{"id":1276,"date":"2021-10-06T07:43:49","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T07:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/?p=1276"},"modified":"2025-11-18T05:38:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T05:38:39","slug":"how-to-maintain-a-healthy-diet-with-breast-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/blog\/healthy-diet-with-breast-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Maintain a Healthy Diet With Breast Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have breast cancer or you\u2019ve completed your treatment, following a healthy diet can help regain your energy, rebuild your strength, and support your immune system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can get the nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, among others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This article explores some <\/span><a href=\"\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/breast-cancer-prevention-miami-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>breast cancer diet recommendations<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and other strategies you can apply to your routine to stay healthy while receiving breast cancer treatment. We\u2019ll also go through some diet tips for cancer survivors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Breast Cancer and Nutrition<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although doctors recommend that everyone follows a healthy diet, people with breast cancer or those who have completed their treatment have to be more aware of what they eat and drink.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A healthy breast cancer diet can provide the following benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It helps you maintain a healthy weight.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It reduces your cancer symptoms and treatment side effects.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It strengthens your immune system.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reduces fatigue<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Breast Cancer Diet Recommendations\u00a0<\/b><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1278 size-full\" style=\"font-size: 16px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations-.jpg\" alt=\"Balanced Diet Organic Healthy Food Clean Eating Selection Including Certain Protein Prevents Cancer: Fish, Meat, Fruit, Vegetable, Cereal, Leaf Vegetable\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations--200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations--400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations--600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations--800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Breast-Cancer-Diet-Recommendations-.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are a lot of foods that you can eat to ensure that you get the right vitamins and nutrients to help your body fight cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let\u2019s go through some of them:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Proteins\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cancer patients need more proteins than those who don&#8217;t have cancer, as their body needs help to heal tissues and fight the infection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you don&#8217;t consume enough proteins, your body starts breaking down muscle to get the fuel that it might need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When this happens, it may take longer for your body to heal from illnesses, and you&#8217;ll be more at risk of developing infections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The below are some foods that doctors may recommend for those following a breast cancer diet:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fish.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Poultry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eggs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nuts.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Soy foods.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Fats<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you eat fats, the body breaks them down to store energy and allows vitamins to travel through the bloodstream.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are the fats that cancer care teams and dieticians recommend adding to a breast cancer diet:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Monounsaturated fats: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These include olive, canola, and peanut oils.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Polyunsaturated fats: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These are primarily present in safflower, sunflower, corn, flaxseed oils, and seafood.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are also other fats, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Saturated fats: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You shouldn&#8217;t consume a lot of these fats, as they can increase your cholesterol levels and heart disease risk. You can find them in meat, poultry, butter, and cheese, among others.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Trans fats: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid these at all costs. &#8211; They come from snack foods and baked goods, and they can increase your bad cholesterol levels and lower your good cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Carbohydrates<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Carbohydrates are other sources that should be part of nutrition for breast cancer patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">They act as the body&#8217;s fuel that we need for exercising and organ function.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can find various foods containing carbohydrates, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whole grains.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fruits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vegetables.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pasta.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Potatoes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Antioxidants<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E, and you can find them in many fruits and vegetables.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, it is best to consult with a doctor while receiving cancer treatment as they can suggest when it&#8217;s best to take antioxidant supplements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Herbs<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Herbs can treat health diseases, and you can find them in various products, such as creams, ointments, teas, and liquid extracts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most of them are safe to use but can cause harmful effects, as they can interact with the medications that you&#8217;re taking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your doctor can provide more advice on your breast cancer and nutrition diet to determine whether you can take products containing herbs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Diet Tips for Cancer Patients<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cancer can cause fatigue, and many patients don\u2019t have the energy to cook or plan their meals. At Breast Care Center Miami, we offer these tips that you can implement into your routine:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Prepare small portions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You&#8217;re more likely to have nausea, bloating, and constipation if you have cancer, which can make it hard to eat three times per day. What you can do is prepare more meals during the day but reduce the size of your portions. You can also add boiled eggs, peanut butter, and apples.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Consult a dietitian: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is best to meet with a registered dietitian specializing in helping people who need breast cancer and nutrition advice. They can create breast cancer diet recommendations based on your food preferences and provide you with tips on managing your side effects.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Use different utensils: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you&#8217;re undergoing chemotherapy, you may have a bad taste in your mouth, and some foods, such as meat, can also leave a metallic taste. As a result, we recommend replacing metal utensils with plastic ones instead, to improve the taste of your food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Drink more water: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dehydration is common in cancer patients, as treatment can cause vomiting and diarrhea. It is best to limit your caffeine intake and drink between eight to twelve glasses of water every day, and you can also add fruit juice, milk, and low-sodium broth to your diet.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Furthermore, our team also recommends doing the following to increase your calorie and protein intake while receiving treatment:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eating every few hours.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Engaging in light exercises before having meals can increase your appetite.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Drinking between meals, as doing so with meals can make you feel full.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eat high-protein foods, such as Greek yogurt, eggs, and meat.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We\u2019ll talk about food safety that revolves around nutrition for breast cancer patients in the coming section.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Food Safety and Cancer Treatment<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">People who have cancer or are receiving treatment have a weak immune system,\u00a0 as their body doesn&#8217;t have enough white blood cells to protect against infections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Healthy food won&#8217;t increase your white blood cell counts. However, you can implement these food handling tips that you can use for planning and preparing food when you&#8217;re undergoing treatment:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wash your hands with soap and water before and after preparing food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid refreezing defrosted foods.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Washing fruits and vegetables before eating them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid eating raw vegetable sprouts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Throwing away moldy fruits and vegetables.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Storing raw meat in a sealed container.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using different utensils for raw meat.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now that we\u2019ve discussed nutrition for breast cancer patients let\u2019s go through the tips we recommend for a cancer survivor\u2019s diet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Diet Tips For Cancer Survivors<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1279 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors.jpg\" alt=\"Happy Daughter Child Helping Cancer Patient Mom to Cook Dinner\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/10\/Diet-Tips-For-Cancer-Survivors.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Doctors, nurses, or dietitians can help create a diet plan for cancer survivors, as they will need to regain their strength and energy and rebuild tissue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These are our diet tips for cancer survivors:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eat fruits and vegetables every day, such as citrus fruits, dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eat foods rich in fiber- these include whole-grain bread and cereals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Limit red meat intake (beef, pork, or lamb) and processed meats (bacon and sausage).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid alcohol, as it can increase the risk of cancers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A survivor\u2019s diet should also include physical exercise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/treatment\/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment\/staying-active\/physical-activity-and-the-cancer-patient.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">American Cancer Society<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, you should also do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity, such as walking every week. Exercising comes with several benefits, as it can reduce the risk of health conditions, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Depression.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fatigue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nausea.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Constipation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Book Your Appointment Today<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Breast cancer and its treatment can make you feel tired, without energy and reduce the body\u2019s ability to fight infection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A healthy diet can help increase your vitamin and nutrient intake, and physical exercise is also known to reduce the symptoms of some health conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are concerned about your breast cancer treatment side effects and want us to help you create a diet plan, call our office at (305) 271-3300 to book your appointment. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have breast cancer or you\u2019ve completed your treatment, following a healthy diet can help regain your energy, rebuild<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1277,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[14,161],"tags":[242,237,238,239,240,241],"class_list":["post-1276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-breast-cancer","tag-breast-cancer-and-nutrition","tag-breast-cancer-diet","tag-breast-cancer-diet-recommendations","tag-diet-tips-for-cancer-survivors","tag-nutrition-for-breast-cancer-patients","tag-survivors-diet"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1276\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/breast-care-center-of-miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}