Healthy Living With Cancer is Possible

Don’t just live with cancer.  Live healthy with cancer.  No matter where you are with your health, there are 3 things you can do to help you live your healthiest and happiest life possible. 

I have been blogging about healthy living and cancer for a little over a year and a half now.  And it suddenly struck me that I don’t have an article telling you what I am trying to accomplish with Pink Ribbon Runner. 

So, what is Pink Ribbon Runner about?  Let’s explore the three key foundations to what I believe healthy living is. 

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“Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle” – Jules Robson

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Three Key Foundations to Living a Healthy Life

I believe there are three key foundations to healthy living: 

1. Being Active
2. Healthy Eating
3. Mindfulness

Healthy Living is Being Active

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“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Edward Stanley

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We all know that exercise is important for our health.  It is written in blogs, newspapers, magazines.  We hear about it on television, in vlogs and podcasts.  We know we need to workout to stay healthy.  So, then, why are we sitting more now than ever before in history? 

According to the World Health Organization 1 in 4 people lead sedentary lives.  And that statistic proves true in the US with only 23 percent of Americans meeting the minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of exercise per week. 

And all this inactivity is making us sick.  It is making us obese and giving us heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  As a society, we don’t sleep well.  And mental illnesses, especially depression, are on the rise. 

Pink Ribbon Runner promotes being active.  It is what we were born to be.  It is one of the foundations for living a healthy life.

Healthy Living is Healthy Eating

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“Sorry, there´s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.” – Morgan Spurlock

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We know eating healthy is also important to stay healthy.  But what exactly is eating healthy?  What foods are healthy? 

While 75% of Americans say they eat healthy, according to the CDC, less than 18% actually eat a healthy diet.  That is far too few people.  It makes me think that we either don’t know or don’t care about eating healthy. 

Healthy eating is a diet full of colorful vegetables and fruits.  It is controlling portion size and calories.  It is eating enough healthy protein and fiber.  Healthy eating is limiting the amounts of salt, sugar and fat.  It is choosing to eat wholesome foods known to support the body, especially the immune system. 

Eating healthy is also about enjoying your food. 

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Related Articles:

10 Foods that Boost Your Immune System

Dietary Fiber: Are You Eating Enough?

Fight Cancer with Delicious Cruciferous Vegetables

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Healthy Living is Mindfulness

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“It’s not enough to eat veggies and do yoga. You also must work on healing the stress and anger in your life.” – Karen Salmansohn

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According to Oxford Dictionaries, mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

When I speak of mindfulness, I am referring to everything your mind is dealing with and how it affects your physical and mental health.  Stress has a big impact on health.  Emotions are a part of mindfulness too. Kindness and gratitude are also important for your health. 

Mindfulness is also about being aware of what your body is telling you. Many people, including myself, have lost the ability to tell what the body truly needs to be healthy.  One common example of this is overeating and obesity.  Ignoring your body’s cues can lead to health issues.  But you can relearn how to listen to your body. 

We need to relearn what it means to listen to our bodies and quiet our minds.

Living Healthy Needs to Happen

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“Around one third of deaths from cancer are due to the 5 leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use.” – World Health Organization

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Cancer researchers estimate that one third of the world’s cancers are a result of unhealthy lifestyle.

While there may be little you can do about the other 2/3 of cancer causes, like genetics and environmental pollution, there is something you can do about an unhealthy lifestyle.

I want to reduce my risk of cancer by developing some healthy habits. Being active, eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits, and finding healthy ways to cope with stress are all things that I can do to live my healthiest life. 

I may not be able to reduce my risk to zero. But at least I am doing something to improve my chances of remaining cancer-free.  And that is the best that I can do for myself. 

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“I choose to make the rest of my life, the best of my life” – Louise Hay

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