Sydney Russell, oncology dietitian at OSF HealthCare and coordinator of the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute Teaching Kitchen, says simple dietary additions like fiber-rich seeds, antioxidant-packed fruits and vegetables and plant-based proteins can help strengthen the body and improve your quality of life.

The power of ginger for nausea relief

Ginger has long been used as a natural remedy, and modern research supports its benefits, particularly for people undergoing chemotherapy. Ginger contains an antioxidant compound called gingerol, which helps reduce inflammation and manage nausea.

"Gingerol is one of the antioxidant compounds found in ginger. It's excellent; from reducing chronic inflammation to helping relieve joint and muscle pain," Russell says. "It also helps manage nausea. Many of my patients undergoing oncology treatment are struggling with nausea. So, ginger tea, ginger broth and ginger smoothies can be great ways to help and keep nausea at bay."

Antioxidants: “Eating the rainbow”

Antioxidants are found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and play a role in supporting overall health and reducing cancer risk. Russell encourages people to focus on variety.

"We refer to it as eating the rainbow," Russell says. Adding all kinds of berries, fruits (like oranges) and veggies (leafy greens) into our meals daily can help add much-needed antioxidants into our lives, she adds.

"It's important we add protein and fiber (into our diets). I would encourage emphasizing antioxidants as well. That is going to support our overall health, but specifically when we're talking about cancer and ways to reduce our cancer risk," Russell says. "Those antioxidant-rich foods can be an excellent thing to include in our diets."

Fiber: A hidden powerhouse

Many Americans do not get enough fiber in their daily diets, yet it plays a key role in digestive health, blood sugar balance and cholesterol management.

It's a "hidden powerhouse," Russell says. Pumpkin seeds are a great way to add fiber into your diet, and you can add them to things like yogurt parfaits, granola and baked goods. This feeds the bacteria in your gut to promote a healthy gut microbiome. It also keeps your blood sugars balanced and helps with cholesterol.

Russell says vitamins and minerals help our bodies function better overall. Pumpkin seeds have magnesium and zinc in them, which are great for our immune system and support both heart health and hormone health. This is impactful for those in their cancer journey, helping to keep their bodies strong.

Plant-based proteins that support gut health

Plant-based proteins can be an excellent option for those looking to diversify their diet or reduce meat intake without sacrificing nutrition.

Lentils are versatile and a great way to get that needed fiber and protein and can be a substitute for meat. Not ready to fully give up meat? Russell says you can mix the lentils with meat and go half and half.

Tempeh lettuce tomato (TLT) is an alternative to a BLT. The tempeh is a plant-based protein source and is much firmer than tofu. It can have a bacon-like flavor when marinated in a mixture of low sodium soy sauce, maple syrup and liquid smoke. It can be found in the health foods section or plant-based section in the grocery store.

Tempeh is great for gut health, adding prebiotics into our diets.

Fruit that does more than taste good

Some fruits offer unique benefits beyond vitamins and antioxidants. Golden kiwis, for example, are easier to eat for some patients and provide hydration and digestive support.

Golden kiwis have great fiber found in the skin, and are sweeter than green kiwis, so they're easier to eat. They also have fantastic vitamin C levels and help keep you hydrated. They can help relieve constipation as well.

A fresh start in the new year

Russell encourages people to view the new year as an opportunity to explore new foods and expand their dietary habits.

"New Year is the perfect time to start thinking about healthy eating, it's a fresh start. The importance of trying new foods would be to expand your palette. There are so many different flavors and textures out there, as well as so many different health benefits from expanding that palette," Russell says.

By focusing on whole foods, fiber, antioxidants and nutrient-rich ingredients, Russell emphasizes that small, sustainable changes can make a meaningful difference, especially for those navigating cancer care and recovery.

It’s always important to speak with your oncology team first about dietary decisions.

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B-ROLL

For mom

Anderson says it’s no problem for pregnant women to have onions in their diet.

“They are very rich in antioxidants. That’s something we don’t get a lot of. They’re really high in vitamin C,” Anderson says. “They have fiber, magnesium and potassium. Fiber and magnesium help with digestion, and magnesium helps with cramps. Potassium is really good for blood circulation and blood pressure.”

But, there are the usual precautions. When adding raw onions to a meal (a salad, for example), wash them to remove any bacteria. And don’t overindulge. For example, don’t have a greasy, processed cheeseburger as an excuse to get your daily onion intake.

“Onions are a high FODMAP food, which means there are carbohydrates that are harder for some people to digest,” Anderson adds, noting that a woman’s digestive system changes a lot when carrying a baby. “So if you have a sensitive digestive system, onions could cause bloating. If you have irritable bowel syndrome, onions can make that flare up. Cooking onions helps break down some of those carbohydrates and aids digestion.”

For baby

Infants should consume breastmilk or formula exclusively for at least the first six months, Anderson reminds. But after that, introducing onions is like introducing any other food: Slow and steady wins the race.

One option: Sauté some onions to soften them, cut the food into small pieces to prevent choking then work the onions into the store-bought baby food.

“Make it easy for baby to chew. They’ve never had to do that before,” Anderson points out. “It’s good to let them learn how to chew, but we need to make sure the foods are easy to chew.

“Onions help develop a baby’s palette,” Anderson adds of the benefits of the vegetable. “Experts are finding that introducing strong flavors like that can prevent picky eating in the future.”

Precautions and warning signs to know: If the baby is extra fussy or gassy or has an allergic reaction like a rash or diarrhea, take the onions out of the diet and see if that improves things. See a health care provider if symptoms don’t improve.

Myth vs. fact

Do a web search for “babies and onions,” and you’ll find a lot of claims.

• Can onions help with colic, a condition where a healthy baby cries for a long time? Not so fast, Anderson says. In fact, onion-induced gassiness could make the baby even more fussy.
   
• Some say putting an onion in my baby’s crib or sock or giving them onion water can help with baby’s health. 
  
  “It’s supposed to draw out toxins,” Anderson says, repeating what she calls an “old wives’ tale.”
  
  But, Anderson says science doesn’t back the claims up. In fact, onions can irritate a child’s skin and eyes.
   
• Can eating onions help with teething, when the baby’s teeth emerge? There’s actually some truth to this one, Anderson says. To try it, skip other types and focus on green onions. Let the food cool in the refrigerator before giving it to the little one.
  
  “It’s teaching them to bring things to their mouth and chew. It’s a food that’s cool and not super hard. As they chew, it will break down. But it’s not going to disintegrate in the mouth,” Anderson says.
  
  All this can help with pain and inflammation, Anderson says. Just watch your youngster at all times while chewing.

Learn more

Read more about how to have a successful pregnancy and birth on the OSF HealthCare website. The health system or social service agency near you may also offer classes to master baby feeding.

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You may have heard that tea is good for you, but when walking through the grocery aisle and being confronted by a barrage of options, it can be hard to choose.

Ashley Simper, the manager of dietetic services with OSF HealthCare, has done the research and has some helpful guidance.

To start, it’s best to understand the different kinds of teas and where they come from. Simper says black, white, oolong and green tea all come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal teas come from root, stems and flowers of various plants, and they all have different benefits.

What’s the overall healthiest tea?

Overall, Simper says green tea shines above the rest. But diving into the specific benefits of each tea can help people choose what’s right for them.

“Consuming three or more cups of green tea a day leads to the most health benefits when it comes to cardiovascular disease, cancer and the overall risk of mortality,” Simper says. “The research is a little stronger when it comes to promoting heart health. The consumption of three to five cups of green tea a day has also been shown to lower blood pressure, stroke risk, and LDL (bad cholesterol),” Simper says.

Consuming three to five cups of green tea or black tea has also been shown to lower the risk of developing diabetes.

In 2022, a large study in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that drinking black tea resulted in a modest reduction of overall death. A research team from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) investigated roughly half a million adults, ages 40-60, in the United Kingdom (UK), who enrolled in the UK Biobank study between 2006-2010. The researchers followed participants until 2020 and found a 9-13% lower risk of death among people who drank at least two cups of tea per day than non-tea drinkers.

What makes tea so healthy?

“The compound in tea that leads to these health benefits is polyphenols. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant, and antioxidants are linked to decreased inflammation and reduced risk of chronic disease,” Simper says. “The highest antioxidant compounds are in the green tea, followed by the oolong, black and then white teas.”

She adds that green tea and white tea contain an amino acid called L-theanine. Amino acids are the “building blocks” of protein, Simper adds.

“L-theanine has been linked to decreased anxiety, improved sleep and boosting mental clarity,” Simper says.

Cancer: Mixed reviews, additional safety tips

“When it comes to cancer, the research is conflicting. People who drank higher amounts of green tea had a decreased risk of liver, ovarian, lung and breast cancers. But it is important to keep in mind, that if you’re drinking really hot tea, you have a higher risk of esophageal and gastric cancers,” Simper says.

To avoid the tea being scalding hot, Simper recommends allowing the just-boiled water to cool down for an appropriate amount of time before taking a sip.

Tea’s impact on the flu

“In lab and animal studies, they have found an antiviral effect with the consumption of green tea. In Japan, they did a study with kids that showed anywhere from one to five cups of green tea a day lowered the risk of flu,” Simper says. “There was also a study where they gargled green tea in a bottle, green tea extract or black tea extract, and there was a 30% decreased risk of flu.”

How to prepare your tea

As Simper mentioned, scalding hot tea can come with its own risks, more than just burning your mouth. But there are other ways, she says, to make sure you’re receiving the most benefit from drinking tea.

“They recommend boiling your own water and steeping it yourself instead of putting the water in the microwave to heat it up. They found you lose some health benefits if you microwave the water in your tea. Fresh is best, steep your own, and boil your own water. But let it cool down to a comfortable temperature before you consume it. “Freshly brewed tea with minimal additives, especially things like sugar and milk, is the way to go when it comes to adding tea to your daily intake,” Simper adds.

Benefits of herbal teas

Depending on which symptoms you’re dealing with, or health benefit you’re looking for, different herbal teas have different purposes.

-          Peppermint teas – Helps with upset stomach

-          Ginger tea – Helps with nausea

-          Chamomile teas – Can help decrease cardiovascular disease and some cancers. It can also help with premenstrual syndrome and help boost immunity, Simper says.

But what about all the caffeine?

“The caffeine in tea is about half the amount of coffee. You would have to drink eight or more cups of tea a day to get to that highest level we would recommend for caffeine. So, it’s not that much of a risk for people,” Simper points out. “However, if you’re going to start drinking three to five cups of tea a day, and you’re not normally a caffeine consumer, you might notice the effects of the caffeine.”

Connection to weight loss

If you’re looking to tea for weight loss, you might be waiting for some time, Simper says. She says the research is conflicting, and weight loss is minimal due to drinking tea. However, switching out caffeinated tea for sodas and coffees filled with sugar would be the healthier choice.

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