Diet and Exercise.
Why Exercise?
When you’re living with or after cancer, physical activity can help you make a positive change to your life. You may be a little nervous about building up your activity levels, particularly if it’s for the first time or if you haven’t been very active for a while. You may feel too tired or just not know where to begin.
Certain treatments can decrease muscle mass, and thus, muscle strength; bone density can be reduced which can increase the risk of osteoperotic fractures by five times; weight gain can lead to obesity, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, which is a predictor for prostate cancer recurrence; and overall quality of life can decline.
BUT REMEMBER, YOU’RE A SURVIVOR!
AND EXERCISE CAN HELP YOU LIVE TO YOUR FULLEST POTENTIAL!
FOR EXAMPLE
- For those exercising regularly during treatment, fatigue levels did not change, whereas fatigue significantly progressively increased for those who were told to take it easy when they felt tired
- Those who simply walked for 30min most days of the week reported higher health-related quality of life 2, 5, and 10 years after diagnosis, compared to those less active
Studies show that physical activity is safe and feasible for prostate cancer survivors on radiotherapy and ADT treatments, however, ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM!
Physical activity varies, from day-to-day activities such as walking or gardening, to more structured exercise programmes that you might find in a gym. How much and what type of activities you choose to do will depend on your preferences, your situation and level of fitness. But even the smallest increase in your physical activity can improve your quality of life
During treatment, you’ll be the best judge of how much activity you can manage, whether that’s trying to reduce the amount of time you spend resting, or starting with going for a walk. Ask your specialist about what’s okay for you and your level of fitness.
For sample exercises which could help you get started, please click here for the Exercise Program for Prostate Cancer. We also have available examples of Strength Training Exercises. Please remember to talk to your doctor before moving ahead with any new exercise program to ensure your safety.
Diet
Nutrition and Prostate Cancer
We know that many eating habits that promote overall good health appear to protect men from prostate cancer. Poor diet is a risk factor for getting cancer, in fact, 30% of all cancers, not just prostate cancer, are linked to poor diet. Healthy eating is important to maintain good health.
Studies have shown that a heart smart diet is a prostate friendly diet; what is good for the heart, seems to be good for the prostate. A diet low in saturated animal fats, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and bursting with fruits and vegetables is a good place to start. In fact, 80% of the more than 200 epidemiological studies done to examine the relationship between fruits, vegetables, and cancer, show there is a close relationship between the lack of fruits and vegetables in diet and an increase in the rate of all cancers. (Source: Beliveau and Gingras, 2005). Additionally, eating two tomato based meals per week reduces your risk of prostate cancer by up to 25% by adding lycopene, a powerful phytochemical with anti-prostate cancer properties found in tomatoes, and released during the cooking process, to your diet.
If you are eating 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, from a variety of sources, you are on the right track. Avoiding sugary, highly-refined and processed foods promotes well-being and a healthy body weight. Obesity has been linked with prostate cancer so maintaining a healthy body weight is important. For those with a sweet tooth, one or two squares of 70% dark chocolate can help keep those sweet cravings at bay, and add powerful anti-oxidants with cancer fighting properties to your day. Keeping your meals balanced, consuming lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, helps to prevent weight gain and promotes health and well-being. Regular exercise that you enjoy can help you maintain a healthy body weight.
Illness, including cancer, is more likely to happen when the body lacks nutrients that it needs. Good nutrition promotes equilibrium, health and well being, and makes your body an “anti-cancer zone”. As Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician and father of medicine advised,
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food! "
Hippocrates, 460-377 B.C.
