Pillars of Resistance
Your Daily Habits Can Strengthen Your Body During Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatment is more than chemo, surgery, or scans. What you eat, how you sleep, how you move, and who you talk to all play a powerful role in how well your body fights cancer and recovers. These lifestyle choices do not replace medical treatment, but they support it and can improve your quality of life.
We call these habits The Six Pillars of Resistance.
Even small changes can help your body stay stronger during treatment and beyond.
The Six Pillars of Resistance
Pillar 1: Nutrition
Food is fuel for your treatments.
Eating well can reduce inflammation, support your immune system, and improve your ability to tolerate treatment.
Try the Mostly Mediterranean Method
- More veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil
- Less red meat, processed meat, fried foods, sugary drinks
- Choose protein from fish, lean poultry, eggs, and legumes
Anti-Inflammation Foods at a Glance:
Leafy greens, berries, fatty fish, garlic, turmeric, ginger, green tea, extra virgin olive oil, and avocados.
Why it matters:
Chronic inflammation can help cancer grow.
Nutritious foods help your body fight back.
Pillar 2: Exercise
Exercise is not about pushing yourself to the limit.
It is about keeping your strength, reducing fatigue, improving mood, and helping treatments work better.
Benefits of moving your body:
- Less fatigue and nausea
- Lower risk of recurrence for several cancers
- Better survival rates
- Improved mental health
Exercise goals to reduce recurrence:
- 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, OR
- 75 minutes of vigorous activity, AND
- Add strength training twice per week if you are able
Even a daily 15-minute walk makes a difference.
Study highlight: Colon cancer survivors who walked regularly had 28% fewer recurrences and were 37% less likely to die during follow-up.
(New England Journal of Medicine, 2025)
Pillar 3: Sleep
Sleep is when your body repairs itself.
Poor sleep is linked with faster tumor growth and worse treatment outcomes.
Improve your sleep by:
- Cutting caffeine after 2 PM
- Keeping your bedroom cool and dark
- Limiting screens one hour before bed
- Getting out of bed if you cannot sleep after 20 minutes
Important: Many medications, steroids, anxiety, or pain can affect sleep. Ask your doctor if adjustments or a sleep specialist may help.
Patient Pro Tip:
Ask yourself what would make you 10 percent more comfortable.
Repeat this until you relax and drift off.
Pillar 4: Stress & Mental Health
Cancer affects your mind as much as your body.
Stress, fear, anger, and loneliness can weaken your immune system and make it harder to treat. High stress is linked to increased inflammation, lower treatment tolerance, and higher mortality in many cancers.
Stress reduction ideas:
- Take short walks
- Practice deep breathing, such as the 4–7–8 method
- Talk to a counselor, friend, or faith leader
- Try hobbies that calm your mind
- Use mindfulness or guided meditation apps
Did you know:
Chronic loneliness can harm your health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. You are not meant to go through this alone.
Pillar 5: Toxin Avoidance
What you remove from your life can be as powerful as what you add.
Avoid the toxins that matter most:
- Smoking or vaping slows healing and increases recurrence risk
- Heavy alcohol use increases recurrence and interferes with treatment
- Ultra-processed foods increase inflammation
- Environmental exposures such as solvents, chemicals, asbestos, and more
Quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis can nearly double survival.
If you need help quitting, tell your care team.
Support is available.
Pillar 6: Social Connection
Staying connected is not optional for your health.
Men who maintain strong social connections have better emotional resilience, better treatment adherence, and even longer survival.
Build your support system by:
- Reaching out to a friend
- Joining a support group
- Asking to be paired with a survivor or peer mentor
Why it matters:
Patients with strong social support have significantly higher survival rates compared to those who feel isolated.
Connection is not just emotional. It is biological.
Where to Start: A Simple Four-Week Plan
Week 1: Start Simple
Week 4: Make It Routine
Week 1: Start Simple
- Swap 1 sugary drink for water, daily
- Walk 15 minutes
- Call someone you care about and talk about it
Week 2: Add A Pillar
Week 4: Make It Routine
Week 1: Start Simple
- Remove 1 unhealthy habit
- Schedule an overdue checkup
- Write about a stressor for 2 minutes
Week 3: Momentum
Week 4: Make It Routine
Week 4: Make It Routine
- Increase your walk to 20 minutes
- Swap another processed food
- Bring a medication list to your doctor
Week 4: Make It Routine
Week 4: Make It Routine
Week 4: Make It Routine
- Add light strength exercises
- Join a health-related group
- Replace 1 unhelpful habit with a healthier 1