Eating and being active Eating the foods you need Eating well plays an important part in your survivorship plan.
Eating healthy foods before, during and after treatment can help you feel better and stay stronger. Your doctor may send you to a dietitian to make an eating plan that works for you. They may suggest you: l Track what you eat and what your body needs, such as carbohydrates, protein and fats. l Change what you eat to help build your strength and ability to handle the side effects of the cancer and the treatment. This might mean eating things that aren’t normally recommended for healthy eating. For example, high-protein, high-calorie foods to keep up your weight, or thick, cool foods like ice cream or milk shakes for sores in your mouth and throat from treatment. When going through treatment, you may feel less hungry and find it hard to eat. Here are some tips for eating more: l Eat small meals or snacks throughout the day. l Change up the foods you eat — don’t be afraid to try something new! l Make meals into social events — eat with friends or family.
Being active
Being more active during and after treatment can: l Improve your mood, energy and self-esteem l Help you cope with stress l Help you handle side effects of treatment
l Strengthen your immune system l Improve your sleep, blood flow and sexual functioning l Lower your chance of osteoporosis l Lower your chance of blood clots and heart disease l Possibly even lower your chance of new cancers in the future
32 Melanoma Patient and Caregiver Guide | Stages 2–3
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