What to eat
What advice does Macmillan Cancer Support give to patients?
'We look at what our patients would eat normally and take it from there. But we always stress that any changes to their diet, their medication and other cancer treatment needs to be discussed with their consultant as every patient is different.'
The main things to remember are to ensure you get your five-a-day, so lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. We know that fresh fruit and veg can help your general wellbeing and add to your fibre intake, which may decrease your risk of bowel cancer. Plus getting your five-a-day means you'll be getting some antioxidants, which might protect against some cancers, heart disease and diabetes.'
Some people might want to change their diet completely but we'd always recommend keeping a balanced diet, keep your diet varied and don't go to extremes.
What sort of dietary problems might you have during breast cancer treatment?
'After the first 5-10 days of chemotherapy your white blood cells drop and this affects your immune system, so during this time it's best to avoid live foods, such as live yogurt, soft or blue cheese.
It's quite common to get a sore, dry mouth after treatment, which makes eating difficult. Instead of crunchy and solid foods try soups and broths and anything that's cold, such as ice cream and iced drinks. You might find that your mouth is very dry so just add more gravy or sauce to your meals and avoid salty or spicy foods as they might sting.
Sometimes people find that their taste completely changes and they no longer like the foods they used to like. Don't worry, your tastebuds and appetite will return, but in the meantime use fresh herbs and natural seasonings rather than loads of salt.
Even if you've always loved tea and coffee, don't be alarmed if you suddenly go off this too, just try herbal teas instead.
Tell your consultant about any changes you notice and always tell them if you're thinking of trying something new.
Cancer treatment can sometimes make you feel sick but food or drink that contains ginger can help with sickness, try ginger biscuits and crystallised ginger in tea.
See the Macmillan/Cancerbackup recipes for more ideas
More help and advice
Read about nutrition in cancer
Find out more about breast cancer
Get the facts on cancer
By Louise O'Connell
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