Stand Up To Cancer

Here are some excuses you might be familiar with:

1. "I don't have time." Tell me about it! I just ate half of a BBQ chicken pizza, and - as if that wasn't healthy enough - I chased it with a handful of cheese puffs...all because those were the closest foods to my mouth when I was hungry. It happens.


2. "The chemo is making me nauseous." There are a few tips that help for some people, but for others, eating while in treatment isn't easy. We all just do the best we can.


3. "I don't know what is and isn't healthy. " That excuse is history! Read on.

What's healthy? Here's a simple formula that you can use to pick the right foods:

1. Eat a little protein each meal. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, tofu, beans. Pick lean sources whose protein to fat ratio is 1:1 or greater (i.e. at least one gram of protein for every one gram of fat).
2. Eat something green. Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Romaine lettuce. General rule of thumb: the darker the green, the better it is for you.
3. Eat something orange. Oranges, sweet potatoes, squash, cantaloupe, mango, papaya. If orange is not available, red is your second choice: tomatoes, red peppers, strawberries.
4. Eat whole grains. Whenever available, pick whole foods over processed foods: all kinds of beans, brown rice over white, whole wheat flour instead of white flower, chicken barley soup instead of chicken noodle soup.
5. Choose fresh fruits for dessert instead of cakes and cookies.

Sometimes everyone gets too busy to eat healthy - it's a fact. As best as possible, you have to have a plan in advance for how you handle those days. Sure, every once in a while you have no choice but to stop for a burger and fries or risk imminent starvation. Knowing that you can eat the fun stuff sometimes might help you balance your meals the rest of the time. But, in general, try the local grocery store salad bar for a cheap, quick, healthy meal instead of the drive-thru.

Although I've never gone through it myself, I know several people who lost their appetites during chemo. There are no magical new healthy eating rules with chemo: it's a matter of figuring out how to keep the same good foods down. Here are a few tips:

1. Eat small meals at no less than three-hour intervals, up to six per day.
2. Even if you don't want to put yet another drug in your body, some of the anti-nausea medicine can help you keep food down. If it works for you, take it.
3. Sometimes a short walk before trying to eat can prep your system to receive the food. In any case, even sometimes at the peak of the chemo, it is good to keep your system pumping with a little walk.
4. Even if you might have been a salad fanatic before, sometimes you have to switch over to well-cooked foods during chemo in order to make them easier to digest. Steaming is a good way to cook foods and maintain their nutritional value.

Eating healthy can be a real pain in the neck and, even harder, sometimes you can't see the results right away. Over time, however, you will notice a big difference in your energy and your health.

-- Jules, SU2C.org