In general, a healthy diet is a balanced diet, one that includes a number of servings from the different food groups: fruits and vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy foods. Of these, fruits and vegetables contain the greatest number of phytochemicals that are believed to prevent cancer or improve cancer prognosis.Vegetables and fruits are also low in fat and high in fiber and micronutrients compared with other foods, and are generally better for people’s overall health. The key word, however, is balance. The person with cancer may have to focus on certain nutritional issues according to whether he or she is undergoing treatment, recovering from treatment, trying to prevent recurrence, or living with advanced cancer.
During treatment and recovery from treatment, for example, increasing caloric intake is usually emphasized; after surgery, more protein may be recommended to help tissue heal. After certain colon surgeries, for example, a low-fat, low-fiber diet is prescribed during recovery. Sometimes diet can be adjusted to help prevent or control the nausea or diarrhea that results from some kinds of radiation therapy and chemotherapy treatments. And while it does appear that dietary fat plays a role in the incidence of some cancers (particularly colon and prostate), the effectiveness of low-fat diets in preventing recurrence or extending survival has not been definitively proven.
It is important to note that there may be nutritional concerns specifically related to the particular treatment a person with cancer is undergoing. Folic acid and vita-min B6, for example, can interfere with the effective-ness of some chemotherapies. If your father is taking or planning to take nutritional supplements and/or make changes to his normal diet, check with the doctor or nurse to make sure there is no negative effect either on him or the efficacy of the cancer treatment. The American Cancer Society (ACS) and other resources provide in-depth information about diet during cancer treatment and recovery, including sample menus.
Mark’s comment: One way to be sure that your friend or family member is eating right is to go shopping for them and, if you have the time and availability, prepare a meal for them once a week. If simple tiredness is preventing them from eating right, then reducing the burden of shopping and cooking might help. If you do cook for them, cook more than they need for one meal, so they can heat up leftovers on days they’re too tired to cook for themselves.