Breast cancer shakes off depression! Eat more spinach, bananas, cherries, 9 kinds of happy foods, and do aerobic exercise

Don’t worry about breast cancer! It is not only the number one cancer among women, but also the cancer with the highest incidence among a single sex and a single organ. According to cancer registry data from the National Health Administration, approximately 10,000 women in Taiwan are newly diagnosed with breast cancer each year. What most people don't know is that 1 in 3 patients with metastatic breast cancer experience severe depression and anxiety. Through 9 anti-depression foods, including spinach, cherries, bananas, etc., as well as aerobic exercise, you can help drive away the haze of depression and fight the disease!

Up to 30% of early-stage breast cancer patients will relapse or metastasize, which will cause even greater psychological pressure

According to cancer registration data from the National Health Administration, more than 10,000 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer in Taiwan each year. Even for early-stage breast cancer, up to 30% of patients will face recurrence or metastasis. Breast cancer can be divided into four stages according to the size of the tumor and the degree of lymph node metastasis. If the lesion is discovered early, the five-year survival rate of stage I breast cancer can be as high as 95%. However, even 5, 10 or even more years after surgical resection, the risk of breast cancer metastasis or recurrence is a long-term nightmare that patients have to face.

Breast cancer recurrence can be divided into "local recurrence" and "distant metastasis" (mostly to the liver, lungs, bones, and brain). The 5-year survival rate of late-stage distant metastasis may be less than 30%. Because of this, when breast cancer patients learn of metastasis or recurrence, they often experience greater psychological stress and fear than when they first developed cancer.

Breast cancer patients need more strength to help them get out of the dark valley of life

According to an international survey, one in three metastatic breast cancer patients has experienced severe depression and anxiety, and more than 60% feel remorse and guilt for being unable to maintain a normal life due to fatigue and pain. Breast cancer patients need greater strength to help them get out of the valley of life in terms of psychological adjustment, building self-worth, and social integration, and this strength comes from their relatives, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and even strangers living around them.

Breast cancer patients can eat properly to stay healthy and get rid of depression:

★1. Lotus seeds: Lotus seeds contain carbohydrates, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, tryptophan, tyrosine and other nutrients, which can soothe our emotions and make stress disappear.

★2. Bananas: Bananas are good foods for relieving stress. They not only contain a variety of stress-relieving ingredients, such as tryptophan, carbohydrates, vitamin B6, vitamin C, etc., but are also rich in dietary fiber, which can relieve constipation caused by stress. However, we must remind everyone that it is best not to eat too many bananas on an empty stomach to avoid gastrointestinal indigestion.

★3. Spinach: Researchers have found that a lack of folic acid can lead to a decrease in serotonin in the brain, causing depression, and spinach is the most famous food rich in folic acid.

★4. Grapefruit: Grapefruit contains high amounts of vitamin C, which not only maintains the concentration of red blood cells and makes the body resistant, but vitamin C can also resist stress. Most importantly, vitamin C is one of the important ingredients in the production of dopamine and adrenaline.

★5. Cherry: It is called natural aspirin by Western doctors because cherry contains a substance called anthocyanin that can create happiness. Scientists at the University of Michigan believe that eating 20 cherries when people are in a bad mood is more effective than taking any medicine.

★6. Deep-sea fish: Studies have found that people living by the sea are happier all over the world. This is not only because the sea makes people feel refreshed, but also because people who live by the sea eat fish more often. Research from Harvard University shows that the Omega-3 fatty acids in marine fish have similar effects to commonly used antidepressants such as lithium carbonate, which can block nerve conduction pathways and increase the secretion of serotonin.

★7. Kiwi: Kiwi is high in vitamin C. When facing stress, the vitamin C consumed is 8 times more than usual. Supplementing 2 kiwis a day can help enhance metabolism and neurochemical substances in the brain, and can fight depression.

★8. Brown rice: Brown rice is rich in B vitamins. Lack of B vitamins can easily lead to headaches, physical fatigue, etc. Eating a bowl of brown rice every day can supplement B vitamins, improve spirits, and help control emotions.

★9. Oysters: Clams contain selenium, which can metabolize fatty acid peroxides, reduce the production of harmful free radicals and avoid depression. Selenium is mostly sourced from seafood, and insufficient intake can easily lead to depression.

Breast cancer patients get moving with aerobic exercise to fight depression

It is recommended that moderate aerobic exercise can help fight depression, but attention should be paid to the individual differences in the patient's physical condition and physical limitations. Aerobic exercise can be performed for 5-10 minutes, and then the time can be gradually extended to warm up and cool down, and adjustments can be made according to the differences among cancer patients.

Aerobic exercise is a whole-body large muscle exercise that focuses on the lower body, and the muscle groups used are mainly the large muscles of the thighs and calves. Research data found that any aerobic exercise is effective in alleviating symptoms of depression patients, such as jogging, swimming, flywheel, aerobic dance, etc., which are all very good choices.

In addition to the health benefits that general exercise brings to the body, aerobic exercise also has good effects on patients with mild and moderate depression. This is because aerobic exercise can increase the body's oxygen content, which is very helpful for emotional control. When inhaling, it fills the brain cells with energy, making the mind clearer, and thinking ability naturally achieve positive effects. Moreover, when you engage in long-term moderate to high-intensity physical activities, your maximum heart rate can reach 60 to 80 percent, which can stimulate the secretion of endorphins and serotonin, making people immersed in a happy mood and helping to fight depression.

In addition, people who love sports know that exercising can divert their attention and temporarily forget their worries. After exercising, the whole body feels comfortable and relaxed, which can help in the auxiliary treatment of depression.

Breast cancer patients meet pink benefactors and are no longer alone in their fight against cancer

Over the past few years, the Breast Cancer Association of the Republic of China has provided corresponding support activities based on the needs of patients with different disease severity, including support and education courses and life lectures designed for early, late and young breast cancer, so that breast cancer patients at different stages can find resources that meet their needs.

Chairman Huang Shufang said that in the process of fighting cancer, there must be an important person who helps patients live a wonderful life again and regain their confidence. This noble person may be a volunteer sister, family member, partner, or even a doctor, nurse, personal counselor or social worker. It may also be a certain interest or hobby, or a certain sentence. As October 2018 is International Breast Cancer Month, the association has launched face-to-face meetings with breast cancer patients and Facebook community activities. It allows the touching stories of patients and the people who support them in their fight against cancer to be shared, and allows patients of different generations to find their beloved ones in their fight against cancer.