siliconindia | | May 20199sardines, chicken, and pork. It protects the heart from che-motherapy side effects and damage.· Herbal teas: Green tea is rich in anti-oxidants. Cham-omile, ginger, and mint teas have anti-cancer properties. Vitamins, Minerals & Other Dietary SupplementsSome patients with mesothelioma may develop a nutrient deficiency and may require a vitamin supplement. Your doctor will advise if you need to take any dietary sup-plements. It is better to avoid dietary supplements during mesothelioma treatment as these can reduce the effective-ness of cancer therapy. How to Plan Your MealHere are some of the tips that can help plan your meal and craft your mesothelioma diet:· Eat small meals several times a day instead of having three large ones.· Always include a protein portion - fish, egg, poultry, beans, peanut butter - at each meal.· Choose high-calorie drinks such as milkshakes.Planning Nutrition During TreatmentCancer treatment may affect your normal eating habits, and therefore you need to take some proactive measures to make sure you meet your nutritional needs. Surgery: You need to gain weight before undergoing sur-gery if you are underweight. Healthy body weight is nec-essary to facilitate recovery, wound healing, and reduce the risk of infection.Chemotherapy: This type of treatment may cause dif-ficulty in chewing food and digestion because the cells in the mouth, digestive tract, and hair follicles are likely to die. Cold, lukewarm, and soft foods may help relieve mouth sores. Some patients receiving Cisplatin drug may have extreme cold sensitivity. It is better to avoid cold or frozen foods in such cases. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy around the chest may affect swallowing. Soft foods and liquids are recom-mended in such situations. Pain Medications: A few pain medications can cause side effects such as nausea, reduced appetite, and consti-pation. Increasing dietary fiber intake and drinking plenty of water helps curb constipation. Safe Physical Exercises for Mesothelioma PatientsGentle physical activity for few days a week is highly recommended by oncologists during cancer therapy and recovery. Exercises help to increase muscle mass and strength, reduce fatigue, and have a positive impact on your mood and thus improve quality of life. Usually, me-sothelioma patients face difficulty with breathing and ex-perience chest pain and decreased energy levels, which in turn reduce their ability to exercise. So, what do you do if you don't feel like exercising? You will need to avoid inactivity and start with gentle exercises that add-up once you do it regularly. Your body will naturally respond to repetition and develop endurance to sustain more activity. The American College of Sports Medicine recom-mends 30 minutes of activity for five days a week. All household chores, gardening, and walking are gentle ways of avoiding inactivity. Other than these, low-impact exercises such as swimming, cycling, Yoga, and Tai Chi are safe for mesothelioma patients. Benefits of Exercise in Cancer patientsCancer patients can derive immense benefits from doing regular exercises. Exercise increases your appetite, body mass, and muscular strength, boosts energy and reduces fatigue, and the effects of stress and chemotherapy-relat-ed peripheral neuropathy. Overall, it improves mood and quality of life in cancer patients. Research has revealed that lung cancer patients expe-rienced decreased incidences of breathlessness and bet-ter muscle strength after exercising two times a week for eight weeks. Additionally, research has also shown that exercise increases the patient's chance of completing the treatment both physically as well as psychologically. Ex-ercising during treatment and recovery phase can reduce the long-term effects of cancer treatment. Thus, eating the right foods and exercising well help cancer patients a long way in improving their quality of life. Eating the right foods and exercising well help cancer patients a long way in improving their quality of life
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