Nutrition and diet
Since your diagnosis you may have thought about what you should and should not be eating. You may have also thought about which foods can help with your treatment.
In this section we will explain what foods you should eat and why.
The most important message is that you should have a varied diet. This means choosing a wide range of foods in the right proportions to help you feel better and to maximise your energy levels. A varied diet will include eating enough protein, calories and other nutrients.
Eating well is an important part of getting ready for your cancer treatment and it can help you:
- maintain a healthy body weight
- protect your muscle and strength
- reduce the side effects of treatment
- have more energy to complete your planned treatment.
Not all diets will be suitable for you. It is important to speak to your hospital team before starting a particular diet.
Go here to watch this Health Hub video Living Well: Eating Well.
Important note: If you have been advised to follow a special diet, such as a low fibre diet or soft diet, you may find some of this information confusing. Please discuss with your hospital team as you may need to be referred to the dietitian.
Eating regular meals every day and including a variety of foods from the various food groups should help you to get all of the nutrients you need.
Go here to read the Eatwell Guide on the NHS website. It shows the proportions of the main food groups that form a balanced diet.
Each of the sections below provide more information about the different food groups.
Poor appetite or weight loss
If you are having problems with your appetite, have lost weight, or have difficulty eating and drinking, please inform someone from your hospital team as they may refer you to a registered dietitian for further advice and support. This is important since unintentional weight loss can affect your ability to cope with your treatment.
Below we have listed some helpful hints to follow if you have a poor appetite, are underweight or losing weight.
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.
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