Last time, we talked about the foundational habits, diet, lightening your toxin load, and sleep that research regularly ties to lowering cancer risk and supporting cancer recovery.
If you missed Part 1, we'd love for you to go back and read it, because these two blogs really work as a pair.
Today we're covering the more active side of the picture: movement, managing stress, and the nutrients worth bringing up with your doctor.
Here's some genuinely encouraging news. Researchers at Edith Cowan University found that a single workout, just one session of resistance training or high-intensity interval training, was enough to release cancer-fighting molecules into the bloodstream of breast cancer survivors.
When that post-workout blood was applied to cancer cells in the lab, cell growth slowed by 20 to 30 percent.
You don't need to be an elite athlete or commit to a twelve-week program to start seeing this kind of benefit.
Consistency is really the magic ingredient here.
A large study following over 85,000 adults in the UK found that people who moved more throughout the day had about a 26% lower overall cancer risk. Even small increases made a difference.
Those who reached 7,000 steps a day had an 11% lower risk than those at 5,000 steps, and 9,000 steps brought that risk down by 16%.
So no, you don't need to chase that old "10,000 steps" number to see real benefit.
Walking the dog, working in the garden, dancing around your kitchen while you cook dinner, it all counts, and it all adds up.
A gentle starting point: add one short walk to a day this week, and continue to build from there.
It's easy to think of stress as something separate from physical health, but research says otherwise.
According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, short-term stress isn't concerning, but chronic stress, the kind with no clear endpoint, can affect how your body functions and even how it responds to cancer treatment.
Researchers at the National Foundation for Cancer Research have found that stress hormones, namely norepinephrine, may alter how quickly tumors grow and spread in animal studies, and that regular movement helps counteract this by releasing endorphins, your body's own feel-good hormones.
The good news is that managing stress doesn't require anything elaborate. A few ideas to start with:
Certain nutrients have shown real promise in cancer research, and this is an area we love talking through with our customers one-on-one, because the right approach really depends on you.
Vitamin D is one of the most studied. Many adults are low in vitamin D, especially those who spend little time outdoors, and researchers have linked healthy vitamin D levels to better long-term outcomes.
The right amount for you depends on your current levels and health picture, so this is a great one to test and discuss with your doctor rather than guess at.
Other nutrients worth knowing about include quercetin, resveratrol, curcumin, silymarin, and lycopene (found in tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit), all of which have been studied for their role in supporting healthy cell function.
This is exactly the kind of conversation our group is here for. Stop by, and we'll help you think through which whole-food options and supplements make the most sense for where you are right now.
If you're currently in treatment, it's important to loop your oncologist in before adding new supplements, since some can interact with chemotherapy or radiation.
Between this blog and Part 1, it’s a good picture and plan: diet, lightening your toxin load, sleep, movement, stress, and nutrients.
No single one of these is a magic fix, but together, they add up to something real and help lower your cancer risk and support cancer recovery.
Start small, be consistent, and lean on us when you want a second opinion on where to focus next.
Sources
760 North Main Street
Bluffton, IN 46714
(260) 824-1600
Hours: M-F 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Closed Sundays & Holidays