Good nutrition, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle are especially important during treatment for cancer. Your body needs energy to fight the cancer and repair damaged cells, and the side effects of treatments can sap your strength and affect your appetite. Eating well and staying active will help you stay strong, feel better, and lower your risk of infection.

Eating Well

When you are healthy, eating enough food to supply the nutrients you need is usually not a problem. But when you have cancer and are receiving treatment, it can be a challenge to maintain good nutrition. There may be times when you feel like you just cannot eat, but tell your doctor if you cannot eat for more than 2 days. In addition to advice from your doctor and nurses, a registered dietician can help identify your individual nutritional needs and help with food choices. If your appetite is poor, it is especially important to choose foods that will help you:

Keep up your strength and energy
Lower your risk of infection
Maintain your weight
Repair damaged cells
Tolerate treatment-related side effects
Recover faster
Feel better

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are the three major nutrients that supply calories to your body. Calories are the source of energy that your body needs to carry on its many functions. Each nutrient is important for good health, and eating a variety of foods is the best way to get the nutrients you need (Table 1).

Some carbohydrates, such as sweets, pastry, candy, and drinks with sugar, add calories but contain few nutrients. They may fill you up but not provide vitamins or minerals. And saturated fats and trans fatty acids are not good choices from the fat category because they are not heart-healthy. These fats are found mainly in animal sources, whole or reduced-fat milk, coconut and palm oils, butter, ghee, lard, margarine, some dairy products, and some snack foods and baked goods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Table 1. Nutrients You Need and Food Options

Nutrient	Function	Best Choices
Proteins (each gram supplies 4 calories	Repair damaged cells and build new cells, support the immune system to fight infection.	Lean meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, dried beans, peas, nuts, lentils, and soy products.
Carbohydrates (each gram supplies 4 calories)	Major source of energy for physical activity, organ function and supply vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Help store energy, insulate body organs, and transport some vitamins in the blood.	Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, bread, rice, and pasta
Fats (each gram supplies 9 calories)		Unsaturated fats: Canola, olive, peanut, safflower, sunflower, corn, and flaxseed oils

Water

All body cells need water to function. You may lose fluids from your body through diarrhea or vomiting and risk dehydration. Drinking eight glasses of water a day will help keep your body in balance.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are necessary to maintain the function and growth of your body’s cells. Your doctor or dietician may suggest a daily vitamin and mineral supplement to help you get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals. Do not, however, take supplements without first consulting with your doctor, because large doses of some vitamins and minerals may make some treatments less effective. Herbal products and antioxidants have become popular supplements, but these products are not well regulated by the FDA. Before adding any supplements, be sure to talk to your doctor first.

Exercise

Although it is important to get enough rest, too much rest may lead to muscle weakness, loss of function, and reduced range of motion. Exercise can actually help reduce fatigue so that you feel better physically and emotionally. The level of exercise that is appropriate for you will depend on the type and stage of cancer you have, your cancer treatment, and your overall fitness level, strength and stamina. If your red blood or white blood cell counts are low, you may have to postpone exercise until it is safe for you to do so. Stay active, but before you start any exercise discuss your plans with your doctor. To add simple exercise to your daily activities:

Ride your bike
Take a walk around your neighborhood after dinner
Walk your dog
Mow your lawn or rake the leaves
Walk with friends
Wash your car
Weed your garden

Start out with low-intensity activities and balance exercise with rest. Do not lift heavy weights or walk on uneven surfaces, which may put you at risk for injury or a fall. Let your doctor know if you experience swollen ankles, shortness of breath while at rest, or unexplained weight gain, and watch for bruising or bleeding.

Choosing a Healthy Lifestyle

In addition to focusing on good nutrition and getting exercise, making lifestyle changes can improve your long-term health. If you smoke, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to quit smoking. Your doctor can help you stop smoking and there are resources in your community or the American Cancer Society that provide help. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to one or two drinks a day at the most. Other tips that can help you achieve optimal health while living with prostate cancer:

Establish a support system of people who understand what you are going through
Maintain a healthy weight
Read food labels and make healthy choices
Protect yourself from sun exposure
Reduce stress
Get help for anxiety or depression
Consider joining a support group
Staying active, getting enough rest, and eating well all contribute to an improved sense of well being and a healthier you.

Additional Sources of Information

American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org
Stay Healthy
American Society of Clinical Oncology patient Web site: www.cancer.net
Prostate Cancer
National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov
Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment