PJs all day yesterday?), I made another nifty GIF to help womankind fight against their monthly raging hormones, and to rejoice in being the fairer sex! Alright, alright... so we needn't go that far. But you get my drift.

Please note: this is basically a gif based on 'all the things Katie should've eaten on Sunday instead of eating the exact opposite'. So, yeah...don't do what I did. Today I feel much, much better (though honestly, a cottage cheese lunch doesn't really compare, does it?).

Exercise your way to Happiness

Studies show that depressed people can alleviate their symptoms by up to 47% with regular aerobic exercise (source). So not only is exercise good for the body, it is equally - if not more - essential for the mind and brain. Harvard psychiatry professor and author John Ratey states, "people become much more emotionally regulated [with regular exercise] and their cognitive abilities are much better."

This fact is all the more prominent now that the chilly British Autumn has settled in (cue rain, rain, wind, and more rain! - and wet feet and hair, might I add). With sub-SAD (a milder variant of Seasonal affective Disorder) affecting over 90% of the adult population (symptoms including subtle changes in moods, energy and sleep over the season change), it is important to compensate for the lack of sunlight - which results in lower serotonin levels (this is the 'happy' hormone that helps to regulate mood, appetite and energy) - by getting outside as much as possible. Even if all of your body cells are screaming against it, exercising outdoors rather than inside can really benefit you at this time of year!

Exercising outside in the blustery Autumn and Winter months may seem like a necessity that we'd rather do without, but it really can do wonders for your mentality and general mood. I find running in the colder weather more satisfying than in warmer weather conditions - there's something about that cold whip of crisp air that I find oddly invigorating! Compared to the humid temperatures of Summer - well, there's nothing to compare. Combined with the knowledge that a (hopefully) warm shower and home (and dinner, if you're really lucky) is on the cards after your workout, it's all-the-more bearable to maintain your motivation whilst pounding the pavements!

Breakfast and snack staples

Food is a very self-chosen and particular thing, really. I would say that I'm quite strict with my food choices and tend to eat the same kind of diet daily - call me boring, you may! But to be honest, I think my body works better with this more 'routinely' way of eating, particularly in terms of breakfast and snacks.



I always start the day with porridge. I'm fixated with the stuff, and have pretty much eaten it every morning for the past year (!). Every time I deviate things go wrong; the fruit/yoghurt option doesn't satisfy my belly enough to kick-start the day, and the heavier traditional English breakfast is absolutely not compatible with my rather fragile digestive system. However, I always used to be a Weetabix kind of girl because unlike other cereals you can't possibly over-estimate your portion size (lame but true!).

I make porridge with probably 80% water and 20% milk to compensate for the amount of milk I use in tea/coffee throughout the day; that and the fact that too much milk doesn't tend to agree with my stomach, particularly in the morning. I sprinkle with sultanas and (sometimes) linseeds. Porridge never fails to keep me going until lunchtime (unlike Shreddies - 'Hunger locked up until lunch', such lies!).

My mid-morning snack usually just entails of fruit, and that generally goes for the rest of my daily snacks, too. I'm a massive fruit-fiend. My favourite fruits are bananas (but I usually just eat these for pre-workout energy or post-workout recovery because of the high-carb count), peaches, apples (which I can finally bite into again, post-braceface), grapes , apricots, plums, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I don't know, I just can't quite get enough, and the natural sugar keeps me going throughout the day.

For me, there is absolutely no need for crisps and sugary cereal bars, or artificial sugars in general; it's a no-go in my book, because they just provide you with a quick sugar/salt high, which your body may be satisfied with at first, but give it an hour and you'll most likely be at the same level of hunger again.

My ultimate downfall is my love addiction(?) for caffiene. I am a tea and coffee gussler. However, I do try to stick to some kind of pattern i.e. tea with breakfast, coffee as a mid-morning pick-me-up, and limited/no caffeine in the evening.

At work, coffee is a necessity to keep me going through the long shifts. I've heard mixed things about the good/badness of tea and coffee; one minute it's beneficial, the next it's not? Obviously it depends on how much sugar/milk you take. However, I'm sticking to the former conclusion (surprisingly enough). Tea and coffee is too much a part of my life to let go of it now! Besides, I always thought caffiene was a tool for fast metabolism. Do correct me if I'm wrong!