A healthy diet is a smart plan for anyone, but maintaining excellent nutrition is especially important for those diagnosed with cancer. By eating a healthy diet, a person will go into treatment with reserves to help keep up strength, prevent body tissue from breaking down, rebuild tissue, and maintain defenses against infection. Additionally, people who eat well are better able to cope with side effects and may even be able to handle higher doses of certain treatments.
When healthy, eating enough food to maintain proper nutrition is not usually a problem, but during cancer treatment, a person may suffer from lack of appetite. Under these circumstances, the person should simply try to eat anything that he or she can easily digest.
On treatment days:
- Talk with the nurse to learn about ways to relax if feeling sick before treatment.
- Learn the best time to eat and drink. Some people feel better when they eat a little just before treatment. Others feel better when they have nothing to eat or drink before treatment.
- After treatment, wait at least one hour before eating or drinking.
Here are examples of foods and drinks that may be easier on the stomach: clear broth, grape juice, baked chicken without skin, crackers, pasta, white rice, baked potatoes, bananas, gelatin, yogurt and popsicles.
Live Free Home Health Care, a trusted provider of senior care in Concord and the surrounding areas, offers specialized cancer care and community resources to help someone through the various stages of the disease. We’ll take care of the day-to-day needs such as housekeeping, meal planning and preparation and transportation as well as assist with any personal care needs so a person can focus on rest and recovery. Providing senior care in Concord, New Hampshire and the rest of the Lakes region and Central New Hampshire, contact us today to learn more about how we can assist.