Category Archives: Cancer

Physical Activity and Living With Cancer

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Public talk at Cancer Care West 72 Seamus Quirke Road, Westside, Galway Thursday April 16, at 7.30 pm.

Marie MurphyI will be addressing such topics as the importance of physical activity, side effects of cancer treatment, the importance of resistance training and the role of nutrition. I will also outline the key components of the Murphy (METs) programme, a specialised fitness regime for people living with cancer.

This public talk is free of charge and will be particularly useful to cancer patients who are adapting to living with the illness. Please call Cancer Care West Support Centre at 091 540040 for more details.

Atwater’s Vision: A Healthy Balanced Nutrition

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The first published dietary guidelines were written in 1894 by W.O. Atwater.  Atwater initiated the scientific basis for connecting food composition, dietary intake, and health, and emphasized the importance of variety, proportion, and moderation in healthy eating.  It is worth noting that at this time specific vitamins and minerals had not yet been discovered.

In 1902 Atwater stated:

“Unless care is exercised in selecting food, a diet may result which is one-sided or badly balanced-that is, one in which either protein or fuel ingredients (carbohydrate and fat) are provided in excess….The evils of overeating may not be felt at once, but sooner or later they are sure to appear-perhaps in an excessive amount of fatty tissue, perhaps in general debility, perhaps in actual disease.” 

By the 1950s, nutritional guidelines moved to four food groups known as the “Basic Four” with the focus on getting sufficient nutrients.  This concept was widely used for the next two decades.  During the 1990s, the Food Guide Pyramid was released.  The pyramid conveyed key concepts regarding variety, proportionality, and moderation; Atwater’s words repeated ten decades later.Nutrition Chart MMP

Lets get back to basics.  A diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, fish, and low in fat, high in fibre is cancer protective.

Improving your Health and Fitness in 2015

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If you have made a New Year’s resolution to improve your fitness; do more exercise, increase your strength, eat a healthier diet, lose weight then fear not, help is at hand. The following tips will help you feel healthier, fitter and more energised:IMAG1760

  • Getting your METs is Clare Holiday Pictures 220first and foremost!  If time is limited for exercising make cardiovascular exercise your first choice by using the largest muscle groups in a repetitive movement (example; walking, jogging, swimming etc.).
  • Set realistic goals.  If you cannot see yourself holding your exercise routine for a period of 15 weeks then the task is too great.  The average time a person holds an exercise programme is 6-8 weeks; this is too short for life changing benefits.

  • Be consistent, take small steps. Increase time, distance or repetitions of your workouts every 3 weeks.  This allows the body time to adapt to the routine/stress level which makes advancing to a higher level easier and safer.

  • Healthy SaladWhen it comes to eating healthy, losing weight or maintaining your current weight, you are more likely to be successful if you make small changes over time rather than changing your entire diet all at once.

 

For a consultation contact Marie at 085 196 5468 or email marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com to place your name on the waiting list for upcoming course.

Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Guidelines

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The primary treatments for breast cancer (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) continue to lead to significant morbidity for many individuals diagnosed with this disease.  A number of physical impairments commonly result from treatments designed to save or prolong the lives of those affected.  These include impairments of upper extremity range of motion and strength, upper extremity and/or breast lymphedema, pain, fatigue, loss of sensation, and reduction in levels of physical activity and health-related quality of life.

Older woman holding weightsThe following 5 tips can help lower risk of impairments:

  1. Gentle range of motion exercises the first week after surgery.
  2. Active stretching exercises 1 week after surgery, or when the drain has been removed.
  3. Active stretching exercises continued for 6-8 weeks or until full range of motion is achieved in the affected upper extremity.
  4. Progressive resistance training can begin with light weights (0.5-1kg) within 4-6 weeks after surgery.
  5. Postoperative assessments should occur regularly up to 1 year after surgery.

This information is in line with the Institute of Medicine report ‘Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust’.

For further information on how you can start a progressive resistance training programme early please email marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com

Murphy METs Programme (Video)

Know Your METs to Lower Breast Cancer Risk/Recurrence

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Exercise reduces an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer. Furthermore, in individuals who have already been diagnosed with the disease, exercise reduces the chance of a cancer recurrence as well as improves quality of life.

Below is an easy explanation of the METs pro­gramme which I did for an ini­tia­tive called ChooseToTri.  June O’Connell started Choose­ToTri  after hear­ing me speak at the Irish Cancer Society’s Annual National Breast Cancer Conference (2010) when talking about the relationship between exer­cise and can­cer prevention (METs).

In this video, I explain METs in a clear and easy to under­stand way.

For further information on METs please see:

Murphy METs Programme (Video)

Know your METs for Prevention – Recurrence of Disease

Calculating your weekly METs km-hour

 

Breast Cancer Awareness – 6 Weeks Beginners Course

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Breast Cancer Awareness

Research indicates that physical activity after a diagnosis of breast cancer improves quality of life, reduces fatigue, and assist with energy balance. Both reduced physical activity and the side effects of treatment have been linked to weight gain after a breast cancer IMAG0225diagnosis. Studies have found that women who exercise moderately (the equivalent of walking 3 to 4 hours per week at an average pace (3-4 METs) after a diagnosis of breast cancer have improved survival rates compared with more sedentary women.

6 weeks Beginners Course

I will be offering a 6 weeks beginners course which will cover three theory workshops & three practical training workshops to provide participants with the tools to improve flex­i­bil­ity, bal­ance, co-ordination, mobil­ity, strength, mus­cu­loskele­tal func­tion, bone den­sity and con­fi­dence, in addi­tion to hav­ing an impact on car­dio­vas­cu­lar fit­ness, weight man­age­ment and psy­choso­cial well-being.

To reg­is­ter for the programme par­tic­i­pants must be 3 months post-surgery with med­ical clear­ance.  Course fee €75.  To add your name to the roster or for fur­ther details please email marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com  All participants will be accepted on a ‘first-come, first served basis’ (Additional courses will follow).

Balance in Our Everyday Lives

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Homeostasis is an essential part for our health.  But, in order to promote a body in balance our mind needs to contribute. Choices we make in regards to stress reduction, healthy nutrition and regular exercise helps keep an imbalance at bay.

IMAG0188Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control. Managing stress is about taking charge of our thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way we deal with problems. This isn’t as easy as it sounds.  Identifying our true sources of stress, we have to look closely at our habits, attitude, and excuses.

A regular diet rich in plant foods, fish, and lean protein boosts overall health and clearly helps protect against heart disease and diabetes. However when it comes to exercising inadequate nutrient intake deprives the body of the energy needed to perform, the carbohydrates necessary for glycogen replacement, the protein needed for tissue building and repair, and the micronutrients necessary for normal metabolism and maintenance of body homeostasis.

EilishThe health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore and the benefits are ours for the taking, regardless of our age, sex or physical ability. Our body needs regular exercise, the right food, lifestyle and mental attitude to achieve its true health potential.

Picture of my sister (survivor) and two of her girls out on a walk yesterday in California 🙂

Cardiovascular Exercise: Are You Getting Your METs?

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To reap all the benefits cardiovascular exercise (walking, cycling, swimming etc.) can provide, you need to be sure that your fitness routine is providing you with the right number of METs. Group walk

METs are the rate at which our bodies use oxygen (metabolic equivalents). If you accumulate >15 METs every week, then you get significant benefits in terms of fighting cancer. Studies have shown as little as 9 MET/hrs of physical activity over a seven day period increases survival rate for breast and bowel cancers.

Your fitness level has a direct impact on how many METS you expend per minute. So let’s say it take you 16 minutes to walk a mile, your pace is 3.75 miles per hour, which corresponds to 4.3 METs per hour. If you walk 3 ½ hours over a seven day period you will accumulate 15 METs for your week.

I will be giving exercise and nutrition talks for patients, families, survivors and health professionals during breast cancer awareness month as part of my pro-active educational programmes  One of these talks will take place Thursday, 16 October 7:30pm–9:00pm at Good Counsel G.A.A. Club Davitt Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12.  This event is special for me because it takes place in my own home town.

Hope to see lots of familiar faces 🙂

FREE EVENT – ALL WELCOME Marie Murphy_Breast Cancer Awareness Month_Save the date

Please contact Marie at marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com if you would like a customised training programme.

Nutrition & Cancer

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A good cancer diet is similar to a cancer prevention diet. The main differences are that people undergoing chemotherapy may have higher nutritional needs and poor appetites. It is very important to eat the most nutritious foods you can get. A diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, fish, and low in fat, high in fibre is cancer protective.

Cancer treatments may decrease appetite and lower the ability to digest food which may interfere with the body’s ability to absorb and use nutrients. Focus should be placed on getting enough calories to keep up strength and eating a healthy a diet as possible to boost the immune system to help deal with possible nutritional deficiencies.

Think of the Irish Flag ‘plenty of green, white and orange fruits & vegetables. Make sure your diet contains plenty of low-fat protein, such as cold-water fish (salmon, sardines, and mackerel) beans, and white meat chicken or turkey.

Protein rebuilds muscle and tissue which is particularly important when your body has undergone chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Good fat such as olive oil and omega 3 oils including flax seed oil and fish oil are important, while processed fats and oils, such as Trans & hydrogenated fats in margarines and fats used for baking should be avoided.

Keep well

Cancer fighting foods and drinks

Benefits of Water Soluble Fibre Foods

Meal Planning

Carbohydrate & Protein Gram Chart

Breast Cancer Awareness: 10 Tips in Starting an Exercise Programme after Treatment

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  1. Get clearance from your Doctor before starting any fitness programme.
  2. Have a qualified Fitness Instructor design/guide your fitness programme.IMAG0226
  3. Walk a minimum of 3 days a week (advancing to 5 days).
  4. Incorporate resistance training 1 day a week (advancing to 2 days).
  5. Set a goal of 15 weeks to maintain consistency and see improvements in your fitness.

  6. Aim to achieve 15-20 MET/hrs/week within one year of starting your programme.

    Example:

    5-10 MET/hrs/week 1-4 months

    10-15 MET/hrs/week 5-8 months

    15-20 MET/hrs/week 9-12 monthsIMAG0290

  1. Eat a healthy diet: high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, low in fat and high in fibre.
  2. Drink a minimum 1.5 litres of water a day (water is the most important nutrient).
  3. Keep a record of your training to see your improvements and help motivate you.
  4. A little a lot, is better than, a lot a little.  (To do something often you have to enjoy what it is you are doing).