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Nutrition & Health

Learn more about eating well and staying healthy during your cancer treatment. For additional information and resources, we encourage you to sign up for our AWARE newsletter.

Positivit-Tea

What is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water?

If you guessed tea (and had a HUGE hint from the title of this article), you are correct. The annual worldly consumption of tea is 3.6 billion cups.

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by Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO  | 

Superfoods: Is there such a thing?

“If you eat certain superfoods, you won’t get cancer (or heart disease or diabetes or high blood pressure or arthritis or Alzheimer’s.” The concept of superfoods was originally developed by the United Fruit Company, banana importers, around World War I as part of a marketing campaign touting the many benefits of eating bananas, including the fact that they came in their own germ-proof package.

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by Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO  | 

Using Supplements During Chemo: Yes or No?

Americans spend more than $30 billion a year on vitamins, herbals and other supplements. It is not uncommon for our patients to arrive to their oncology consultations with a large bag (or long list) of the supplements they are taking. It has been estimated that 65%-80% of all cancer patients take one or more vitamin or mineral supplements, and many of these patients START taking supplements just prior to starting their treatment.

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by Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO  | 

Cuppa Joe: Yes or No?

The lines of cars outside Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks every morning attest to America’s love affair with coffee. In fact, 64% of Americans drink just over three cups of coffee a day, for a total of 400 million cups consumed daily.

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by By Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO  | 

The Sugar Dilemma

“I’ve been told to avoid all sugar and white flour since it can make my cancer grow. Is this true? Do I have to give up everything that I love?” The question about sugar and cancer is undoubtedly the most frequently asked nutrition question at the Leever Cancer Center, and it often creates fear in patients who are already anxious. The answer is complex and brings up many issues about the role that our food plays in preventing and/or promoting health and disease.

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Posted 5/28/2021

Chocolate: Health or Hype?

OPEN MOUTH. INSERT CHOCOLATE. CLOSE EYES. SAVOR. SMILE. 

Chocolate is one of America’s favorite foods and is often associated with love, comfort, and well-being. In fact, every year, Americans consume about eight billion pounds (11 pounds per person) and spend over $22 billion on chocolate. Halloween and Valentine’s Day are all about chocolate.

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Posted 2/9/2021

How to Wear A Mask

As the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center continues to follow Governor Lamont's executive order for  wearing masks in public places in the state of Connecticut, we wanted to share some guidelines for wearing a mask that we have adapted from our caregiver protocols.

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Posted 8/7/2020

Are Specialty Waters Worth the Price?

Americans spent $31 billion on bottled water in 2018, with the average American consuming 42 gallons. In fact, bottled water has become the country’s number one beverage, according to Consumer Reports. Most people think that bottled water is safer or healthier than tap (or municipal) water, but 64% of all bottled water sold in the United States is just filtered tap water.

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by Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO  |