Diet

Sheena08

Okay so I kind of start just eating what I could get down during this chemo process. I know it's bad....don't judge me lol. I've never been a big meat eater but i love seafood. Nutritionist just tells you to have a more plant based diet. You hear from this and that person that you shouldn't eat this and that. It just got to the point where I'm like ok so what's there left to eat then? Just curious to know how you ladies changed your diet? It's hard and confusing when you read one place that this food is good but then read somewhere else that's it's not. Help me pls!

SelenaWolf

I didn't try to change my diet during treatment; I just tried to eat what I could during which turned out to be white, starchy food: rice, pasta (no sauce), bread, bananas. I had a pretty healthy diet prior to cancer, so - when I was able - I returned to it. I try to eat from all the food groups with an emphasis of fresh fruits and vegetables, raw when possible. I haven't given up dairy (yoghurt, butter and cheese) or grains (whole grains preferred). I just watch portion sizes and frequency. I don't eat a lot of red meat, but - when I do - I keep the serving size to about the size of the palm of my hand. I do eat a lot of fish and seafood, supplemented with (occasionally) chicken. I don't have a sweet tooth so that's easy.

I try to introduce something new every-so-often; fennel bulb, celeriac, savoy cabbage, fiddleheads, just to keep it interesting. A French chef that I love told me that - whenever I try something new - taste it raw, as well as cooked to see which you prefer. I have found that I don't like cooked, red beets, but I love raw, sliced, yellow beets on my salads. I have tried eggplant, but just can't get into it; I like cucumber better, which can also be cooked or raw. Radishes can be cooked (they are delicious sliced up and cooked with fresh spring peas!) and I've found that I love leeks. Who knew? Challenge yourself. Experiment with taste.

Years ago, I decided that - if my great-grandparents wouldn't recognize it as food - I probably shouldn't be eating it. That took care of a lot of processed foods for me. I make my own bread and, when I have time, do my own canning and preserving. And I frequent a local farmer's market; buy fresh, local and in season. I strive for overall nutrition, not just the "anti-cancer" foods because I have a very strong family history of heart disease.

NancyD

During chemo it's hard to find anything that tastes good AND is nutritious. Between the taste changes (it seemed like a different one every few weeks) and the constipation, I just went with what I could stand to eat. I had a break from my neoadjuvant chemo for a couple weeks when I had my surgery so I tried to eat better then. Back on chemo for a couple more rounds after surgery, and I had a better handle on what would taste good.

Some weeks, everything tasted bitter; other weeks I could not taste salt at all. I think everyone probably has different reactions. Just avoid processed food and you should be OK.

Lolis197138

I didn't change my diet during chemo (I was eating pretty healthy before my diagnosis). I ate whatever I could during chemo and it changed between session. I ate mostly pasta, rice, bread, banana, crackers and anything that would help with the nausea the first couple of days after the chemo infusion. I had cravings, I remember I was having over 100gr of mint chocolate chip ice-cream everyday for about a week during each session.

I stopped eating dairy immediately (mostly. Yogurt as I wasn't drinking milk or eating cheese) due to the cancer being highly hormonal I stopped eating red meat and pork.

After the rads were completed, I went two months doing raw veggies juices and eating mostly veggies/fruits. I have only chicken and fish now. I have the occasional yogurt but I choose a 0% fat Greek yogurt. 

Sheena08

Thanks ladies! By any chance have any of you heard about Iaso Tea? If so, is it safe to drink while going thru chemo

Momine

Sheena, the most important thing during chemo is to get enough calories, so eat whatever seems appealing. One of my faves during chemo was nasty tex-mex from TGIFriday, basically a carb bomb with a few strips of chicken and a bit of spice.

I did actively try to increase my veggie intake during chemo and I avoided sweets (still do). Once I was done, I got more serious about eating properly. I do not go crazy with it, and I am not absolutist about it, but I basically go WAY easy on red meat, cheese and the like,easy on refined starch and carbs in general and aim to get lots and lots of veggies and lots and lots of fibre. I never drink fruit juice, rarely eat sweets, but do allow myself a glass of red wine more often than recommended (current recommendation is between 0 and 3 glasses a week). I like red wine, so this is a quality of life trade-off for me.

new_direction

I ate whatever I felt like during chemo. If I could do it all over again I would consider taking metformin along with chemo... I think diet is important during chemo but the quality of life is so low and it can be very hard.

I don't know anything about laso tea.