Nutrition and exercise

For just about everyone, including people diagnosed with cancer, nutrition and exercise recommendations include:

• Eating a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and beans
• Avoiding processed and fast foods
• Getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Maintaining a healthy body composition (the balance of muscle and fat in your body)

Research shows that exercise can help reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and improve survival. A healthy nutrition and exercise routine can also reduce treatment side effects, support recovery, and increase quality of life.

Still, it’s not easy to find the time and resources to create and stick with a nutrition and exercise plan that’s right for you. And if you’re in treatment, some side effects can make this even more challenging:

• Chemotherapy-related changes in taste or smell may keep you from eating the foods you need or want
• Fatigue can make it hard to stay active
• You might gain or lose weight because of certain treatments

In this section, we'll help you find ways to get the powerful benefits of good nutrition and regular exercise, even in the face of challenges. Here, you can learn about:

• Tips on meal planning, food shopping, understanding food groups, and small dietary changes that can make a big difference
• Ways to start or restart an exercise routine
• Different types of exercise and intensity to help you get the most out of the recommended guidelines
• Cancer-specialized registered dietitians and certified cancer exercise trainers who can provide extra support

We’ll also bring you LBBC's BeACTive video series, a three-week workout program for all levels of function, hosted by certified cancer exercise trainer Sami Mansfield.