According to the medical website Medline Plus, cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body, which must be excised or otherwise destroyed to prevent the death of the patient. One cancer treatment method that is widely used is radiation therapy, which is the application of high-energy radioactive waves to the infected area, used to damage the cancer cells, leaving them unable to continue replicating. Radiation therapy takes a lot of energy out of the patient, necessitating a special diet to optimize the body's capacity to deal with the treatment.
Cancer Diet Theory
Understand the theory behind dieting while receiving cancer treatment to better understand the rationale behind the specifics of the diet itself. Cancer is a disease which can interfere with the body's ability to absorb and process nutrients, along with potentially causing side effects such as a severe loss of appetite. To counteract these problems, Medline Plus recommends overloading the body with nutrients (especially protein) to prevent muscle wasting and loss of bodyweight during cancer treatment. The National Cancer Society points out that this high-calorie approach is viable during radiation therapy as well, as your body will require extra energy to heal from the treatment itself.
Diet Specifics
Consume a high-calorie, nutrient dense diet while eating throughout radiation therapy. Aim to consume five to six small (but high calorie) meals throughout the day. Each meal should contain a fruit or vegetable, plenty of protein (to help the body repair and build new tissue), and plenty of healthy fat (as fat is calorically dense, making it easier to add calories from fat than any other macronutrient). For your main meals, consider healthy entrees like lean chicken breasts, whole grain pasta, and broccoli drizzled in olive oil (as olive oil adds 120 calories per tablespoon). For snacks, consider preparing flavored protein shakes mixed in milk with added peanut butter and fruit (such as blueberries). A shake made from two cups of milk, two scoops of protein powder, two tablespoons of natural peanut butter, berries, and a splash of olive oil can easily contain more than 800 calories, helping you to keep your body fueled throughout the rigors of radiation therapy. Small tricks like cooking your food in high calorie oils (olive, peanut, coconut, palm, or sesame), snacking on high calorie foods like nuts, and adding in scoops of condensed milk or protein powder to your drinks can help you to pack in additional calories quickly and without fuss.
Tags: radiation therapy, cancer treatment, high calorie, Cancer Diet, Medline Plus, peanut butter