Diet and physical activity after acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

Diet and ALL

Diet plays an important part in coping with cancer and its treatment. A good, well balanced diet can help you feel stronger, have more energy, and recover more quickly. When you are having treatment for ALL, eating can sometimes be a challenge and knowing what to eat can be difficult.

After treatment, most people can eat whatever they want.

While having treatment your weight may have changed, and you might have lost weight. This may be because of your treatment side effects such as:

• loss of appetite

• taste changes

• feeling sick

• a sore mouth

• constipation or diarrhoea

Or you might have put on weight from the steroids you had as part of your treatment. 

If you still find it difficult to eat, you can try high calorie and high protein drinks. You might have had these drinks during treatment. Once your treatment has finished, you should begin to feel better and be able to eat a normal diet. This can take a while after intensive treatment.

Find out how to manage diet problems

What foods should I eat?

After having cancer, many people look at their diet and make changes, deciding to choose healthier options.

For a healthy diet, eat mostly:

• vegetables

• fruit

• wholegrains like whole meal bread, brown rice and rolled oats

• healthy sources of protein like fish, chicken and pulses (such as beans, lentils and chickpeas)

Have less:

• processed and red meat

• sugary drinks

• high calorie foods like fast food and food high in sugar

• alcohol

Get tips on how to cut down on alcohol

What should a meal include?

It is important to eat a varied diet. This includes a range of food in the right proportions and drinking plenty of fluids. But this doesn’t mean you can’t allow yourself the occasional treat.

The diagram below shows you how much of each food group you should eat each day to follow a varied diet.

This diagram is called Eatwell Guide. We have Eatwell Guides for people who follow African, Caribbean, South Asian and vegan diets.

Find out more about the Eatwell Guides on our diet section

Ask your healthcare team if you have any questions about your diet following your cancer treatment

Get advice about how to enjoy a healthy diet

Diet after a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy

During treatment your team may have advised you to make changes to your diet. This is to reduce the chance of picking up an infection from your food.

Check with your doctor or nurse what you can eat after your ​stem cell transplant​ or CAR T-cell therapy. Your immune system might take some time to recover so you might need to be careful with food hygiene for a few months. The advice can vary slightly between hospitals.  

Find out more about CAR T-cell therapy

General advice includes:

• eating only freshly cooked food

• avoiding undercooked eggs

• avoiding soft cheese and blue cheese

• avoiding creamy cakes and puddings

• avoiding shellfish

• washing salads and fruit very thoroughly

• avoiding takeaways and fast food restaurants (or make sure they make you freshly cooked food)

Don't drink more than the recommended level of alcohol. Ask your doctor if alcohol will interfere with any medicines you are taking.

Get more information about life after a stem cell transplant

Physical activity and ALL

You might feel less physically fit after treatment for ALL. Physical activity is a great way to help you feel better, both physically and emotionally.

It can help to:

• improve your heart health and strength

• reduce tiredness (fatigue)

• reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression

But it is important not to overdo it. How much you can do will depend on how fit you are and how you feel. You will probably have days when you don’t have so much energy. Listen to your body and build up slowly.

Gentle walking is suitable for most people to start with. If you don't have a central line, you can do most contact sports and swimming once your ​blood counts​ are back to normal and you feel up to it.