Six Things To Remember About Your Diet As You Go Through Treatment For Cancer
Posted on: 13 July 2021
Your diet always has a significant impact on your health. However, your diet is especially important when you are undergoing cancer treatment. The following are six things to remember about your diet as you go through treatment for cancer.
Maintaining your weight is an important goal
A lot of cancer patients struggle to maintain their weight. Cancer and many cancer treatments are notorious for causing weight loss and reduced appetite. If you're being treated for cancer and struggling to maintain your weight, work on incorporating healthy, high-calorie foods that stimulate your appetite into your diet.
Your immune system may be weakened, so you should avoid undercooked foods
If you are a fan of sushi or meats that are cooked rare, you probably need to make a point of cutting these foods out of your diet if you're being treated for cancer. Patients undergoing chemotherapy typically have a weakened immune system. This makes infections and food-borne illness more likely for these cancer patients. It's therefore important to make sure all the foods you eat are well cooked so that you stay infection-free.
You might want to reduce your individual meal size during treatment
Patients going through cancer treatments may be prone to nausea. This makes it so that the best way to eat during cancer treatment is in the form of frequent but small meals. Eating a very large meal while being treated for cancer can aggravate nausea issues and potentially lead to vomiting.
Getting enough fiber when undergoing cancer treatment is important
Chemotherapy sometimes causes diarrhea and general bowel discomfort as a side effect. Increasing your fiber intake is healthy and can prevent digestive issues like diarrhea for those being treated for cancer.
Bringing in enough protein is also important during cancer treatment
When a patient is suffering from cancer and undergoing treatment like chemotherapy, it can lead to tissue damage. Making sure you're taking in enough protein can help to deal with this tissue damage.
Protein is essential for rebuilding damaged tissue, so it's a good idea to focus on getting enough protein when you're undergoing treatment.
Your doctor is an authority on the dietary considerations you should take into account during treatment
If you have any questions or uncertainties regarding your diet while you undergo treatment, you should consult with your doctor. Your doctor is the authority on your unique condition and can clear up any uncertainties you have so that you know you're eating appropriately for your situation.
If you have any questions about your cancer treatment, talk to a doctor in your area.
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