Introduction
Nutrition plays an important role in our overall well being and is many times overlooked when a person is feeling unwell or is facing illness.I know that I personally found a huge difference in my level of energy and my overall health when I changed my eating habits and learned to be in tuned with my body when feeding it. Thank God being healthy and well I can only imagine what the benefits of proper nutrition can be for someone suffering from a life altering illness such as cancer.
Jillian Mckee
Which is why I was so pleased to receive an email from Jillian Mckee one day out of the blue. Jillian, a Complementary Medicine Advocate, blogger, and outreach coordinator at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009 spends most of her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment. Jillian really touched me deeply with her openness and generous nature so when she asked me to guest author a post on my blog, I of course said yes!
She wrote:
I stumbled across your blog…I am wondering if you allow guest posts because I recently have been researching and writing about how beneficial eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle is for someone going through the battle of cancer… This is an important message to get out there….Thank you for all you do in making a difference.
I was so happy to see that my personal story was reaching out to people and giving them strength. Once we had worked out how we would go about this, I eagerly awaited Jillian’s response until yesterday when I saw her name in bold my inbox:
…The article attached, which I recently completed, is about the benefits of eating healthy during and after a diagnosis of any kind of cancer. Each different cancer has its limitations, but if one can keep a healthy body, they can have a better chance to overcome this awful disease.
Jillian, your work is inspiring and I am honored to have your post here on my blog.
Nutrition Plays an Important Role in Cancer Treatment
By Jillian Mckee
Being diagnosed with cancer is probably one of the most difficult moments in a person’s life. Unfortunately, millions of people hear this horrible news each year. Thankfully, there are successful ways to improve your quality of life besides simply going for regular treatments or surgeries for mesothelioma cancer or any other types of cancer. While a healthy diet is not a cure for your cancer, it can definitely help your body heal faster and gain more energy to get you through those difficult treatment sessions. How can a healthy and nutritious diet can aid you in the healing process and how does one incorporate this into his/her own life?
Food can successfully act as a medicine, a healer of sorts, when dealing with chronic illnesses. As stated before, a healthy diet will not cure your cancer, but it does have a number of benefits that your body will enjoy. The first benefit of eating a healthier diet is the amount of energy you can gain. Fresh fruits and vegetables all have a variety of vitamins within them. When eaten, especially during treatment, these vitamins can replenish energy that you may otherwise be lacking. You will find that it is a little easier to get through your day when you have enough energy to make it through.
Another benefit of having a healthier diet is your body’s increased ability to heal itself. During cancer treatment, you may find that you are tired and in pain all of the time. Your body needs to heal itself between treatments so that you can feel better and face the net treatment. With a poor diet, you are not introducing any of those much needed vitamins into the body, which is definitely not good when it comes to regular living, let alone healing. A healthy diet will help you to heal faster so that you can feel good between treatments and get on with your life instead of focusing solely on your cancer.
For those who are seeking treatment for mesothelioma or another form of cancer, it is imperative that you speak with your doctor before doing anything to your diet. Your doctor may have already put you on a very strict diet that is high in calories. Before making any changes, you need to speak to your doctor and let them know what you want from your daily nutrition. Your doctor will tell you whether or not to make these changes in your life.
Living with cancer can be incredibly difficult, but you can improve your well-being with the right diet. Living on junk and processed foods does nothing for your confidence, energy, and health. You need a healthy diet in order for the body to heal itself and be provided with sufficient vitamins each day. Only your doctor will be able to tell you whether a diet change is within your best interest or not. If you do go through with a change, you will begin reaping the benefits within a few short days.
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