THE DYNAMIC DUO: NUTRITION AND FITNESS TACKLING CANCER

Specialists’ suggestions

by Makri Maria, Tzoumaka Anastasia

It is widely known, that medical procedures and frequent health appointments, are vital and unskippable steps, when it comes to cancer treatment. However, in such cases, healthy diet and exercise creates a powerful synergy, which can boost the immune system, reduce stress and even prevent the development and recurrence of cancer cells. With that being said, Christina, Panagiotis and Marialina, specialists in the fields of nutrition and gymnastics, shared with us their professional opinions, regarding the role of eating healthily and exercising and offered us their unique perspectives and the knowledge they have acquired from their experience with cancer patients.

Christina’s interview

I: Christina, can you tell me first some personal information about you, regarding your age, your specialty and the years of your experience in your domain?

C: “My name is Christina, I am 33 years old and I am a nutritionist-dietician. I also have a Bachelor’s degree in biology, and I have been working as a nutritionist for 6 years.

I: How did you decide to become a nutritionist?

C: “I would say that I wanted to satisfy a personal need, because I was always concerned about my body and my weight, but by working in this field, I realised that I was born for it, as it’s a very beautiful thing helping people to achieve their goals.”

I: What do you think about the relationship between a balanced diet and health in general?

C : “Studies have shown that nutrition and health are inextricably linked, but also on a personal level, we can see the truth in it. For example, if someone is consuming junk food for a month, he/she will definitely notice problems with their digestive system, their concentration and their mental state.”

I: Could you tell me which factors do you take in mind when you need to make a nutrition plan for a person who faces a serious disease, like cancer and if the client participates in the making of this plan in some way?

C: “We need to take in mind many factors, like the weight, the height and the age of the person, without forgetting to check their blood tests and of course their personal food preferences. Definitely, the client always participates energetically in the making of the diet plan, as the approach I follow is very human-centred.”

I: What are the food groups that prevail in a diet plan for a cancer patient and which are the ones that should be avoided?

C: “In these cases, we focus on adequate protein intake, to avoid excessive weight loss. It’s important to consume fish, eggs, white meat and legumes. In addition, good fats are very beneficial, as they have anti-inflammatory action and they can be found in olive oil, nuts and avocado. At last, it is crucial to include fruit and vegetables, because they contain dietary fibers, vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, there are some food groups that should be avoided, like those who are rich in saturated fats and those which contain palm oil and seed oils. Of course, patients should try to avoid overconsumption of sugar.”

I: Are there some dietary supplements that could also help?

C: “If we have to deal with patients that aren’t nourished adequately, we can propose some dietary supplements, in collaboration with a doctor. It is common for these clients to have vitamin D deficiency, or to experience symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea, so we give the suitable supplement, depending on the personal needs.”

I: How do you deal with a client who has a loss of appetite because of the disease?

C : “I try to give clients some simple advice, such as consuming small and frequent meals, eating their favourite food and being in a pleasant environment, maybe with music during eating. However, if the patients aren’t able to get the necessary calories, we suggest hyper caloric solutions.

I: How can family members support the dietary needs of a loved one facing the disease?

C: “They could try to support their loved ones, by not keeping in the house junk food and also by not pressuring them to eat if they face a loss of appetite, as this could lead to the opposite result.”

I: Do you think that apart from diet monitoring, it is needed to support the client psychologically as well and have you ever needed to consult with a psychologist to help you with a patient?

C: “I think that because I see a psychologist myself, I sometimes take some elements from her and use them when a client tells me that he/she is feeling frustrated, in order to support them mentally, but I haven’t felt the need to ask my psychologist for advice, concerning a certain client.”

Panagiotis’s interview

I: What is your name, age, and specialty?

P: “My name is Panagiotis Antoniadis, I am 31 years old and I am a gymnast, specifically instructor of basketball, martial arts, Pilates, but mainly of Kangoo jumps and a personal trainer.”

I: How did you choose to become a trainer?

P: “When I was a little kid, it was my dream to become a basketball player, but because of a lot of factors I could not make it. After that, I noticed that something that was a big part of my daily life was exercise. I wanted others to succeed and of course to help them, and me financially. In addition, friends of mine were asking me to train them or to come with me to the gym.”

I: How do you choose which workout programs are best suited for each of your clients?

P: “Firstly, I take the medical history, the age, the weight and the personal goals of each client. For example, someone may want to focus on changing his or her appearance and others do it only for medical reasons.”

I: How do you approach someone with a diagnosis, whether it’s pathological or psychosomatic?

P: “It depends on the case. For example, I had a client who had depression and obesity. That kind of combo needed a little bit more of a reward and that helped her with confidence and achieving small goals each day, until she lost 30 kilos.”

I: From your experience, have you noticed changes in your clients, either psychological or physical?

P: “Usually those things come together, even though sometimes the psychological changes come first.”

I: Could you provide an example of a client who had a serious issue initially and has made significant progress?

P: “The one that I mentioned before with depression. She started telling me that she is not getting tired easily and she can clean her kitchen in 3 hours. A simple example that others take for granted, but for her was really important. Also another 45 years old client, who had cancer. When I met her, she had just finished her treatment, so because we were talking a lot, the psychological progress came first and then the physical. She was telling me that she felt stronger in her daily life.”

I: Can you mention some of the psychological and physical benefits of exercising for those with cancer?

P: “First things first, gymnastics helps restore functional range of motion , as it can help with everyday tasks such as putting on a shirt. Additionally, it strengthens the muscular system overall and improves psychological well-being. Exercise itself can serve as a distraction and help one clear their mind.”

I: For someone who is currently dealing with cancer, what kind of workout would you recommend?

P: “It depends on the type of cancer they have and how tired they are or if we are before or after starting the treatments. We could start with a more conservative kind of work out, but as we are going forward the level would be upgraded.”

I: Would you feel comfortable working with a client who has this illness?

P: “Yes, of course I had worked with cancer patients before, but also there is fear, so I am trying to keep myself updated about the recent working out programs related to cancer.”

I: What kinds of activities would you recommend to help prevent cancer and promote physical fitness?

P: “If you ask a kid, he or she won’t tell you that he/she is working out, but that they are playing. If most of us view exercising as a game, as a safe space of playing, we will be more willing to work out. Because gymnastics does not only mean lift gains, but also dancing or boxing.”

I: Okay, thank you very much for your participation in this interview!

Marialina’s interview

I: What is your name, age, and specialty?

M: “My name is Marialina Papadopoulou, I am 31 years old and I am a pole dancer.”

I: How did you choose to become a pole dancer?

M: “To be honest, pole dancing was random. Even as a kid, I enjoyed gymnastics and dancing, but in my hometown, I did not find a dance school that I trusted, so I was on and off. Only when I came to Thessaloniki to study, I found a dance school that offered pole dancing as a choice. I tried it and I liked it. I have danced the last eleven years, but I have worked as a teacher, the last five to six.”

I: How did you decide to train in this specialty, and what kind of clients do you work with?

M: “I decided to focus on this specialty, because it has the acrobatic part of the dance and I think it suits me best. Time proved me right! As far as the kind of clients I work with is concerned, there is no restriction. For example, if you do not have strength, confidence or flexibility, you will build it with dancing. It has happened in the past to work with cancer patients or with neurological conditions and those that carry the HIV virus. The collaboration with them made me realise that the disease did not stand as an obstacle for them to dance.”

I: How do you choose which workout programs are best suited for each of your clients?

M: “Well, firstly I want to say that pole has different kinds of dancing. Now, I will say that I will choose the best kind of pole for my clients, depending on their interests, their mental and physical health and if they were working out before.”

I: How do you approach someone with a diagnosis, whether it’s pathological or psychosomatic?

M: “Definitely by discussing with them. Personally, I think the pathological element has probably more possibilities to be dealt with, rather than the psychosomatic or the psychological one, such as depression.”

I: From your experience, have you noticed changes in your clients, either psychological or physical?

M: “Of course, I noticed that they have more confidence and their body is changing for the better. My own clients confirm that, because they are coming on their own to tell me this.”

I: For someone who is currently dealing with cancer, what kind of workout would you recommend?

M: “Any kind of workout would be great, it depends on someone’s interests and with the appropriate preparation, everything is possible. I would like to give a few examples, such as aerobics, lifting weights, Pilates and of course pole dancing.”

I: Would you feel comfortable working with a client who has this illness?

M: “Yes, I am comfortable with this idea, I have already worked with those people, but I want to keep myself updated on their medical history, in order not to push them harder than they can.”

I: Okay, thank you very much for your participation in this interview!

Given the information that these three experienced specialists provided us, we can state now with certainty that nutrition and exercise are some of the most effective ways to maintain good health during cancer treatment. Aside from that, a balanced diet in combination with gymnastics, are great weapons for promoting prevention, and as the professionals stated in their interviews, these two acts can work miracles in patients’ mental health as well.