3 healthy habits that help you survive colon cancer

When you or someone you love gets diagnosed with cancer, it shakes you to your core. You feel lost, scared, angry and shocked that cancer made an unwelcomed appearance in your life.

But after the shock wears off, you’re left with the task of making the best of a bad situation. What can you do now to make each moment better for yourself or your loved one? And how can you make sure that there are more moments to make the best of?

Well, regardless of how you choose to treat the cancer, there’s something you can do to make the most of a cancer diagnosis…

Adopt healthy habits.

I know skeptics say that healthy living can’t do much once a serious disease like cancer has taken hold. But a lot of science says otherwise. In fact, a recent study found that three healthy habits can increase the seven-year survival rate for people with colon cancer by as much as 51 percent…

3 habits make a difference in colon cancer…

A new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that a few healthy habits can make a big difference in the lives of people with stage 3 colon cancer.

The study included nearly 1,000 people who were enrolled in a chemotherapy trial from 1999 to 2001. After the trial was over, researchers continued to track their nutrition and exercise habits for an average of seven years. And guess what?

People who ate a healthy diet filled with fruits, veggies and whole grains and exercised were 42 percent more likely to survive.

When researchers added healthy alcohol habits into the mix, survival rates soared even higher. People who ate well, exercised and limited their alcohol consumption were 51 percent more likely to survive.

A team of cancer specialists wrote an editorial that was published alongside this study, and they said that anyone who doubted whether to encourage colon cancer patients to eat well and exercise “should put those concerns to rest.”

So, if you ever doubted that healthy living could help you or a loved one dealing with cancer, you should put your concerns to rest too. It can help. Sometimes in big ways. Other times in small ways. But when it comes to cancer, every little bit counts.

Small changes for a better chance of survival…

While this research is exciting, the truth is, when you have cancer, making lifestyle changes can be hard. You may not feel well enough or have enough energy to cook and exercise. Hopefully, you have a strong support system of people who can help you.

But whether you do or not, remember that small steps make a difference…

Cut out alcohol. Eat a vegetable with every meal. Buy whole-grain bread instead of white bread. Take a short walk daily, even if it’s only in your backyard. You don’t have to cook gourmet meals or spend an hour in the gym every day to be healthy. Make healthy living simple, not stressful, so you can be a survivor too.

Sources:

1. Want to help beat colon cancer? Live healthy — MedicalXpress. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
2. L. Van Blarigan, et al. “Association of Survival With Adherence to the American Cancer Society Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors After Colon Cancer Diagnosis.” — JAMA Oncology, 2018.