Eating Right May Save Your Life - A Breast Cancer Story

We all know that eating right is important to our health, but eating right during breast cancer treatment is probably the most important step a woman can take to help promote wellness.

While many women fall ill because of chemotherapy treatments, there is ample evidence supporting the need for proper nutrition during all stages of life, even before a woman develops breast cancer. Here's why.

Eating and Breast Cancer Treatments
Many women feel eating is probably the least fun activity to engage in while seeking treatment for breast cancer. However, eating properly is one of the best steps a woman can take to help improve her odds of survival.

If you were told eating a worm would save your life, would you do it? I would. And, more and more, women are realizing to fight against breast cancer, to save their lives, they must eat right, even when they don't feel right.

During the fight against breast cancer, women's bodies are fighting to remove the ever-expanding population of cancer cells residing in their body. This can slow you down, make you feel fatigued and provide you with less energy.

Add chemotherapy to this, and you are likely to feel nauseous, weak and tired. The good news is that by eating well, you can provide your body with key nutrients and vitamins, important ingredients to your wellness.

Supplements Vs. Whole Foods
Even ordinary women often take a supplement rather than eat right. However, when seeking treatment for breast cancer, a supplement is less effective than eating wholesome and nutrient dense foods.

Some supplements simply contain levels of certain minerals and vitamins that may counteract the effects of treatment. Food usually contains just the right ingredients however, to support a woman's body without over doing it.

So how do you eat, especially when you do not feel well? Most doctors recommend eating in small portions. This is healthy for anyone, but especially for women undergoing breast cancer treatment. Eating well may consist of six miniature meals each day. Mini-meals may include a dose of fruits, grains or vegetables.

You should try to consume foods that taste good and foods that are easy to digest. Women should avoid high fat foods that provide little in the way of nutrition or support. In fact, high fat or highly processed foods are more likely to make you feel worn out and run down than foods that come from nature.

Good fats however, including those found in natural nut butters, cheese and yogurt, can promote health and wellness. Yogurt is especially helpful for the digestive and reproductive systems, helping to promote the growth of good bacteria in the body.

When in doubt about what to eat, you should ask your doctor. There are some foods and juices that may interact with the drugs you are taking during chemotherapy or breast cancer treatment. One example is grapefruit juice. For some reason, grapefruit juice contains ingredients that interact with many medications.

It is often much safer to stick with other juices like apple juice if you do plan to drink juice (eating whole fruits is always better if you can tolerate it). Remember, whole foods are good for you, no matter your state of health. If you want to make the most of breast cancer treatment, adopt a healthy diet. Your body will be better prepared to combat the rigors of chemotherapy and fight back against breast cancer.