Even if eating to support your health becomes difficult because of cancer or cancer treatments, there are usually a few small simple steps that you and your healthcare team can take to make things a little easier.

At times like these it’s very important to choose foods that you enjoy as much as possible, but, with the information in this booklet and a little experimentation and creativity, we hope you can still find ways of making sure you get the nutrients you need to give your body the best chance of recovering quickly and well after your treatment has finished.

Once you have finished your treatment, any treatment-related disturbance of your eating or digestion should gradually improve over a number of weeks. Occasionally fatigue can last longer than this. If you’re experiencing severe or persistent symptoms, or notice unexpected changes in your weight, it’s important that you contact a healthcare professional (your GP or a member of your cancer team) as you may need further support with this, or need to be treated with medication.

As your symptoms settle down after treatment, you should find that you can gradually increase the variety of healthy foods you’re able to eat and enjoy. Alongside being physically active and learning to manage stress levels, eating healthily can play a very important role in supporting your recovery and rebuilding your resilience, so that you’ve the best chances of living well after treatment finishes.