Nutrition for mesothelioma can seem challenging. You need to eat to maintain your body weight and keep up your strength and energy levels. But it is hard to even think about food if you are feeling nauseous.
About 70 percent of mesothelioma patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments experience a level of that seasick queasy feeling. The nausea will disappear when the treatments stop. Until then your best bet is to try to stock up on healthy foods known to have anti-nausea benefits.
In honor of National Nutrition Month, we are presenting you with some of the best anti-nausea foods suggested by Cooking Light. But first some tips.
Anti-Nausea Nutrition for Mesothelioma Tips
To optimize nutrition for mesothelioma, you need to alleviate or minimize some of the nausea that can come with chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
- keep portions small
- keep the room cool
- keep cooking odors to a minimum
Why? Too much food, strong food aromas, and hot temperatures can also trigger nausea.
Pretzels and Crackers
If your stomach feels upset when you wake up in the morning, keep a stash of dry foods by your bedside. Snack on them throughout the day to keep nausea at bay. Best bets include pretzels, crackers, dry cereal, and dry toast. Keep it dry. Drinking liquids with foods or meals may promote nausea according to some sources.
Peppermint
Medical sources like the American Cancer Society say that there is not enough medical evidence that peppermint can help relieve nausea or other mesothelioma treatment side effects. But as far as natural remedies go, peppermint’s tummy soothing qualities are firmly established. There’s no harm in sipping peppermint tea or letting a peppermint hard candy dissolve in your mouth if you enjoy them. Iced peppermint tea can help you stay hydrated while soothing your stomach – a win-win when it comes to nutrition for mesothelioma.
Ginger
Ginger, whether in the form of ginger ale, tea, powder or even raw, is considered one of the best ways to help stop nausea in its tracks. It has been used for this purpose for centuries dating back to ancient China. Scientists suspect that beneficial compounds called phytochemicals may be the key to ginger’s reputed anti-nausea effects. The protective dose is believed to be ½ to 1 gram powdered ginger or about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fresh. You can brew it as a tea or add it to a soup or stew.
Lemon
Lemons are like bright yellow nuggets of anti-nausea power, according to the National Cancer Institute. And their scent is delightful, too. You can enjoy lemons as part of a beverage, including lemonade, or in lemon-flavored treats such as lemon sorbet. You can use limes if you prefer. Both lemons and limes can help boost nutrition for mesothelioma by adding natural vitamin C and quelling nausea.
Carbs
Most people are trying to cut down on those white mild-flavored starchy carbs but they may be perfect nutrition for mesothelioma. Strong aromas, spicy flavors, and lots of fat all can trigger nausea. So it’s better to choose plain comfort foods like rice, noodles, and mashed potatoes.
Chilled and Frozen Foods
Ice chips are frequent standbys for mesothelioma patients coping with the effects of chemotherapy. But trying other types of chilled foods can provide the same soothing effects while adding calorie-containing nutrition mesothelioma patients need. Chilled celery sticks, cucumber slices along with fresh fruit popsicles and sorbet can be delicious and nutritious options.