After Treatment Ends
Ways to Get Back Into Eating
Most eating-related side effects associated with radiation, chemotherapy, or
other treatments go away after cancer treatment ends. If you have had side
effects, you should gradually begin to feel better, and your interest in food
and mealtimes will come back. Sometimes, though, side effects persist,
especially weight loss. If this happens to you, talk to your doctor and work
out a plan together for how to address the problem.
After cancer treatment ends and you're feeling better, you may want to think
again about the traditional guidelines for healthy eating. Just as you wanted
to go into treatment with all the reserves that such a diet could give you,
you'll want to do the best for yourself at this important time. There's no
current research that suggests that the foods you eat will prevent your cancer
from recurring. But, we do know that eating right will help you regain your
strength, rebuild tissue, and help you feel well. Here are the fundamentals:
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Focus on eating a variety of foods every day. No one food contains all the
nutrients you need.
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Emphasize fruits and vegetables. Raw or cooked vegetables, fruits, and fruit
juices provide the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need.
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Emphasize breads and cereals, especially the whole grain varieties, such as
whole wheat bread, oats, and brown rice. These foods are good sources of
complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and fiber.
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Go easy on fat, salt, sugar, alcohol, and smoked or pickled foods. Choose
low-fat milk products, and small portions (no more than 6-7 oz. a day) of lean
meat and poultry without skin. Try lower-fat cooking methods, such as broiling,
steaming, and poaching.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services have published materials to help Americans learn how to choose a
healthy diet. The
Resources
section at the end of this booklet gives you information on how to get these
materials. If you have any questions about guidelines for healthy eating, or
whether such guidelines are right for you at this time, talk to a registered
dietitian.
Some patients need to have treatments that last a long time. Others may have
surgery to remove part of their stomach or intestines. These patients may have
ongoing eating-related concerns. If this is your situation, talk to your doctor
and a registered dietitian. He or she can give you more information about the
long-term issues that you will deal with and can help you develop an individual
diet plan.
Even if your treatment is over and you're feeling much better, you still may not
feel completely back to your old self. Here are some ways to help you ease back
to regular meals and mealtimes, without overdoing it:
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Make simple meals using familiar, easy-to-prepare recipes.
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Cook enough for two or three meals, then freeze the remainder for a later meal.
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Take advantage of the supermarket's salad bar and prepared foods to make
cooking easier.
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Think about ways you used to make mealtime special and try them again.
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Don't be afraid to ask a friend or family member for help with cooking or
shopping.
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