The guardian

The heartbeat of many and the most recognized actress Angelina Jolie shared her heart-rending story that shocked everyone world over. Her immediate announcement of preventive double mastectomy and her battle against Breast Cancer left everyone in shock. The journey that she went through is not only awe inspiring, but has many life and healthy lifestyle lessons that one needs to learn.

It was in year 2013 when Angelina shocked media and everyone when she revealed her risk of breast cancer. She even revealed that due to a specific gene variant, she is under the risk of having ovarian cancer too.

"It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, 'Mom died of ovarian cancer'."

"It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power."

Post surgery Angelina went through a lot of physical as well as emotional changes. She was under a lot of emotional pressure as it involved coping with major changes in her body post double mastectomy and Bilateral oophorectomy. After going through these surgeries, all she could think of was maintaining her hormonal balance. A good level or estrogen and progesterone should be maintained. Often loss of these hormones leads to emotional whirlwind of mood swings, anxiety, depression, irritability, trouble sleeping, loss of libido and difficulty concentrating. However, with proper diet, yoga and exercise she continues to maintain her emotional calm and her fitness level.

Her Natural Diet Plan

Making relevant dietary changes that included organic food products and changing the routine that one undergoes post-surgery require significant choices that impacts the immunity and life expectancy of an individual. Angelina too made such choices that involved choosing a healthy diet. This involves including a major chunk of Antioxidants that helps in protecting cells from damage caused due to radiation or chemotherapy that often people suffering from cancer undergo.

According to an online source, she loves to munch on a mixture of organic quinoa, millet, organic chia seeds, spelt and buckwheat that have great nutritive value. It not only helps in maintaining her body strength, but also boosts her immunity level that too without adding up to any extra calories or flab. Another interesting thing that she adds to her diet is adding a spoonful of organic coconut oil along with organic cereals.

It is advised by dietary and nutrition experts to include Soy products the diet plan that helps in coping with drastic hormonal changes. Antioxidants rich food include cereals, pistachio, almonds , cashews, walnut, hazelnut and pecan.  

Other things to include in diet are:

• Choosing whole grains
• Drinking 100% juice at breakfast or at snack-time
• Beans are a great alternative to meat
• Including fruits and vegetables that include phytochemicals
• Several servings of rice, cereals, grain products, beans and pasta

Following a healthy diet plan is essential to battle post cancer surgery complications. Additionally, it is all about maintaining strong immunity, body strength and keeping fit for longevity. Including natural food in your diet not only promotes better metabolism, but also ensures that you get highly nutritional diet without compromising on health in any way.

Sources:

Mashable.com

marieclaire.co.uk

WebMD