National Nutrition Month - Tips For Eating With Lung Cancer

As a “foodie” I love to prepare enticing healthy foods, but I know that living with lung cancer can make eating a healthy, nutritious diet difficult – even when the food is prepared with love and flare. I remember cooking one of my dad’s favorite meals when he was having chemotherapy, only to realize that the nausea he experienced trying to eat it put that menu item on his dislike list – permanently.

Depending on your particular symptoms, there are often simple things you can do to make eating more pleasant – some as simple as using plastic utensils if you experience that irritating side effect of chemo – “metal mouth.” If any of these tips sound helpful, share them with your loved ones. It can be an emotional let down when a loved one tries to prepare you a tasty treat, only to see it wasn’t the best choice. Thankfully, I was able to blame the chemo drugs for that green look on my father’s face – and not my culinary technique.

Common side effects of lung cancer treatment that can interfere with eating include:

• Mouth Sores – Mouth sores can make citrus fruits feel like a lighted match in your mouth. What foods work well with mouth sores?
  Coping With Mouth Sores During Chemotherapy
• Taste Changes – Not only metal mouth, but a loss of taste for sweets, and change in tastes for certain foods can occur. What foods work well with taste changes?
  Coping With Chemotherapy Induced Taste Changes
• Loss of Appetite – Sometimes you simply don’t feel like eating. What can you do when you lose your appetite?
  Loss of Appetite (Anorexia) With Lung Cancer
• Nausea and Vomiting – Nausea can make any food unappealing. Our About.com Guide to Cervical Cancer, Lisa Fayed, shares these tips.
  6 Ways to Reduce Nausea During Chemotherapy
• Fatigue – Fatigue can make you simply too tired to eat well. What can you do when you experience cancer fatigue?
  Tips for Coping With Cancer Fatigue

Do you have any tips to share? Please comment below and share what has worked for you.