A healthy eating guide

For some people, eating problems are only a temporary effect of their treatment and most of the time they can eat well.

This healthy eating section contains sound nutritional advice for people with cancer who have no weight loss or eating problems. It is also for anyone without eating problems who wants to follow a diet to keep as healthy as possible and feel better. In the long term, this diet may reduce the chances of getting heart disease and diabetes as well as certain types of cancer. This diet can also be used by members of your family who do not have cancer.

Some of the advice given in this section may contradict that given in the building-up diet| section. The advice there is for specific groups of people with cancer who are eating very little, or are losing weight, and is not recommended for people who can eat normally.

Our diet can affect our risk of developing some cancers. A summary of the evidence regarding diet, lifestyle and cancer prevention was produced in February 2009 by the World Cancer Research Fund|. You may reduce your cancer risk by eating a healthier, balanced diet. This kind of diet is high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fat, sugar, salt and in red and processed meats. There is a lot of information available on healthy eating from organisations such as the Food Standards Agency| and NHS Direct|. The information in this section is a summary of the main things to consider if you want to follow a healthier diet.