in the days that followed. But he was determined to strengthen his body. Wisely, he began to build himself up in slow increments.
For the first week of his exercise program, he simply pulled himself out of bed and onto a bedside chair. During the second week, he moved the chair across the room, forcing himself to take a few tentative steps each day. By the time he went home, he could walk to his front door in a single go.
And what do you think he was telling himself, subconsciously, during the fourth week, when he made it to the end of his driveway? What was the message to his spirit during the fifth week, when he strolled to the corner of his lot?
He was saying “I want to get strong. I want to be well. I love this body of mine and I’m willing to do what it takes to get better.” He was taking his frustrations, anger, and fear and channelling them into a loving act of self-care and healing. At a profound level, his body and mind responded to his message.
General Advice
Being proactive with your health sends a powerful message to your mind and body about healing and wholeness. By adopting the attitude that your body is very precious, you can learn and practice skills and lifestyle choices that facilitate strengthening and healing your body.
Consider the ‘body’ elements of complete cancer care – exercise, diet, weight, sleep and relaxation. Work on what you consider to be the most important elements first and then incorporate others as you see fit. Trying to follow all of the advice provided in this chapter at the same time may not be practical and might cause unnecessary stress or guilt.
Just as it is good to be purposeful, it is also good to have some time each week to simply reflect and do nothing. Promoting healing is about balance, and listening to your intuition. Nurturing your body requires that you draw on the wisdom of your body, solid scientific evidence, and a deep sense of love for yourself.
Essential Elements in Complete Cancer Care
1 • Exercise: An important element in strengthening your body is to pursue some form of exercise. Even those who are physically weak from treatments or their cancer can benefit from encouraging their body to become stronger by exercising up to and just beyond their comfort zone. For some people, this might be walking around the block and for others it might be much more. Everyone is different in terms of what they can do or where they can start, but exercise is key to maintaining and improving strength, flexibility and energy for life.
Studies are now emerging which show how exercise can improve survival for people with cancer. The scientists believe exercise suppresses the blood levels of hormones and other molecules responsible for cell growth, such as insulin-like growth factor, which appears to increase a cell’s ability to divide and cause cancer.
A number of high quality studies show that people who exercise before, and even during, chemotherapy can maintain their energy levels better than those who do not exercise. The training effect of having your body routinely exert itself actually changes how your cells process oxygen and other nutrients. Even your brain functions better after exercise.
One particular study involved people with incurable cancer (most of whom had cancer that had spread to other parts of their bodies) who were taught a simple program of a six-minute walk, sitting to standing knee bends, and an arm reaching/stretching drill. The program took 50 minutes twice a week for six weeks. At the end of those six weeks, the participants reported a real improvement in quality of life, less physical fatigue and shortness of breath. Compared with their pre-program assessments, they were 20 percent faster at getting out of a chair and could reach an average of one inch farther with their hands.
Furthermore, exercise burns off sugars, fats, and other stress reaction by-products; decreases inflammation; and improves your immune function. Interleukon-6, a key chemical in the anti-inflammatory pathway, can increase a hundredfold after exercise and the release of interleukon-6 boosts your ability to fight off infections and probably cancer cells as well.
Exercise strengthens your body physically, allowing you to do more. The benefits to your heart, lungs, blood pressure, bones, and weight can be impressive. Whether your goal is to simply get out and see more of this beautiful world or to exert yourself on a dragon boating team, exercise is very helpful.
The Optimal Exercise Program
Now the question is ‘What is the optimal exercise routine for you?’ To find out, start by talking to your family doctor. He or she can provide advice or refer you to a physiotherapist who specializes in exercise programs. If you have the means, you can even seek out a personal fitness trainer to work with you on an ongoing basis to enhance all three pillars of your physical health: cardiovascular reserve, strength, and flexibility.
Pursuing your own exercise program can works especially well if you mindfully listen to your body for feedback. One woman who had joined a dragon-boating team noticed that she felt especially happy the day after a strong workout but felt that her energy waned if she booked too many hard workouts in a single week. Science shows that overly intense exercise will suppress the immune system. Allowing the body time to rest and heal is as important, at times, as building muscle or enhancing cardiovascular strength and endurance.
The internet and books are a great source of information about how to slowly and consistently make progress with exercising. Even something as simple as going for a thirty-minute walk three times a week is a reasonable goal; or you can dance to some music at home or use a stationary bike or get into the water. The objective is to have fun and get your heart rate up and feel it pumping blood, and nourishing every cell in your body
Whenever you start exercising, especially if exercising is new for you, there’s a critical moment when you may feel uncomfortable and feel like giving up. It’s important to know you won’t hurt yourself and that encouraging yourself through this threshold is where you start gaining the benefits of exercise. Exercise provides the perfect opportunity to draw on and strengthen your inner fortitude, and develop the capacity to push beyond the first few minutes of exercise when you might feel uneasy and out of breath. This same sense of determination can be applied when you run into psychological discomfort or relationship challenges.
Deciding to exercise as part of a healthful and loving life is not meant to create an extra stressor, something else you need to cram into your schedule. Even doing just a little bit initiates positive change. Your body will continue to change and adapt to what you can do. When you exercise routinely, you’ll feel happier and have more energy to do the things you love to do. In addition to strengthening your body, exercise releases endorphins; the hormones that make you feel good. Studies show that people who exercise have improved mood and quality of life, feel more relaxed, sleep better, and enjoy enhanced feelings of independence and self-confidence.
The benefits of exercise appear to be further augmented by following a healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables. A recent trial following women with potentially curable breast cancer showed a 5-7 percent increase in survival at 10 years when women exercised for 30 minutes five times per week and ate 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day compared with other women who did not practice both of these healthy habits. Data suggesting the survival benefits of exercise and diet is also emerging for other types of cancer.
2 • Follow a healthy diet: “What you need to do is change the soup.” I am referring to a new field of science called Epigenetics which shows that cells are not only driven by their internal genetic code but also by the hormones and other chemicals which bath them. Every cancer cell has to adapt to a unique kind of soup in the body before it can live and grow. Along with following the other healthy lifestyle habits, choosing a healthy diet is an especially powerful way to ‘change the soup’, improve
