Diet is a big part of cancer care. However, oftentimes, doctors do not have enough time to talk about diet in detail as there are other topics regarding cancer that need to be covered.
According to Dr Lum, “The role of a diet plan is to maintain health, increase immunity, tolerate treatment and maintain body mass”
The most important part of a cancer patient’s diet is to make sure that the food consumed is clean, cooked and freshly made.
Furthermore, cancer patients are advised to keep track of their food intake and vital state by keeping a food diary and taking notes on how the body reacts to what is consumed.
Some general rules for cancer patients include:
- Consume only clean, cooked and freshly made food.
- Have a diet that consists of high protein, high calories, fruits, vegetables and liquid.
- Limit intake of red meat and processed meat.
- Limit the amount of salt and sugar.
- Avoid deep frying food and opt for grilling, roasting, baking and boiling instead.
- Remove visible fat and skin from meat
Patients are encouraged to talk to their doctors regarding personal diet plans as each diet plan depends on the type of cancer.
“Colon cancer patients, for example, who have just undergone surgery will need to retrain their colon by having 4-6 small meals a day instead of the usual 3 meals.”, said Dr Lum.