Nutritious foods might not give us aride to the airport, but they do fight cancer. It’s true. Eating healthy is good for you and that’s pretty obvious but did you know it can help to fight cancer? I lost my father to to cancer and seeing as how his memory is a huge part of the history of Burger Conquest, I felt like I should share the following with you. I spend a lot of time eating and writing about unhealthy foods so when Jillian McKee approached me about a guest Burger Conquest blog on healthy foods, I wanted to oblige. I do love me some Burgers, Fries & Beer but it’s important to balance that with fruits, veggies and of course, Salad Conquest.
Good Nutrition Plays a Positive Role in Coping with Cancer
– A guest blog written by Jillian Mckee
Good nutrition is important for everyone, particularly people who are battling an illness through treatment for mesothelioma, leukemia or some other form of cancer. According to the WebMD site, not consuming proper nutrition can make the fatigue that often accompanies cancer seem worse.
When your body is under attack, whether from the disease itself or the side effects of the treatment, it is important to supply it with fuel through excellent nutritional choices. This helps you feel better and provides more energy so that you can cope with the disease, treatment, and remission better. Eating healthy foods during your illness helps you maintain a storehouse of nutrients in your body. It also helps you maintain a proper weight. Good nutrition also helps fight infections, thus lessening the risk of having to deal with other illnesses along with the cancer. Nutrient-rich foods also help your body heal faster.
Protein is important to help your body heal, but some people cannot tolerate meats, fish or poultry while undergoing treatment. Try other foods that provide the protein necessary to sustain your health, such as scrambled eggs, peanut butter, cheese and other dairy products.
Some treatments may result in mouth sores that make it painful or difficult to eat fruit although this type of food is quite healthy for you. It not only provides you with Vitamin C and other nutrients, fruit are typically juicy and help keep you hydrated. Drink fruit juices if you cannot tolerate eating the fruit. If the acids in the juices are not tolerable, try to drink plenty of water, iced tea, lemonade or other healthy beverages that keep you hydrated. This prevents the treatments from having as many detrimental effects on your kidneys.
It is well known that foods with high fiber and whole grains are healthy for you. Some cancer treatments may cause severe diarrhea, nausea and vomiting that make eating this food intolerable. Don’t despair; the side effects of the treatment are only temporary. Once the stomach problems pass, you can resume eating foods like cereals and whole grain breads. Take care to build up your fiber intake gradually over time to avoid further gastro problems. The American Cancer Society suggests eating low-fiber foods if you are having stomach troubles due to your cancer treatment. Some foods to try are meatloaf, omelets, custard, soufflés, or soups.
Don’t feel bad if you cannot eat the foods that the dietician recommends every single day. Sometimes what you eat is not as important as the fact that you eat something, even if it is only a small amount. Nibbling on a cookie or a piece of fried chicken may not seem to be nutritionally sound choices and it certainly isn’t appropriate for long periods. If the food appeals to you and allows you to keep it down, it is the right choice for you at this moment. Staying hydrated and keeping a positive attitude also plays a large role in helping you feel your best during this trying time.
– Jillian Mckee is the Complimentary Medicine Advocate and a writer for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.