Diet & exercise

We continually stress the need for young caregivers to take care of themselves emotionally and physically. While the demands of being a young cancer spouse can easily sideline our normal eating and exercise habits, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle for you and your family's well-being. When you eat right and exercise (even a little) you will feel better emotionally and physically, strengthen your immunity, sleep better, think more clearly, and be more patient. Good nutrition and some physical activity may seem like the last thing you should worry about, but in the long-term, you will be much better off.

Nutrition
As caregivers, we often forget to eat right, and instead eat what is "convenient." Your body and mind need sufficient, good-quality fuel to function. While you are concentrating on your spouse's diet, don't forget to eat a well-balanced diet too. A few simple suggestions are:

  • If you get takeout, get good quality takeout such as a salad, healthy stir-fry, sandwiches with whole grain bread, etc.
  • Skip the fast-food burger joints and try a healthier fast-food place, like Subway.
  • If you are cooking at home, ask a friend or family member to occasionally help you cook healthy meals and freeze them, so you always have something healthy on hand.
  • Plan healthy meals. Healthy eating requires you to think ahead and go to the grocery store, so you don't just eat whatever is handy.

Exercise
Your body and mind can benefit tremendously from exercise. While a regular exercise routine would be ideal, there are plenty of easy things you can do to get some physical activity. Although kids may make this seem like an impossible task, they can actually force you to get some exercise because they will go stir crazy without some physical activity. A few suggestions are:

  • Go for a walk down the street or around the block.
  • Take up running.
  • Take your kids to the park and play soccer/Frisbee/baseball, or just run around.
  • Join a gym and commit to going a couple of fixed times per week.