It is difficult to eat due to the nausea, the vomiting, the loss of appetite and the loss of taste, but a person must not give up. He/she needs as much energy as possible in order to beat the cancer. If solid food does not look too appealing, then perhaps food in liquid form will be a better option.
I remember some days when I did not want to eat at all; it could have been because I was always nauseous or because I did not have an appetite. I lost about 20 lbs...it was sickening. Although I had a feeding tube implemented in my stomach in order to help me gain most of my weight back, my oncologist still wanted me to eat through my mouth whenever possible.
I tried my best, and sometimes, I succeeded. Most of the times though, I was drinking energy drinks, such as Ensure and Boost because solid food—even the smell of it—would make me nauseous. Ensure was not my favorite, but I did not mind drinking Boost; it tasted so much better than Ensure.
Although it is important to eat a great amount of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates and even fatty foods during chemotherapy and radiation treatments in order to increase weight and nutrients in the body, energy drinks are okay too because they provide the same type of vitamins and minerals.
When in doubt of what kind of foods to eat throughout cancer, a person should ask his/her oncologist or dietitian. They will be able to explain which foods are needed in order to gain more weight and more nutrients, and therefore, be a stronger fighter.
Nutrition and Healthy Foods During Cancer Treatment, an article published online by WebMD, may be helpful to understand what type of diet a cancer patient might need. Also, check out Foods to Help During Cancer Treatment, an article published by eHow Health.
Books about eating well throughout cancer are available in bookstores and online, and they might help as well.
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