First, there is no one right way to eat during cancer.  Second, a healthy diet is a healthy diet, whether you have cancer, heart disease or diabetes. Beyond the basics, the range of opinions is  wide and diverse. There are as many self-proclaimed experts as there are actual experts.

One of the most important thing to consider is if what you are eating or if the supplements you are taking might intefere with what your doctors are doing. That is, there are foods and vitamins and supplements that can help you get through chemotherapy and radiation better, but there are also food products that can interact with traditional treatment in ways that are very dangerous. Always check with your physician first.

When you decide to make some nutritional changes,  there is a continuum that range from simple to very complex. Perhaps the most drastic change you can make is to eat a  macrobiotic diet. This approach is well-researched but is also a very difficult lifestyle adjustment. Visit the website of the founder of this movement, Kushi Institute to find out details on their theory and recipes. There are several people in our area who have had training at the Kushi institute and now cook macrobiotic for a living. You can reach them at:

Janet Vitt,  330/467-6739, Sagamore Hills

Next, the government has just begun recently to look into the various claims of diets and supplements and have set up two web sites to help you sort out the professional literature.For government information,  Click here and Here

Finally, remember that there is a time and a place for “comfort foods” when you are dealing with or recovering from surgery and other treatments. Doctors are most concerned about patients with cancer who lose weight because they have altered tastes,  a lack of appetite, difficulty swallowing or chewing. Our participants have given us the suggestion that you shouldn’t use your absolute favorite comfort foods because they will forever be linked in your mind and memory with the chemotherapy experience. That is, if you still want to like tapioca pudding when this is all over, don’t use it to soothe your sore mouth now!

We have literature in the library that addresses all of these concerns - don't hesitate to call or stop in. Our library collection is available online too!