Tag: cancer

Posted by Christine Pope on in Cancer support, exercise, Fatigue, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, stress

Beating Cancer Fatigue: How to Support Recovery with Rest, Nutrition and Gentle Movement
Two jars of green smoothie with striped straws, surrounded by fresh cucumber and leafy greens on a wooden surface.

One of the most common and frustrating side effects of cancer treatment is fatigue — the kind that doesn’t always go away with a good night’s sleep. It can linger for weeks or months after treatment, leaving you feeling flat, foggy and frustrated.

Cancer-related fatigue is different from ordinary tiredness. It’s a whole-body exhaustion that affects your physical energy, mental focus, and motivation. The good news is that with the right mix of nutrition, gentle movement, supplements and restorative rest, you can gradually rebuild your strength and vitality.

Understanding Cancer-Related Fatigue

Cancer fatigue has many contributing factors, whether its the stress of the diagnosis and difficulty sleeping, medications that impact you with different side effects, inflammation as you recover from surgery or chemotherapy, low red blood cell counts or even changes in hormones. Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation will deplete the body’s reserves, affecting energy metabolism and muscle recovery.

This means that recovery requires a whole-body approach: nourishing your body, rebuilding muscle, and supporting your nervous system to rest and repair.

1. Nourish with Adequate Protein

During and after treatment, protein needs are often higher than usual. Protein supports muscle repair, maintains blood sugar balance and helps regulate energy levels throughout the day. Without enough protein, your body struggles to rebuild tissue and produce essential enzymes and hormones that support recovery.

Usually people need around 1g per kilo of weight of protein daily however after surgery or treatment that will increase to 1.5- 2.0 g depending on your overall health.

How to include more protein:

  • Start the day with eggs, Greek yogurt or a protein smoothie.
  • Include lean meats, fish, tofu, legumes or lentils with lunch and dinner.
  • Add nuts, seeds, or hummus for healthy snacks.
  • For those with reduced appetite, protein powders or soups can be an easy way to boost intake.

Aim to include a source of protein at every meal — even a few mouthfuls can make a difference in stabilising blood sugar and maintaining energy.

2. Balance Blood Sugar for Consistent Energy

Many people recovering from treatment notice energy crashes after meals or when skipping food. This is often due to unstable blood sugar, which can worsen fatigue and brain fog.

To keep your energy steady:

  • Eat regularly, ideally every 4-5 hours.
  • Combine protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats in each meal (for example, chicken and quinoa salad with mint and shredded snow peas and cranberries with an olive oil dressing).
  • Avoid relying on sugary snacks or caffeine, which cause temporary energy spikes followed by a crash.
  • Stay hydrated — even mild dehydration can sap energy and concentration.
A woman practicing gentle yoga in a cozy, well-lit room, stretching her body with a focus on relaxation and recovery.

3. Move Gently to Rebuild Strength

It might sound counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to reduce fatigue is to move more — gently.

Gentle exercise improves circulation, oxygenation and mood, and helps reduce inflammation. It also stimulates muscle repair and improves sleep quality, all of which support recovery. Again its essential if you haven’t exercise in a while to go low and go slow.

Start slowly and build up gradually:

  • Begin with short walks, stretching or gentle yoga.
  • Aim for 10–15 minutes daily and increase as tolerated.
  • On low-energy days, focus on movement over intensity — even a few minutes counts.
  • Listen to your body and prioritise rest when you need it.

Regular movement helps reset your energy rhythms and supports your body’s natural repair processes.

4. Support Recovery with Targeted Supplements

While food provides the foundation, certain supplements can help support energy metabolism, muscle recovery and cellular repair. These should always be tailored to your individual needs, but some that may help include:

  • Magnesium: Supports muscle relaxation, energy production and sleep quality.
  • B Vitamins: Essential for energy metabolism and nerve repair, often depleted during treatment.
  • CoQ10: Supports mitochondrial energy production, particularly after chemotherapy.
  • Adaptogenic herbs such as Withania or rhodiola may help regulate stress response and resilience. Personally I do like the 5 mushroom Chinese combinations for energy and immune support however these are best suited to being supported by a practitioner to check on interactions with medications.

Always ensure your healthcare team is aware of any new supplement, especially during or soon after treatment.

5. Prioritise Rest and Recovery

Rest is not a luxury — it’s essential to healing. Cancer treatment places enormous stress on the body, and deep, restorative rest helps rebuild the immune system, hormones and nervous system balance.

Try to:

  • Create a regular sleep routine, aiming for 7–9 hours nightly.
  • Build restorative breaks into your day — even 20 minutes of lying down, meditation or quiet time can recharge you. Download the free meditations on The Meaning Of Life.TV for 30 days of options.
  • Avoid pushing through exhaustion; your body needs signals of safety and rest to heal.
  • Try mindfulness or gentle breathing to calm an overactive stress response and promote deeper sleep.

Recovery is not linear — some days will be better than others. The key is consistency over perfection.

6. Rebuilding Your Energy: A Holistic Perspective

Cancer fatigue is multifactorial — which means recovery needs to be multi-layered too. The most effective approach combines nutrient-rich food, balanced movement, stress management, and rest. Over time, these habits help restore your body’s energy systems, reduce inflammation and support emotional wellbeing.

Many years ago I remember asking a very experienced practitioner which change made the most difference? The response was that each intervention added about 16% so decide on how many of those changes you are prepared to implement.

Even small steps — like preparing a protein-rich breakfast or taking a slow walk in nature — signal to your body that you’re rebuilding. If you are not up to a walk by the beach to recharge then just start with a cuppa at a cafe somewhere peaceful.

🌿 Finding Your Energy Again

In my clinical practice, I often work with clients to create personalised recovery plans after cancer treatment — focusing on restoring energy, rebuilding strength and supporting overall vitality. Fatigue doesn’t have to define your recovery journey. With the right nutrition and self-care strategies, you can gradually reclaim your energy and quality of life.

If you’d like help creating a nutrition and recovery plan tailored to your needs, visit christinepopenutritionist.com to book a consultation. If you would like a meal plan that gets you started on recovery download my Better Brain Health recipes to get started today.

Posted by Christine Pope on in Cancer support, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Research

Red meat, protein and cancer risk – Clearing up the Confusion
A plate of roasted meat with gravy, served alongside roasted potatoes and green beans.

For a lot of people when they are diagnosed with cancer they feel guilty about the choices they have made and worry that they may have contributed to the diagnosis. One of the more common dietary choices raised is protein and a recent study published looked at the evidence from a review of ten studies.

We hear a lot about the link between red meat and cancer. But is it really the meat itself, the protein, or something else? A large review of the research has just taken a closer look, and the results are interesting.

Just a heads up too on the type of research that is done in nutrition, most often its based on people completing questionnaires about how often they ate certain food over the period in question. These studies are generally considered a lower level of evidence but are helpful to see if there is a risk with certain dietary choices.

The other aspect of these studies that is important to understand is that the participants were generally consuming a moderate amount of protein – in the range of 70-129 g a day. These studies are not relevant to higher protein diets, which may create a problem by replacing other nutrients. Plus 70g of protein is equivilant to the amount in 2 eggs (6g each), a small can of tuna (20g)and a small chicken breast fillet. Most animal sources of meat are about 25% protein by weight.

A healthy salad featuring greens, boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, olives, tuna, and roasted potatoes, served in a bowl.

Is protein itself the problem?

The review looked at protein intake (from all sources) and cancer risk. Overall, eating more protein was not linked to a higher risk of cancer. That includes common cancers like breast, colorectal, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

So, protein itself doesn’t appear to be the issue. The real story seems to lie in where the protein comes from.

Red and processed meat – why the concern?

When studies zoomed in on different foods, the picture changed:

  • Red and processed meat (like bacon, sausages, ham and steak) have consistently been linked with a higher risk of colorectal cancer. This isn’t because of the protein, but other compounds in the meat. For example:
    • High-heat cooking (like barbecuing or frying) creates harmful chemicals.
    • Processed meats often contain nitrates and nitrosamines, which are considered cancer-causing.
  • White meat (like chicken or turkey) doesn’t show the same risks – in fact, some studies suggest it may be protective.

Dairy, soy and plant proteins

  • Dairy: While some studies have linked dairy (especially milk) to a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer, dairy foods also seem to lower the risk of colorectal cancer – it was thought in the studies because of the calcium content but it may also be because of the benefit of fermented food in the diet.
  • Soy and legumes: These plant-based protein foods may reduce the risk of breast cancer, but this benefit is linked to their phytoestrogens rather than the protein itself.
A plated dish featuring a fried protein patty topped with a creamy sauce, surrounded by a colorful salad of mixed greens, sliced avocado, and cherry tomatoes.

What about IGF-1?

One theory is that high protein intake raises levels of a hormone called IGF-1, which helps cells grow. The theory is that too much IGF-1 may encourage cancer development. While animal and dairy proteins can raise IGF-1 slightly, the changes are small (estimated at about 1% increase in risk for those eating the highest level of protein versus the lowest) and probably not enough to make a big difference for most people.

The bottom line

Protein is important for good health – it’s an essential nutrient. But the type of protein-rich foods you eat matters:

✅ Enjoy protein from a variety of sources – beans, lentils, soy, nuts, fish, chicken, eggs.
✅ If you eat dairy, it may help protect against bowel cancer. Fermented types are better for your digestion.
❌ Limit red and processed meats – save bacon and sausages for the occasional treat, not a daily habit.
🍽 Focus on a balanced diet full of plants, wholegrains and healthy proteins.

It’s not about cutting out protein – it’s about choosing the right sources most of the time.

For more tips on reducing recurrence risk after cancer treatment you may want to read this recent blog What are the best functional foods to reduce your recurrence risk ?

For more guidance on putting together a plan to reduce your risks of recurrence Christine Pope is at Elemental Health at St Ives and is available for both in person and telehealth appointments. For bookings click here.

(1) Kühn T, Kalotai N, Amini AM, Haardt J, Lehmann A, Schmidt A, Buyken AE, Egert S, Ellinger S, Kroke A, Lorkowski S, Louis S, Schulze MB, Schwingshackl L, Siener R, Stangl GI, Watzl B, Zittermann A, Nimptsch K; German Nutrition Society. Protein intake and cancer: an umbrella review of systematic reviews for the evidence-based guideline of the German Nutrition Society. Eur J Nutr. 2024 Aug;63(5):1471-1486. doi: 10.1007/s00394-024-03380-4. Epub 2024 Apr 21. PMID: 38643440; PMCID: PMC11329548.