October is breast cancer awareness month. It touches so many of us – we all know someone who is affected by breast cancer either directly or because we know someone who has a close friend or family running the gauntlet of cancer treatment.

A good friend’s sister reached the end of her life with breast cancer – terminal for many years but with good treatment lived with it for a lot longer than maybe she could have not so long ago. Treatment is getting better – not just those that are cured but for those who cannot be cured. There are many people who are given extra years because of the ongoing research and incredible work by scientists, nurses, doctors and surgeons.

It can feel like a battle, fighting a war not just with a very secret enemy but also with the effects of the treatments necessary to survive. Often there is little sense of control for the person with cancer or their families. One thing we can do is look after the body as best we can through it all, giving us maybe a bit of control and power in the face of the onslaught. One aspect of that is providing nourishment.

Eating well with cancer may not always look the same as eating well when you are healthy and fit. There are times when we need more protein and energy to fuel the body but at the same time low energy and appetite makes this hard. There are times when lethargy and fatigue makes the act of eating hard work. There are also effects like changes in taste and smell that can make eating less enjoyable.

This is why Laura and I put together a little booklet aimed at those living with cancer to help make eating a little easier. Free to download, all we ask is that you make a donation to charity. We are supporting Maggie’s Centres in the UK but we appreciate that many readers are not in the UK or have other charities related to cancer close to their heart. If you donate to another charity then do let us know – we would love to know which charities are benefitting from the booklet.

Do one thing today for breast cancer:

Call a friend living with it.

Make a donation to a cancer charity – time or money

Share a link about detection – earlier detection is so important