Healthy Choices

Among the 14.5 million American cancer survivors, many are highly motivated to seek information about food choices, physical activity, dietary supplement use, and complementary nutritional therapies to improve their response to treatment, speed recovery, reduce their risk of recurrence, and improve their quality of life.
Tobacco use decreases the effectiveness of cancer treatments, increases the probability of recurrence, and reduces survival time. Yet a significant proportion of cancer survivors continue to smoke tobacco post-diagnosis.
The American Cancer Society “Guidelines on Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention” apply to survivorship as well. They include:
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If overweight or obese, limit consumption of high-calorie foods and beverages and increase physical activity to promote weight loss.
- Engage in regular physical activity.
  - Avoid inactivity and return to normal daily activities as soon as possible following diagnosis.
  - Aim to exercise at least 150 minutes per week.
  - Include strength training exercises at least 2 days per week.
- Eat a diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Try for 5 a Day—that is 5 portions of fruits or vegetables every day.

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