Healthy Eating and Cancer

 
 

Its always good to have a healthy balanced diet and this is increasing important following a cancer diagnosis. This section will give you some advice and directs you to Macmillan booklets along with videos from their professional dietitians.

For many, a diagnosis of cancer and subsequent treatment can affect appetite in a variety of ways. During treatment nutrition is important to:

•To keep your body well nourished to cope with the treatments you may need
•To minimise weight loss
•To reduce muscle wasting
•To help battle fatigue
•To boost psychological wellbeing
•To reduce the risk of infection

At Colchester Hospital we have a Diet and Nutrition team who explains the service on offer and the range of support they can provide, contact details below:-

Adult team including Nutrition Nurse Specialist: 01206 742 166
Clinical Lead for Nutrition & Dietetics: 01206 742 819

To find out more:

  • Cancer Research Org - What is a healthy diet

  • Macmillan - Eating problems

  • Macmillan - Eating well & keeping active

  • Bupa - Eating well during and after Cancer

  • http://www.cancernet.co.uk/
    This is an online resource for individuals living with or after cancer, providing effective, unbiased, evidence based guidance from professionals on self-help, lifestyle strategies, including diet, to improve well being, reduce adverse effects, lower the risk of relapse and improve long term survival. Cancernet is an independent organisation comprising a multidisciplinary group of health professionals and cancer survivors.

Additionally, many charities dedicated to specific cancers publish guidance on nutrition and diet applicable before, during and after treatment, for example:

Bowel Cancer UK: Eating Well

Breast Cancer Now: Diet and Breast Cancer