Food Safety Tips for Cancer Patients

Food Safety During and After Cancer Treatment

If you are in your cancer journey- recently diagnosed or in treatment or survivorship – eating healthy, nutritious meals is significant to supporting a healthy immune system. The immune system is intended to combat germs and viruses like colds and the flu, to assist prevent you from getting sick or, if you do get disease-ridden, diminishing the severity of symptoms. A healthy immune system may also help you maintain your strength amidst cancer treatments and make some treatments, such as immunotherapy, work better.

Eating well, and doing safely, is even more essential amidst the limitation’s characteristic during this COVID-19 outbreak. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and dairy products play essential roles in a well-balanced diet. However, when you’re trying to constrain others by diminishing trips to the grocery store, or the number of home deliveries, how do you keep fresh, healthy foods on hand? But how do you keep your foods safe from bacteria and other germs?

Protection Tips for Storing and Cleaning Food

Before working around food, make a weak bleach solution to rub down your sink and all surface regions you will be working on. This solution kills and eradicates foodborne and other bacteria.

In order to keep your fruits and vegetables fresh longer, before storing in your refrigerator’s crisper, wash each product thoroughly with room-temperature water, then rinse with a mixture of water and either vinegar or citrus juice.

Dry your items with a clean or paper towel and compromise two to three dry paper towels within storage containers to absorb moisture and gases naturally released as foods ripen. If fruits and vegetables are harder with lower sugar or acidic content, they tend to last longer than delicate items with excess sugar or acidic levels, like tomatoes, peaches, and grapes.

Significant Steps to Reduce Risk

Frequent washing your hands and making sure those around you do the same are essential food safety tips for cancer patients. Your hands come into contact with several germs and bacteria throughout the day. There is no indication that Coronavirus can be passed on from food or food packing to have a sigh of relief. However, for general food safety reasons, it is a great idea to cleanse your hand before handling food-related items.

Some Major Tips to Diminish the Risk 

Refrigerate Food Instantaneously

In order to diminish the development of bacteria, you should refrigerate your foods within two hours of purchasing. To keep your food fresh for a more extended period, you need to set the items at 40 degrees or lower and the freezer at 0 degrees or lower.

Evade Cross-Contamination 

Seafood, eggs, and raw meats can transfer bacteria from a surface to another; thus, keep these high-risk foods in their own section of your shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator. Don’t forget to sanitize the surfaces that come into contact with them.

Don’t Forget to Select Reputable Sources

One should make sure that your food comes from, shop local when possible, and buy items in the season. This observant will assist you in selecting fresh, healthy food items.

Besides these, if you are a cancer survivor or inactive treatment or are concerned about how the Coronavirus situation may impact you, promptly contact your doctor or healthcare provider.