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Are Protein Shakes Good for Weight Gain During Chemotherapy?
While vital to the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy can have serious side effects for people receiving it, including weight loss, loss of appetite, loss of taste and smell, nausea, mouth sores, dry mouth, chronic pain, and hair and nail problems. Of all of the side effects, appetite loss and weight loss are potentially the most dangerous because they can lead patients to become malnourished. Cancer patients that have lost weight during chemotherapy should know that they can use ENU protein shakes to gain and maintain a healthy amount of weight during chemotherapy. Continue reading to learn more about how ENU protein shakes can be a part of your post-chemotherapy weight gain.
The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Weight During Chemo
Weight gain during chemotherapy should be done at a stable rate to make sure that the weight will not be lost quickly. Chemotherapy patients that want to gain weight steadily can make small and consistent changes to their diets to increase their calorie consumption. They can also exercise moderately to ensure that weight will stay on as muscle.
ENU protein shakes are an excellent addition to a weight gain diet. These protein shakes for medical diets can be easily incorporated into the diets of anyone trying to gain weight during chemotherapy; they can be added to the end of a meal for additional calories, consumed as a snack between meals, or used as an intermittent meal replacement. Chemotherapy patients that are interested in using ENU protein shakes as part of a weight gain diet should know that they should not replace their entire diet with protein shakes; a majority of your diet for weight management should be in the form of nutritious solid foods.
Chemotherapy Patients and Liquid Supplements for Weight Gain
Liquid supplements such as ENU protein shakes are an ideal addition to the diets of people that are trying to gain weight while going through chemotherapy. Eating while going through chemo can often be difficult for multiple reasons — loss of appetite and nausea chief among them. Protein shakes for cancer patients are easily consumed by chemotherapy patients trying to gain weight despite nausea because they have a neutral flavor that is not likely to produce negative reactions. Chemotherapy patients that would like to gain weight with protein shakes should know that there are recipes using protein shakes available to them.
ENU protein shakes are also an excellent option for chemotherapy patients that are suffering from mouth sores, dry mouth, and/or thick saliva. Since ENU protein shakes are liquid and require no chewing, they are an excellent option for chemotherapy patients with a compromised ability to chew and swallow. Chemotherapy patients are also frequently faced with digestive issues such as constipation and diarrhea. ENU shakes are made with pure, well-sourced ingredients, so they are gentle on sensitive digestive systems.
Chemotherapy patients often find it difficult to find the energy to prepare balanced and nutritious meals for themselves. ENU protein shakes are ideal for chemotherapy patients who are unable to prepare meals themselves because they require no preparation yet provide all of the nutrients a person needs.
The Nutrients Chemo Patients Need to Gain Weight
ENU protein shakes are a useful tool for chemotherapy patients that are trying to gain weight because they provide an array of nutrients that prevents the patient from becoming malnourished. ENU shakes provide the macronutrients protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats in a ratio formulated to support the body’s immune system, aid the process of cell repair, and improve overall health and vitality.
These important macronutrients are present in ENU protein shakes:
- Complex carbohydrates – These are vital to supplying the body with energy. The complex carbs in ENU protein shakes are superior to simple carbs in that they prevent blood sugar levels from spiking; complex carbohydrates are also beneficial because they supply more vitamins and minerals than simple carbohydrates. ENU protein shakes contain complex carbs that come from tapioca, quinoa, and brown rice.
- Naturally derived protein – Protein is necessary for healthy weight gain because it contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscles. Protein also plays an important role in proper immune function and the body’s healing process. Soy and whey provide the protein for ENU protein shakes; these types of protein are the most easily absorbed by the body.
- Healthy fats – A weight gain diet must include healthy fats; these are essential to healthy weight gain for chemotherapy patients because they help the body absorb vitamins and minerals while making the person consuming them feel satisfied. Healthy fats contain a large number of calories in a small amount of volume, which is ideal for people that are trying to gain weight. The healthy fats in ENU protein shakes come from coconut oil and sunflower oil, both of which are good sources of Omega-6 fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides.
ENU protein shakes are also a good source of 24 different vitamins and minerals. They are also free of GMOs, gluten, lactose, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, algae, and carrageenan.
Use ENU Protein Shakes to Gain Weight During Chemotherapy
The importance of maintaining a healthy weight during chemotherapy cannot be overstated. People who are going through chemo should know that they can depend on ENU protein shakes as an addition to a balanced diet intended to gain or maintain weight. If you are a chemotherapy patient interested in learning more about how you can gain weight and keep it on with the help of ENU protein shakes, get in touch with ENU soon by visiting us online or calling (855) 266-6733.