My father's prostate cancer journey was definitely interesting and one of the big issues he needed to rethink at the time was his diet. He received a very helpful pamphlet from his urologist as he was undergoing radiation treatments: Eating Hints for Cancer Patients Before, During, and After Treament.

Although my dad is not one for following a strict diet or exercise regimen, he decided to take a look at this information because he was feeling a bit lethargic and nauseaous from his initial hormone therapy. He quipped that he could finally understand what it meant to feel like a woman as he experienced some of the side-effects of estrogen and how it changes a person's moods and eating patterns.

The following are some of the things he was advised to eat and drink during his treatment. Since cancer can alter a patient's energy levels, eating patterns, and digestive functionings, it was important for my dad to carefully consider foods for the following prostate cancer symptoms. The changes were quite simple and the payoffs were great:

Loss of Appetite

Cancer treatments or the cancer itself may cause a loss of appetite for patients. Stress and/or depression may also be factors. Ways to get proper nutrition when eating isn't easy include drinking nutritious liquids such as milk, vegetable juices, fruit juices, and soups; having portable and nutritious snacks such as crackers, granola bars, or small fruits when hunger DOES strike; or replacing solid meals with liquid meal replacements (powered or liquid nutritional drinks.)

Changing meal patterns may also help a loss of appetite. One way to do this would include eating more during periods of wellness, such as upon first waking. Trying smaller but more frequent meals can also take the stress out of trying to manage larger meals. And eating something small before bed can provide needed nutrients that have a longer period to digest.

Nausea / Vomiting / Diarrhea

These digestive issues are quite common for cancer patients, especially during treatment. Nausea can be eased by sticking to mild-tasting foods such as oatmeal, rice, noodles, sherbert, yogurt, crackers, toast, pretzels, and skinless chicken breast. Avoiding greasy, sweet, spicy, or strong-smelling foods is best. In terms of vomiting, it's best to introduce clear liquids in small amounts until more substantial liquids or soft foods are manageable (such as milk, fruit nectars, sherberts, vegetable juices, cooked cereals, and cream soups.)

Diarrhea can be very dehydrating so the trick is to eat small amounts of foods that keep the body supplied with sodium and potassium (often lost during bouts of diarrhea.) Such foods include bananas, boiled or mashed potatoes, bullion, broth, and certain sports drinks. Other good choices are skinned lean chicken or turkey, lean beef, or fish (not fried.) Yogurt, cottage cheese, rice, noodles, potatoes, and smooth peanut butter are other solid options that don't promote diarrhea.