By Rangga Teguh Pratama
If you have persistent mouth dryness due, for example, to the effect of radiation on the glands that produce saliva, you may wish to sip water frequently or use a mouth spray. Meals will be easier with sauces or salad dressings, and you'll likely be using your blender more than ever before to create soups and fruit smoothies. Some people find that gum without sugar, especially citrus-flavored, helps moisten their mouths.
Anticancer drugs, radiation, and infection may result in tender gums, or a sore mouth or throat.
Try these tips:
- Choose soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow: oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, scrambled tofu, soup, mashed potatoes, blueberry pudding, or smoothies. (See the recipe section for ideas.) Bananas, watermelons, other soft fruits, and applesauce are nutritious and go down easily.
- Mash or puree any variety of vegetable just as you would mashed potatoes. If you don't already have a food processor or blender, you'll find it's an excellent investment.
- Make sure that veggies and beans are cooked well, so they are soft and tender.
- Adding a vegan gravy can make foods easier to swallow.
- Vegetables, beans, and grains, in just about any combination, can make a good soup. In fact, people can live on soups for months on end and never run out of new tastes and combinations.
- To boost the calories, add cashews or tofu. Use soft, medium, or firm tofu, or any silken tofu. They blend right in, and are a gentle form of nourishment.
- Backpacking equipment stores sell containers with lids that screw on tightly and don't leak a drop, making it simple to transport foods without having soup or a fruit shake spill in your bag.
- Blended drinks and smoothies can help you swallow pills if you find that thinner liquids don't work. Pills and supplements may need to be crushed and dissolved, or try a liquid formula instead.
- Certain foods can be irritating, such as those that are very sour, salty, spicy, or coarse-textured. This may not be the time for citrus fruits, raw vegetables, or toast.
- If swallowing is hard, tilt your head forward, sideways, or back to find a position that works better. You may need to eat with extra awareness so you don't choke on food. If you are afraid of choking, ask your healthcare provider to arrange an assessment and advice about the best textures and techniques for your situation.
- People treated for esophageal cancer or some stomach cancers may need to sit up for half an hour or so after meals.
If you have persistent mouth dryness due, for example, to the effect of radiation on the glands that produce saliva, you may wish to sip water frequently or use a mouth spray. Meals will be easier with sauces or salad dressings, and you'll likely be using your blender more than ever before to create soups and fruit smoothies. Some people find that gum without sugar, especially citrus-flavored, helps moisten their mouths.
Anticancer drugs, radiation, and infection may result in tender gums, or a sore mouth or throat.
Try these tips:
- Choose soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow: oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, scrambled tofu, soup, mashed potatoes, blueberry pudding, or smoothies. (See the recipe section for ideas.) Bananas, watermelons, other soft fruits, and applesauce are nutritious and go down easily.
- Mash or puree any variety of vegetable just as you would mashed potatoes. If you don't already have a food processor or blender, you'll find it's an excellent investment.
- Make sure that veggies and beans are cooked well, so they are soft and tender.
- Adding a vegan gravy can make foods easier to swallow.
- Vegetables, beans, and grains, in just about any combination, can make a good soup. In fact, people can live on soups for months on end and never run out of new tastes and combinations.
- To boost the calories, add cashews or tofu. Use soft, medium, or firm tofu, or any silken tofu. They blend right in, and are a gentle form of nourishment.
- Backpacking equipment stores sell containers with lids that screw on tightly and don't leak a drop, making it simple to transport foods without having soup or a fruit shake spill in your bag.
- Blended drinks and smoothies can help you swallow pills if you find that thinner liquids don't work. Pills and supplements may need to be crushed and dissolved, or try a liquid formula instead.
- Certain foods can be irritating, such as those that are very sour, salty, spicy, or coarse-textured. This may not be the time for citrus fruits, raw vegetables, or toast.
- If swallowing is hard, tilt your head forward, sideways, or back to find a position that works better. You may need to eat with extra awareness so you don't choke on food. If you are afraid of choking, ask your healthcare provider to arrange an assessment and advice about the best textures and techniques for your situation.
- People treated for esophageal cancer or some stomach cancers may need to sit up for half an hour or so after meals.
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