Taking care of and looking after your nutrition after breast cancer surgery is important. Following a healthy diet and exercising will help you regain your health and strength.

In this article, Dr. Garvit Chitkara will share some Diet tips you can adopt for a quick recovery if you just had breast cancer surgery. Dr. Garvit chikara offers one of the best treatments for breast cancer surgery in Mumbai. 

Read on to know the best diet tips to include after your breast cancer surgery,

Diet Essentials

Protein: Proteins help to fight infections, repair cells, and heal wounds. Here’s what you can do to get more:

• You can add protein powder to your meals.
• Add high-protein snacks such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and cheese.
• Include grated cheese in your salads, potatoes, vegetables, and rice.
• You should eat proteins without worrying about putting on weight. If you do want to lose weight, you can do it once you regain your strength and recover completely.

Phytochemicals: Phytochemicals are nutrients found in plants. Research shows that some phytochemicals help fight cancer and prevent it from recurring. A few examples of well-known phytochemicals are flavonoids, isothiocyanates, phenolic acids, curcumin, isoflavones, and carotenoids.

Soy: Soybeans contain phytoestrogens. These are nutrients that are similar to estrogen in your body. Tofu, soy milk, and miso soup are all sources of soybeans that help in the protection against breast cancer. If you are undergoing hormone treatment, it is better that you consult with your doctor beforehand.

Antioxidants: Antioxidants protect your cells from damage. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts have abundant antioxidants; some include mangoes, blueberries, carrots, broccoli, walnuts, and almonds.

Lycopene: Lycopene is a type of antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Lycopene has an organic pigment called carotenoid that gives some vegetables and fruits a red or pink color, e.g., tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelons, and papaya.

Beta-carotene: Beta-carotene is a red-orange pigment found in many fruits and vegetables. The human body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A. Foods rich in beta-carotene include carrots, spinach, broccoli, grapefruit, peppers, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.

Studies suggest that eating foods that contain beta-carotene can help lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

Types of healthy Diet

Dr. Garvit Chitkara, one of the top oncologists, offering one of the best breast cancer surgeries in Mumbai, says studies show that eating a healthy diet containing a balanced portion of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products has had positive effects on cancer survival and also has speedy recovery after cancer treatment.

Some types of diets have been found to be nutritious and healthy, so we’ll be looking into some of these diet types below,

• Mediterranean Diet: The Mediterranean diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, legumes, nuts, and healthy fats. Researchers found that people from around the mediterranean sea (Greece, Italy, Spain, and France) were exceptionally healthy and had very few risks of chronic diseases. The Mediterranean diet promotes weight loss and prevents heart attacks, strokes, and type-2 diabetes. This diet can help you heal quickly and promote good health.
• Keto Diet: Dr. Garvit Chikara, one of the top oncologists, who provides one of the best cancer surgery in Mumbai, says that the Keto diet has been gaining much popularity in Mumbai in recent years. The ketogenic diet consists of high-fat and low-carbohydrate eating plans. By cutting carbohydrates, your body goes into a state of ketosis, meaning your body is forced to burn stored fat into energy. Studies have proved that keto-diet can help speed up healing and recovery time after cancer treatment. It would be best to consult your doctor before adopting this diet type.
• Plant-based diet: A plant-based diet is similar to a vegan diet, but a plant-based diet includes some animal products. A vegan diet consists of eating only foods comprising plants and avoiding all animal products(meat, dairy, eggs). Plant-based diet encompasses a high amount of plant products(vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts) and very low amounts of animal products (meat, poultry, dairy). Studies have shown that plant-based diets help in the prevention of recurring cancer. Before any of the diets, be sure to consult your doctor.

Foods to Avoid

Dr. Garvit Chitkara, top oncologist, providing one of the best breast cancer surgery in Mumbai says, after breast cancer treatment you must take a lot of precautions and avoid eating unhealthy foods.  Unhealthy food will have a negative impact and interfere with the healing process.

Below we’ll look at some foods that you must avoid.

• Alcohol: Studies show that consuming alcohol increases the chances of recurring breast cancer. Wine, beer, and liquor do interfere with the healing process.

• Spicy and acidic foods: Foods containing high spice levels should be avoided as they can cause mouth soreness.

• Raw or undercooked foods: Raw foods can cause you to develop an infection. Avoid eating raw foods like sushi, oysters, shellfish, and seafood. See to it, and the food is adequately cooked, especially chicken and poultry. 

• Sugary beverages: Added sugar and preservatives are unhealthy. Avoid sugary drinks like soda and artificially flavored drinks.
• Processed foods: Junk foods should be avoided as they contain trans-fat, potassium bromate, propylene glycol, and calcium sulfate; these chemicals have been found to be dangerous to a person’s overall health.