‘No I mustn’t … I’m on a diet … I’m trying to be healthy … I’m having a detox …’

Yep, we’ve all said it. And most of us probably haven’t exactly succeeded. But if you’ve been affected by cancer, you could be even more worried about what you eat. Here’s a medley of diet facts and tips from our cancer information team – although before making any changes to your diet, you should talk to your dietitian, cancer specialist or GP.

Got milk? Eating healthily

Ask for a dietitian

If you have any problems with your diet, ask your doctor at the hospital to refer you to a dietitian, or if you’re not in hospital, ask your GP. Qualified dietitians are experts in assessing your food needs and any specialist requirements.

Make changes to your diet gradually

At your own pace and budget, you could set yourself small, realistic goals. For example, if you’ve never had fruit with breakfast; try adding some, or have a glass of fruit juice. For snacks, you could try swapping chocolate with a small portion of dried fruit and nuts.

A healthy view on food

Food doesn’t just keep our bodies going. It’s often a social thing. Everyone enjoys having a treat or a meal out with friends. You could just try having a smaller portion than normal. And remember, if you’re eating well most of the time, allow yourself less healthy foods occasionally!

There are lots more tips on healthy eating in our booklet Healthy eating and cancer.

Specific eating problems

During and after treatment for cancer, many people experience eating problems. It could be related to the cancer itself, or the side effects of treatment.

Sore mouth

Cancer treatments may cause damage to the cells lining the mouth or throat, which can be painful. Try drinking plenty of fluids, having cold foods and drinks, sucking on ice, and avoiding rough-textured, salty or spicy foods. Tell your doctor too – they can prescribe mouthwashes and soothing or antiseptic lotions or sprays for you.

Dry mouth

Frequent drinks or sips can help keep your mouth moist. You may find fizzy drinks the most refreshing. Keep your food moist with sauces and gravies, and avoid chocolate and pastry, which stick to the roof of your mouth. Remember to tell your doctor about your dry mouth – they can prescribe mouthwashes, lozenges, artificial saliva sprays or gels, which could help.

Too tired to cook or eat

If you know in advance when you’re likely to feel tired, for example after radiotherapy treatment, try to plan ahead. Prepare food while you’re feeling okay and freeze it for when you’re tired. Or stock up on convenience foods. This is also a good opportunity to let family and friends help by doing some shopping or cooking. If you really can’t face eating, try a nourishing drink like a smoothie.

Our booklet Eating problems and cancer includes tips for dealing with lots of other eating problems, including taste changes, difficulty chewing or swallowing, bowel problems and appetite changes.

If you’re losing weight

During and after cancer treatment, many people find it difficult to eat enough to maintain their weight. Here are some ways you can boost your energy and protein if you’re really struggling to keep your weight up:

• Manufactured food supplements like powdered drinks, milk-based supplements, fat-based liquids and energy and protein powders. These can be prescribed and some are available to buy from the chemist.
• Add energy and proteins to everyday meals by including full-fat milk, lentils, beans and noodles, cheese, buttery mashed potato. And keep some snacks handy. 
• Try some of the sample menus in our booklet The building-up diet (you can also see building-up diet menus online)

If you have low immunity

Make sure that eggs are well-cooked, and use shop-bought, not home-made mayonnaise. Avoid paté, raw eggs, live bacterial yoghurt and cheeses made from unpasteurised milk (Brie and blue cheeses) as they may contain harmful bacteria. If you’re on high-dose chemotherapy, your healthcare team may suggest that you avoid other foods – ask them for advice.

Do anti-cancer diets work?

There has been a lot of publicity about alternative diets for treating cancer over the past few years. Many dramatic claims for cures have been made. It’s understandable that people may be attracted to diets that seem to offer the hope of a cure. However, there isn’t good evidence that these diets can make a cancer shrink, increase a person’s chance of survival, or cure the disease. Most doctors and specialist nurses recommend a well-balanced and enjoyable diet.

Coming soon!

As I type, my team are finishing our updated booklet Recipes for people affected by cancer. It’s crammed full of delicious recipes designed with people with cancer in mind. Many of them have been chosen because they’re simple and quick to prepare, or because we hope they’ll be appetising when you don’t really feel like eating. It should be available to order from Be.mac by the end of September.

We hope you found this blog helpful. And don’t forget – you can also see all our information about diet and cancer on the eating well section of our website.

This is the last post the cancer information team will be writing on the Community News Blog. We’ll now be posting on Macmillan’s cancer information blog – so please subscribe to us there!