Healthy diet
The food that we eat can influence our emotions. Eating a well-balanced diet can help maintain energy levels, improve sleep and reduce anxiety and feelings of sadness. Not eating healthily or regularly can affect sleep and make you feel more irritable, anxious, less enthusiastic and less able to concentrate.
Having cancer and certain cancer treatments can affect your appetite and change the way your food tastes. Some cancers and treatments, such as those associated with head and neck cancer, can affect your eating habits which can in turn affect your appetite. It can be difficult if you do not feel like eating very much but your partner and friends keep encouraging you to eat more. Going out to eat with friends and family can be difficult if you are off your food, which may make you feel more isolated.
If you would like to change your diet or have difficulties with food, you can discuss these issues with your GP, cancer nurse or other member of your health care team. There is information about diet at Macmillan Cancer Support and at the British Dietetic Association, but it is important to remember that not all advice is the same for all types or stages of cancer, which is why it is helpful to talk to a health care professional.
