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Cancer Diet Nutrition Rules

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Cancer Diet Nutrition Rules

There are cancer diet nutrition rules to prevent cancer, and there are diets you partake in if you already have cancer because you want to use your diet to help you recover. Fortunately, the diets are very similar. We will discuss them in this article.

Much research has gone into the types of food you need to eat (and avoid) if you want to steer clear of cancer. For the most part, you want to avoid being overweight and strive for a body mass index of between 21 and 25.

This means you eat the number of calories recommended for your weight, in the range of 2000-2500 calories per day. Men can eat more calories per day than women because they are generally taller and should weigh more.

A Diet to Prevent Cancer

There are 17 cancers that have been proven to be prevented by following these cancer diet nutrition rules. The American Institute for Cancer Research tells us of eight specific recommendations that will help you not have cancer:

  1. Keep your body mass index in the range mentioned above. For many, this will mean losing weight. See a nutritionist if you have problems losing weight and need to know what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.
  2. Exercise. Try for sixty minutes of moderate activity per day but 30 minutes per day is ok too. This keeps you thin and improves your cardiovascular status. Exercise burns fat so you will have less fat stored in your body.
  3. Stay away from processed foods, foods that are high in fat and fast foods. This means staying away from fast food restaurants. If you have to eat out, make sure you make the healthiest food choices and stay away from fried foods. You should also avoid sugared drinks, such as sodas.
  4. Vegetables and plant-based foods are good. The recommendation is five servings of fruits and vegetables each day according to the cancer diet nutrition rules. This doesn’t include potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and cassava. Keep down on the refined grain foods, such as semolina pasta and white bread. Whole grain breads and cereals are a better choice.
  5. Stay away from processed meat like hot dogs and bologna. Limit your total intake of red meat such as beef and pork and eat fish and chicken instead.
  6. Alcohol should be limited. Men should have no greater than two drinks per day, while women should stick to only one alcoholic beverage per day. Alcohol causes many types of cancers, including liver cancer and breast cancer.
  7. Salty foods should be avoided. Salty foods can cause stomach cancer. Try to keep your salt content down to less than 2400 mg per day.
  8. Vitamins only have so many benefits. A regular one a day vitamin can be okay but there is research evidence that high dose supplements can actually cause cancer.

A Healthy Diet when you are Undergoing Cancer Treatments

Cancer treatments can cause side effects. Some side effects can affect your cancer nutrition diet, some include loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, sore mouth, sore throat, dry mouth, diarrhea and constipation. Fortunately, there are things you can eat to keep yourself healthy and to counteract some of the side effects.

Overcoming Loss of Appetite

A loss of appetite is common. In order to counteract this, you need to eat many small meals instead of three large meals. Make sure there are plenty of ready to eat snacks in the house for you to nibble on. Try to eat foods you really enjoy and eat them with friends and family, in a happy atmosphere.

If you are too tired to cook, make use of canned or frozen foods that just need microwaving. Freeze leftovers for a time when you just can’t cook. As mentioned above, have as many ready to eat foods in the house as possible. Stick to high calorie foods if you can.

For nausea and vomiting, try making sure you are drinking at least eight glasses of water per day. Try drinking chilled and frozen fluids. Take your anti-nausea medicine before you eat anything.

Sore Throat and Dry Mouth

The best foods for a sore throat or a sore mouth include cooked cereals, French toast, pasta, soft fruits, baby foods, stews with soft meats in them, soft casseroles, mashed potatoes with meat gravy, crackers or bread soaked in milk.

For a dry mouth, try rinsing in a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with two cups of water. If your mouth isn’t sore, use sweet or tart drinks such as tea with lemon, lemonade, soft drinks and iced tea with lemon in order to stimulate your saliva production. Low fat milk is better than 2 percent milk.

There are several things you can do to stay healthy during cancer treatment. Pay attention to your symptoms and eat accordingly. Cancer diet nutrition is vitally important in cancer treatment and recovery.

Written by Christine Traxler

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