We have all heard it before,
“You are what you eat.”
Nourishing your body through any journey is essential. According to the CDC, fewer than 1 in 10 American adults and adolescents eat enough fruit and vegetables. An unhealthy diet can lead to increased chances of some cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Many illnesses can affect the way the body is able to process nutrients. Even some treatments have side effects that influence the bodies ability to use the fuel foods provide. Fueling your body correctly can actually help treatments be more effective.
Knowing the current dietary guidelines can help you make healthier decisions on your journey.
“No disease that can be treated by diet should be treated with any other means.”
— Maimonides
Learning new habits is never an easy feat. Michael Pollan, a respected journalist, writer and professor offers a simple and effective recommendation,
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
Sounds easy enough, right? We put together a list of his 7 rules for eating well to help you create your new eating habits. Great for hanging on the fridge for a daily reminder.
Nutrition in the Patient with Lung Cancer is available as part of Lung Cancer Choices, 6th Edition. This chapter explores how important nutrition is for people with lung cancer.
“Lung cancer treatment can create a burden of healing that can overwhelm even a healthy patient’s nutritional reserve. Cancer itself can affect appetite, digestion, and use of nutrients. Treatment regimens such as surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation can cause side effects that interfere with eating and drinking. A patient’s nutritional status can deteriorate throughout treatment, reducing their ability to tolerate treatment. Decisions about treatment regimen may be determined based on general health performance status scores. Weight loss and decreased ability to consume adequate nutrition can negatively influence those performance scores and alter treatment options.”
