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Nutrition & Wellness Counseling

Home » Treatments » Nutrition & Wellness Counseling

You must take good care of yourself before, during, and after cancer treatments. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can minimize the risk of breast cancer, help with early detection, and improve your prognosis. According to the American Cancer Society, lifestyle changes, such as a balanced and nutritious diet, physical activity, stress reduction, and weight management, can significantly improve the quality of life for cancer survivors and those living with cancer.

New England Breast and Wellness takes a holistic approach to breast cancer care and treatment. Besides diagnosing and treating breast cancer, we provide nutrition and wellness counseling to improve your quality of life before, during, and after cancer treatment. Furthermore, we are intimately involved with every aspect of your treatment, ensuring you feel emotionally and physically supported throughout your battle against cancer.

Nutrition

Cancer treatments affect your body’s ability to digest and absorb food. As such, while undergoing surgeries, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy, you need to ensure your body receives the necessary nutrition and calories. You must also avoid losing muscle mass and maintain healthy body weight. Besides helping you remain healthy, improving your nutrition can improve your prognosis and general quality of life.

If you have trouble eating enough to meet your calorie requirements, your doctor may recommend certain mineral supplements, vitamins, and high-protein/high-calorie drinks. During this period, you should also avoid saturated fats because they can increase the risk of cancer. Trans fats also increase cholesterol levels, which can impact your cardiovascular and heart health. You should instead focus on sources of antioxidants, such as vegetables and fruits.

Physical Activity

Exercise and physical activities are extremely beneficial during cancer treatments because they improve muscle mass, bone health, and general quality of life. During this period, you can implement physical activities in the form of dancing, cycling, walking, and yoga. Besides improving your overall health, these exercises can reduce stress and improve your quality of life during and after cancer treatments.

The following are the benefits of physical activity during and after cancer treatments:

Improving physical strength and abilities
Controlling and managing your weight
Reducing the risk of falls
Improving blood circulation in your legs
Alleviating fatigue and exhaustion
Reducing the risk of heart disease
Alleviating depression and anxiety
Improving self-esteem and confidence
Improving the overall quality of life

Stress Management

Stress management and reduction are critical in fighting all kinds of illnesses, including breast cancer. Meditation can significantly help with stress reduction, and it can also alleviate chronic pain, sleep disorders, and anxiety. We help you develop tools to reduce stress and anxiety to facilitate a peaceful and tranquil healing process.

Holistic Cancer Care in Wellesley, MA

Dr. Katherina Calvillo is a deeply compassionate, caring, and talented breast cancer specialist and surgeon with nearly 20 years of experience at Harvard and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She founded New England Breast and Wellness in order to offer personalized and intimate care to her patients, ensuring everyone feels emotionally supported throughout this stressful period. Please schedule an appointment at our medical center in Wellesley, MA, for more information.

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Given our mission of excellent patient care with an exceptional experience, we are an out-of-network provider.