choosing the right dish
- finding which foods suit patients best will be a case of trial and error. The method recommended is to focus on texture first, then temperature and flavours.
- experience with cancer patients has shown that there's often an initial preference for a sweetish taste, even in savoury dishes.
- smell and presentation are 2 other important factors that influence the appreciation of food. Try to find out what appeals and what repels.
- whenever you sense an appreciation for certain tastes or textures, try to expand on it.
- the type of food that achieves the best results during treatment is often very difficult to pinpoint and may change over time. Keep on trying and always be flexible.
- whenever possible, choose ingredients that are considered beneficial to cancer patients in general and to the type of cancer concerned in particular.
- try to avoid the foods that are advised against if can. If necessary, sparingly use non-recommended ingredients like fructose or even sugar - they could prove to be the irresistible ingredient that makes a recipe work.
- tart foods are often pleasing to those with dry mouths - they stimulate the production of saliva.
- if eating or drinking dairy products results in heightened mucus production, you'd better choose savoury dishes using dairy products as the salt in savoury foods has a clearing effect on the mucus.
- if you suffer from nausea and vomiting, bland foods and mild flavours are often wise choices. Eating dry foods first thing in the morning may help
- ginger can also be effective in controlling nausea - try ginger ale, ginger tea or ginger biscuits.
- when the sense of taste has all but disappeared, try seasoning dishes more strongly than usual, or choose a strong- flavoured recipe in order to provide some sort of taste distinction.
- gas, bloating and cramping can be helped by eating little and often, and avoiding fizzy drinks and drinking through a straw.
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