Well-being tip #2: healthy diet
I have always loved nutrition and exercise, so both were always part of my life before chemo. I know this seems over-rated but I will try to convince you why you should have a healthy and balanced diet during chemo (and before or after), and how this can help you feel better. By a healthy diet I mean lean protein, complex carbohydrates and lots of veggies and fruits. First and foremost, I am against any extremes when it comes to diet. I have not excluded any type of food from my diet during chemo, and I have been able to keep my body weight constant during the whole journey. We have to remember that nobody is perfect, neither we are trying to become fitness models while doing chemo. So if you feel like having a nice desert here and there, or some pizza, go for it and don’t feel guilty! Importantly, make sure you truly enjoy these moments.
A healthy diet will help you keep a healthy body weight
We usually are given steroids with the chemo to reduce nausea and risk of an allergic reaction. The problem is that together with more energy, it can also increase the appetite and liquid accumulation, resulting in unwanted weight gain. Unless you are underweight, on the top of surgeries, chemo and all the awful things associated with it, nobody wants to gain weight too, right? So having a healthy diet will help you to keep your body weight constant during chemo.
A healthy diet will boost your immune system
In general, chemo kills every cell that divides fast, that’s why we lose our hair and our skin becomes more sensitive. This also means that our blood cells are killed in the process. It is quite common to delay chemo due to low blood counts, especially of a cell type called neutrophil. Although there is no magic remedy to boost your immune system cells, anti-oxidants and fibre, present in abundance in fruits and veggies, help to support a healthy immune system. On the other hand, there is some (old) scientific evidence that sugar could not decrease the number of neutrophils, but instead suppress their activity for a few hours. When we already have a lower number of neutrophils due to chemo, avoiding sugar might be a good idea to protect our bodies from infections.
A healthy diet will give you more energy
Chemo also decreases haemoglobin, an iron-containing molecule in our red blood cells that carries oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our bodies. This causes one of the main side effects of chemo: fatigue (that feeling of being exhausted) and is called anemia. Good sources of iron in our diet are red meat (especially liver), pork, seafood and chicken. Beans and dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach) are also a good source of iron. Our body absorbs more iron from meat than from vegetables. This is because vegetables contain non-haem iron, which needs vitamin C to boost absorption. The tip is to combine your food with vitamin C containing fruits and veggies, such as lemon, lime, orange, guava, broccoli, parsley, strawberry, garlic, cauliflower, etc.
A healthy diet will decrease constipation
I always had the impression people doing chemo would have diarrhea, but instead I got highly constipated with chemo. Having a healthy diet with lots of fibre (and drinking lots of water) will help you to become more regular (or at least less constipated) during chemo. White bread, white pasta, white rice and sugar are poor in fibre, so not a good option if you are having this problem.
A healthy diet will also decrease cramps at night (with the aid of potassium from bananas, for example), reduce the chance of type II diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity, improve the appearance of your skin, and help you manage nausea.
Tips:
Try to have 5 portions of fruit and vegies a day (the famous “5 a day” campaign). If constipation is an issue, focus on those with high fibre content, such as green peas, broccoli, corn, raspberries, pears and apples (with skin), prunes, oats, barley and beans.
Sources of lean protein are eggs, chicken (especially breast), fish, leans cut of red meat including beef, pork and lamb. Remember that eggs and meat need to be well cooked due to risk of food poisoning, and that red meat is a good source of iron.
Milk derivates such as yogurt and cheese as also excellent protein and low release carb sources. I love Greek yogurt! Cheese such as tasty is a very good snack, while soft cheese or those with mould are not as recommended due to the low immune system.
Good sources of complex carbs are sweet potato (which counts towards the #5aday while normal potatoes don’t), brown rice, multigrain bread or pasta, quinoa and beans.
Nuts, avocado, salmon and olive oil are healthy sources of good fats.
Prefer boiled, steamed, baked or grilled over fried food.
Try have small meals every 3 hours (I suggest breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a small snack such as yogurt, carrots/hummus or fruit between the main meals).
Drink lots of water as this will help to make your skin hydrated and healthier, and also help with constipation.
If you feel like having something naughty here and there, don’t feel guilty.
I could write about this for hours, but better stop here.
Have a good week!
xo Fran
PS: The photo shows our dinner the other night: mixed green leaves, tomatoes, fetta, avocado and grilled breast chicken, yum! Try to add some herbs and spices to your food, such as turmeric, mint, parsley, and some lemon and it will be delicious!
