Being diagnosed with cancer is scary! You may feel anxious, afraid and wonder how to cope with it. But remember, CANCER CAN BE BEATEN! If you have will power, mentally prepare yourself to fight for your life. Actress Manisha Koirala, who bravely battled ovarian cancer, is an inspiration for all cancer survivors. She keeps on sharing various posts on healthy food and lifestyle habits on her social media profiles. Here I am going to share Manisha Koirala post cancer diet which she revealed in her recent interview.
Manisha was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, for which she underwent a gruelling treatment for six months in USA. After being diagnosed with cancer, one is in a lot of fear and anxiety about the anticipated pain and the painful treatment. She said, “at times, after surviving from a disease like cancer, people’s look changes. After my chemotherapy, I lost my hair, eyebrows and lashes. Looking at the mirror, I felt like an alien. All I knew was that I had to mentally prepare to fight it and I got a huge support from my family.” Well, since 2015, she has been completely free of the deadly disease, and returned to work with films.
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MANISHA KOIRALA POST CANCER DIET
Manisha never misses a chance to raise an awareness on the rising incidence of cancer and all that can be done to eradicate the disease. In one of the recent interviews, she shared her post cancer diet. “I am a foodie but my antennas are always up regarding the healthy and nutritional values of food. I cannot digest too much junk food. I just have it once in a blue moon,” said the actress.
As you begin to feel better after cancer treatment, it is very essential to eat a balanced diet to regain your strength, rebuild tissue, and feel better overall. The actress is very particular about her diet and prefers to include variety of foods from all the food groups. Let’s see what’s her take….
ON SUGAR
“I have become very careful, though I have cheat days. I don’t have sugar and try to avoid it as much as possible. At home, I don’t have it at all. Sometimes, when I’m travelling, when there’s nothing like gur (jaggery), I indulge in a sweet. Sugar is a trigger and I was told to be mindful of how much sugar I take. There are better options such as natural sweeteners like stevia, honey, gur, etc,” said Manisha.
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ON NON-VEG FOODS
In post cancer diet, one should limit the intake of red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) to no more than 3 to 4 servings a week.
The Filmfare award-winning actress shared her experience- “I don’t eat meat. My mom was feeding me paya soup for strength during my treatment and I had decided that once my treatment is over, I will become a vegetarian because during treatment, I had started disliking non-veg. For a long time, I was a vegetarian, but just recently I have started eating fish and eggs. I’m a ‘fishetarian’ now but I am very mindful of that also and take very little.”
ON FIBROUS DIET
Cancer survivors should try to eat at least 2½ cups of fruits and vegetables each day. Make sure to have citrus fruits and in vegetables, dark-green and deep-yellow veggies are good. Eat plenty of high-fiber foods, like whole-grain breads and cereals.
Manisha said, “I eat more of fresh fruits, vegetables, a lot of greens, broccoli and palak (spinach) is a must in all my meals. I try and eat less of white rice. I sometimes eat red rice and quinoa. If I’m eating carbs, then there needs to be a lot of fibre in it.”
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Cancer has almost become one among the lifestyle diseases today. But with the advancements in treatment, there is a growing number of survivors. Are these survivors living a healthy life afterwards? No doubt, the family and society’s support towards the patient are very important. But ultimately, a lot depends upon your lifestyle, food choices, physical activity, and dietary supplements to improve the quality of life and long-term survival.
Manisha opened up on how cancer helped him become a better person. The brave and beautiful actress said, “when I came out of it, I literally started seeing joy in small things like walking on the grass, the breeze on my face, looking out of my bed at the sky and clouds, sunsets and sunrises. I started noticing small things, because tomorrow I didn’t know whether I would be alive to see it.”
Bravo Manisha!