Maintaining Appetite During Breast Cancer Treatment: 5 Key Strategies
A breast cancer diagnosis can significantly alter your relationship with food, making it essential to focus on maintaining a balanced diet during treatment. Such dietary choices offer numerous benefits, including the preservation of a healthy body weight, ensuring the well-being of your body tissues, alleviating the adverse effects of cancer therapy and its symptoms, strengthening your immune system, sustaining your energy levels while reducing fatigue, and ultimately enhancing your overall quality of life.
Here are five effective strategies to help you maintain your diet during breast cancer treatment:
- Stay Hydrated: Adequate hydration is crucial during cancer treatment. Aim to consume at least 2 to 3 liters of fluids daily while minimizing your intake of caffeine-containing beverages. Staying hydrated not only regulates your body’s temperature, blood pressure, and electrolyte balance but also helps prevent or alleviate constipation and aids in the removal of waste and toxins by your organs.
- Embrace a Plant-Based Diet: Opt for a diverse range of plant-based foods, which are rich in phytonutrients known to support breast cancer treatment. This category includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. Prioritizing a balanced diet that incorporates these phytonutrient-rich foods can be beneficial.
- Choose the Right Treatment: Each breast cancer treatment option comes with specific side effects. For example, chemotherapy can lead to a loss of appetite. Engage in a thorough discussion with your healthcare provider to select the most suitable treatment plan that aligns with your health and symptoms. Advanced therapy options can help mitigate side effects like appetite loss and provide insights into what to expect during the treatment process.
- Opt for Small Meals: Consuming sufficient calories to boost your energy is vital during treatment. Consider consuming small meals five to six times a day. This approach ensures that your body receives a consistent supply of nutrients throughout the day. Additionally, if you struggle with a poor appetite, smaller meals or snacks are often more appealing and encourage better intake.
- Increase Protein Intake: When battling cancer or undergoing cancer treatment, your protein needs increase to help maintain your strength and body mass. You can find proteins in various sources, including pulses, meat, fish, seafood, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy, and dairy products. Even vegetables and whole grains contain small amounts of protein. Your specific protein requirements may vary based on factors such as age, weight, height, and activity level.
Dr. Krishana Mohan MVT, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist at Basavatarakam Indo American Hospital in Hyderabad, emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced diet during treatment. He advises patients to consult both their oncologist and nutritionist to ensure they receive all the necessary nutrients, especially when facing challenges with appetite and dietary choices during treatment.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The India English
