01/04/2021
💐Diet and Lifestyle Adaptations for Breast Cancer Patients💐
When diagnosed with breast cancer, many women will begin to look back at their diet and lifestyle in the past and ask themselves whether their diet choices lead to them having breast cancer. Sometimes the process of reviewing our diet may lead to the fear of eating the wrong things, and thus resulting in us eating less or avoiding to eat and becoming malnourished. In fact, causes of cancer are complex, and diet is only one of many.
Especially during cancer treatment, a balanced and adequate diet is needed to maintain physical strength and make treatment more bearable. If one of the following three conditions occur, the risk of malnutrition is increased, and timely nutritional supplementation should be received.
1. BMI < 18.5 indicates malnutrition. The BMI can be calculated as follows: Weight (kg)/ height2 (meter2)
For example, 50kg / 1.6m2 = 19.53
2. the amount of food consumed is reduced by more than half compared to the usual amount for several consecutive days. Cancer patients may have difficulty swallowing or lose their appetite during treatment, which may affect eating habits.
3. A 10% weight loss in six months.
👉The following are some diet tips provided by the world-renowned John Hopkins Hospital:
💖Plant Based Foods
Whole Grains: Wheat, Oats, Rice, Corn, Barley
Green Vegetables: Spinach, Vine Leaves, Lettuce, Cauliflower, Cabbage
Other Vegetables: Celery, Parsley, Radish
Beans: Soybeans, Emperor Beans, Peanuts, Mung Beans, Rice Beans
Allum Vegetables: Garlic, Shallots, Onions, Green Onions
Solanaceous Vegetables: Eggplants, Tomatoes
Cucurbitaceae Vegetables: Pumpkin, Melon, Watermelon
💖Foods Containing Phytochemicals
Phenolic Compounds: Garlic, Green Tea, Cereals, Linseeds
Kernel Seed Flavonoids: Contained in Most Vegetables and Fruits
Isoflavones: Soybeans, Legumes (Rice Beans, Kidney Beans etc.)
Carotenoids: Yellow, Orange and Dark Green Vegetables or Fruits
💖Fats
Trans fatty acids, including animal-based fats, should be avoided.
Intake of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids should be increased. Monounsaturated fatty acids can be found in bitter tea oil and olive oil. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in omega-3 and linseed oils.
💖Kind Reminders
There are many reasons for the occurrence of breast cancer. Relieving stress, and exercising are both good ways to improve your overall health!
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