Facing breast cancer is a reality that 14% of women around the world confront. According to WHO data, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
If you or someone you know falls within this percentage, take solace in the fact that finding effective treatments for breast cancer is now easier than ever. However, these treatments can bring negative effects, with fatigue being a common concern. Hence, individuals often seek natural energy boosters to rejuvenate their bodies without experiencing side effects.
Fatigue and nausea often become a part of life while combating cancer with powerful drugs. Many cancer patients refrain from taking additional medications to manage nausea, considering their bodies are already flooded with drugs. If you’re seeking ways to regain your energy, exploring natural energy boosters can be a viable option.
Here are six natural energy boosters for you to consider:
Exercise
Exercising has proven beneficial for nearly all health conditions, so it’s not surprising that staying active during cancer treatment can help boost your energy. (Always consult your physician before beginning any new exercise.) “Continued exercise during breast cancer treatment is fantastic,” says Christina Dieli Conwright, PhD, a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School researcher in Boston, MA.”There is no one best type of exercise, but research suggests that both aerobic and resistance exercise are beneficial.”
Good and Nutritious Food
Taking care of your body during breast cancer treatment greatly affects your energy levels. As the saying goes, “You are what you consume and drink,” and it’s true – eating a healthy diet can make you feel good. While there’s no one miracle food, aiming for an overall healthy diet is essential. A diet that consists of plant-based foods, healthy sources of protein, whole grains, and lots of fruits and vegetables is essential to bring your energy level back to normal and considered a good diet to help cancer patients. By making these changes, you’ll be active in your health and well-being during treatment.
Smaller Portions and more meals
Being sick to your stomach is a common consequence of breast cancer treatments, completely draining your energy. To counter it, try consuming small and more frequent meals. Switch out sweets for salty, palatable foods when you’re in treatment. Since the smell of foods can also be disgusting, cold foods like sandwiches, fruit, and dairy products may be better. Try eating five mini-meals daily, then take an easy walk after each meal. This can help to ward off nausea.
Fluids
Hydration plays a vital role in fighting fatigue while undergoing cancer treatment, as per the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Finding effective ways of hydration that work for you is the most important thing to keep in mind! Specific breast cancer treatments like chemotherapy may cause dehydration, and the adverse effects of treatments (such as diarrhoea or vomiting) could also result in a deficiency of fluids in your body. Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily, according to BreastCancer.org, and take a glass of ice-cold water between meals to ease nausea. Fruit, vegetables and soups are also rich in water content, so be sure to include these in the rotation too.
Yoga
In a review of 2022 published in the journal Alternative Therapies for Clinical Practice, researchers found that the majority of clinical trials focusing on yoga and cancer treatment demonstrated substantial benefits from yoga interventions in terms of quality of life nausea/vomiting, fatigue, sleeping quality, anxiety as well as depression, the stress in addition to wound healing. Yoga can improve blood flow in the arteries while also improving mood. Studies show this makes it a perfect instrument to boost your energy. Downloading yoga apps to your smartphone or viewing YouTube videos online is possible. It is recommended that you do yoga. American Cancer Society recommends that you consider yoga.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a plant used in traditional and alternative medicine for thousands of years. The anti-fatigue properties of Ginseng have been studied as well; more recently, Ginseng has been studied in various studies to treat fatigue related to cancer. In a retrospective study of five random control trials involving cancer patients, which included patients who were taking Ginseng, as well as a group that was not taking Ginseng, the researchers observed that Ginseng was able to reduce fatigue when compared to the placebo group. Your doctor is the best source for information on the kind and amount of Ginseng, which could prove beneficial.
Conclusion
Breast cancer treatment can be a challenging and exhausting journey. Still, there are natural energy boosters that can help alleviate the symptoms of fatigue and nausea.
Regular exercise, a healthy diet, smaller and more frequent meals, hydration, yoga, and Ginseng are all effective ways to combat the side effects of breast cancer treatment and increase energy levels.
By taking an active role in your health and well-being during treatment, you can improve your quality of life and find comfort in knowing that many options are available to help you on your journey towards recovery.
Always consult your doctor before starting any new treatment or exercise regimen.