Breast cancer treatment options include radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and medication. The exact line of treatment is decided based on the stage of cancer, age of the patient and their overall health condition. These treatments have a few side effects, including

• Nausea

• Pain

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Dry mouth

• Dehydration

• Shortness of breath

• Fever

A team of doctors prepares the patients before actual treatment so that they can handle the side effects as required without panic. Apart from adequate rest and adhering to medication schedules, the diet will be a crucial factor that helps them to face the side effects of treatment.

For some patients, normal appetite returns right after the completion of treatment. Doctors would recommend them to eat healthily and to abstain from consuming fatty and spicy foods. Women also become overcautious with their diet with the niggling doubt that their diet could have caused cancer in the first place. Eating healthy is the one sure way of regaining strength and reducing the impact of the various side effects as the case may be. All patients will be advised by a nutritional consultant during and post chemotherapy and radiation therapy about what to eat and what to avoid. The right diet combined with adequate rest, good sleep, and gradually increasing physical activity will not only ensure faster recovery but also decrease the risk of cancer reappearing.

Role of a healthy diet in recovery
It is a broad consensus among doctors and researchers that from the many other causes and triggers, menopause, alcohol, unhealthy food habits and lack of physical exercise increase the risk of breast cancer. This is why patients are advised to give up unhealthy habits during recovery. Today, there is a considerable amount of research that shows a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of cancer particularly lung, stomach, colon and breast cancers. Red meat can cause inflammation in tissues and induce cancer cells to grow. Adequate quantities of fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants naturally increase immunity for everyone. Lycopene, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E are more commonly found in plant-based diets protect the tissue from attacks by free radicals.

Some women tend to add gain weight due to medication and comfort eating. Weight gain of 5.5 to 6 kilograms post-treatment is considered a risk factor for the recurrence of cancer. Women should not resort to any binge weight loss to reduce the gained weight. They should resort to planned and healthy eating to aid the immune system to recover. Each person’s body reacts differently to chemotherapy and radiation; hence, help from a professional can help them better.

Effects of treatment on tastes and eating pattern
It is not uncommon that people notice a change in their taste patterns after chemotherapy and radiation. For some, a normal eating pattern could start from the next day of treatment. Change in tastes patterns and unable to taste the food is a common side effect. But this is only a phase and will go away as one’s health improves. One has to carefully watch what their body accepts and what food they adversely react to. Pain, weakness, and fatigue, which are expected side-effects, could also affect your appetite and eating patterns. It is important that patients and caregivers understand that it is perfectly normal to skip regular meals. If there is loss of appetite, the patients can have smaller meals or snack whenever they can so that they don’t starve when they wait for an appetite.

• Nausea

• Pain

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Dry mouth

• Dehydration

• Shortness of breath

• Fever

A team of doctors prepares the patients before actual treatment so that they can handle the side effects as required without panic. Apart from adequate rest and adhering to medication schedules, the diet will be a crucial factor that helps them to face the side effects of treatment.

For some patients, normal appetite returns right after the completion of treatment. Doctors would recommend them to eat healthily and to abstain from consuming fatty and spicy foods. Women also become overcautious with their diet with the niggling doubt that their diet could have caused cancer in the first place. Eating healthy is the one sure way of regaining strength and reducing the impact of the various side effects as the case may be. All patients will be advised by a nutritional consultant during and post chemotherapy and radiation therapy about what to eat and what to avoid. The right diet combined with adequate rest, good sleep, and gradually increasing physical activity will not only ensure faster recovery but also decrease the risk of cancer reappearing.

Role of a healthy diet in recovery
It is a broad consensus among doctors and researchers that from the many other causes and triggers, menopause, alcohol, unhealthy food habits and lack of physical exercise increase the risk of breast cancer. This is why patients are advised to give up unhealthy habits during recovery. Today, there is a considerable amount of research that shows a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of cancer particularly lung, stomach, colon and breast cancers. Red meat can cause inflammation in tissues and induce cancer cells to grow. Adequate quantities of fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants naturally increase immunity for everyone. Lycopene, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E are more commonly found in plant-based diets protect the tissue from attacks by free radicals.

Some women tend to add gain weight due to medication and comfort eating. Weight gain of 5.5 to 6 kilograms post-treatment is considered a risk factor for the recurrence of cancer. Women should not resort to any binge weight loss to reduce the gained weight. They should resort to planned and healthy eating to aid the immune system to recover. Each person’s body reacts differently to chemotherapy and radiation; hence, help from a professional can help them better.

Effects of treatment on tastes and eating pattern
It is not uncommon that people notice a change in their taste patterns after chemotherapy and radiation. For some, a normal eating pattern could start from the next day of treatment. Change in tastes patterns and unable to taste the food is a common side effect. But this is only a phase and will go away as one’s health improves. One has to carefully watch what their body accepts and what food they adversely react to. Pain, weakness, and fatigue, which are expected side-effects, could also affect your appetite and eating patterns. It is important that patients and caregivers understand that it is perfectly normal to skip regular meals. If there is loss of appetite, the patients can have smaller meals or snack whenever they can so that they don’t starve when they wait for an appetite.