When it comes to prostate cancer, many factors can influence its development and progression. One such factor that is often overlooked is nutrition. The food we eat plays a crucial role in our overall health, including the health of the prostate. In this blog post, written by an oncology dietitian, we will explore the relationship between prostate cancer and nutrition, and how making changing to our diet can make a difference. Diet and Prostate Cancer: How Nutrition Plays a Role It's fascinating to see how what we eat can have a significant impact on our health. Prostate cancer is one of the ..read more

Diet can have a significant role in reducing your risk of cancer and lower the risk of cancer returning but what should you eat? In this article we will explore what you can include in your diet to lead to an overall healthier you! Which advice should I follow? I know there is a lot of diet and nutrition advice available everywhere you look but as a Specialist Cancer dietitian I always look to the research.   The World Cancer Research Fund, WCRF is a leading cancer prevention charity and produce recommendations on cancer prevention based on extensive research into the links between diet ..read more

Protein, protein protein it seems to be the wonder macronutrient (macro=large so a nutrient we need in larger amounts) that pops up everywhere when people talk about nutrition, but what about in cancer? In this blog (my 40th BLOG!) We’re going to go through, why you need protein, the different sources, what is the connection between IGR-1, cancer and protein and what you need to know if you have cancer.   What is protein anyway?   Protein is made of single units called amino acids, there are 20 different types of amino acids. Different chains of amino acids create different type of p ..read more

This blog delves into another common diet associated with cancer- the alkaline diet. We will explore alkaline foods, go through a little of the science of alkalinity and pH, and whether alkaline diets could be followed if you are affected by cancer. So, what is the alkaline diet? This idea of the alkaline diet (aka ‘alkaline ash’, ‘acid-alkaline diet’ or pH diet) is to reduce the acid environment in the body, particularly the blood, as it is thought an acidic environment is more harmful whereas an alkaline environment leads to improved health. There are even some people who claim that the alka ..read more

High cholesterols levels are quite common in the UK. You may be surprised to hear that 60% of adults in the England have high cholesterol levels (according to Public Health England) so it affects quite a few of us. I regularly receive questions about cholesterol after cancer treatment and the ways to reduce this, so this article will explore whether plant stanols & sterols could be helpful. What is cholesterol? First of all, let’s talk about what is cholesterol. Cholesterol is a blood fat and it actually has some important uses in the body- did you know it’s needed to make some hormones, V ..read more

The Mediterranean diet is often hailed as a ‘healthy diet’ but what about in cancer? Read on to find out if there are any benefits to the ‘Mediterranean diet and lifestyle’ for people affected by cancer. Understanding the Mediterranean Diet The Mediterranean diet is inspired by traditional eating patterns of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods rich in fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts, wholegrain, beans, pulses and plant-based food. Smaller amounts of red and processed meats as well as some diary, oily fish, and chicken. The research ..read more

,*Please note that this post contains clearly marked affiliate links. If you click on these links and choose to make a purchase, I will receive a commission on the sale (at no extra cost to you). I am supporting this product as I think the research to the benefits of glucoraphanin is potentially very promising. We know that including more fruit and vegetables in your diet is beneficial for your overall health for a number of reasons; provides fibre, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and other useful compounds. But is there a benefit of including specific vegetables like broccoli? This blog w ..read more

You may be familiar with the term ‘rehabilitation’ but have you heard of ‘prehabilitation’? This blog will take a look at prehabilitation or ‘prehab’ as it is commonly known, so you know what it is, how it can help you, and where to get more support. So, what is prehab? Prehabilitation programmes were first started for patients undergoing surgery. The aim was to prepare patients for surgery to reduce the risk of complications and improve recovery. Cancer prehab has become more popular over the last 10 years and research into preparing patient before treatment (not just before surgery but also ..read more

In today’s fast-paced world, convenience and cost often guide our nutritional choices which has led to the steady rise in the amount of ultra-processed food we are eating. In fact, one study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed that more than half of the energy (i.e. calories) of a person in the UK comes from ultra-processed foods. In this article we will delve deeper into what is ultra-processed foods, whether there is a difference between processed and ultra-processed foods and how you can make some healthier choices. What is ultra-processed food? The terms ‘processed’ and ultra-proce ..read more

You may have heard about DNA testing but have you heard about DNA testing regarding your diet? I recently wrote an article for Dietitians on this topic (in the NHD magazine, I actually wrote 2 articles! the other was about cancer immunotherapy) and had a lot of interest on Instagram for some more info. This wasn’t a surprise, as there is a growing market for home genetic testing so what are the facts… So, let’s start at the top, what actually is nutrigenomics? Nutrigenomics is also called nutritional genomics; which is the study of how your genes and nutrition/diet can interact. To explain a ..read more