Maintaining Your Health Overview
When it comes to nutrition, opinions can vary. Since you will already have restrictions placed on your diet because of a gastrectomy or esophagectomy, the following article may or may not be applicable.
You should consult the About Stomach Cancer or About Esophageal Cancer to learn more about a recommended diet post surgery. You can read
this article from Medscape to learn more about current nutritional advice for general cancer. You will need to join this site for access to the articles.
Advice on Maintaining Your Health
The following advice was taken from Sandra Miniere, a breast cancer survivor
and author of the book “A Lighter Side of Cancer”. You can also visit her
website. Please remember these suggestions are very broad and some may not be possible for where you are in your cancer journey.
1. Be Aware of Your Options
Amazing people, products, procedures, and experiences are within your reach. Be curious about
who and what is available to help you create a healthy lifestyle. Be a mindful detective and
discover the best resources for your health and well-being. Take the time to ask for help, attend
workshops, take classes, read, and explore the Internet.
2. Create a Wellness "Dream Team"
Choose traditional and complementary healthcare providers that support and nourish you, your
body, mind, and soul. For your body – Maintain a healthy body with the assistance of medical
doctors, a mercury-free dentist, chiropractor, herbalist or nutritionist, acupuncturist, massage
practitioner, fitness trainer, etc. For your mind; create a more positive perspective with the
support of outstanding self-help authors, motivational experts, psychotherapist, life coach,
etc. For your spirit: Enhance your spirituality and creativity with yoga, meditation, art, music,
spiritual community, etc.
3. Build up Your Resistance to Stress
Find the stress-reducing strategies that work best for you and use them regularly, e.g., simplify,
change your perception, sleep, exercise, relax, as for what you want, get a massage. In addition,
make conscious choices about whether to accept, change, or avoid stressful relationships and
situations. (Research studies indicate that chronic stress significantly contributes to physical
illness and emotional disorders.)
4. Follow a Nutrition Plan That Fuels Your Body
Quality food, water, and supplements contribute to boosting your immune system while fueling
and detoxifying the cells of your body. Eat the foods that support your digestion, reduce systemic
inflammation and energize your body. Drink enough water to hydrate the body and flush out
toxins. With care and guidance take supplements and herbs to fortify your physiology and mental
clarity.
5. Rejuvenate Your Body with Exercise
Design an exercise program that is right for your body. Remember to have fun and re-evaluate if
you do not feel great!
Aerobic exercise strengthens the immune system, tones the nervous system, benefits the
cardiovascular system, and detoxifies the body–running, cycling, swimming, dancing, and
jumping rope.
Stretching elongates muscles and loosens joints, tendons, and ligaments. Yoga improves
breathing and flexibility, focuses the mind, and induces relaxation.
Weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones, elevates metabolism, and tones and builds up
muscles–weightlifting, dancing, and rebounding.
6. Reduce Toxicity-Body, Mind, and Soul
Be aware of what is compromising your health and well-being. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar
and artificial sweeteners are detrimental to your body. Critical negative thoughts create inner
turmoil and distort your perceptions of yourself and reality. Fear and hatred are obstacles to
experiencing the compassion and serenity within your soul. Take charge of what is within your
power to change as you eliminate toxicity on many levels.
7. Develop an Uplifting Spiritual Practice
Maintain a positive connection to yourself, life, and a Higher Power. Acquire beliefs that give
you inner peace, an optimistic outlook, and an attitude of gratitude. Seek experiences that
inspire you. Prayer, meditation, yoga, music, drumming, art, nature, and other trance inducing
modalities remind us we are part of a greater reality. Make a commitment to experience your
personal connection to a divine, loving presence every day.
8. Cultivate Nurturing Relationships
Limit your contact with people who cause you stress and drain your energy. Get involved
in community groups—religious, self-help, volunteer—that give you pleasure or personal
satisfaction. Connect with people who acknowledge you and your values. Reach out to people
listen to your struggles and encourage your desires; do the same for them.
9. Turn Having Fun into a Habit
Do something that puts a smile on your face every day: Read the comics, watch a funny movie,
play with a child or pet, laugh at the absurdities within your life, talk with a friend, go on a
picnic, etc. Be creative as you include more adventure and fun in your life. Allow humor and
laughter to lift your emotions and heal your body.
10. Create Supportive Environments
Notice if you feel energized or drained by your physical environments and/or the people
with whom you share them—home, work, and community. Change something within these
surroundings (physical space or the people within them) to reflect what is important to you. If
your change efforts do not work regarding disruptive people, take care of yourself by setting
limits and reducing stress. Or, start over and create a new environment in which you feel more ALIVE.
Additional Nutrition Guidelines
Stanford Medicine also provides general nutrition guidelines for cancer and even nutrition to
reduce cancer risk. This is another great resource guide for nutrition both pre and post cancer stages.