By: Roshani Patel, M.D., FACS

One of my goals as the Medical Director of Breast Surgery at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, is to make it easier for cancer patients to eat well.  Breast cancer patients and survivors are often told that a healthy lifestyle is a key factor in successfully treating cancer and keeping it from recurring. However, the practical advice for how to incorporate better nutrition into an already-full life isn’t always provided.  One of the ways I’m providing my patients with this advice is by leading grocery store tours, twice a month, along with dietitians from Hackensack Meridian Health and ShopRite.

It can be challenging for people to know what foods are healthy with the abundant fad diet information posted online, and taking time to read labels at the store can be overwhelming. I started the grocery store tours so that patients can benefit from firsthand, trusted advice for grocery shopping and healthy eating.  There are a few general health tips I provide my patients to help them achieve better health with nutrition.

First, is to properly balance meals, to get enough protein and fiber, with

• 25 percent proteins

• 25 percent whole grains

• 35 percent vegetables

• 15 percent fruits 

Protein is especially important during cancer treatment for the prevention of edema (swelling).  For those too tired or sick to cook, I recommend low-sugar protein powders, nuts and legumes, and lean meats that are easy to prepare.

Cancer patients, especially those experiencing side effects from chemotherapy, often get dehydrated.  Water alone isn’t enough to maintain hydration; electrolytes are needed.  I recommend adding natural sources of electrolytes, such as cucumber or watermelon chunks or orange zest or peel, to your water, rather than buying sports drinks, which contain sugar or artificial colors and sweeteners.

Whole and unprocessed or minimally processed foods are best to keep meals simple.  With packaged goods, fewer (and easily pronounceable) ingredients are better.  For example, look for crackers that contain only whole wheat, oil and salt.

I completely understand the urge to reach for something easy and tasty like chips when people need a burst of energy, so I recommend preparing grab-and-go snacks ahead of time.  For example, using a reusable container version of a charcuterie board with cheese cubes, berries, olives, nuts and other healthy finger foods.

Sugar is a major dietary cause of inflammation.  Read labels carefully, since sugar is often hidden in packaged goods that people may not associate with it, such as in bread, condiments and other products.  Sugar may be labeled as glucose, fructose, cane, dextrose, sucrose, maltose and galactose.  Women should have less than six teaspoons of added sugar a day (24 grams); men should have less than nine teaspoons of sugar per day (26 grams).  Artificial sweeteners aren’t much better and actually increase sugar cravings and craving for food in general. Artificial sweeteners can have a negative impact on the gut microbiome, which is important in healing to reduce inflammation in the body.  

Lastly, grocery stores place items strategically to maximize impulse purchases of higher-profit (and usually less healthy) products, and change things up regularly to make shoppers see more choices while looking for things on their list.  I tell my patients that understanding that stores present food this way helps them stick to the basics.  It’s often a good idea to shop the perimeter of stores, where fresh produce, dairy, meats and seafood, rather than processed foods, are positioned.

With more than ten years experience as a board-certified breast surgical oncologist, Dr. Patel specializes in breast-sparing surgery with lumpectomy, and partners with her plastic surgery colleagues to offer oncoplastic approaches for her cancer patients. She encourages patients and survivors to support their overall health through holistic, lifestyle-focused approaches, including nutritious diet, mindfulness and exercise.  She has office locations in HOPE Tower at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Jackson, N.J.  She is fluent in English and Gujarati.  To make an appointment, call 732-263-7960.