Nausea Remedy Foods To Include In The Diet For Cancer Treatment

You might not have the feeling to eat when you have nausea during cancer therapy. It can prevent getting the nutrients you need leading to dehydration and malnutrition. Choosing the right foods and changing a few eating habits can soothe or prevent nausea and help you recover better. Read more to know a quick glance at why nausea occurs during cancer treatment and nausea remedy foods to include in the diet for cancer treatment. 

Nausea & Cancer Therapy

Nausea is one of the most common side effects in people undergoing cancer therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy & radiation therapy. In particular, people who have cancers in the abdomen, brain, small intestine, colon or liver and are undergoing treatment are more likely to have nausea. Stress caused by cancer or treatment, pain, infection or the other drugs you take during the treatment are also possible causes of nausea in cancer therapy. 

Nausea Remedy Foods

Choose Foods That Are Easy On The Stomach: People experiencing nausea tolerate certain foods more easily. Here is the list of foods that helps ease your nausea.

• Boiled rice, or noodles
• Cream of rice, wheat, or oatmeal
• Mashed, baked or boiled potatoes
• Well cooked eggs & vegetables
• Baked or boiled fish, meat, and poultry (without skin)
• Saltine crackers
• White bread
• Plain pasta
• Fresh or canned fruits (bananas, avocado)

When you are nauseous, it can be hard to eat enough quantities of food. That’s why it is important that the foods you choose should be nutritious and energy-dense. Make sure to include protein-rich foods in your diet as they reduce the risk of malnutrition and keep the body strong. Compared to carbohydrate and fat-rich meals, proteins may help reduce nausea significantly. Mashed potatoes, avocados, bananas, and stewed fruits are energy-dense foods but do not eat them if you feel severely nauseous.

Try Cold Foods: Strong odors are major triggers of nausea, and cold foods usually do not have strong odors. That’s why people with nausea tolerate cold foods better than warm foods. Consider eating yogurt, ice cream, chilled fruits, and popsicles and avoid heating up the leftovers before eating.

Increase The Fluid Intake: Staying hydrated is crucial, especially when you vomit. Besides relieving nausea, good hydration can help reduce the other side effects of cancer treatments, such as headache, tiredness, and kidney damage. Drink two to two and a half litres of water every day. You can also include clear liquids such as grape juice, cranberry juice, apple juice, coconut water and low salt broth as they are easy on your stomach and better tolerated. 

Have Ginger Tea: Ginger is a popular remedy for nausea, stomach upset and indigestion. The active constituents in the ginger, such as shogaols and gingerols, helps reduce nausea and vomiting. Ginger can also increase the chemical messenger called serotonin which can help relieve stress and headache. 

For ginger tea, all you have to do is boil chopped ginger of 1 inch length with a cup of water for five or ten minutes. You can add some sugar or honey for taste; after ten minutes, strain and drink. Other teas such as peppermint tea and chamomile tea are also good options to include in the diet for cancer treatment if you have nausea. 

Be Aware Of Foods That May Cause Problems: Avoid fried, fatty or greasy foods. Any foods that contain a lot of added fat will take more time to digest, and it can make people with nausea prone to vomit. Avoid spicy, very sweet and strong-odor foods. 

Try These 5 Simple And Efficient Eating Tips To Feel Better:

1. Try to have frequent (five or six) meals in small quantities as they put less pressure on the stomach, and you will feel easier to eat than the big meal.
2. It’s common to have no appetite when you are nauseous but do not skip meals as an empty stomach can worsen your nausea.
3. Use vent fans to decrease odors which aggravates nausea.
4. Drinking and eating simultaneously can make you bloated. Drink half-hour after or before meals instead of during meals.
5. Try to take rest after you eat for at least an hour. 

The Bottom Line: 

Fortunately, nausea does not lead to serious health problems most of the time and can be effectively managed with simple changes. Besides making changes in what you eat, medications and acupuncture can help relieve nausea related to cancer treatment. If medications or self-care doesn’t relieve your nausea, you need to visit the physician as soon as possible. Some fruits or juices may be contraindicated for certain cancer medicines as they may interfere with how the medicine works. Before taking any fruits or fruit juices, make sure they are not contraindicated for the cancer medicine you take.