Eating a good diet may help to maintain good general health and may make getting through treatment easier.
Some tips:
- Obtain and maintain a healthy weight. However, this is not the time to go on an aggressive weight-loss diet.
- Choose a low-fat diet. Most people eat a diet that is 30 to 35 percent fat as a percentage of total calories. A much healthier option is a diet that is only 20 percent fat. Choose monounsaturated fats rather than polyunsaturated. To learn how to calculate the amount of fat you need based on your average caloric intake, speak to a dietitian/nutritionist in your hospital or visit a library and ask the research librarian for help in finding a useful reference book.
- Choose a high-fiber diet. The average American diet contains only about 12 grams of fiber a day. Try to consume 25 to 35 grams each day.
- If your doctor approves, eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, including two servings of fruit and three of vegetables. Once you start treatment, be sure to ask your doctor if there are any foods you should avoid.
- Avoid alcohol as it can irritate your stomach and cause bleeding.
- Be wary of dehydration. Ask your doctor or nurse what you should do to prevent dehydration if you develop vomiting or diarrhea.
- Be mindful of food safety. People being treated for leukemia are often vulnerable to infection. Eggs and meat must be thoroughly cooked, to avoid possible salmonella and E coli contamination. Salad bars are to be avoided -- they may carry germs from other people or items that were not properly refrigerated. Patients should also avoid sushi and other raw meats as well as foods that look less than perfect, such as bruised fruit.
