Cancer and Nutrition Tips

DISCLAIMER
This blog is not intended to diagnose any illness or disease or to suggest treatments that are not supported by your health provider. If you have health related concerns, please contact your health provider.


Cancer treatment is hard on the digestive tract. Currently nausea and vomiting may be controlled with various medications and acupuncture treatments, but the loss of appetite is another matter. Chemotherapy can change how food tastes, and may leave the patient with no desire to eat and a poor appetite. It is very important for patients to get high nutrient foods on a regular basis. The digestive tract cannot absorb nutrients as well as before chemo treatments and break down foods like it used to. So making smoothies, puree of steamed vegetables, making jook in bone broth or other kinds of broth are ways to keep cancer patients eating. Its important to remember not to force food on patients, they need to eat when hungry, but eating 5 or 6 small meals a day is easier than 3 bigger meals a day. Remember to stay away from sugar, because cancer loves sugar, and to keep the meals as nutritious as possible. Protein is key during this time so adding protein powder to smoothies, or getting proteins from plant sources or broth is not a bad idea. Maximise nutrition in small amounts that is easy to eat and digest. Bland foods become boring quickly so experiment with variety and get creative.