Nutrition is an important part of your cancer treatment. As you prepare for treatment, it is important to focus on eating a well-balanced diet so that your body is as healthy as it can be. When your body is well nourished going into treatment, you are able to recover faster after treatment. This section will help you: Develop strategies for maintaining your nutrition status. Identify the nutrients necessary for staying nourished during treatment. Develop goals for staying nourished and maintaining activity and weight during treatment. 1 of 12
Check your knowledge nutrition during treatment: Check what you know about healthy eating during treatment before you review this section. When you are done with this section, please complete this same test again. (A second copy and answers are located at the end of this section.) You will then be able to compare your answers and see how much you have learned. Directions: Please select the answer (True or False) which you believe to be correct. True False 1. Any food I can get down during treatment is good. T F 2. Since I don t like water or juice, it s ok to drink coffee instead. T F 3. Losing weight during chemotherapy is ok, especially if it helps me drop T F those pounds I have been struggling to lose. 4. It s ok to skip meals if food does not taste good or if I have no T F appetite. 5. Increasing my activity level can help increase my appetite and energy T F level. 6. It s important to establish a plan for having meals available during treatment. T F 2 of 12
There are several steps to eating well during treatment: Pretreatment Planning Healthy Eating Hydration Maintaining your weight Exercise Managing Treatment Side Effects Pretreatment Planning Along with eating a healthy diet before your treatment begins, you can do some pretreatment planning to get yourself ready for eating well during treatment. By planning now and enlisting the help of family and friends, you can reduce the amount of work you will have to do to meet your nutrition needs as you go through your treatment. Check off the resources available to you for assistance: Spouse Children Siblings Church Parents Neighbors Friends Grocery Store Delivery Other: Frozen dinner, Pre-packaged meals, etc. 3 of 12
Eating well means eating a variety of foods, these foods should have protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals. Identify the nutrients provided by the foods listed: Food Carbohydrate Protein Fat Water/Fluid Vitamins/Minerals Cream Soup Pasta Applesauce Bacon Chicken Cottage Cheese Eggs Jell-O Fish Lettuce Rice Quinoa Beans Chicken Noodle soup Juice Carrots Water Eggs Tortilla 4 of 12
Nutrients provided by the listed foods: Food Carbohydrate Protein Fat Water/Fluid Vitamins/Minerals Cream Soup X X X X X Pasta X Applesauce X X Bacon X X Chicken X X X Cottage Cheese X X X X Eggs X X Jell-O X X Fish X X Lettuce X X X Rice X Quinoa X X X Beans X X X Chicken Noodle Soup X X X Juice X X X Carrots X X X Water X Tortillas X X X 5 of 12
Before treatment even begins, focus on giving your body the fuel it needs to stay healthy during treatment. An eating plan that includes three meals and three snacks will help you get an adequate amount of calories and nutrients; include lean protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains to give your body the wide range of nutrients needed for healing. Plan a menu for one day using the food groups listed. Use this as your guide during treatment. Meal Whole Grains Protein Fruit Vegetable Dairy Breakfast Snack Lunch Snack Dinner Snack 6 of 12
To stay nourished during treatment, include foods from all of the food groups even if you have to consume them in a form you normally would not (smoothies, pureed, chopped, soft well cooked, etc.). Some other things you can do to get a good amount of nutrients are: Eat small frequent meals during the day. The goal is to get as many calories as you can. This will also help you get lots of protein, and is especially important if your appetite is poor. Aim for 3 small meals and 3 snacks every day. List some things you can do to add calories? What foods can you include to increase your protein intake? Stay Hydrated Drink 8-10 cups (64 80 ounces) of clear fluids a day. Drink fluids throughout the day even when you don t feel thirsty. Try to drink most of your liquids after and/or in between meals. Include foods that contain a lot of fluid (soups, Jell-O, pudding, ice cream.) Limit your intake of caffeine containing beverages, caffeine as it will interfere with sleep. Dehydration will make fatigue worse. Replace fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhea. What liquids can you add to your diet to help hydrate yourself? 7 of 12
Maintain Your Weight Maintaining your weight can help you finish your treatments on time, heal faster, and feel better. Even when your appetite is not good, you can pack a lot of nutrition into your day by including snacks and protein supplements. Stay active to maintain your weight and muscle mass, and stimulate your appetite. Treat food like medication, set times to eat and be sure to eat at least a few bites of food at each medication time. Exercise Studies show that short walks or light exercise helps improve mood and a feeling of well-being. Being active can stimulate your appetite. Exercise will help maintain your muscle mass. Activity will help regulate bowel function, especially if you are taking pain medication, or any medication that causes constipation. How much time should you spend exercising each day? What exercise can you do on a daily basis to stay as healthy as possible? 8 of 12
Managing Treatment Side Effects EMBRACE Your Journey Side effects of treatment can vary depending on the type of treatment you receive and the chemotherapy agents you receive. Things to remember Not all people will have the same side effects. Side effects differ in how serious they are some are minor inconveniences or discomfort and others may be more serious. Side effects differ in when you may experience them some appear immediately during treatment, some 4 5 days after treatment. The type of treatment you receive will determine the side effects you may experience. If you receive a combination of treatments, the possibility of side effects increases. What to do Ask questions find out what the possible side effects of your treatment are, when they will occur and how long they will last. Preventing side effects is the best way to deal with them. So, take your anti-emetics, stay hydrated, eat well, stay active, and maintain your weight. A Dietitian is available to meet with you when you begin treatment to review the nutrition related side effects of your treatment, and will provide suggestions for managing them. Some general suggestions: Instead of trying to eat three large meals a day, eat five or six small meals and snacks each day. Any food can be a snack. Do not worry about how much you eat, just focus on eating often. Focus on high-calorie, high protein food, such as nuts and peanut butter. 9 of 12
Test your knowledge of nutrition during treatment: See what you have learned about nutrition Answers are provided at the end of this section Directions: Please select the answer (True or False) which you believe to be correct. True False 1. Any food I can get down during treatment is good. T F 2. Since I don t like water or juice, it s ok to drink coffee instead. T F 3. Losing weight during chemotherapy is ok, especially if it helps me drop T F those pounds I have been struggling to lose. 4. It s ok to skip meals if food does not taste good or if I have no T F appetite. 5. Increasing my activity level can help increase my appetite and energy T F level. 6. It s important to establish a plan for having meals available during treatment. T F Helpful Resources Eating Well Through Cancer: Easy Recipes & Recommendations During & After Treatment by Holly Clegg & Gerald Miletello, M.D; ISBN-10: 0961088885 National Cancer Institute: cancer.gov Caring4Cancer: caring4cancer.com American Institute of Cancer Research: aicr.org Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: mskcc.org Directions: Compare your test answers to the correct answers listed below: 1. F 2. F 3. F 4. F 5. T 6. T 10 of 12
Beef Fish Beans/Soy Eggs and Dairy Hamburger patty, 4 oz 28 grams protein Steak, 6 oz 42 grams Most cuts of beef 7 grams of protein per ounce Chicken Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein Chicken thigh 10 grams (for average size) Drumstick 11 grams Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz 35 grams Pork Pork chop, average - 22 grams Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz 29 grams Ham, 3 oz serving 19 grams Ground pork, 1 oz raw 5 grams; 3 oz cooked 22 grams Canadian -style bacon (back bacon), slice 5 6 grams Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein Nuts and Seeds Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams Almonds, ¼ cup 8 grams Peanuts, ¼ cup 9 grams Cashews, ¼ cup 5 grams Pecans, ¼ cup 2.5 grams Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup 6 grams Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup 8 grams Flax seeds ¼ cup 8 grams Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams Soy milk, 1 cup - 6-10 grams Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans Soy beans, ½ cup cooked 14 grams Split peas, ½ cup cooked 8 grams Grains Quinoa 1 cup 8 grams. Couscous 1 cup 6 gra ms. Egg, large - 6 grams protein Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams Yogurt, 1 cup usually 8-12 grams, check label Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) 6 grams per oz Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) 7 or 8 grams per oz Hard cheeses (Parmesan) 10 grams per oz Shortcut: An ounce of meat or fish has approximately 7 grams of protein if cooked, and about 6 grams if raw. 11 of 12
NOTES 12 of 12