The Wellness Chef’s Care Plan for “Fatigue”

There are many causes of fatigue in patients who have cancer and they stem from multiple things. One that often occurs is “Reduced Energy Intake,” or simply the patient is just not eating.

This is also known as “Increased Resting Energy.” Just as you are sitting here, you are burning a certain number of calories, but with cancer patients, they actually burn more calories at rest than someone who does not have cancer.

This is a result of the kinds of chemicals your body is producing to try to fight the tumor. As a result, because your body is producing these chemicals it leads to increased breakdown of protein and fat.

Recommendations:

• Consume plenty of “clean” proteins and fats with medium levels of purines like chicken, fish, beans, and eggs to increase energy levels.
• Eat plenty of pink grapefruit, watermelon, tomatoes & tomato products. These contain lycopene, which has been shown to help with damage to the immune system.
• Include in your diet foods high in zinc, such as mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, seafood (salmon, mackerel, sardines, or herring, that have high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids), spinach, sunflower seeds & whole grains.
• Restrict you- intake of red meat, dairy products, butter, alcohol, coffee, and refined carbohydrates. A high-fat, low-fiber diet raises the levels of testosterone and other hormones in the body, which stimulates the prostate-and any cancerous cells in it-to grow.
• Include moderate consumption of yogurt and kefir in your diet.
• Consider using the spice Turmeric, as it contains curcumin, an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals. (Those who are on blood thinners should NOT consume Turmeric or curcumin).
• Include in your diet apples, fresh cantaloupe, all kinds of berries, blueberries and strawberries; Brazil nuts, cherries, grapes, legumes, including chick peas, lentils, and red beans, carrots, cabbage, plums, and walnuts. All of these foods help to fight cancer.