While standard medicine is by far the most effective means of treating advance colon cancer--stages III and IV--the way you eat can often complement both your treatment plan and your road to recovery. However, there isn't just one food that you should incorporate into your diet when facing cancer; it's more a complete eating regimen. Our Western diets predominantly consist of things like animal fat, refined sugars and highly-processed grains, all of which do nothing to improve our health.
Diet in Advanced Colon Cancer
According to "The Journal of the American Medical Association" there appears to be a link between a primarily Western diet and an increased mortality rate in colon cancer. Even in advanced stages of the disease, steering away from this type of diet can actually increase your survival rate and also reduce your chances of recurrence if the cancer goes into remission.
As you go through treatment, whether surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, you need to try to modify what you eat. Though you're looking for a healthier, more well-balanced diet, restrict (or eliminate) foods that are high in animal fat, such as red meats and whole-fat dairy. It's believed that animal fat causes a reaction in the colon, triggering the formation of the abnormal cells linked to colon cancer. If you're currently dealing with colon cancer, especially in the more advanced stages of the disease, you don't want to create this sort of environment within your intestinal tract. Instead, increase your intake of fish, poultry and legumes to fulfill your dietary need of protein.
From there, limit the amount of refined sugars and highly-processed grains in your diet. These substances are found in (among other products) sweetened cereals, pastas, cookies, chips, candy, breads and prepackaged meals (both frozen and shelf-stable). Refined sugars have a negative effect on the white blood cells which help control your body's immune response, and this is a time when you really want your immune system at its best. Diets high in refined sugars decrease the ability of the immune cells to not only fight off infection, but also their ability to destroy cancerous tissue.
As you regulate or remove these types of foods from your diet, incorporate more fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains into your eating regimen. These types of items are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, such as antioxidants and fiber, which can actually go a long way to boosting your immune response and your overall health. Eat a wide array of these foods, as each piece of produce or grain contains a multitude of benefits. Colorful fruits and vegetables, like those in red, yellow and green, are some of the best, but any fresh food of these types should be helpful.
Diet with a Stoma
In some cases of advanced colon cancer it may be necessary that, after a portion of your colon is removed during surgery, you be fitted with a stoma. A stoma is a bypass created from the inside to the outside of the body. It enables waste to be removed when the colon is no longer connected to your rectum; waste is collected in a pouch attached to the exterior of the abdomen. Luckily, a stoma doesn't necessitate the need to modify your diet all that much. However, continue to eliminate the animal fats, refined sugars and highly-processed grains while you eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish and legumes.
At the very beginning of life with a stoma, you'll probably need to change how much you eat during a given meal. Smaller portions eaten a number of times throughout the day is your best bet. But as your body becomes more accustomed to the stoma, your meals can grow in size. And since each person is different, you may find that certain foods, even healthy ones, can pose some problems. The most common are those products that don't digest as well as others, such as corn, apples, spinach, celery and nuts. Foods that aren't easily digestible can cause a blockage.
You may also find odor problems with other foods, like some fish, eggs, beans and green vegetables. Yet these items shouldn't disrupt the process of elimination, so feel free to continue eating these foods if they're part of your diet.
Fluid intake is very important in a diet with a stoma. You really want to make sure that you're getting enough water or juice so that your stool doesn't become too hard to pass through the stoma. A good goal is at least 64 ounces each day, but you may want to shoot for more to ensure your stool remains moist.
Tags: your diet, colon cancer, fruits vegetables, highly-processed grains, refined sugars highly-processed
