Thursday, January 07, 2010

Cancer Treatment And Nutrition Choices

By Manisha U. Vaidya, MS, RD, LD

Mrs. Vaidya is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with the UAB hospital. She coordinates nutritional assessment, re-assessment, diet education and plan of care for Bone Marrow Transplant, Hematology-Oncology and Geriatric unit patients. She is responsible for follow up with food preferences, patient care, calorie counts and diet education for cancer patients. Mrs. Vaidya can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .

Smart nutrition choices before, during, and after treatment of cancer will fuel the body and help manage common treatment side effects.

All the ladies out there! There is lot of awareness about diet for diabetes, hypertension (blood pressure), heart disease and in general weight loss. However, it is not very common that we talk about diet or type of food one should eat while undergoing chemotherapy, radiation or bone marrow transplant.

From the moment one hears the words “You have cancer”, the landscape of daily life changes. Now, in addition to the normal routine, the individual must handle treatment, physical and emotional challenges, recovery and more. This article will focus on smart nutrition choices and helpful tips while taking cancer treatment.

Before treatment:
Well-balanced diet that includes lean protein sources, such as fish, legumes (beans) and chicken as well as plenty of vegetables, fruit and whole grains are recommended. Well cooked meat or legumes are also recommended.

During treatment:

Identify helpful family members and friends that you can call upon for a quick run to the grocery store or to prepare meal when you are too tired to cook. This is very important since most of us live in a nuclear family. Stock up on food you like to eat similar to when you have cold or flu. This might include easily digestible, bland (avoid greasy or spicy foods) items such as oatmeal, applesauce, yogurt (pasteurized), soup, crackers, cream of wheat, white rice, plain dal and chapatti (pulka) toast. You may feel a loss of appetite, one of the common side effects of cancer treatment. It is very important to eat five to six small meals, instead of 2-3 large meals. Keep snacks such as Granola bar, apple sauce, canned fruit cup, boiled eggs, ice pops handy. Focus on high calories in small amounts, for e.g. nuts and peanut butter. Eat every 30 minutes to 1 hour, since an empty stomach can worsen nausea. Drink liquids between meals rather than eating with meals. Drink enough liquids to swallow food comfortably, but avoid loading up on beverages with meals, which can result in loss of appetite. During the treatment is the most the difficult part, since common side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, sore throat or sore mouth are common treatment related side effects.

Helpful TIPS:

Diarrhea:

1) Sip fluids slowly, but constantly throughout the day. Avoid drinking fluids too much at once.

2) Eat more soluble fiber, such as oatmeal, white rice, ripe bananas, white toast, applesauce, canned peaches or pears, plain pasta noodles, cream of rice cereal or plain crackers.

3) Avoid fatty and greasy food, such as French fries, pizza, or any fried food, mayonnaise, desserts, doughnuts , pastries; cakes, cookies, chips and high fat gravies, sauces and dressings.

Constipation:

1) Drink warm fluids such as soup or tea throughout the day to encourage bowel movement.

2) Drink plenty of fluids, including water, tea (use of decaf to avoid too much caffeine) and fruit juice. Aim for at least 8 cups of fluid each day.

3) Avoid or limit cheese, chocolate, ice-cream, pizza and other food that is high in fat and sugar and low in fiber.

Sore throat or Sore mouth:

1) Follow the mouth care instructions provided by your doctor or nurse exactly as prescribed.

2) Try smoothies, shakes, blended food and soft moist food-such as yogurt, thin oatmeal, casseroles and stews.

3) Avoid caffeinated food and beverages, such as coffee, caffeinated tea, colas and chocolate.

After treatment:

Eat well and stay healthy. Food from plants nourishes the body best and brings big health benefits. Always eat minimally processed plant food, including fresh fruit, whole grains a wide variety of colorful vegetables and legumes (beans). Lean meat such as chicken, fish or turkey also a good protein source.

Well balanced, plant-based diet combined with regular exercise results in healthy body weight. Alcohol use in moderation or not at all and avoiding tobacco will help get the body on the way to wellness after cancer.

Reference: Cancer4Care Nutritionist

(Permalink)