Stomach Cancer Diet Guidelines
If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer, Try these stomach cancer diet suggestions as you adjust to your new diagnosis. You’ll have to make some changes to your diet, given that you will need to accept changes in your stomach and your digestion capabilities. You will most likely have some or all of your stomach surgically removed, meaning your body’s ability to digest food will be significantly altered. While diet and cancer prevention has been linked for a while, your diet can also affect your recovery from stomach cancer.
Eat smaller meals throughout the day
You’ll need to adjust to having a smaller stomach, and this is best accomplished by eating very small meals throughout the day. This may be very difficult for you to do, since you may be dealing with nausea and vomiting. Try different foods carefully in small portions until you discover what foods you can handle.
Avoid eating too much high fiber food at one time
While you will want to continue to fit high fiber menu items into your diet, you will need to eat them with other foods so the fiber does not upset your stomach too much. Combine a high fiber item with something soothing to the stomach; eat very little at a time.
Aim for balance in your meals
You’ll want to make every bite count. Because your stomach can only hold a small amount of food at a time, you’ll want to try to balance the foods you eat very carefully, aiming to get some fiber, carbohydrates and protein into every mini-meal.
Avoid sugar
Sugary foods can increase your chances of experiencing something called dumping syndrome, a condition where the food in your stomach moves very rapidly into the small intestine, causing a surge of insulin which can result in light headedness and possible fainting.
Be careful with dairy
Try dairy products with extreme caution. Many people find they cannot tolerate dairy any longer after surgery.
Avoid carbonated beverages
Carbonated beverages may irritate your stomach and will prevent you from eating enough food to get the calories you need.
Make sure you take supplements
If you’ve had stomach surgery, your body probably isn’t getting enough calcium, vitamin D, iron or vitamin B12 from your diet anymore. Take extra calcium, vitamin D and iron through supplements and ask your doctor for injections of vitamin B12.
Stomach cancer prevention diet tip
If you have not been diagnosed with stomach cancer, but are concerned you may be at risk, you should know that a couple diet and cancer links have been established. Stomach cancer appears to be linked to a diet high in salt-preserved foods and excessive intake of salt.