Nutrition During Treatment • Treatments for ovarian cancer can affect your body’s needs for nutrients. They can affect your eating habits and how your body digests, absorbs, and uses food. Your main nutrition goals during this time are:
• Make sure your body’s nutrient & calorie goals are met .
Maintain a healthy weight
Avoid losing muscle Improve the quality of your life as you go through treatment Assure that any nutrientrelated side effects are being prevented or managed as best they can.Nutrition During Treatment
•Chemotherapy is often considered the standard of care.
•Typically infused intravenously or through the abdominal cavity
•Common symptoms ovarian cancer patients often face that may impact nutrition are –Nausea & VomitingAnorexiaMucositis & Stomatitis Inflammation of the mouthOccasionally, sores in the mouthDiarrhea
*Nutrition During Treatment
•Radiation Therapy is also a treatment option that your physician may have chosen •Common symptoms that may impact nutrition are :-
•Diarrhea
•Fatigue
Managing Symptoms :-
•Nausea and
Vomiting
•Eat 5-6 small meals per day
•Limit exposure to food smells by avoiding food preparation areas
•Choose cool, light foods with little odor
•Avoid greasy, high fat foods
•Consume liquids between meals, rather than with meals
•Avoid/limit strong smelling lotions, soaps, perfumes, air fresheners
•Rest with head elevated for 30 minutes after eating
•Take nausea medications as prescribed –eat when they are working their best!
•Take pain medications with crackers or light foodsManaging Symptoms
•Anorexia –the loss of appetite or desire to eat
•Eat small, frequent meals of calorie dense foods and liquids
•Eat in pleasant surroundings
•Eat by the clock rather than waiting for hunger cues
•View eating as a medication
•Nutrition supplements are an option!
•Engage in light physical activity to stimulate appetite
•Use easy to prepare and serve foods to preserve energy
Managing Symptoms
• Mucositis Choose foods lower in acidity and avoid tomato products, citrus juices and pickled foods.
Choose foods that are less spicy and avoid chili, chili powder, curry, cloves, black pepper and hot sauces
Choose foods softer in texture with added moistness, sauce or gravy.
Choose cream soups, mashed potatoes, yogurt, eggs, tofu and pudding Serve foods at cool or room temperature Prepare smoothies with low acid fruits
• Melons, bananas, peaches Add yogurt, milk or silken tofu.Avoid alcohol and alcohol containing mouthwashes and tobacco.
Managing Symptoms
•Diarrhea•Identify problem foods or eating habits
•Encourage a low fat, low fiber, and possibly a low lactose diet
•Avoid gas producing foods, caffeine and alcohol
•Encouraged small, frequent meals
•Avoid sorbitol or other sugar-alcohol containing products
•Avoid gas forming vegetables
•Onions, cruciferous vegetables
•Take 1-2 servings of psyllium husk daily or use Benefiber
•Mix scoop into warm water –drink before it cools!Vitamin and Mineral Supplements During Treatment :
•Check with your health care provider before taking any vitamin or mineral supplement while on treatments Some supplements can be useful if you have a specific deficiency, but most studies have found that the risks of high dose supplements usually outweigh the benefits. Do not take a supplement that contains higher amounts than 100% Daily Value (DV).
• The best way to get vitamins and minerals is from whole foods, nutrient rich sources.Diet During Treatment
• In general, a specific diet does not need to be followed. An overall healthy diet is best during treatments Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet Include a source of lean protein at each meal If nutrition issues or side effects arise you can make changes to your diet at that time.Transitioning
• If you have been following a strict diet during treatments to help manage your symptoms but are done and wanting to return to your regular diet, start slow Slowly add foods back into your diet Watch for signs/symptoms of distress Effects of your treatments do not stop the day of your final treatmentNutrition After Treatments
•Get to and stay at a healthy weight
•You can work with professionals to achieve this goal
•Be active
•Eat a variety of healthy foods from plant sources
•Limit processed meat and red meat
•Eat 2 ½ cups or more of vegetables and fruit per day
•Choose whole grains rather than refined grainsFruits
•In general, women should get 1 ½ to 2 cups of fruit per day.
•Eat a variety of fruits
•Eating the whole fruit is better than drinking fruit juiceVegetables
•In general, women should get 3 servings of non-starchy vegetables per day.
•Eat a variety of vegetables
•Fresh or frozen vegetables are preferred over canned vegetablesPhytochemicals
•Phytochemicals naturally occur in plants –they provide color, odor and flavor.
•Phytochemicals have potential to Stimulate the immune system
•Block substances we eat, drink and breathe from becoming carcinogens
•Reduce inflammation that makes cancer growth more likely
•Prevent DNA damage and help with DNA repair•Reduce the kind of oxidative damage to cells that can spark cancer
•Slow the growth rate of cancer cells
•Trigger damaged cells to die before they can reproduce
•Regulate hormonesPhytochemicals continued
• How to get these wonderful benefits: –
• Make sure your diet is full of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans Choose brightly colored or strongly flavored vegetables and fruits ..Get your phytochemicals from whole food sources.
• They are best absorbed in this form as opposed to supplement form.Starches
• Aim to get ½ of your grains from whole grain source
• Whole grains have more fiber, iron and B vitamins Many Americans need to decrease their intake of starches at each meal Whole grain sources would be: whole wheat flour, bulger, oatmeal, whole corn meal, and brown riceProtein Foods
• Protein foods are meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds Most healthy women aged 31+ only need about 5 ounces of protein foods per day Try to choose lean protein selections as often as possible Try to incorporate seafood rich in omega
•3 fatty acids Salmon, trout, sardines, anchovies, herring, Pacific oysters, Atlantic and Pacific mackerel Choose unsalted nuts and seeds to limit sodium intake.Dairy
•Good choices are: milk, yogurt, soy milk and cheeses Dairy is a good source of protein and calcium which are both important for your health Look at the fat content of dairy products and count this into your daily fat intake if neededOils
•Women aged 31+ years should limit oils to 5 teaspoons per day
•Healthy oil sources include:-•Olive Oil.Coconut Oil
•Avocado Oil•Nut oils•Seed oilsHydration•In general, aim for 8 glasses of water per day.•Try to limit sugar sweetened beverages.•If you’re tired of drinking plain water there are many options you could try.•Add fruits or cucumber to water.•Try beverages like La Croix.•Drink decaffeinated, unsweetened teaiet for ovarian cancer.