Empower Me Photo

The Challenge: Nutrition During Cancer Treatment

The nutritional challenges facing patients undergoing cancer treatment cannot be underestimated. For most cancer patients, nearly all foods taste differently while undergoing chemo or radiotherapy due to the effect of treatment on the patient’s palate. Some patients suffer with gastrointestinal disturbances; difficulty eating as a result of decreased saliva production, fatigue or mouth sores; or simply lose their desire to eat. Often times, patient suffer with a combination of side effects.

The good news is research shows that a balanced diet can make a tremendous difference to a patient’s quality of life. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, not only will eating properly help patients “feel better and stay stronger,” but also, “…patients who eat well during cancer treatment are better able to cope with their disease and any side effects of treatment.”

Taking in adequate nutrition is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, supporting the immune system, combating fatigue, and preserving a positive sense of wellbeing.

There is no one type of food that should be eaten by someone fighting cancer. Instead, it is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet with a variety of foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein. The challenge is finding foods that meet these nutritional guidelines yet are tasty and enjoyable to eat.

On top of this, patients want to maintain an active lifestyle—keeping up with work and family responsibilities as much as possible. So even when they find foods that provide adequate nutrition, they often lack flavor, require frequent trips to the store, or necessitate extensive preparation at home, making them hard to take on the go. All too often, the complaint is that patients want the ease of grabbing something convenient, “like the energy bars everyone else is eating.” They want a food that will work for their needs…yet not advertise they are eating something different.

The Solution: Sable’s Foods Nutritional Empowerment
Dealing with this problem on a day-to-day basis, veteran oncology nurse Alicia “Sable” Sable-Hunt, RN set out to create a solution. Sable’s Foods Nutritional Empowerment Bars were born from firsthand knowledge developed over many years caring for cancer patients. Discontent with patients’ lack of flavorful yet nutritionally balanced options, I felt compelled to direct my experience and empathy toward a solution. I knew that cancer patients needed foods that would meet their specific nutritional requirements while offering flavors and textures that would taste great and be easily digestible. I also wanted to offer something portable, as I strongly believe that patients should be able to thrive while continuing with their daily lives during treatment and recovery. Championing this cause, in 2006, I stepped into my kitchen and began baking up a solution.

What Makes Sable’s Foods Special?
My Nutritional Empowerment Bars were created to address the unique needs of cancer patients with a combination of wholesome ingredients, a delicious flavor designed for an altered palate, and a satisfying food experience. Stage one was to create the most flavorful nutrition bar on the market, according to those who mattered most: patients.
• Flavor: I realized that—in addition to their lack of natural, wholesome-tasting ingredients—most bars are not cooked. Like homemade baked goods and fresh breads and treats, I decided mine would be. So I set up focus groups and baked the first batch. From here, I began the process of perfecting the flavor: back and forth between patients, caregivers, and my kitchen, adjusting and readjusting the recipe until it was right.
• Texture: Texture was identified as the second major issue for patients. Although delicious, granola and certain nuts can be hard on the mouth, throat, and stomach, causing digestion problems for patients undergoing treatment. In stage two, I once again balanced input from the patient groups with that of specialists to devise a solution—a bar that retains its crunch, yet eliminates the discomfort of consuming granola and whole nuts.
• Nutrition: Once patients were excited about the taste and texture, I moved to stage three: balancing the nutritional content of the bars to contribute supportive nourishment. Playing with protein levels and meticulously mixing the concentration of vitamins and minerals, I consulted with specialist groups to ensure the appropriate nutrient thresholds were reached. Protein is a key factor in the healing process, yet higher levels of protein compromise taste and texture. Therefore, finding the perfect level required the scrutiny of a scientist – actually, a nurse. It required a nurse with a passion for detail and persistence along with the determination to make a difference in the lives of patients.

The result - sweet Summer Berry and mouthwatering Tropical Fruit bars that were created by the cancer community for the cancer community. By keeping the needs of cancer patients as our focus, we at Sable’s Foods are proud to have developed a nutritious and flavorful bar…that caregivers and patients agree is part of a superior solution to the cancer-nutrition challenge.
Sable’s Foods’ journey doesn’t start and end with great-tasting, nutritionally sound bars. We are dedicated to keeping the ultimate goal in sight. To this end, a portion of the profits from product sales are donated to non-profit organizations actively pursuing solutions to cancer care issues, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management. Or in simpler terms, “a bite of every bar” is donated to cancer programs.
Nurture Yourself or Your Loved Ones.

Empower Me Photo is thrilled to have Sable join us for this special Guest Blog. Unfortunately, cancer touches most of our lives in one way or another. I’ve lost my mother to cancer and my father is presently undergoing Chemotherapy treatments. Sable has a long history as a health care professional and she has used her knowledge and experience to provide a wonderful product that helps cancer patients maintain a healthy weight during treatment. Food for Cancer Patients.