Breast Cancer Diet: 5 Strategies to Maintain Your Appetite During Treatment

Breast Cancer Diet: An adequate diet can aid in the body’s recovery after cancer therapy, which can have a number of negative consequences, including mouth sores, decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

Breast Cancer: A breast cancer diagnosis often leads to a change in your relationship with food. There are several advantages to eating a balanced diet when battling breast cancer. This includes assisting you in preserving a healthy body weight, making sure your body tissues are in good shape, easing the adverse effects of cancer therapy and its symptoms, boosting your immune system, maintaining your strength while minimizing weariness, and eventually improving your overall quality of life.

5 Strategies to Maintain Your Diet During Breast Cancer Treatment

1. Don’t Skip Water: It is important to stay hydrated during cancer treatment. For that, you should at least try to consume 2 to 3 litres of fluid per day. It is also important to avoid caffeine fluids whenever possible. Staying hydrated will help regulate your body’s temperature, blood pressure, and electrolyte balance. It also helps prevent or minimise constipation and allows your organs to filter out wastes and toxins.
2. Plant-Based Diet: Eating various plant-based foods can help support human health as they contain phytonutrients, which are important for fighting breast cancer. These foods include fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. It’s important to eat a balanced diet rich in phytonutrients.
3. Right Treatment: It is important to choose the right treatment plan as each option has certain side effects. For instance, chemotherapy can lead to a loss of appetite. Therefore, having an extensive conversation with your doctor about the treatment options available and how they align with your health and symptoms is crucial. Advanced therapy options can minimise the side effects like loss of appetite and provide insight into what you can expect during the treatment process.
4. Small Meals: During treatment, it’s important to consume enough calories to gain energy. Eating small meals five to six times a day is a good practice. Your body can only take in a certain amount of nutrients daily. Hence, it’s better to distribute your meals throughout the day. Moreover, if you have a poor appetite, a smaller meal or snack would be more appealing and encourage better intake.
5. Increase Protein Intake: If you are fighting cancer or are undergoing cancer treatment, your protein intake needs are higher as it helps maintain strength. Proteins help preserve body mass and can be found in pulses, meat, fish, seafood, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy, and dairy products. Small amounts of protein are also present in vegetables and whole grains. A person’s needs vary depending on several factors, such as age, weight, height, and activity level.

Dr Krishana Mohan MVT, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist, BasavatarakamIndo American Hospital Hyderabad told IANS, “During treatment, many patients don’t feel like themselves, which can lead to heightened concerns about dietary choices. The crucial aspect is to ensure that you incorporate all the necessary nutrients and maintain a balanced diet in consultation with both your oncologist and nutritionist.”