Are We Really What We Eat and How Much We Move?

We have all have had the virtues of diet and exercise pumped into us by the culture that we live in that is enthralled by thin, well-toned bodies.  But that is not really reality for most of us.  We have found that our bodies seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to what we weigh and how much we exercise.  It sometimes seems that the energy it takes to keep eating correctly and exercising frequently are goals for some, just thoughts for others, and fantasies for many.

Cancer and related illnesses cause it to be more difficult to adhere to eating well and exercising often.  When you are in the midst of chemotherapy and radiation there are times, most times, that eating and exercising just aren’t things that come to mind.  In fact, these two things may be the last things on our mind.

I remember times when I was in the worst of my cancer and lying mostly flat on my back, walking to the end of the house with the use of my walker was a big deal.  I know the nausea and vomiting associated sometimes associated with chemo makes us reluctant to even take food in.  There are times when we just don’t want to eat or move.

Since I quit smoking about 35 years ago, I have always worked out.  I ran a lot and played sports with my kids.  I think that I was probably a little too proud of my body and the Lord needed to teach me a couple of things in that area.  Lying on my back for about six months changed my body and my attitude about it.  I joined a gym after I had recovered from the multiple myeloma in order to recover some muscle mass and to get more flexible after the back surgeries to repair my deteriorated spine.

I still try to go to the gym three times a week, but I admit it’s a struggle during some of my chemo treatments.  I just feel tired and want to sit down.

• I know that I need to workout three times a week at least, but sometimes it does not get done.
• I know I need to do at least 15 minutes of cardio workout, 30 would be better, but that may not come either.
• I know that I need to do stretching and weights to keep my muscles and joints working, but sometimes that does not get done either.

Diet is another thing that can be hit or miss.  I know the things that I should do:

• eat more fruits and vegetables,
• keep away from the five white foods (white bread, white rice, white pasta, processed sugar, and potatoes) use the whole grain versions instead,
• try to eat food items that are lower on the glycemic index,
• eat smaller portions,
• restrict the intake of red meat,  but take in more fish, chicken and eat lean meats, also
• eat foods with antioxidants.

But do I do it?  Sometimes the answer is yes and other times no.  I have a sweet tooth.  It’s hard to pass up a donut or ice cream or pie or a cookie.  I like an occasional meal of a good hamburger and French fries at my favorite hamburger place.  But I also eat lots of salads and try to have fruits and vegetables each day.  I try to intake fish and chicken, but I also have pizza.  Sometimes I control my portions and sometimes I overeat.  Go figure.

With the Lord’s help we can move into the areas of good diet and exercise as best we can.  Each area affects how we feel and how well we recover.  My parents used to say that we should try to eat as normally as possible when we are sick.  We need to do what we can in each area.  If we can only walk to the end of the house then that’s our exercise of the day.  If we can only eat a couple of spoonfuls of soup today then that’s our diet.  Sometimes that’s the way it is, but I think that we need to continue to push back to normal each day if we want to beat the disease that we have and try to return to some quality of life.

In the final analysis there are three things at work in this process of healing:

• science of the medical community,
• God’s actions in our lives, and
• our attitude about healing.

How much we affect this process is not really known, but how much we pursue being healthy through exercise and diet definitely has an effect on the outcome of the process.