The coronavirus has completely flipped most people’s lives upside down and disrupted their normal routines. One of those routines being an annual checkup with the doctor. Countless people have missed their annual cancer checkups due to physician offices being closed or because that precautionary measure took a back seat to more pressing matters. Doctors are now urging their female patients to schedule these appointments for overall wellness, colonoscopies and mammograms.
While we dearly hope you will never need it, we at Breast Cancer Car Donations put together a guide on how to maintain a healthy diet if you or a loved one finds themselves needing chemotherapy treatment. A healthy diet is especially important at a time like this when your body may not be at its full strength due to the cancer treatment. You need all the vitamins and nutrients you can get to help yourself feel strong and to fight off any infections or ailments that may find its way to you.
Chemotherapy can come with its very own side effects, many of which can interfere with your normal eating habits. The radiation treatment may alter your appetite and your sense of taste and smell. It may make you feel nauseous, making it difficult to keep food down. Another side effect is severe dry mouth and mouth sores, making mealtime especially difficult. Diarrhea and/or constipation is common and may lead to weight loss or gain. All these potential symptoms will alter your normal eating routine and that’s precisely why we put together the guide below.
Of course, if these tips and all else fails, never hesitate to consult your physician, a nurse or a dietician to review your situation and help you develop a plan to combat whatever dietary-related symptoms are affecting you. Continue reading for dietary inspiration! Here are 20 practical tips to help maintain a healthy diet during chemotherapy.
-
- Water may become distasteful; try flavored water or adding lemon.
-
- Get enough protein — eggs, beans and fish may taste better than meat.
-
- Eliminate junk food and empty calories.
-
- Try new foods; they might stimulate your sense of taste.
-
- Eat soft foods, including protein milkshakes, if you’re having trouble swallowing.
-
- If you’re gaining weight, eat lots of vegetables and low-fat foods.
-
- If you’re losing weight, eat lots of oatmeal, hummus, nut butters and yogurt.
-
- Take multivitamins if you are not able to eat enough food.
-
- For mouth sores, stick with soft foods and avoid citrus and tomato-based foods.
-
- For dry mouth, ask your doctor for an appropriate mouth rinse.
-
- Fight constipation with high-fiber foods and plenty of water.
-
- Fight diarrhea by avoiding caffeine, raw vegetables, sugary drinks and caffeine.
-
- Avoid alcohol — It interferes with chemo treatments and contributes to nausea.
-
- Avoid spicy, greasy and sugary foods.
-
- Don’t drink too much green tea; Its antioxidants may disrupt chemo treatments.
-
- Wash raw foods thoroughly to prevent infections.
-
- Don’t eat foods past their expiration date.
-
- Don’t eat food from bulk bins or salad bars.
-
- Consult your doctor about consumption of soy products.
-
- Consult your doctor or a registered dietician if you continue to have problems.
Author Bio
Jeremy Silverstein is Vice President of Operations and Vehicle Dispatching at Breast Cancer Car Donations. During the years he’s been with the organization, he has become quite an expert in the industry and has handled tens of thousands of donated vehicles.
