The Pancreas is crucial to how the body converts food into fuel. This is why people with Pancreatic cancer usually struggle with digesting food and maintaining their body weight. Even if patients eat and digest food normally, pancreatic cancer releases compounds into the bloodstream that makes patients feel fatigued and lose weight and muscle mass.
Regardless of treatment type, pancreatic cancer takes a toll on the body and a person’s ability to maintain a healthy diet and nutrition. Here are 12 tips to help those with pancreatic cancer optimize their nutritional intake during and post treatment.
Weighing oneself regularly and getting help to optimize nutrition is the easiest way to avoid extreme weight loss.
Eating small amounts of food every three to four hours ensures enough nutrients to tolerate treatment and tackle side effects like nausea and lack of appetite.
Avoid diuretics like coffee and alcohol and drink close to 64 ounces of water daily to help prevent dehydration that usually occurs due to treatment.
If food tastes less palatable, try increasing caloric intake with protein drinks, soups, smoothies, and nutrient-rich, bone broths.
Stick with high protein dishes like eggs, soy products, protein bars, low-fat yogurt and cheese, and lean white meats that are more easily digested and aid the body in repairing damaged cells.
Pick whole grains and complex carbs over refined choices.
Make it easy for the pancreas to digest food by sticking with soft or boiled food and avoiding raw vegetables and red meats.
Stick will healthy fats like olive and canola oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish to get energy, protect the organs, and support cell growth.
Eat a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables of all colors daily.
Staying active can stimulate appetite naturally and release stress-busting endorphins that help one feel better and eat more.
Replace excessive consumption of sugary treats with foods that have high nutritional value.
Pancreatic cancer patients can often deal with changing instances of diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and gas. A health service provider will be able to change one’s diet, medications or add supplemental pancreatic enzymes to help make the most of the nutrients from the food consumed.
