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.
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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.
“Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle” – Jules Robson
Three Key Foundations to Living a Healthy Life
I believe there are three key foundations to healthy living:
- Being Active
- Healthy Eating
- Mindfulness
Healthy Living is Being Active
“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Edward Stanley
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
“Sorry, there´s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.” – Morgan Spurlock
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.
Related Articles:
10 Foods that Boost Your Immune System
Dietary Fiber: Are You Eating Enough?
Fight Cancer with Delicious Cruciferous Vegetables
Healthy Living is Mindfulness
“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
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.
Pink Ribbon Runner is about these Key Foundations
The name, Pink Ribbon Runner, came from the fact that I had breast cancer (think ‘pink ribbons’) and that my favorite fitness activity is running (thus, ‘runner’). So, the Pink Ribbon Runner is me. And it is the name of my blog.
But this website is so much more than just breast cancer and running. It is shaping up to be a powerful resource for those wanting to prevent cancer, fight cancer, heal from cancer and thrive after cancer.
And it continues to expand and morph into what you need to make healthy living happen.
Cancer Survivors’ Healthy Living Network
As an extension of this website, I started a private Facebook group for those living with cancer to connect with others wanting to live a healthier life. It is free to join.
I welcome cancer patients, cancer survivors, and cancer caretakers. My only stipulation is that you read and follow the rules, which includes no self-promotion, sales, donation requests or other such spam content.
The Cancer Survivor’s Healthy Living Network is a moderated discussion group. We focus on the three foundations for living a healthier life. The discussion topics are heavily backed by scientific and medical studies.
We talk about eating healthy, exercising and mindfulness. I post daily about these topics and encourage others to join in the discussions about developing healthy habits.
It is a positive space to empower you to develop healthy habits at your own pace. Come share your knowledge and ask your questions. We would love to have you join us.
Living Healthy Needs to Happen
“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
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.
“I choose to make the rest of my life, the best of my life” – Louise Hay
Please look around and learn from Pink Ribbon Runner (that’s me!).
Sign up for my emails and I will send you a newsletter once a week with my newest article and tips about healthy living. Let it be your weekly reminder to live your healthiest life.
Come join me in the Cancer Survivors’ Healthy Living Network.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Let’s do this together.
this is a super inspiring post.
yes, it is possible to live healthy with cancer.
thanks for sharing.
Great post! I myself have struggled with eating healthy for the past few months. Now that it is getting colder I find we are losing our outdoor ambition to be one with nature and get physically active. these are two things I need to focus on more right now. Thanks for the great reminders.
Keep plugging away at it. Winter months make it harder to be active and eat healthy. But, I have some articles planned for this winter to help with that. Stay tuned….
Totally agree these are the 3 most important aspects of a healthy life (active, healthy eating, mindfulness). Great tips everyone can use.
As a breast Chic-thank you
Yes, healthy living with cancer is definitely possible. Thank you for raising this awareness. A healthy lifestyle is important too
Such a true and powerful post! If people started at a young age eating a healthy diet and exercising, the chances of getting seriously ill later in life can be dramatically reduced. Your discussion group is a great resource for everyone to give and get support and stay focused on a healthy lifestyle to help fight disease. Thank you for sharing!
Really interesting facts. I remember when my boss had cancer she was told to avoid sugar as it only feeds the cancer cells. So, I can definitely see where healthy eating comes in.
These really hit home as I have a loved one with cancer. Thanks for sharing!
I’m a pharmacist working in a cancer center and help many on their cancer journey with treatment. Healthy living is such a good tip for all but definitely important for those with cancer. Lovely article!
A really inspirational post! I especially love the quote about how it’s not enough to eat veggies and do yoga. Your mental health is just as important. Loved this 🙂
What a great article! My mom has had lung cancer twice, in remission right now thank God! I am the one that takes care of her and I have to agree with you 100%, healthy living is vital. Thank you for sharing.
So happy your mom is in remission. That is wonderful news. Thank you for your lovely comment.
Wow, what an uplifting story! My mother had thyroid cancer just over ten years ago, and man was it scary. But you are so right, life does go on, and living a happy healthy life is totally possible.
Cancer is certainly scary. It is all sorts of emotions. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
You are a true inspiration for everyone
Great article. exercise and healthy living are so important to give your body all the support you can. There are no quick hacks, just lifestyle changes.
Thanks for this article! I’m a BC survivor & we ALL have to learn to eat healthier & reduce as much sugar intake as we can
My aunt had cancer last year and she wouldn’t have agreed with you more.
Living HEALTHY with cancer is so important. Your body needs all the help it can get and in all honesty it’s the best thing for you mentally too!
Great post!