Optimizing Your Diet During Chemotherapy: Tips for Eating Well and Staying Nourished

2024-01-31 15:30:09

Eating during chemotherapy

1. Versatile diet

During chemotherapy, appetite may be impaired and nausea and taste changes may occur. Nevertheless, it is important to have one varied diet to pay attention. Avoid one-sided meals and try to include different food groups. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, legumes and dairy products should be on your menu regularly.

Try out different foods and dishes and see what you tolerate best and what you like!

2. Easily digestible foods

To avoid gastrointestinal problems, you should eat easily digestible foods during chemotherapy. Boiled vegetables, steamed meat or fish, rice, pasta and soups are good options. Avoid fatty, spicy or sugary foods as these can put a strain on your digestion.

3. Small, frequent meals

Instead of eating large meals, which can put a strain on your stomach, it is recommended to eat several small meals to be taken throughout the day. This makes digestion easier and ensures that the body is continuously supplied with energy. Healthy snacks such as nuts, yoghurt or smoothies are good as between meals.

4. Adequate hydration

One adequate fluid intake is particularly important during chemotherapy because the body loses more fluid as a result of the treatment – chemo can dehydrate the body and cause it to lose fluid through diarrhea or vomiting, among other things. It is also important to support kidney function and eliminate waste products and toxins that may arise during chemotherapy.

Therefore, drink water, unsweetened teas or diluted fruit juices regularly. It is important to speak to your doctor regarding the recommended amount of fluids you should drink during chemotherapy, as this may vary depending on your individual condition.

5. Taste adjustment

A common side effect that can occur during chemotherapy is taste changes. Some things can taste more bitter or the perception of sweet things can increase. Some chemo patients also report a metallic taste while eating. The result? Familiar dishes suddenly seem too salty or too bland. All of this affects the appetite and the desire to eat. What we advised you at the beginning also applies here: try out different dishes to find out which foods and dishes you like.

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#Eating #chemotherapy #cancer #patients

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