Healthy eating during cancer treatment

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Cancer treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy and surgery can affect many important body functions. However, choosing healthy foods can help you control these problems and increase the effectiveness of treatment.

1. Are there any effective diets for cancer patients?

Currently, there is much debate about special diets that can help cancer patients treat or prevent recurrence, such as vegetarian or vegan diets. However, there is no single diet that can cure cancer. Furthermore, there are currently no specific studies showing that a vegetarian diet (e.g., vegetarianism) can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Therefore, before following a certain diet, you should talk to a dietitian to determine if it is appropriate for your health condition.
Ideally, cancer patients should try to follow a balanced diet with fruit, protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. In addition, you should also limit your consumption of a lot of sugar, caffeinated drinks, foods high in salt and alcohol.

2. Healthy diet during cancer treatment

Good nutrition during cancer treatment is very important. Normally, the body will always need a certain amount of calories and nutrients to be able to maintain health. However, cancer can make it difficult for your body to fully absorb important nutrients, even causing a loss of appetite, which can lead to weakness.
During cancer treatment, you don't need to go on a strict or miserable diet, instead, taking a few healthy eating measures can also help you increase your ability to absorb nutrients , eat better and improve the functions of the immune system, helping to fight disease.

2.1 Choose healthy foods

During cancer treatment, it is important to avoid an extreme diet as it can deprive your body of important nutrients. Instead, you should have a way to build a healthy and balanced diet. First, you need to consult with an oncologist or a nutritionist to determine if your body needs extra calories or protein to stay strong during treatment.
Here are some healthy food options for cancer patients, including:
Whole grains and breads; Vegetable juice or 100% fruit juice. During processing, you need to make sure to pasteurize these foods because your body is often at high risk of infection while undergoing cancer treatment; Eat meat-free dishes a few times a week, such as a vegetarian lasagna or a vegetable stir-fry; Eat a salad with lots of green vegetables at dinner, unless your doctor tells you to avoid raw vegetables; Limit eating foods that contain a lot of sugar or calories but little nutritional value; Choose lean meats or fish instead of red and processed meats.

2.2 Try to eat even if you have no appetite

Loss of appetite is one of the common symptoms during cancer treatment. Certain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can cause food to taste bad. While that may make you feel less hungry, it's still important to get the nutrients your body needs.
Here are some ways to help cancer patients improve their appetite and help the body absorb all essential nutrients:
Choose nutrient-rich foods and high in calories, such as nuts, avocados, seeds, beans, cooked cereals and puddings; Eat several small meals a day; Do not wait until you feel hungry to eat. Instead, eat at certain times of the day; Eat foods that you love; Try to make your dish look more appealing by adding a slice of lemon, some parsley, cherry tomatoes and some other colorful garnishes to your plate.

2.3 Managing side effects of cancer treatment

The side effects of some cancer treatments can make it difficult to eat and drink. However, you can control them through choosing the right foods for your health condition. Specifically:
Overcome nausea or vomiting: You should avoid eating foods that are high in fat, greasy, spicy or fishy. Instead, eat dry foods, such as toast or crackers, several times a day. In addition, you should also focus on drinking plenty of water such as sports drinks, broth or simply plain water. Controlling Throat and Mouth Problems: If you are having sores in your mouth, feel pain or have difficulty swallowing, it is best to choose soft foods. Avoid eating any foods that are rough or have the potential to damage the ulcer. In addition, spicy and sour foods are also not a reasonable choice in this case. You should eat foods that are warm, neither too hot nor too cold, and use a straw when drinking water or soup. Reduce diarrhea and constipation: For diarrhea caused by cancer treatments, you need to make sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and cutting down on foods rich in nutrients. fiber like vegetables and whole grains. On the contrary, in case you are constipated, you should add more fiber-rich foods to your diet, in addition, drinking lots of water is also a good measure to improve this condition. Improve changes in taste: Cancer treatment can affect your taste buds, and even foods you didn't like to eat before can become strangely palatable. Therefore, you can try new foods and determine which foods you like the taste of.

2.4 Food safety is an important “key”

During cancer treatment, some treatments can weaken your immune system. On the other hand, certain foods that you use every day can potentially cause infections. Here are some guidelines to help you keep food safe:
Avoid choosing eggs that have not been refrigerated or have been cracked; Always check the shelf life of foods to avoid eating spoiled or moldy items; Cook meat completely before eating, avoid eating raw or undercooked foods; Store perishable foods in the refrigerator before you prepare them; Prepare food on surfaces that have been cleaned with hot water or soap; Use a separate cutting board for raw fish, meat or poultry, and wash it thoroughly after each use; Wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Do not eat any fruits or vegetables that have not been thoroughly washed. For most foods with skins, it's a good idea to scrub the outer skins off even if you don't eat them, such as melon rinds.

2.5 Talk to your doctor before taking supplements

Many cancer patients choose to use supplements to provide more nutrients needed by the body during disease treatment. However, some dietary supplements or herbal products can interfere with cancer treatment. Even substances with antioxidant effects like vitamin E can cause some health problems when overused. Therefore, you should talk to a nutritionist before taking any supplements.
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Reference source: webmd.com