# Avoid raw, uncooked food.
# Avoid stored, kept – food.
# Don’t eat out side food.
# Avoid spicy food.
Then what should a patient eat?
Lets break it up in to sections like fruits, snacks, desserts & non – Veg. food, Diets suited for conditions like sore mouth, bowel troubles.
1) Food Safety.
Food safety is of special concern to cancer patients. Please bear these guidelines in mind:
# Wash hands thoroughly before eating.
# Wash hands before food preparation, and wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly.
# Handle raw meats with care. Keep away from cooked foods.
# Cook meat/poultry/fish thoroughly. Use pasteurized/boiled milk.
# If eating away from home, avoid salads, sushi , and raw/undercooked meats and eggs.
# Take particular care with water you drink.
2) Preventing Nausea:
Hunger prolongs nausea. # Eat small, frequent meals. Enjoy snacks between meals.
# Keep up fluid intake – sip your drink slowly. You may find it helpful to freeze limejuice or other juice, and suck on the frozen bits. Once the worst of nausea has passed, try a ginger ale, weak tea or green tea, Popsicles, clear broth and soup.
3) How to tolerate smell of Food :-
# People have an altered sense of smell while on chemotherapy.
# How to handle that? Simple solution is avoid pungent smelling ingredients. Sometimes fragrant ingredients have to be eliminated too.
Eg. – Avoid Ginger – garlic
# Avoid strong smelling food like sea food.
# Avoid stuffs like Garam Masala, Cardamom, Dalchini etc.
Lost Appetite :- To cope up with loss of appetite or unable to tolerate heavy meals – # Eat energy rich, small & frequent meals. Include home made snacks in your diet if you are craving for short eats.
# Take dry freshly salt roasted dry fruits for the inter meal cravings.
# Take good quality branded chocolates as they are a good source of energy.
Coping up with Chemo induced constipation :-
# Include fibre rich food into your diet.
# Breakfast :- Make a sweet porridge with Milk, Oatmeat & sugar. Apart from providing nutrition, it will hep fight constipation too. Adding nutrition supplements while cooking further re-inforces nutrition.
# Drink plenty of water :- use pre boiled & cooled filtered water. If use mineral water, boiling makes it further safer.
Deserts ? :-
Yes, you can have desserts too.
# Make a custard out of steamed fruits for dessert and add sugar free supplements if you are diabetic.
# Make a stew of fruits and use it as deserts.
# Prepare Kheer – fresh home made is the best with dry fruits and nuts.
# Fruits stuffed pan cakes with fruit syrup as topping is again a tasty add on.
How to eat fruits while on chemotherapy.
The basic idea is to render fruits / Salads bacteria free as you are in an immune compromised state and hence prone to infection.
Microwave :-# It is the easiest way to heat food stuff being the fastest too.
But the fruits are rendered distaste full, their flavours and nutrition is altered.
# The same goes with Boiling too. One alternative is wash the whole fruits and steam them before peeling or cutting. Fruits retain their taste & nutrients and hence better compliance.
# Avoid fruits that have peel which is difficult to wash or are thin peeled.
e.g. Kiwi, Grapes etc.
# One more way is make a stew or stuffed pan cakes or even banana fry (Kerala Style).
Craving for Juices :-
# Smart recipe for safer Juice / fruits.
# Prepare lemonade & give it a boil to make it safer.
# Prepare a squash out of fresh fruits (steamed) & give it a Boil.
# Make marmalades out of fruits you crave for during chemo. Eat only freshly made marmalade. Preserved one can be eaten by rest of the family members.
If you are more of a meat Lover :-
# Avoid fish/ sea food if you can’t tolerate the smell while on chemo.
# Avoid red meat as it is a little hard to digest and induces constipation.# Eat chicken – freshly cut and properly cooked not the frozen ones.# Use olive oil while preparing meat dishes as it eliminates odour & packs nutrition.
If you have access to extra virgin olive oil, use it for your cooking purpose.
Sore mouth or Difficulty in swallowing
You may have a sore mouth or difficulty in swallowing food:# Try smooth or blended foods, or creamy consistency.
# Avoid foods that sting your mouth like acidic fruit (pineapple), or spicy and salty foods.# Avoid rough crunchy foods like hard toast and nuts.# Try drinking through a straw.# Pay special attention to mouth hygiene to prevent infection and tooth decay. Use a gentle mouthwash after meals.
For a Dry Mouth# Take fluids with your meal.# Suck on chips of ice. They also stimulate flow of saliva.# Add gravy or sauce, cream or custard to make foods moist.
Other useful tips
If you are likely to have a long wait, on a journey, or visit to the clinic, take a nourishing drink or small snack. Even a toffee in your pocket will do.# Chop your food into bite-sized pieces to make eating easier.# Eat your main meal at whatever time of day suits you.# Eat your favorite foods.# Choose fluids that provide some energy – milk, juice, soup.# Eat & drink slowly# Chew foods well. Relax before meals. Anxiety affects the appetite.# Rest after eating.# Eat with family or friends; eat while watching TV or reading your appetite will improve between treatment. Eat well while you can.
Other useful tips
If you are likely to have a long wait, on a journey, or visit to the clinic, take a nourishing drink or small snack. Even a toffee in your pocket will do.# Chop your food into bite-sized pieces to make eating easier.# Eat your main meal at whatever time of day suits you.# Eat your favorite foods.# Choose fluids that provide some energy – milk, juice, soup.# Eat & drink slowly# Chew foods well. Relax before meals. Anxiety affects the appetite.# Rest after eating.# Eat with family or friends; eat while watching TV or reading your appetite will improve between treatment. Eat well while you can.
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