Download Healthy eating - Velindre Cancer Centre

Healthy eating – your questions answered
This leaflet is for people who want to know about food and
getting the balance right to optimise health. It will explain
what is meant by ‘healthy eating’ and will tell you more
about the types and amounts of foods to eat. It also looks at
alcohol and tells you about a safe alcohol intake. Contact
details for the dietitians are given at the end of the leaflet.
What is healthy eating?
Healthy eating is a way of eating to provide all the
substances, called nutrients, needed for good physical
condition. This will also help you to stay a healthy weight.
What are these nutrients, why are they needed and
where can they be found in my food?
Carbohydrates are needed for energy, and to provide fibre
to keep the gut healthy. Carbohydrates have two sources.
There are the starchy carbohydrates that are found in bread,
potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals. And there are the refined
carbohydrates or sugars which are found in sweets, drinks,
jams, marmalades and fruit juices. It is important to have
enough starchy carbohydrates each day and to have
moderate amounts of refined carbohydrates.
Proteins are needed to make new cells and repair damaged
ones. The treatment you receive will damage some cells so
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it is important that you have foods containing protein every
day. Proteins are found in meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk
and pulses (beans and lentils, etc).
Fat is the energy store in the body. Fat acts as an insulator
and protects the vital organs. You need to maintain some
fat stores to remain as strong as possible. Fats are found in
meat, fish, eggs, cheese, biscuits, chocolate and cakes, as
well as the spreads put on bread and the oils and hard fats
used for frying or baking.
Vitamins and minerals are very important for promoting
health and preventing diseases. They are found in a wide
variety of foods. They control many chemical processes in
the body. Some examples of vitamins and minerals are
vitamin C which is found in fruit and vegetables, and calcium
which can be found in milk and other dairy products.
What food do I need for a healthy diet?
Look at the eatwell plate on page 3 to see how much of your
food should come from each food group. This is everything
you eat during the day, including snacks. You don’t need to
get the balance right at every meal. But try to get it right
over time such as a whole day or week.
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So try to eat:
 Plenty of fruit and vegetables
 Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy
foods – choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can
 Some milk and dairy foods
 Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy
sources of protein
 Just a small amount of foods and drinks high in fat or
sugar
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What is a portion?
A portion is a slice of bread, one medium potato, two slices
of meat, a fillet of fish, one egg, a square of cheese, a piece
of fresh fruit and so on.
If you eat everything in moderate amounts and keep a
balance in your diet you will remain well nourished.
Should I take more vitamins and minerals when I’m
unwell?
There is no reason to take extra vitamins and minerals if you
are eating a healthy diet as explained here. However if you
are a smoker you will need more vitamin C such as an extra
piece of fruit each day.
There is no evidence that taking more vitamins or minerals
will be of any value to you and in certain cases vitamins can
be harmful. However, there is no harm in taking one
multivitamin tablet each day if you wish. Buy vitamins from
a pharmacy to make sure they are of good quality.
How much alcohol can I drink?
You may be advised to stop drinking alcohol whilst you are
having treatment. Ask your doctor, nurse or radiographer
about this. In any case you should not exceed a safe
alcohol intake which is 3 - 4 units per day for men and 2 - 3
units per day for women. You should spread your alcohol
intake out over the week and include at least 2 alcohol free
days a week.
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One unit is either ½ pint of beer or lager, a 125mls glass of
wine or a single pub measure of 25mls of spirits (gin,
whisky, vodka or rum).
What if I don’t feel well enough to cook?
If you are unable to cook ask other people to do the cooking
for you, cook extra food when you feel able to do so and
freeze it to eat later or buy ready prepared foods. For
example, instant mashed potato, tinned and frozen
vegetables, tinned meats such as stewing steak and corned
beef, tinned milk puddings, boil in the bag dishes,
microwave meals and even take always can be useful (also,
see store cupboard ideas below).
Make sure you still eat the foods in the advised amounts.
You may be able to get Meals on Wheels if you or your
carer are unable to cook. Your Social Services department
can give you more information about this.
Store cupboard ideas
It is handy to have a store of basic foods in your cupboards
in case it is difficult to get to the shops. Examples of
suitable foods are:
 Tinned meat e.g. cooked ham, corned beef, minced
beef
 Tinned macaroni cheese
 Tinned spaghetti
 Tinned tuna, salmon, pilchards or sardines
 Boxes of cereals e.g. Weetabix, Ready Brek
 UHT fruit juice
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Jam, honey or marmalade
Tinned rice pudding or custard
Packet mousses, blancmanges or jelly
Tinned cream or evaporated milk
Packet instant potato
Powdered milk drinks – Horlicks, Ovaltine, drinking
chocolate, Bournvita
 Carton UHT full cream milk
What about complementary and alternative diets?
A complementary diet refers to any unusual change to a
normal diet which claims to benefit people with cancer. An
alternative diet refers to any change to a normal diet which
claims to treat or even cure cancer. There isn’t any
scientific evidence to prove that these claims are true. If
you are interested in these regimes, please ask to see the
dietitian who can offer support and advice.
Is there any other information available?
Yes. If you experience taste changes, constipation, or
diarrhoea without losing weight, your nurse or radiographer
can give advice on help with eating to provide the correct
nutrients for health. If you lose weight or have more specific
nutritional problems, please ask to see the dietitian who will
give you advice tailored to your needs.
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Further information
If you would like further information please contact the
dietitians on:
Phone: 029 2061 5888 ext 2214
Email: [email protected]
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This leaflet was written by the dietitians at Velindre Cancer
Centre. It has been approved by health professionals and
patients. It is reviewed and updated annually.
Prepared June 2010 Reviewed January 2013
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