How a Healthy Lifestyle Can Contribute to Improved Health In Patients Receiving Infusion Therapy
It’s no secret that proper nutrition and healthy habits such as exercise can contribute to long-term health. This is true for nearly all people, especially those treated with infusion therapy. However, changing a patient’s nutritional habits and adding exercise into their routines are concepts that are often overlooked when it comes to treatment plans. While exercising and eating well can seldom reverse a diagnosis, they can work with your infusion therapy to improve overall health. Today, we’re exploring some ways you can incorporate healthy habits into your treatment plan.
Nutrition
You know the basics, five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day, twenty-five to thirty-five grams of fiber per day, so on and so forth. However, these nutrition rules do not include the specific needs of certain infusion patients and, therefore, can leave them in the dark about what proper nutrition should look like for their condition. For example, while a person with no underlying conditions can include starchy vegetables in their diet, patients with diabetes should avoid starchy vegetables to keep blood sugar levels low.
All infusion patients need to know how to eat correctly for their condition, and the best way to learn is to consult one’s physician. However, patients can also research on their own through accredited nutritional sources such as The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the United States Department of Agriculture’s nutrition website. Both of these websites provide accurate and helpful information about healthy eating.
Physical Activity
According to the Mayo Clinic, most individuals should aim for thirty minutes of exercise or physical movement per day. Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce stress, improve health, and prevent disease. In addition, by incorporating physical activity into their treatment plan, patients can even lessen the severity of their symptoms. For example, as stated in an article by the Case Managers Society of America, “…breaking up sedentary time (such as screen time) further decreases the risk of pre-diabetes being converted to diabetes.”
BreastCancer.org also stated in a recent article that although exercising while undergoing chemotherapy treatment may be difficult, it can help ease some side effects like fatigue and nausea. Of course, while this is all convincing enough for one to start an exercise program, it’s important to note that beginning long, strenuous exercise is not sustainable and could harm the patient more than help. Therefore, patients should start slowly by incorporating thirty-minute walks into their day and as they gain more strength and endurance, add onto this routine.
While it may feel challenging to switch to healthier habits, making healthier choices is simple if your infusion schedule has more flexibility. At ContinuumRx, we’ll deliver your infusion therapy from home at a time that’s convenient for you. Or you can visit us at one of our comfortable infusion suites where patients are promptly infused; no waiting rooms. Contact us to find a location near you!
