Eating a balanced diet is especially important when you have breast cancer. Proper nutrition may help your body heal from cancer treatment, which can have numerous side effects such as mouth sores, low appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
A healthy diet may help you:
- maintain a healthy body weight
- keep body tissue healthy
- lessen cancer symptoms and side effects of treatment
- keep your immune system strong
- maintain your strength and reduce fatigue
- improve your quality of life
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Diet types
Generally speaking, research shows that eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, and low-fat dairy products may have a positive impact on cancer survival. In contrast, eating processed foods, high-sugar foods, or fried foods may have a negative impact.
So any diet, such as the Mediterranean diet for example, that encourages this kind of eating may help support your cancer recovery.
The Keto diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that has recently gained popularity. You dramatically cut carbohydrates to put your body into a state of ketosis, where it’s forced to burn stored fat for energy.
Though a few studies have shown the ketogenic diet to be promising for certain types of cancer, it hasn’t been proven to treat breast cancer. It can also alter the chemical balance in your body, which could be risky.
Plant-based diet
A plant-based diet means that you mainly eat foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This is similar to a vegetarian or vegan diet, but many people who follow plant-based diets still eat animal products. However, they limit their intake.
The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends following a plant-based diet for cancer prevention. Their research shows that cancer survivors may benefit from this diet as well. The diet allows you to get fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals from plant foods, while also getting protein and nutrients from animal products.
Ultimately, any diet you try should contain a healthy balance of nutrients, protein, calories, and healthy fats. Going extreme in any direction could be dangerous. Before you try any new diet, check with your dietitian and doctor to make sure it’s safe for you.
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Mediterranean diet
If you follow the Mediterranean diet, it means that you’re eating a large variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, nuts, and seeds. This diet also includes olive oil, beans, dairy, and proteins like chicken, eggs, and fish in fewer amounts.
The food you eat with this diet tends to be unprocessed. You drink minimal alcohol, usually wine, and typically with meals. The diet minimizes sugar, salt, and saturated fat, and doesn’t include a lot of processed meats.
Tips for eating healthy
Breast cancer symptoms and treatment side effects may leave you feeling too unwell to cook, plan meals, or eat as you normally do. Here are some tips to help make eating healthily easier.
- Shrink the size of your meals. Nausea, bloating, and constipation can make it hard to eat three large meals a day. To get the calories you need, graze on smaller portions five or six times daily. Add snacks like hard-boiled eggs, yogurt with berries, and peanut butter on crackers or apples.
- Meet with a registered dietitian. A dietitian can help you design a healthy meal plan that suits your food preferences and nutritional needs. They can also teach you ways to manage cancer treatment side effects like nausea so you can eat a more well-balanced diet. If you can, work with a dietitian who has experience in treating people with breast cancer. Ask your oncologist or nurse to recommend someone.
- Use different utensils. Sometimes chemotherapy can leave a bad taste in your mouth that gives food an unpleasant flavor. Certain foods — like meat — can take on a metallic taste. To improve the taste of your food, avoid metal utensils and cooking implements. Use plastic cutlery instead, and cook with glass pots and pans.
- Add more fluids. If your mouth hurts too much to eat solid foods, get your nutrition from liquids like smoothies or nutritional beverages. In addition, treatment side effects like vomiting and diarrhea can dehydrate you. Drink at least 8-12 glasses of water a day. While you’re getting treatment, some of that liquid may be fruit juice, milk, and low-sodium broth. Limit caffeine and try to eat foods high in moisture such as fruits.