Yahoo Lifestyle Coping With Cancer
There are lots of ways you can lift your energy levels, but what’s best for you depends on why you’re tired in the first place. Tiredness can result from emotions that accompany stressful events, such as dealing with a cancer diagnosis; similarly, a trying financial or family situation can be particularly draining when you’re already dealing with cancer. You may also be fatigued because you’re trying to do either too much or too little, potentially succumbing to boredom, social isolation or even depression.
Chronic tiredness in cancer patients, as in the general population, can be due to physical factors such as overwork, inadequate nutrition, bad sleeping habits, lack of exercise, poor glucose control, anaemia and inflammatory conditions (among several others); cancer itself can also weary you, as can the side effects of its treatment.
One great way to fight fatigue is with food; it’s the basic fuel for your mind and body, especially when you’re battling disease. Making simple healthy dietary choices, one meal at a time, goes a long way towards boosting your energy levels. Try to eat:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Wholegrains
- Nuts
- Seeds and other unprocessed wholefoods
Remember to start each day with a good breakfast, and avoid skipping meals or snacking on fried and heavily processed foods.
Training your body clock to follow a set circadian rhythm by eating and sleeping regularly and exercising frequently can also offset tiredness. And to remedy the burnout that stress has already created, you may find it helpful to write your feelings in a journal, have frank discussions with friends and family (about your fears or the future, for instance), and practise yoga and meditation. Natural treatments, such as massage, aromatherapy, acupuncture and various herbal products are also useful for relieving stress and sparking energy.
Together, these measures are likely to address your tiredness; they’re valuable tools for coping with cancer.
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Marc Cohen is a medical practitioner with PhDs in Chinese medicine and biomedical engineering. He is professor of complementary medicine at RMIT University in Melbourne, where he leads the online Master of Wellness program.
