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Eatinga nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables is key to maintainingoverall good health. For those battling cancer however, propernutrition is not merely recommended, it is crucial. must take extra care to ensure that their bodies receive adequatelevels of nutrients, calories, and protein in order to maintain theirstrength, energy, and ability to fight infection. Nutrition may alsoplay a role in the way that patients react to various forms oftreatment. Maximize the body's strength and defenses may increaseits ability to tolerate specific treatments that may be harsher onthe system than others.
Despitethe influence that nutrition can have on their treatment andrecovery, few patients are adequately educated about the uniquenutritional needs of .Most healthcare providers fail to effectively emphasize andcommunicate this vital information to their patients. Therefore, itis imperative for the healthcare community to increase awareness andto make nutrition one of its top priorities. Nutrition education andassistance programs must be funded and established at both local andnational levels for this change to take place.
Whenbattling a disease a formidable as cancer, patients need everyavailable advantage in order to maximize their quality of life and toincrease their chances of recovery. is a social network connecting patients, advocates, and volunteers.Cancer.ext.com is devoted to helping patients learn to adopt a moreproactive approach to their recovery. With access to a wealth ofvaluable resources, members can research a variety of cancer-relatedtopics. They are encouraged and empowered to develop strategies tonot only cope with, but to overcome their disease as well. As part ofthis effort, Cancer.ext.comhas assembled the Cancer Patient Bill of Rights. The goal of this15-part petition is to demand changes in legislature that willbenefit both cancer patients and cancer research. Those who wouldlike to lend their support are given the opportunity to sign thepetition online.
Thereis clearly a lack of both medical education and leadership bygovernmental agencies on nutritional education. While healthassociations such as the AmericanCancer Society, AmericanDiabetes Association, and theAmerican Heart Associationall claim that up to 70 percent of common diseases are avoidablethrough proper nutrition, the message simply has not made it down tothe medical colleges, nor to the general public.
Whilethe internet is a large source for information for many patients,they still turn to their doctor for advice. But doctors are not aptto give out nutritional advice when they have only taken a class ortwo when in medical school. The lack of nutritional education ishurting us all.
Todaymore than 60 percent of the population of the United States isconsidered overweight. This number has exploded in the last 30 years,when only 10 to 20 percent of the population was consideredoverweight.
Likewise,other diseases have also increased:
Diabetes,which used to be less than one percent of the population is nowapproaching 15 percent.
Heartdisease is now one of the most common killers of women.
Cancerhas overtaken heart disease as the number one killer and a newreport out by the World HealthOrganization says that cancer willbe the number one world-wide killer by 2010.
Thecost of poor nutritional information extracts a heavy toll on ourhealth.
Thefoods that we eat become the basic building blocks of our bodies. Thebetter nutrition we put in our bodies, the better our bodies functionand the less disease we are likely to encounter. A balanced andhealthy diet means more than simply avoiding disease, a healthy diethas been shown to:
Increaseenergy and vitality of life.
Helpyou to maintain a healthy weight.
Boostyour immune system.
Keeppeople active throughout their lives
Protectmental capabilities.
Healthcareneeds to take a step forward and understand that preventing a diseaseis far easier than trying to treat one. Good nutrition should startat the medical doctor's office, but should also be a part of theeducation of our children and adults. There is a missed opportunityin not educating ourselves and our doctors to the importance ofproper nutrition.