Healthy/non healthy eating during chemo

Nisha517

hi all-

I definitely want to eat healthier as prior to my diagnosis my diet was really poor. However, I’m finding it hard to do so while undergoing chemo and fighting the cancer. The doctors and my husband say I should eat whatever I can at this time. But that worries me because I don’t want to make the cancer worse. Is it ok at this time to eat whatever I can manage to take down and start the healthy lifestyle once this ordeal is done? What are everyone’s thoughts on consuming sugar and cancer?

Spookiesmom

Some here say sugar can/does feed cancer. I’d listen to your Dr and get through treatment first.

For me, I lost 34# during chemo. Nothing , including water, tasted good. It was eat what I thought would stay in, and choke it down

I haven’t changed my diet now, 6 years out and NED.

Ingerp

I think most would say eat what you want during chemo. It’s hard enough without worrying about your diet too much. The one big change I made was eating *much* more protein. But I also had ice cream every day and I’m normally not an ice cream gal. It’s more important what you eat going forward, not while you’re undergoing treatment.

LoveFromPhilly

depending on where you see your MO, they typically have an oncology nutrition team that you can meet with/receive nutrition counseling from to figure out what the best direction is to go with your individual needs and food preferences as you go through chemo.

The sugar is evil idea is anecdotal and there isn’t a whole lot of evidence that shows it is true. The way I think about it is, we want to remove the “toxic load” from highly processed foods and foods that are high in unhealthy fats and sugars in life in general this is a good rule to live by. But while going through chemo, it is believed to be beneficial to give our organs a break from having to metabolize all the junk food.

I do recommend consulting with an oncology nutritionist to best direct your nutritional/dietary needs. It can actually be fun and interesting and quite informative

SpecialK

I wouldn't consume excess sugar, and refined sugar provides no nutritional advantage, but every living cell in your body runs on sugar, cancer included. Virtually everything you eat is converted into energy (glucose) by your body in order to keep you alive, so just cutting out refined sugar is not enough to starve cancer cells, but it is a generally good idea to eliminate as much refined sugar as possible - because really, who needs it?. Carbohydrates are the most ready source of sugars that the body turns into glucose, but it can also convert fats and protein if it has to. I personally found the same situation as spookiesmom - I ate what I could manage during chemo and once I was done I worked on cleaning up my diet. I followed the Virgin Diet which cuts out the foods that most commonly cause inflammation - sugar, gluten, soy, corn, eggs, dairy, and peanuts. I eventually added eggs back in sparingly, but have stuck to the rest for the most part.

buttonsmachine

Nisha, before diagnosis I was super athletic, a super healthy weight, and had a super healthy diet. I ate whole foods, organic, little to no sugar, etc., etc. I was one of those people who really never thought I would get cancer. Well, I got cancer.

I only mention this because I feel that sometimes, as cancer patients, we can be overwhelmed by the "tyranny of healthy lifestyle choices." At worst, this can make us feel guilty about our own disease, or give us a false sense of control over our disease.

Don't get me wrong - being as healthy as possible during treatment is a good thing. Supporting our bodies with nutritious food is a good thing. But you might not be able to stomach loads of kale on chemo, and that's okay. Personally I had to eat more bread type foods on chemo - it was all I could get down some days. Also, your blood counts might restrict what fresh fruits/veggies you can safely eat.

All I'm saying is, just do your best and don't worry. ((Hugs))

NotVeryBrave

I'm in the "everything in moderation" camp. No - I don't mean things that are known to be harmful. I just don't subscribe to the "do this and don't do that" thing. It seems like it changes all the time. And one piece of research refutes the previous one.

Most people are kind of forced to eat whatever they can during chemo. It may not be healthy, but your body needs some kind of fuel to survive. I'd focus on trying to make better choices overall once chemo is done and you've recovered.

Nisha517

hey everyone-

Thank you so much for the helpful advice. On days I can’t get anything down, I will just stick to eating whatever I can for the sake of eating. On my good days where my appetite is better, I can try to eat healthier. However, I’ll start a full fledged diet change once this entire ordeal is done. As far as sugar goes, the only thing I’m able to drink is either sprite or apple juice. Without those, I’ll have no liquid intake, so I’ll have to continuedoing that. Can’t wait till I can drink water again!

buttonsmachine

Wishing you the best Nisha!

As LoveFromPhilly said, see if you can get a referral for an oncology nutritionist when you're feeling up to it. I did that also, and it was a really enjoyable and helpful experience.

sheryl54

thanks for your post. I just started my chemo last week. I was a healthy weight, ate right, etc. My sisters eat poorly, don't exercise, and smoke. I am the one to get cancer. It's hard not to wonder why. I'm still struggling with the side effects of the chemo.