Most people know innately that eating well and maintaining a healthy diet is one of the most important ways you can take care of yourself. It matters what you put in your body. However, there is so much information out there about how to eat and what to eat that it can be confusing to know which foods are right for you. Each person is unique, and there are many diets and lifestyles that are healthy – the amount of options can be staggering! An individualized diet plan can be extremely helpful, especially when it suits your lifestyle, your tastes, and has your optimal health in mind.
Meal Planning
Every single one of my patients gets a customized meal plan. During our initial appointment I will ask you some questions, and at our follow up appointment, I will give you a one-week meal plan. The meal plan includes a variety of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
The meal plan is completely customized. This means that I will create recipes for you based on your likes and dislikes. I will create recipes that take as much time to cook as you desire. Whether you love cooking and spend hours in the kitchen, or can only handle 10 minutes at a time, I can create delicious and easy to prepare meals for you and your family.
The meals I choose are always with the goal of supporting your body through your cancer treatments, or helping you to heal and stay strong afterwards. They are protein packed, with low sugar and high anti-oxidants – a perfect recipe for a cancer fighting diet!
Why is nutrition important?
It’s simple: you are what you eat. Food you ingest gets broken down and incorporated into your cells and tissues. Your cells need the right food to perform all the essential functions they do to keep you alive, to give you the energy you need to do the things you love, and to keep you feeling great.
It might be surprising to learn that malnutrition is common in cancer patients. Undernourishment doesn’t always look like the pictures you’ve seen of starving children on foreign continents: if the food you’re eating doesn’t contain the nutrients you need to thrive – even if we get enough calories – we can still be malnourished. In our culture where processed food is cheaper than real (whole) foods, it’s often easier to eat poorly than it is to eat well. It’s worth it to spend the time and money on eating well- your future healthy self will thank you.
Sample Meal Plan
Attached below is an example of the quality of meal plan you can expect. Here is a sample meal plan entitled, Beat Cancer Related Fatigue. For more specific meal planning ideas related to your own personal needs, call and book an appointment with me!
