The word “cancer” sends shivers down your spine. The thought of having to deal with the disease is too much for you to handle, so you try not to think about it. But what if cancer doesn’t have to be a scary thing? You’ve already beat the worst of it.  Now you just need to get back on your feet and get your life back.

Here are a few tips to make your breast cancer recovery more effective.

1. Eat Right

After your surgery, you may not feel like eating at all, but it’s important to maintain a healthy diet. At BedfordBreastCenter.com they say “the key to curing breast cancer is early detection”, but the same goes for eating healthily – the sooner you start eating a healthy diet, the better. Foods like broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, and strawberries should be included in your daily diet. These foods are rich in vitamin C which reduces the likelihood of blood clots that could lead to a stroke. Also, be sure to eat a variety of fish, vegetables, and fruit as these foods contain omega-3 fatty acids that help with pain relief and also help rebuild tissue, as well as food that is packed with antioxidants.

After surgery, it can take weeks for the body to recover from the trauma and regain strength – which means you need all the help you can get! Vitamins and minerals work by improving immunity – something that is critically important for those recovering from surgery. Some of the best vitamins and minerals to include in your diet are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, antioxidants, and zinc as these will help you heal much faster.

2. Rest Properly

After the surgery, you’ll experience extreme tiredness which is normal. In fact, your doctor may prescribe medication for this symptom. The best way to combat fatigue is by sleeping properly at least six hours a day. You will feel refreshed if you get enough sleep. If you can sleep more do so – even 10 hours a night – won’t hurt you either…within reason of course!

3.  Reduce Stress With Meditation And Yoga

Stress can have a debilitating effect on any person’s health – especially those suffering from cancer. In fact, stress can rise as one of the causes of breast cancer as well as being a symptom during recovery from surgery. The best way to reduce stress is by practicing meditation and yoga daily. It may seem difficult doing these activities at first but practicing them every day will make them easier over time until they become part of your daily routine.

4. Exercise To Improve Your Physical Fitness

For a good recovery from cancer surgery, it is important to exercise. Exercise will not only improve your physical fitness, but it also helps ease the pain and help you sleep better. Talk to a doctor or consultant before taking up an exercise plan as they can advise you on what type of exercises are best for the individual case.

5.  Ask For Help

Cancer is one of the most stressful things a person can go through and it’s completely understandable to feel like you can handle everything on your own. However, it is important to face reality – you cannot alone – not just emotionally but also physically. It may be difficult for you to ask for help with house chores and childcare as women are often hardwired to do this themselves, but believe me when I say that asking others for help will ease your burden. This way, put all your focus on recovering from cancer instead of worrying about other things at home.

After cancer surgery, you’re probably going to be on the road to recovery for months – possibly even years. So, it’s important not to look at life as over and done with. Although during this time you may feel like all of your dreams have been shattered, there is still a lot of good things out in the world that you can enjoy. The best way to get your life back is by starting small – maybe with something simple like reading a book or watching a movie. Once you have built up the momentum, do the things that really make you happy.

It’s important to maintain a healthy diet, get enough sleep, reduce stress, and exercise during the breast cancer recovery process. If you can do all of this then it will make your life much easier! You should also ask for help from family members or friends who are willing to assist with childcare or chores around the house. Remember that even if things seem bleak now there is still hope in the world – so take time out of each day to enjoy yourself.