Nutrition Support Through Cancer Treatment
This is nutrition support that runs alongside your oncology care, never in place of it. We work on the things treatment makes hard — energy, appetite, taste, digestion, muscle and weight — and on supplement safety, which is the single most common thing people get wrong when they try to help themselves.
The first conversation is always free — 15 minutes, no obligation, and we will tell you honestly if we are not the right people for it.
What people usually come to us for
- A treatment date coming up and a wish to go into it stronger
- Fatigue that food does not seem to touch
- Appetite that has gone, or food that no longer tastes of anything
- Weight and muscle falling away faster than anyone expected
- Nausea, constipation or diarrhoea through cycles
- A cupboard of supplements and no idea which are safe to take
- Treatment finished, and no plan at all for what happens next
Is it safe to see a nutritionist during cancer treatment?
Yes — provided the nutritionist knows what they are working around and is honest about the limits of their role. We are naturopathic nutritionists, not oncologists. We do not treat cancer, we do not advise on or against any medical treatment, and we will not suggest anything that cuts across what your oncology team is doing.
The most valuable thing we do is often subtractive. A great many people arrive taking high-dose antioxidants, herbal preparations or extracts they were told would help, some of which can interact with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Going through that list carefully, and telling you which to stop, is frequently the single most useful hour we spend together.
Before treatment: going in stronger
If there is a window before treatment starts, it is worth using. The priorities are usually protein and muscle mass, iron and B12 status, vitamin D, and getting digestion working properly so that whatever you eat is actually absorbed.
Muscle matters more than most people are told. It is the reserve the body draws on when appetite drops and treatment bites, and it is much easier to build a little before than to rebuild a lot after. That is a nutrition and movement job together, and we plan it that way.
During treatment: making eating possible
The goal changes here. It stops being an optimal diet and becomes getting enough in, on the days you can, in a form you can face. Taste changes, mouth soreness, nausea and the sheer exhaustion of it all mean the theoretically best meal is worthless if you cannot eat it.
So we work in practical terms — texture, temperature, timing around cycles, what to have in the freezer for the bad days, how to get protein in when nothing appeals, and how to keep bowels moving when medication is working against you. We adjust as cycles go on, because what worked in cycle one often does not in cycle four.
Afterwards: the part nobody prepares you for
Treatment ends and the appointments stop, and a lot of people describe that as the hardest bit. The body is depleted, energy has not come back, and there is no longer anyone checking in.
Recovery nutrition is rebuilding: restoring nutrient status that treatment ran down, rebuilding muscle and strength deliberately, repairing digestion and the gut microbiome, and putting a sustainable long-term way of eating in place. It is slower work and we plan it in months. Where it is useful, functional testing tells us where you actually are rather than where we assume you are.
What working with us looks like
- A full review of your current supplements for interactions and safety, before anything else
- A plan that flexes around treatment cycles rather than assuming every week is the same
- Practical strategies for appetite, taste change, nausea and bowel problems
- Protein and muscle planning, before and after treatment
- Functional testing where it is appropriate and will change the plan
- Coordination with what your medical team has told you — we work around it, not against it
Not sure if this is the right starting point?
That is exactly what the free call is for. Fifteen minutes, no cost and no obligation — we will work out whether cancer support is where you should start, or whether something else fits better.
Common concerns we work with here
- low energy and fatigue
- appetite loss and weight change
- taste changes and nausea
- digestive upset during treatment
- loss of muscle and strength
- supplement safety questions
- rebuilding after treatment ends
Cancer Support — your questions
Do you treat cancer?
No. We are naturopathic nutritionists and we provide nutritional support alongside your medical treatment. We do not diagnose, we do not treat cancer, and we will never advise you to change or decline treatment your oncology team has recommended.
Should I stop my supplements during chemotherapy?
Some, quite possibly. Certain high-dose antioxidants and herbal preparations can interact with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Bring everything you are taking to the first call and we will go through it, and flag anything that needs checking with your oncology team.
I have lost my appetite completely. Is there any point?
That is one of the most useful times to get help. When you can only manage a little, what that little consists of matters a great deal more — and there are practical ways round taste changes and nausea that are hard to work out on your own.
Can family members come to the appointment?
Yes, and it often helps. The person doing the cooking and the shopping is frequently not the patient, and having them in the room means the plan lands where it is actually carried out.
Further reading
What Does a Glutathione IV Do?
Glutathione is often called the body’s master antioxidant — but its role in liver detoxification, hormone balance, and protecting against cortisol depletion goes far deeper than most people realise. Niki explains what a glutathione IV actually does and why it can be such a powerful clinical tool.
Why Your Vitamin D Level Matters More Than You Think
Over the past few years, working closely with many clients — especially those dealing with immune challenges and cancer — one thing I keep seeing again and again is low vitamin D. It’s one of the most important markers I look at on a blood test. Yet many people don’t realise just how powerful vitamin D is for protecting their health. When you next go for a blood test please ask your doctor to check for this as well.
Whats All The Beef About Bone Broth?
It's always nice to use the goodness from the whole bird, fish or 4 legged animal.
You might also be looking for
- Functional TestingOrder tests through us as your practitioner, so someone reads and explains the results properly
- Proactive HealthGenetic history, functional test results and lifestyle reviewed together to get ahead of what runs in your family
- Anti-Ageing & LongevityNext-level protocols for people who want to stay well, not just avoid being ill
Or see all our nutrition services.
Last updated: 8 September 2026. Written by Niki Charnock, Naturopathic Nutritionist (CNM/ANP registered) and Injury Specialist. We advise on nutrition and lifestyle — we do not diagnose, and nothing here replaces care from your GP or specialist.