April is National Cancer Awareness Month, in recognition of this, we have decided to highlight this week for you, some of the changes you can make to your diet to combat nutrition problems when diagnosed with cancer.

Weight and Appetite Loss

Very common among cancer patients, this occurs because of several changes in the body including the need for energy, the way the body is processing and absorbing food, and side effects such as anxiety or depression.

There are many simple, easy ways to combat severe weight loss or appetite loss due to cancer or treatment. Eating several, smaller meals a day, instead of three large meals can help keep you in routine, and not force yourself to eat too much food in one sitting.

Drinking beverages between meals can also help you feel full, and can be a great source of energy and vitamins. Drinking higher-calorie beverages, such as juice or yogurt smoothies can help out even more, and can provide a great amount of vitamins and minerals.

With a loss of appetite, a way to counter this can be to try new recipes and products, or even new and different seasonings. Anything to vary the taste slightly could make the difference between a half-eaten and fully-eaten meal.

Be sure, as always, to let your doctor know of any changes in your weight or appetite, as well as what you may be trying to counter those effects.

This information and much more can be found in the handout: “Nutrition of the Cancer Patient”.  The handout is one of our Anniversary Special Items and can be found in our catalog or by visiting www.ncescatalog.com and searching item # 4622.