Monday, 6 August 2018

Diet for Ovarian cancer

Diet for ovarian cancer

Nutrition  During Treatment

 • Treatments  for ovarian  cancer can affect  your body’s  needs  for nutrients.  They  can affect  your eating  habits and how  your body  digests,  absorbs,  and uses  food. Your main nutrition goals  during  this time  are: 

• Make sure  your  body’s  nutrient & calorie  goals  are met .

Maintain a healthy weight Avoid  losing  muscle Improve the quality  of  your  life as  you  go  through  treatment Assure  that any  nutrientrelated  side  effects are being  prevented or  managed  as best they can.

Nutrition During Treatment

•Chemotherapy is often considered the standard of care.

•Typically infused intravenously or through the abdominal cavity

•Common symptoms ovarian cancer patients often face that may impact nutrition are –

Nausea & Vomiting

Anorexia

Mucositis & Stomatitis

 Inflammation of the mouth

Occasionally, sores in the mouth

Diarrhea

*Nutrition During Treatment

•Radiation Therapy is also a treatment option that your physician may have chosen 

•Common symptoms that may impact nutrition are :-

•Diarrhea

•Fatigue

Managing Symptoms :-

•Nausea and Vomiting

•Eat 5-6 small meals per day

•Limit exposure to food smells by avoiding food preparation areas

•Choose cool, light foods with little odor•Avoid greasy, high fat foods•Consume liquids between meals, rather than with meals

•Avoid/limit strong smelling lotions, soaps, perfumes, air fresheners•Rest with head elevated for 30 minutes after eating

•Take nausea medications as prescribed –eat when they are working their best!

•Take pain medications with crackers or light foods

Managing Symptoms

•Anorexia –the loss of appetite or desire to eat

•Eat small, frequent meals of calorie dense foods and liquids

•Eat in pleasant surroundings

•Eat by the clock rather than waiting for hunger cues

•View eating as a medication•Nutrition supplements are an option!

•Engage in light physical activity to stimulate appetite•Use easy to prepare and serve foods to preserve energy

Managing Symptoms 

• Mucositis 

Choose  foods  lower in acidity and avoid tomato  products,  citrus juices and  pickled  foods.

 Choose  foods  that are less  spicy and  avoid chili,  chili  powder, curry,  cloves,  black  pepper  and hot  sauces Choose  foods  softer in  texture  with  added  moistness,  sauce or gravy.

Choose  cream  soups,  mashed  potatoes, yogurt,  eggs,  tofu and pudding Serve foods  at cool  or  room  temperature Prepare  smoothies  with  low  acid  fruits •

 • Melons,  bananas, peaches Add yogurt,  milk  or  silken tofu.

Avoid  alcohol  and  alcohol  containing  mouthwashes  and  tobacco.

Managing Symptoms

•Diarrhea

•Identify problem foods or eating habits 

•Encourage a low fat, low fiber, and possibly a low lactose diet

•Avoid gas producing foods, caffeine and alcohol

•Encouraged small, frequent meals

•Avoid sorbitol or other sugar-alcohol containing products

•Avoid gas forming vegetables

•Onions, cruciferous vegetables

•Take 1-2 servings of psyllium husk daily or use Benefiber

•Mix scoop into warm water –drink before it cools!

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements During Treatment :

•Check with your health  care provider  before taking any vitamin or mineral supplement  while on treatments Some  supplements  can be  useful  if you  have a specific deficiency,  but  most studies  have  found that the  risks of  high dose supplements  usually outweigh  the benefits. Do  not take a  supplement  that contains  higher amounts  than 100% Daily  Value  (DV).

 • The  best way to  get  vitamins and  minerals is  from  whole foods,  nutrient  rich  sources.

Diet  During Treatment 

• In general,  a specific  diet does  not  need  to  be followed. An  overall  healthy  diet is  best  during  treatments Include  plenty  of  fruits and vegetables  in your  diet Include  a source  of  lean protein  at each meal If  nutrition issues or  side effects  arise you can  make  changes to  your diet  at that time.

Transitioning 

 • If  you have been  following a  strict diet during treatments  to help manage  your symptoms  but  are done and wanting  to return  to  your regular diet,  start slow Slowly add  foods  back  into  your diet Watch for signs/symptoms  of  distress Effects  of your  treatments  do not stop  the day of  your final treatment

Nutrition After Treatments

•Get to and stay at a healthy weight

•You can work with professionals to achieve this goal

•Be active

•Eat a variety of healthy foods from plant sources

•Limit processed meat and red meat•Eat 2 ½ cups or more of vegetables and fruit per day

•Choose whole grains rather than refined grains

Fruits

•In general, women should get 1 ½ to 2 cups of fruit per day.

•Eat a variety of fruits 

•Eating the whole fruit is better than drinking fruit juice

Vegetables•In general, women should get 3 servings of non-starchy vegetables per day.

•Eat a variety of vegetables

•Fresh or frozen vegetables are preferred over canned vegetables

Phytochemicals

•Phytochemicals naturally occur in plants –they provide color, odor and flavor. 

•Phytochemicals have potential to Stimulate the immune system

•Block substances we eat, drink and breathe from becoming carcinogens

•Reduce inflammation that makes cancer growth more likely

•Prevent DNA damage and help with DNA repair

•Reduce the kind of oxidative damage to cells that can spark cancer

•Slow the growth rate of cancer cells

•Trigger damaged cells to die before they can reproduce•Regulate hormones

Phytochemicals continued 

• How  to  get  these  wonderful benefits: –

• Make  sure your  diet  is  full  of a variety  of  vegetables, fruits, whole grains  and  beans Choose  brightly  colored  or  strongly  flavored vegetables and fruits .

.Get your  phytochemicals  from whole  food  sources.

 • They are  best absorbed in  this  form as  opposed  to supplement form.

Starches

 •  Aim to  get  ½  of  your grains  from whole  grain source

 • Whole grains have more fiber, iron  and  B  vitamins Many Americans  need to  decrease  their intake  of starches  at each  meal Whole grain sources would  be: whole wheat  flour, bulger, oatmeal,  whole corn  meal,  and brown  rice

Protein  Foods 

• Protein foods are meat,  poultry, seafood,  beans and peas, eggs,  processed  soy products, nuts,  and seeds Most healthy  women  aged  31+ only  need about  5 ounces  of protein  foods per  day Try  to  choose  lean protein selections  as  often  as  possible Try  to  incorporate seafood  rich  in omega •3  fatty  acids Salmon,  trout,  sardines, anchovies, herring,  Pacific  oysters, Atlantic  and  Pacific  mackerel Choose  unsalted  nuts  and seeds  to  limit  sodium intake.

Dairy

 •Good  choices  are: milk, yogurt, soy milk and cheeses Dairy  is a good  source of  protein  and calcium which  are both important for your health Look at the  fat  content  of  dairy  products and  count  this into your daily fat intake  if needed

Oils

•Women aged 31+ years should limit oils to 5 teaspoons per day

•Healthy oil sources include:-

•Olive Oil

.Coconut Oil

•Avocado Oil

•Nut oils

•Seed oils

Hydration

•In general, aim for 8 glasses of water per day.

•Try to limit sugar sweetened beverages.

•If you’re tired of drinking plain water there are many options you could try.

•Add fruits or cucumber to water.

•Try beverages like La Croix.

•Drink decaffeinated, unsweetened teaiet for ovarian cancer.

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