Diet & nutrition
12 articles shown
When You Hear a Certain Food Is 'the Best' During Chemo — Gut Health, Fermented Foods and Fiber, and How to Read the Claim That One Food Protects Against Cancer
During chemotherapy people often hear that one food is 'the best.' This piece explains why digestion falters, the role of fermented foods and fiber for gut health, why a single food cannot account for test results, and the safety checks to make before changing your diet.
When Summer Heat Kills Your Appetite and a Single Rice Bowl Is All You Want: Why Advice on Raw Vegetables Differs Between Hospitals, and How to Handle Food and Fluids in Hot Weather
Why one-bowl meals help when heat and treatment side effects blunt appetite, why guidance on raw vegetables during chemotherapy varies between hospitals, plus practical summer food-handling rules, dehydration warning signs, and what to report at your appointment.
When You Feel Guilty Over a Favorite Meal During Cancer Treatment — Why an Occasional Treat Differs From a Daily Habit, and How to Keep Eating Without Punishing Yourself
Guilt over enjoying a favorite meal is common during cancer treatment. This article explains why an occasional treat differs from a daily habit, why overly strict restriction can backfire, and how to set the right limits with your care team and dietitian.
Craving a Cool Salad in Summer Heat — How to Enjoy Raw Vegetables and Cold Foods Safely During Cancer Treatment
When cool salads tempt you in the summer heat, here is how to enjoy raw vegetables safely during cancer treatment — hygiene and storage tips, plus cautions during periods of low neutrophils.
When Mom's Cooking No Longer Tastes the Same and Only Fruit Appeals — Understanding Taste Changes During Chemotherapy and Ways to Coax Your Appetite Back
Altered taste and craving only fruit are common during chemotherapy. This piece explains why taste changes happen and offers practical ways to eat and stay nourished while your appetite recovers.
When your stomach feels stuck and food won't go down in the first chemo cycle — how slowed digestion recovers and gentle eating for a sensitive gut
Common bloating and slowed digestion in the first chemo cycle: why they happen, what a gastric protectant can and cannot do, gentle eating tips for a sensitive gut, and warning signs to report.
When You're Told to 'Eat Small Amounts Often, Even Without Hunger' After Total Stomach Removal — Understanding Digestion and Small, Frequent Meals After Gastrectomy
Removing the whole stomach changes digestion, making small, frequent meals important. This article explains dumping syndrome, weaker hunger cues, fat digestion after gallbladder removal, and changes in nutrient absorption such as vitamin B12 — and how the body adapts over time.
Gaining Weight After Colorectal Cancer Treatment — Why It Happens in Recovery and How to Slim Down Safely While Protecting Muscle
Why weight often climbs during recovery from colon or rectal cancer, and how survivors can lose it safely and gradually while protecting muscle and nutrition.
When You Want to Say 'Just One More Bite' — Understanding Poor Appetite and Helping a Loved One Eat Without Pressure
Poor appetite in an ill loved one is not about willpower but about overlapping causes — treatment side effects, pain, taste changes, aging, and cachexia. This piece explains why appetite drops, offers gentle caregiver strategies (small frequent, energy-dense meals in a relaxed setting) instead of pressure, and lists warning signs that warrant medical advice.
An Unfamiliar Squash in Your Kitchen: How Cooking Method Shapes Nutrient Loss and Absorption
Using a shared squash as an example, this article explains how fat-soluble and water-soluble nutrients respond differently to cooking, and how method, cut size, and timing affect nutrient retention and absorption—plus digestive and condition-specific cautions during recovery.
Returning to Eating Out Long After Bowel Surgery and Ostomy Reversal — Reintroducing Rich, Spicy Foods, Raw Vegetables, and Dairy at Your Own Pace
General information on returning to dining out and ordinary meals long after bowel surgery and ostomy reversal — how to reintroduce fatty, spicy, raw, and dairy foods one at a time in small amounts, observe your own tolerance, and recognize warning signs that need medical attention.
Craving Instant Noodles While Living With a Temporary Ostomy — Understanding the Difference Between What to Hold Off On and What to Enjoy in Small Amounts
When you crave foods like instant noodles during recovery with a temporary ostomy after rectal cancer surgery, this piece explains the dehydration and food-blockage risks tied to sodium and noodles, and the principle of adjusting timing and amount to enjoy them safely.