Tag Archives: Diet Tips

Cancer Survivors, Living with Cancer

Five Tips to Keeping Healthy After Cancer Treatment

Immune System Building Foods
Tips for After Care

Cancer after care is a vital aspect of ensuring you or a loved one lives a happy, healthy life for years to come. Here are just a few of the best cancer after care tips to help cultivate a long and fulfilling life.

1. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Get into the habit of enjoying a wider variety of fruits, vegetables and other foods rich in vitamins. Selecting low fat alternatives when buying milk or butter can also help reduce weight gain, cholesterol and overall promote better well-being.

2. Stay Active

Along with proper diet, exercising on a regular basis is an excellent way to promote better health during cancer after care. Morning or evening walks, running and bicycling just a few days a week can have a very positive impact on your health.

3. Avoid Alcohol or Tobacco

It is extremely important to avoid tobacco products or alcohol during cancer after care. Any dangerous, potentially habit forming substances can present a major obstacle to living a healthy life following cancer treatment.

4. Visit the Doctor Often

Keeping in touch with your doctor on a regular basis is integral to successful cancer after care. Do not hesitate to discuss concerns, recent changes in health or issues with medication you may be encountering.

5. Keep a Good Attitude

Having a good attitude tends to put everything into perspective, often changing the way we see the world around us. Remaining optimistic will certainly improve health, alleviate stress and promote better cancer after care.

If you would like to learn more about alternative cancer treatments and today’s best cancer after care programs, Contact Issels® today about any questions you may have on if the Issels Treatment® may be right for you.

Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Living with Cancer, Stress Management

Holiday Eating Tips for Cancer Patients

Holiday Eating
Holiday Eating

Just like there are some friends and family that you only see in person during the holidays, there are many beloved snacks, treats, and entrees that are holiday traditions. At Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we understand how a cancer diagnosis can disrupt every aspect of your life. But you can still celebrate that life and the holidays with loved ones. Keep these eating tips in mind as you enjoy the festivities.

  • Talk to your doctor about whether it is ok for you to drink alcohol. Complete abstinence is sometimes easier than moderation.
  • The same is true for many food items. Eat some healthy snacks before you leave your house to head toward a dinner or other gathering. You will find it much easier to avoid the temptation of decadent culinary creations.
  • Most get-togethers have a buffet. The American Cancer Society recommends you select items from the inside of the table and away from the edge. The area out of reach of small hands is less likely to have germs.
  • Be mindful of which items you can eat before you start filling your plate.
  • Take it slow and have small portions. This will prevent that lethargic feeling of being overfull.

Many holiday favorites will overwhelm a sensitive stomach. Try to avoid anything with heavy cream, gravy, or a mayonnaise base. You may have a weakened immune system and be more vulnerable to food-borne sickness. Avoid undercooked foods such as sushi, dishes with mayonnaise, and anything that may have raw eggs.

We continue to make progress in the fight against cancer. To stay informed on the latest cancer treatment breakthroughs and to get more health and nutrition tips, sign up for our e-newsletter.

Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer, News

Tips to Weathering Chemotherapy

Getting Through Chemotherapy
Getting Through Chemotherapy

When you go through cancer treatments, you’re not alone. Here are some great suggestions to help weather chemotherapy:

Know how to manage the nausea. Feeling ill and vomiting are the worst parts of chemotherapy for most people. Spread out your eating across many small meals instead of three regular meals, avoid beverages during mealtimes, and eat slowly.

Try out meditation and emotional exercises. Being in control of your emotions can help when side effects hit. Don’t be afraid to address your emotional hurdles through meditation, talk therapy, and alternative medicines.

Be prepared to try new foods. Many people undergoing chemo feel like foods taste different, even common and favorite foods. If what you eat tastes odd or foul, branch out and try lots of things—even foods you typically dislike—and find what works.

Stick with healthy foods to feel your best. Cupcakes may be tempting, but most people do best when avoiding junk foods, sweets, fatty foods, and fried foods. These treats should remain treats, while a generally healthy diet will keep you feeling best.

Get some hats, including one with a wide brim. Before chemotherapy, you may wish to shave your head and get a wig. Find some hats, too, including warm and comfy ones for when you feel chilly and a wide-brimmed hat to help with sun protection.

See the dentist first. Teeth cleanings are a bad idea during chemotherapy, so see the dentist a few weeks beforehand and use saltwater rinses to gently help with sores.

We’re also here to help with individualized, holistic treatments. Talk to us if you’re interested in learning about alternative cancer treatment options.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer

Healthy Snacking Tips for Cancer Patients – When You Don’t Feel Like Eating

Tips For Healthy Snacking
Tips For Healthy Snacking

It’s important to eat a healthy diet to keep your body and immune system strong. But when you have cancer, there may be times when you don’t feel like eating. You may be too nauseated by traditional cancer treatments to eat. Stress and anxiety can also cause loss of appetite and nausea.

There are no hard and fast nutrition rules for cancer patients. It is common for appetites to fluctuate during cancer treatment. The key is to be flexible and maximize nutrition when you do feel like eating.

Snacking Tips

Try these healthy snacking tips to find out what works for you:

  • Eat your main meal when your appetite is biggest. Many cancer patients prefer a big morning meal and smaller or liquid meals at lunch and dinner.
  • Try sipping protein shakes or smoothies when you don’t feel like eating.
  • Use powdered or liquid meal replacements to boost calorie and protein intake.
  • Make sure you drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated.
  • Eat the foods you can, even if it is just one or two foods. Add additional foods as your appetite improves.
  • Have small, frequent snacks instead of regular meals.
  • Keep snack foods in easy reach so you can nibble when you’re hungry.
  • Choose high-calorie, nutrient-rich foods to maximize nutrition when you do feel like eating.
  • Change the form of a food to make it more appetizing. Mix fruit and vegetables into a smoothie instead of eating them whole.

Avoid the debilitating side effects of traditional cancer treatments. Contact us for information about non-toxic alternative cancer treatments that have resulted in our unique record of complete, long-term remissions of advanced and standard therapy-resistant cancers.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Three Foods That May Boost Your Immune System

Immune System Building Foods
Immune System Building Foods

The cells in your immune system are like an army that protects your body against disease. Whether your body is fighting a virus, bacteria or cancer cells, your immune system serves as your body’s first line of defense. It is your immune cells that seek out and attack cancer and disease cells.

Since an army marches on its stomach, it’s important to feed your immune system fighters well. To keep your immune system in peak fighting shape, a Mediterranean diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on fish and lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy oils is generally recommended today.

Boost Your Immune System

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins, antioxidants and micronutrients that feed the body’s immune system. For a healthy immune system, make citrus fruits, berries, carrots, tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables part of your daily diet.
  • Fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids help fuel a healthy immune system. Omega 3 rich fish include salmon, sardines, mackerel, black cod, anchovies, albacore tuna, rainbow trout, and halibut.
  • Dairy products fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate cell growth and may impact the growth of cancer cells. For extra benefit, choose dairy products that contain some fat. Dairy fat helps the body absorb carotenoids, antioxidants in vegetables that have been linked to good immune system health. Triple your immune boost by eating yogurt which contains probiotics in addition to dairy fat and vitamin D.

At Issels Integrative Oncology, nutritional immunotherapy to improve immune system function is offered as part of our immunobiologic core cancer treatment program. Contact us today to learn how integrative immunotherapy can benefit your cancer treatment plan.

Living with Cancer

Living with Cancer – Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating

Every time you pick up a magazine or tune in a talk show it seems like there’s some new diet trend your should be following to reduce your risk of developing cancer. Drink more coffee. Fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables. Sip green tea. Avoid grilled meats. Eat more fish. Have a glass of red wine with dinner. Nibble on dark chocolate. The list of cancer nutrition tips goes on and on.

Confusing Diet Advice

The list of healthy eating tips for preventing cancer seems to get longer every year. Trying to keep up with the types and quantities of food you should eat to keep various types of cancer at bay can be confusing and may seem contradictory. (Which is better, tea or coffee?) While eating to prevent cancer is a worthy goal, what should you eat to stay as healthy as possible if you already have cancer?

Diet Linked to Cancer

Researchers have found a strong link between diet and cancer that makes paying attention to what you eat important. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly, eating a Mediterranean-style diet is generally recommended not only to help prevent cancer; but also to increase survival rates for people with cancer.

The Mediterranean Diet

Because certain foods can interfere with cancer treatments and medications, you should always follow the dietary recommendations of your cancer team. That said, the Mediterranean diet (click for diet details) benefits cancer patients by boosting the body’s immune system, aiding your natural ability to fight the recurrence or spread of cancer.

Contact Issels Integrative Oncology for more information about cancer treatment and recovery and diet.