Healthy Diet and Healthy Eating Tips for Cancer Patients

Here is a guest post from Jackie, please welcome her to the blog.  Just a bit of background on this topic too.  Over the last year, quite a few family members and friends have been diagnosed with various types of cancer.  The tips in this article are pretty universal for all cancer patients from what I have heard.  There are also some healthy diet and healthy eating tips for anyone in this article.

Healthy Eating Tips for Cancer Patients with Mesothelioma

By Jackie Clark

Cancer patients, especially patients with mesothelioma that is triggered from asbestos exposure, need to maintain a healthy diet so that they can continue to fight the disease. Foods rich in antioxidants like the dark green, leafy vegetables may have cancer fighting properties. A combination of kale, cabbage, seaweed, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots can help to supply some possible cancer fighting agents like nitrogen, falcarinol, lutein, and zeaxanthin. And tea contains flavonoids which can have antioxidant effects. Avocados contain the antioxidant, glutathione. Grapes contain reservatrol and the antioxidants, flavonoids.

Phytonutrients that may fight cancer are found in blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, and strawberries. The chemical allicin is produced by garlic, which may help mesothelioma patients. The phytochemicals and antioxidants may assist with cleansing away carcinogens and help to create a barrier for enzymes that are known to activate carcinogens. Shitake and maitake mushrooms, stimulate interferon, and contain lectin which has been reported to fight cancer cells.

Milk, eggs, and cheese are high in protein. Cottage cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, oatmeal, fish, and moderate amounts of meat can provide a good nutritional balance when combined with the other food groups. Protein in the diet is important to help repair any damaged cells from radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery. Cancer patients often experience nausea that can be helped by eating dry foods like crackers, toast, and other bland foods. Dried fruits, granola, and ice cream between cookies or slices of cake make a good snack.

Adding cream cheese, sour cream, or melted cheese to the top of dishes like casseroles, lasagna, and potatoes, may allow the cancer patient to increase calories with protein. The patients need more calories and protein to help fight the disease and to help heal any damaged cells. Adding cheese to sandwiches and vegetable dishes will increase the amount protein in the diet. And putting some eggs into entrees or desserts will add calories and protein. The diet should be something that the patient enjoys to eat.

The mesothelioma life expectancy for a patient is about 4 to 18 months, with some living 5 to 10 years. A balanced diet is important for overall health and for fighting the cancer. While increasing the amount of calories in the diet, care should be taken to control any weight gain. Cancer patients are encouraged to eat lots of calories and protein which may become a problem for weight control. But the primary concern should be to try to stay happy and healthy while fighting the cancer. Patients should have the foods that they enjoy eating. Advanced mesothelioma patients may suffer from muscle loss, weight loss, fat loss, and the inability to swallow.

Thank you for sharing some tips with us Jackie.

Good suggestions for healthy diet and healthy eating tips for cancer patients.  Cancer is an ugly disease but eating healthy is something simple to incorporate into your life.  These are just tips, we are not medical professionals here so if you have questions, please ask your physician.

As for mushrooms, I had no clue they fight cancer cells.  Glad I love them!

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