Good food and exercise can combat cancer

 

When Pamela Atieno was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, the doctor’s words of encouragement made her confident that she would overcome the disease.

The doctors told her not to lose hope in life. They took her through simple exercises she would do everyday and came up with a diet plan for her.

Experts told Atieno to eat fruits and vegetables regularly as this would help reduce the progression of the disease and elongate Atieno’s life.

“I have stuck to the advice and so far I feel as good as anyone else. Unless I think about my condition, I don’t remember my illness,” says Atieno.

Breast cancer is a leading killer of women of all ages globally.

It is also quite common in pre-menopausal and menopausal women.

Past studies have found that diets high in fruits and vegetables can protect one or lower chances of cancer.

Nutritionists and dieticians say older people who eat vegetables frequently appear much younger than those who delight in meat. This probably explains why our forefathers lived long and cases of cancer were rare those days, they say.

The increased cases of cancers are largely due to a poor lifestyle. Studies have shown that diets high in fat increase cancer risk. A good example is deep fried chips. A common delicacy, chips (and other junk foods) can cause lung, breast and bladder cancers.

“Frying has been found to produce large amounts of cancer-causing chemicals — poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,” says Dr Nicholas Ochieng’,  a lecturer at KMTC in Nairobi.

Dr Ochieng’ says poor dieting has increased by 70 per cent in the last few years due to malnutrition and eating excess fats and sugars. Dehydration (lack of enough water) and stress can also cause many forms of cancers.

To avoid this, one should be wary of processed foods and instead go for natural ones like vegetables, fruits and those high in fibre. Leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, an antioxidant believed to help fight chemicals produced in the body that can damage cells, says Ochieng’.

Eating foods that nourish the body also strengthens its ability to cope with illness, infection and stress.

Doctors advise people to drink enough water; at least ten glasses a day. They should also avoid large meals, alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes just before going to bed as they interfere with the sleeping pattern.

Enough sleep enables the body recover and repair broken tissues.

Stress is caused by working long hours, poor eating habits and lack of enough rest as these reduce the body’s ability to function efficiently.

A healthy diet must be hinged on or accompanied by regular exercise.

Regular exercise can reclaim your body during or after cancer treatment. Some exercise includes bicycle riding, swimming, dancing, yoga, aerobics or martial arts.