Nutrition and Acupressure: Self-Care Strategies for Nausea
Learn acupressure techniques you can do at home as well as nutrition tips and suggested foods to ease nausea.
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Phone: 617-724-4000
Join us for our new webinar series this spring! This webinar series focuses on how integrative therapies and nutrition can improve specific cancer symptoms and treatment side effects. Learn techniques and strategies you can do at home to help you feel your best.
Nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment. Staying well-nourished is essential for maintaining energy and strength, healing the body, and fighting infection. Our team of registered dietitians provides evidenced based, expert nutrition counseling to patients and their caregivers as an integral part of cancer care. Their guidance can help you manage side effects and optimize wellness both during and after cancer treatment. They will work with you around your diet preferences to create an eating and hydration plan based on issues you may be experiencing, including:
Our dietitians are available for consultations at our main Boston location and at Mass General
Guide for Safe and Healthy Grocery Shopping for Cancer Patients during COVID-19
This guide contains helpful information for safe and healthy grocery shopping. Included are tips for safe shopping, grocery delivery/pick up options in and around the Boston area, and healthy pantry and grocery items to consider purchasing to help extend your supply along with easy-to-prepare meal ideas using these items.
Tips for Eating Well During Cancer Treatment
Eating well while undergoing cancer treatment can be challenging. While not all patients experience symptoms, common side effects such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, bowel irregularities, and taste changes can interfere with your ability to get the nutrition you need to feel your best and heal from treatment.
Here are some tips for making it easier to get the nutrition you need when you experience common treatment side effects.
If you are losing weight or have no appetite:
If you have nausea and/or vomiting:
Resources:
If you have diarrhea:
If you have constipation:
If you have taste changes:
Açai Smoothie Bowl - Recommended for: Taste Changes, High Calorie, High Protein, Nausea/Vomiting, Poor Appetite.
Beet Hummus - Recommended for: Difficulty Swallowing, High Calorie, Taste Changes, Poor Appetite, Dry Mouth, Diarrhea.
Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes - Recommended for: Diarrhea, Nausea/Vomiting, High Protein, Taste Changes, Difficulty Swallowing
Berry Lemon Chia Pudding - Recommended for: Nausea, Constipation, Taste Changes, High Protein, High Calorie.
Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Lime Crème - Recommended for: Difficulty Swallowing, Taste Changes, High Calorie, High Protein, Constipation, Poor Appetite, Dry Mouth.
Cherry Chocolate Smoothie - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Poor Appetite, Beverage, Dry Mouth, Diarrhea, Difficulty Swallowing, Sore Mouth.
Creamy Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup - Recommended for: Constipation, Diarrhea, High Calorie, Taste Changes, Difficulty Swallowing.
Chocolate Hazelnut Avocado Mousse Recommended for: High Calorie, Poor Appetite, Difficulty Swallowing, Sore Mouth, Diarrhea, Dry Mouth.
Gingerbread Granola - Recommended for: High Protein, High Fiber.
Gingerbread Oatmeal - Recommended for: Constipation, Diarrhea, Nausea/Vomiting, Difficulty Swallowing, Taste Changes, High Calorie, High Protein.
Granola Trail Mix - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Constipation, Poor Appetite.
Healthy, No-Bake Honey-Almond-Coconut Granola Bars - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Constipation, Poor Appetite.
Fruit Infused Water - Recommended for: Beverages, Taste Changes, Dry Mouth.
Lemon Lentil Salad - Recommended for: Taste Changes, High Calorie, High Protein, Constipation.
Omega-3 Granola - Recommended for: Constipation, High Calorie, Poor Appetite, Diarrhea.
Savory Healing Cake - Recommended for: High Calorie, Poor Appetite, Constipation.
Savory Oatmeal – Coconut Curry Delight - Recommended for: Taste Changes, High Protein, High Calorie, Difficulty Swallowing, Constipation, Dry Mouth.
Simple Tuna Niçoise Salad - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Poor Appetite.
Staple Item Stir-Fry - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Taste Changes
Summer Salmon Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Taste Changes.
Tropical Matcha Green Smoothie - Recommended for: Difficulty Swallowing, High Protein, High Calorie, Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Nausea/Vomiting, Beverages, Dry Mouth.
Whole Grain Pesto Pasta with Vegetables - Recommended for: High Calorie, High Protein, Constipation.
Zesty Ginger Turmeric Carrot Cake - Recommended for: High Calorie, Difficulty Swallowing, Constipation, Nausea/Vomiting, Taste Changes, Dry Mouth.
Zucchini Basil Soup - Recommended for: Diarrhea, Poor Appetite, Difficulty Swallowing, Sore Mouth, Taste Changes, Dry Mouth.
Carol Sullivan, MS, RD, CSO, LDN
Alicia Anskis, MS, RD, CSO, LDN
Samantha Bateman, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN
Ashley Draviam, MS, RD, CSO, LDN
A cooking guide from the American Institute for Cancer Research
A guide from the American Cancer Society
A patient guide from the NIH National Cancer Institute.
From Harvard Health Publishing and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s database of natural supplements.
Your gift will open new doors in outstanding patient care, research, clinical education and community outreach.
Our support programs can help patients and their families cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
The Story Project is our effort to capture the stories from the people in our Mass General Cancer Center community.
Learn acupressure techniques you can do at home as well as nutrition tips and suggested foods to ease nausea.
Mass General Cancer Center clinical nutritionists Alicia Anskis and Carol Sullivan provide some healthy eating tips for this holiday season.
In this video, Amy Comander, MD, Carol Sullivan, RD, and Samantha Bateman, RD review evidence-based nutrition recommendations for cancer survivors, and discuss how food can be used to strengthen your body during treatment and beyond.