Diet
When you are being treated for cancer, it is more important than ever to eat a healthy diet and get good nutrition - but it can also be more difficult than ever. Your body is working overtime to fight the cancer, while it is also doing extra duty to repair healthy cells that may have been damaged as a side effect of treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. At the same time, many cancer treatments -- especially chemotherapy -- come with side effects that drain your strength and sap your appetite. During and after the treatment, your dietary balance changes drastically because of loss of appetite, excess weight gain or unexplained weight loss are frequent.
Some good food-based sources of important vitamins and nutrients for people with cancer:
Some good food-based sources of important vitamins and nutrients for people with cancer:
- Eggs and nuts are great sources of B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, and protein.
- Milk, cheese, meat, fish, and poultry are also good sources of B-complex vitamins, as well as protein.
- Beans and other legumes offer plenty of B vitamins while meeting your protein needs as well.
- Since chemo-related mouth sores may make it painful to drink citrus juices or eat citrus fruits, which are the most common sources of vitamin C, consider alternative fruits and juices. Peach and pear nectars, as well as applesauce, are good alternative ways to get vitamin C.
- Green, leafy vegetables, of course, are great sources of vitamins like A, E, and K, as well as minerals like iron.
- Drink plenty of water and fluids to avoid dehydration.
- In case of weight loss, eat rich meals and fractionate your meals in order to have several little meals during the day.
- On the contrary if you gained weight, you must try to recover your normal weight, but you have to be careful about slimming diets.
- After a stomach removal, you will have to take several little meals instead of normal meals.
- You should avoid acidic fruits such as lemon, orange, tomatoes etc; dry foods like bread, cakes, chicken etc; and crunchy foods such as cereals, chips, raw fruits etc. You must eat neutral foods like stewed fruits, peers, dairy products, minced meat, custard tart, fruits or vegetables puree, milk, non-acid fruit juices, lukewarm drinks, etc. Avoid spicy, fatty and cold foods. Also, avoid alcohol.
- In case of nausea and vomiting, prefer a neutral and without smell food.
- In case of diarrhea, avoid every fatty foods like fat meats and fishes, nuts, almonds, french fries, chips, and fiber-rich foods such as french beans, cabbage, spinach, and peas. Include lean meats and fishes, vegetables puree, carrot, courgette, pasta and rice, raw and peeled fruits in your daily diet.
- In case of constipation, which is often related to the medicines such as morphinic analgesics or anti-emetics, you have to drink a lot of water, stocks, prune juice, etc. It is advisable to drink a glass of cold water every morning just after waking up. Include fiber-rich foods both raw and cooked along with dairy products.
- The focus of the diet should be from the base of the pyramid - grains, fruits, and vegetables. The numbers of servings decrease as you progress upward, with the top of the pyramid recommending that fats, sweets, and oils be used sparingly.
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