Cancer changed the way I eat and drink. It does this to many people but not to everyone. I was recent on a radio show talking about Healing Nutrition. We discussed the fact that 15 to 20 percent of cancer patients undergoing treatment experience changes in their sense of smell and taste.  Certain foods can taste metallic. Mouth sores can make it difficult to chew or swallow acidic foods. Steroids can constipate you, so bulk foods are unappealing.  You can become lactose intolerant (I did). Sometimes it’s just the smell or the sight of certain foods or beverages that can turn your stomach. Certain foods do not react well with your course of treatment.

Some people choose to change their nutritional habits and focus on healthy eating, eschewing certain foods and beverages. Others follow a different path, enjoying life in gulps and partaking in whatever they want in a “I defied death so damn it!” attitude.

I decided to live my life in sips not gulps. This means I partake in what I want but I don’t overdo it. I don’t deny myself the pleasures of good food and drink, but I am more conscientious about my choices. I now eat to live; before I lived to eat.

Before chemotherapy I consulted with a nutritionist. There are a lot of “don’ts” on the cancer treatment diet: Don’t drink alcohol; avoid fatty foods; don’t eat red meat; no raw seafood; no caffeine; no sugary foods; no  soy; avoid acidic and spicy foods, no herbal supplements.  And there are the “yes” foods depending on the drugs you take: fresh vegetables and fruits, lean proteins and plenty of healthy hydration. Again, consult with your oncologist and a nutritionist when each drug protocol changes. I followed it all instructions carefully. I am glad I did. I sailed through chemotherapy with little nausea, lost 15 pounds on my “healthy diet” and, until Abraxane gave me a case of rosacea,  had clearer skin. I used smart nutrition to stay healthy and to combat the various side effects of the treatments I faced.

Of course, half the time I was afraid to eat too much for fear I would throw up. And the other half was because many foods just no longer appealed to me. And some still don’t; that is the cancer aftermath. The sight and smell of red meat disgusted me, and still does. The smell of fatty fried foods assaulted my nostrils, and still does. The idea of processed foods and high fructose corn syrup laden products offended me, and still does. The sight of tomato juice and cranberry juice, both of which resembled the red color of Adriamycin (drug infusion #1) turned my stomach, still does.

During treatment, my diet was very simple; my portions were small; and reminding myself to eat was a challenge. When you feel like you have the flu for six months straight, you really do not want to eat. After treatment, your physical and psychological make up is different, and you will be placed drugs that may or may not impact what you can eat or should eat so foods do not interact with you drugs. On Tamoxifen, I had to avoid soy and green tea. On Arimidex, my current drug, I have to avoid grapefruit and pomegranate. I try to consult with a nutritionist specializing in cancer patients every six months to make sure I stay on track. Many cancer treatment facilities provide nutrition counseling to patients, and I advise making use of it.

I feel it is essential to have a structured cancer nutrition program in place before, during and after treatment and that your caregiver undergo nutritional counseling as well so he or she can help prepare the foods you need to eat. There are plenty of documented reports and articles about how nutrition management is important to managing your cancer recovery. Sensible nutrition and smart food choices should be part of your life whether you are healthy or sick. But for some, it takes a health scare to understand that.

Cancer has continued to change the way I eat and drink,  even one year after treatment. My appetite returned but my olfactory and taste senses were affected, in some ways for the better. I now have a stronger sense of smell; I could be a “power nose.” It works well for me working in the wine business.

I also no longer like the taste of soy and excessive salt, the smell of cooked meat or fried foods. Milk other than plain yogurt, upsets my stomach, which is a shame because I love dairy products. My body never responded well to raw garlic and raw onions and it still does not.  I avoid all red meat and processed foods. The smell of sizzling bacon, fried chicken and fried oysters smells different and less appealing. Cream sauces curl my stomach. The vinegar and smoky red sauce in barbecue tastes different and is harder to digest, and the pork and beef, even a tiny taste, just don’t do it for me now. As a food industry veteran and a daughter of the South this is my one regret. I used to love it all and gulped everything down without hesitation.

I love wine and cocktails but have cut back. I choose wine over hard spirits and in a few small sips when I do taste cocktails for work related reasons. I enjoy fewer glasses of wine but make better choices in the wine I consume. If I have to cut back, I will drink better wine and eat better food.  I developed more of a sweet tooth. So, I pick and choose my sugar intake carefully and take smaller slices, savoring it all more. 

I still eat smaller portions. I have a new appreciation for lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables and eating from the land and sea. The hardest thing for me to give up during treatment was sushi and wine, especially champagne which tasted metallic. Sushi and champagne was my first official post treatment celebration meal once I cleared all the hurdles.

Changing my diet is a small concession to making sure I stay healthy. It is my choice. Yours may be different. Julia Child had breast cancer, and she continue to enjoy her butter and her bourbon. She died in her 90s. My Dad had cancer and lived the last months of his life enjoying popsicles and ice cream. He died at 79. Maybe I could continue imbibing whatever I want to my heart’s content and die an old and happy women in my sleep. But, my choice is not to take chances with my health again. For awhile I overdid it, gained weight, felt listless, and the stress was evident on my system. I had aches and pains and intestinal issues that are no longer now that I changed my diet. I am leaner and have more energy.

As a culinary industry professional whose life has revolved around eating and drinking for more than two decades, changing my diet has been an interesting transformation….and challenge! I embrace my new eating life with as much joy and pleasure as my old.

And that is the key:  Whatever you do and however you partake, do it with pleasure and be happy doing it. The worst diet is one of steady stress and negativity. These feed on both your mind and your body.

4 Comments
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    Cancer care

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