|
|
Anorexia Think Positively Not everyone with cancer experiences Anorexia, and anorexia often stops after cancer treatment is complete. There are drugs that can be prescribed for you to help to manage anorexia. Have a positive attitude. Talk out your feelings. Become well informed about cancer and treatment options. Plan ways to cope. This will help to reduce your worry and anxiety and increase your feelings of control. Being in control is good for your appetite. Give food a chance. Even if there are eating problems, there can be times when eating is a pleasure. Don't be afraid to try new foods. Tastes can change and different foods may be a pleasant addition to your menu. There aren't any hard and fast nutrition rules for cancer related nutrition. Be Prepared Get a good supply of your favorite foods so you don't have to shop as often. Include items that can be eaten during periods of illness. Keep foods available that require little or no preparation, like cheese, eggs, pudding, peanut butter, and tuna fish.Enlist friends and family to help with shopping and cooking. Freeze food in meal size portions. Talk with a health professional to develop a grocery list with foods that might help you with potential eating problems. Ask what has worked for other patients. Be sure to include any cultural and ethnic food preferences in your diet. Healthy Diets Consultation with a nurse, dietitian, physician, or other healthcare professional is important. This is a very effective way to obtain information about ways to improve your decreased appetite, and to learn about the side effects of your disease and treatment that is interfering with your eating. Some people need to add calories and protein to their food choices so they can obtain more nutrition. High-fiber foods may be restricted if you are experiencing a sore mouth or diarrhea. The use of sauces and gravies can make swallowing easier. Unless directed by your healthcare professional, do not try to lose weight while you are being treated for your cancer. Cancer often changes your energy requirements and it is essential for you to get the nutrients that you need. Certain cancers like breast cancer are associated with weight gain. It is necessary to work with healthcare professionals to maintain good nutrition and not gain excessive weight. Managing Contributing Factors Identify the factors that are contributing to your anorexia. Any condition that makes it more difficult to eat is a contributing factor. There are physical symptoms, emotional aspects, and medications that impact appetite. A list of contributing factors is included in the Learn part of this website. It is important to give healthcare providers a clear picture of what you are experiencing, so that they can better assist you. Work with a healthcare professional to reduce or remove these contributing factors. There are effective treatments for many of the conditions that contribute to anorexia. If constipation is a problem, steps to try are to increase your fluid intake, eat more fiber, eat more fruit, exercise, take laxatives, drink hot beverages, or add bran to foods. Often these steps need to be evaluated by your health care professional as they can sometimes make other conditions worse. An example would be that hot beverages could make any taste changes worse. The important thing is to work with your healthcare team to identify the issues that are contributing to your anorexia, and to make a plan together to manage it. |
|
||
