AsSeenBySusan

An Old Take on Nutrition

Or Eat Like It's the 1950s

Note the apple or peach which is not allowed on many lists in its raw form
because of the skin. And apples should really be cooked or made into
applesauce. I wonder if apple pie counts as okay?

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As with any illness, good nutrition is essential before, during and after treatment. My diet before my diagnosis was not optimal, but I did try to eat an assortment of foods high in fiber and low in bad fats. It included seeds, nuts, berries, whole grains, raw or steamed veggies, avocados, fresh fruits, lean meats (mostly chicken) and low fat dairy. I also tried to limit my sugar intake despite having a definite sweet tooth. 

Imagine my surprise when I was told by the nutritionist at the Cancer Center that the prescribed diet for patients with anal cancer is low fiber/low residue. This translates basically into how I remember eating as a child -- a high calorie diet of white flour, white rice, sugar-coated cereals, over-cooked  frozen veggies, and head  lettuce  salads.  The science behind it is that these foods are easy to digest and are  gentle on the intestines and bowels which will be brutally assaulted with chemo and radiation. I was told that such a diet also helps keep nausea and diarrhea at bay which are very common side effects of treatment. 

Who knew that eating Frosted Flakes, skinless baked potatoes, Wonder Bread sandwiches, overcooked veggies and white pasta would be good for me in 2020?  And those avocados that I never knew existed growing up and that I now eat with regularity? Turns out they are also forbidden on my cancer fighting diet. I have yet to know why, but I intend to find out.

Here is a short list of other foods on the good/bad lists I've read online. I've discovered that not all lists are exactly the same which makes me wonder. So I intend to ask the nutritionist when I meet with her in person.

• Apples are bad, but apple sauce is good. 
• White and sweet potatoes are okay, but with no skins. 
• Only eat the tips of asparagus.
• Nut butters are okay and a good source of protein, but no nuts or seeds of any kind including sesame or poppy seeds on white flour buns or bagels.
• All juices must be pulpless.
• White rice, refined pastas, and flour tortillas are allowed, but no quinoa, bulgur, polenta or corn tortillas.
• White flour pancakes, waffles and French toast are on the good list, so I can still have breakfast for dinner or whenever I want. (Real maple syrup is also okay.)
• Canned fruit or well-cooked or canned veggies are okay but no strong tasting, gas producing veggies like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, or onions.
• Tomatoes must be skinless, so I guess harvesting my Grape Juliets and Sweet 100s is over.
• Fruit jellies must contain no skins, and no to marmalades. So no to Bonne Maman preserves and welcome back to Welch's grape jelly.
• No strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, but ripe bananas are alright.
• Melons are good.
• So are eggs--boiled, poached, scrambled or fried.
• Ground or well-cooked tender beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey or fish is fine.

In addition, two weeks ago I arranged to receive Meals on Wheels during the weekdays since I anticipated my already low interest in cooking would be even less what with treatment.  And since Doug doesn't cook, I wanted to make sure he got at least one hot meal a day regardless of how I was feeling. We've been getting them for the last two weeks, and interestingly they seem to fit the profile of a low fiber/low residue diet. Fortunately for me, Doug's an easy keeper and he eagerly eats his, and sometimes mine.  So that's working out well. 

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NOTE: I took screenshots of the lists below, and I have no idea why the blue COVID-19 label is on them. It doesn't have anything to do with the lists themselves, so please ignore.

https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/low-residue-diet-foods#1

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment/staying-active/nutrition/low-fiber-foods.html