When someone is told that he or she has cancer, the devastation reaches beyond the victim.  It affects everyone touched by the victim; family members usually bear the brunt. What often happens is everyone focuses on helping him or her deal with cancer and on exhausting all efforts to fight the disease. But what is often neglected is the care that each family member should be receiving. Each one is now a possible cancer victim himself.  When this reality sets in, misguided fear and anxiety creep into the picture and may affect the family dynamics at home. 

      The paranoia is real for many. They will cling to anything that guarantees cancer prevention or anything that promises a cure. Despite all the medical advances, there is still is nothing that can ensure you will not develop cancer. And unlike death or taxes, there is no sure cancer cure. 

      What we would like to remind you to do is to stop and analyze yourself and your lifestyle and then take realistic measures to help yourself. 

      One thing that all people – with or without cancer – need to do on a daily basis is to eat. Not all of us will require surgery, chemotherapy, antibiotic therapy or any other medical treatment in our lifetime.  But we all need nourishment. That being the case, we might as well learn how to eat properly and healthily. 

      Specific cancers may have specific food preferences. This article will concentrate on general good eating habits fit for people with cancer, as well as those seeking to prevent cancer.  

      Let’s assess first.  One of the problems of cancer is malnutrition.  Malnutrition, which may mean a total lack of nutrients or a lack of specific nutrients, may be because of the cancer itself, the emotional toll the cancer has taken on you, or the effects of treatment.  Kim Dalzell, author of Challenge Cancer and Win! (NutriQuest Press, 2006, p. 23), came up with a self-assessment checklist that serves as a malnutrition risk survey: (Answer yes or no.) 

1. I am underweight.
2. I have lost weight recently.
3. I have had a recent change in my appetite.
4. I do not have appetite.
5. It doesn’t take much food to make me feel full.
6. Some foods taste or smell unusual.
7. I have difficulty swallowing or chewing.
8. I have frequent nausea or vomiting.
9. I have frequent bouts of diarrhea or constipation.
10. I often have gas, bloating, cramping, or heartburn.
11. I have a malabsorption disease of my gastrointestinal tract, such as celiac disease, parasites, Crohn’s disease, etc.
12. I have had a recent illness or infection.
13. I have had surgery to remove some part of my gastrointestinal tract.
14. I am retaining water in my ankles or stomach area.
15. I receive tube or intravenous feedings.
16. My energy level is less than it used to be.
17. I am on medications that decrease my appetite.
18. I am on a restricted diet (low salt, diabetic).

 
 

      The salient points in this checklist are the intactness and functional capacity of the digestive tract – from the mouth, throat and esophagus, stomach, small intestines and colon – and the adequacy of food intake. 

      Much emphasis is placed on the integrity and health of the gut.  It must be noted that almost 70% of the body’s total immune function rests on an intact digestive tract.  Apart from this, the gut is responsible for nutrient digestion and absorption. What good is taking all those well-planned meals and supplements when the gut is poorly functioning and unable to make food enter the organs of the body? 

      One of the best ways to maintain gut health is to consume a complete and balanced meal.  This means that you should consume carbohydrates, proteins and fats in proper proportions.  One technique to help you remember to eat a balanced meal is to fill half of your plate with a variety of vegetables (see list below), a fourth of the plate with carbohydrates (rice, bread, potato, corn, pasta, root crops) and the remaining fourth with protein (fish, tofu, eggs, meat, chicken).  Fruits are a perfect side dish.   

      But quantity is only one aspect of food to consider.  The food quality is important as well. 

1. High-fiber foods help absorb toxins and excess sugar and fat, and then aid in flushing these out through regular bowel movement. Fiber also maintains the integrity and health of the intestinal microflora – the good bacteria important in digestion.
2. Choose good fats.  Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil), polyunsaturated fats (nuts and seeds, sunflower oil, corn oil) and omega-3 fatty acids (deep-ocean fatty fish like tuna and sardines, flaxseed oil) have been instrumental in preventing cholesterol problems and in providing adequate energy to cancer patients.  Fats also help us absorb Vitamins A, D, E and K.  For cancer victims, fats may upstage carbohydrates as a main source of energy. This is because of the theory that cancer cells feed on sugars (carbohydrates) more efficiently than fats. Therefore, some cancer diets advocate controlled carbohydrates and increasing fats to balance out the lack in calories.
3. Maintain an acceptable weight range. Being overweight or obese may be as complicating as being underweight.  Obesity is often accompanied by diabetes and cardiovascular disease that may make it difficult to commence cancer treatment.
4. Subjecting any oil to high heat (as in frying) will render that oil oxidized.  Oxidized fats contain free radicals that are implicated in cancer. 
5. During the cancer process, free radical levels run high and must be counteracted by antioxidants.  In cancer, these antioxidant systems are exhausted and will need replenishment through food and supplements.  The best natural sources are fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts.  Thus, most cancer diets are plant-based.

 
 

      Animal sources of food are more often linked to a variety of cancers as compared to plant sources.  In fact, many therapies emphasize the consumption of fresh organic vegetables and fruits both in prevention and treatment.  In Eat to Beat Cancer by J. Robert Hatherill, the super food groups for cancer are: 

1. Onion Group – onion, garlic, asparagus
2. Cruciferous Group – broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower
3. Nuts and Seeds – pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts
4. Grass Group – corn, oats, rice, wheat
5. Legume Group – soybeans (tofu), green, and wax beans, peas
6. Fruit – citrus fruits, berries
7. Solanace Group – tomatoes and potatoes
8. Umbelliferous – carrots, celery

 
 

      If you so choose to go vegetarian, it is important to remember the concept of protein complementarity.  Plants do not contain complete amino acids like animals.  But by properly combining plant foods, you may then meet your body’s protein needs.  Below are the complementary combinations to guide you in your food choices: 

1. Legumes + Seeds and Nuts

   Snacking on peanuts, raisins and sunflower seeds; bean soup with sesame seeds 

2. Grains and Cereals + Legumes

Peanut butter on whole wheat bread; ginisang mongo and rice 

3. Animal protein + Vegetable protein

Cheese sandwich; tuna spaghetti; vegetable omelet 

      If unable to eat substantially (due to depressed appetite or lack of energy to chew and use utensils or the presence of oral sores), there are special drinks called medical nutritionals that can be used as meal replacement. They are balanced, lactose-free, provide sufficient calories, and are meant to enhance energy and appetite. These contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats in proper proportions for the general population.  They also provide the required daily needs for micronutrient when two or more servings of these are consumed. These drinks come in a variety of flavors to suit your taste.  There are even some that contain omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients geared towards helping improve feeding in cancer patients.   

      Whichever is selected, the aim is to increase oral intake with less volume but higher calories for better energy.  Aside from this, they aid in food intake without having to chew, lift utensils (which can be quite energy-consuming to some patients) and aggravate oral sores from the rubbing effects of natural foods.   

      For my family, the moving force to start living and eating properly was the cancer of my sister Rica.  Her affliction made us appreciate the great role food plays in health.  We became more aware of the benefits and dangers different kinds of nutrients can offer in our lives – hence my fervent interest in nutrition.  

      Whatever is your impetus and whatever you and your family decide to do regarding food and nutrition, what is important is that you take control of the situation. Make a firm commitment to improve eating habits and this will lead you to a healthy and productive life ahead. 
 

Dr. Nina Sy-Quia Sioson

Holistic Nutrition and Nutrition Support

The Health Cube, Wilson Street

Center for Weight Management and Clinical Nutrition, St. Luke’s Medical Center 

Hospital affiliations:  St. Luke’s Medical Center, The Medical City