Breakthrough Cancer Research has published the second edition of Menopause, Diet, and Cancer: Eating Well after Cancer – a free, practical, evidence-based nutrition guide and recipe book for women experiencing menopause as a result of cancer treatment. The book has been distributed to cancer centres across Ireland, making it available to people living with and beyond cancer and the healthcare professionals supporting them.
The book was written by CORU-registered dietitians Dr Samantha Cushen, Lecturer in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at University College Cork (UCC), and Dr Katie Johnston, Clinical Nutrition and Oncology Research Group, UCC. It grew out of the Women’s Health Initiative ‘Linking you with support and advice’ trial, in which 200 women from Munster and Connacht took part, and was further informed by the experiences and insights shared by women who participated in the ‘What women want’ focus groups. Their voices and personal experiences are reflected throughout the book.
Dr Cushen, said: “This book was first published as part of a clinical trial, and we didn’t expect the scale of the response. We heard from women, from their families, and from healthcare professionals, and the message was always the same. Women want this information, they need it, and they should have access to it.”
The 164-page guide is divided into two parts. Part 1 explains the science behind menopausal symptoms after cancer and what nutrition can and cannot do, across chapters on bone and muscle health, heart health, hot flushes and night sweats, urinary and gut health, brain health and fatigue, and supplements. Part 2 turns that advice into recipes for breakfasts, light meals, mains, snacks, desserts, and drinks, including alcohol-free options.
Central to the book is the ‘Menopause Plate’, a dietary guide created by the authors and inspired by Mediterranean eating principles. Each recipe is labelled to show, for example, whether it is high in protein or fibre, a source of calcium, heart-healthy, or ready in under 30 minutes. Recipes were tested by women affected by cancer and by their families.
Free print copies are available via cancer centres and Breakthrough Cancer Research at www. breakthroughcancerresearch.ie/
menopause-diet-cancer/.
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