Understanding The Metabolic Load

The metabolic load is the total energy and nutrient demand placed on the body to maintain cellular function, repair, and survival. It reflects how much work the body’s systems must do to meet these needs under normal or stressed conditions.

The metabolic load in someone with cancer is significantly higher than in a healthy person because the body carries an increased metabolic load when fighting cancer. It’s burning more energy and nutrients to fuel the immune system, repair tissues, and sustain healing. In contrast, a person without cancer has a more balanced and efficient metabolic demand to maintain normal cellular function.

If cancer increases REE (Resting Energy Expenditure) by, say, 10-30% or more depending on stage, tumor burden, treatment, etc., that could mean an extra few hundred calories per day just to maintain basic functions.

Example: If someone’s baseline REE is 1,500 calories/day, a 30% increase could be an additional 450 calorie requirement/day, just to cover basic functions.

There are potential risk factors if someone with cancer doesn’t meet the body’s extra metabolic demands:

Weakened immunity: Without enough nutrients, immune cells can’t function properly, making it harder to fight infections or kill/prevent cancer cells.

Poor healing and recovery: Damaged tissues from treatment (chemo, radiation, surgery) don’t repair as well, slowing recovery.

Increased fatigue: Energy shortages leave patients feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally. In some cases, malnutrition and weight loss can result in serious conditions.

And for cancer itself? If the patient is undernourished, the imbalance can actually give cancer an advantage — it continues to grow and spread while the immune system and normal cells become weaker and less able to resist.

Is the solution to eat more? Yes — but only the right foods. Certain foods fuel cancer growth, while others help prevent, fight, and heal it. The goal is to eat smarter — reducing unhelpful foods and increasing nutrient-dense, cancer-fighting choices that support cellular repair and recovery.

When facing cancer, every bite matters. The foods you choose can either fuel your body’s increased metabolic needs—supporting cancer immunity, cancer elimination, cellular repair, and recovery—or feed cancer’s demand for quick energy. By focusing on nutrient-dense, alkaline-balanced, antioxidant-rich foods, you give your body the strength it needs to fight, while creating conditions that are less favorable for cancer to grow.

ReachVitality’s Lifestyle Medicine Program will show you how to achieve balance, or homeostasis. Homeostasis is the body’s ability to maintain stable internal conditions—like temperature, alkaline pH, and fluid balance.

It’s not about giving up the things that make you happy. When you start your ReachVitality plan, we recommend that the integrated program is adhered to as much as possible, so that you can see how your body responds. As time and success progresses, we can help you adjust accordingly.

Through her own journey with cancer, Deb discovered that following her program about 85% of the time helps keep cancer away and supports her body’s healing processes. Allowing herself the remaining 15% for flexibility gives her the freedom to enjoy life’s moments without losing the sense of safety, confidence – and most importantly, the progress she’s achieved.