- With Mayo Clinic nurse educator
Sheryl M. Ness, R.N.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Sheryl M. Ness, R.N.
Sheryl M. Ness
Sheryl Ness, R.N., O.C.N., is a nurse educator for the Cancer Education Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She helps inform patients, families and caregivers about services and resources to help them through the cancer journey.
She has a master's degree in nursing from Augsburg College. In addition, she is an assistant professor of oncology at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and is certified as a specialist in oncology nursing. Sheryl has worked for more than 20 years at Mayo Clinic as an educator. She has a keen interest in the importance of the quality of life and concerns of people living with cancer.
Latest entries
- Events to raise awareness of melanoma
April 6, 2013
- Living with Cancer patient conference videos available
March 30, 2013
- The power of friends
March 23, 2013
- How new cancer drugs are developed
March 16, 2013
- Living in unknown territory: Rare cancers
March 9, 2013
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Living with cancer blog
-
Dec. 22, 2009
Put healthy foods in your holiday eating plans
By Sheryl M. Ness, R.N.
Jacalyn See is a clinical dietitian at Mayo Clinic. She shares tips on how to eat healthy during the holidays.
Food is an essential part of any celebration, and the holidays bring with them a smorgasbord of options. We often think of holiday food as rich and fattening and perhaps not very good for us. But you can find ways to eat healthy by adding more "cancer-blocking" foods into festivities. The below foods are good sources of antioxidants, phytonutrients, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and/or other nutrients known to help prevent cancer:
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Winter squash
- Cranberries
- Dried fruit
- Dark chocolate
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Nuts
- Wild rice
- Popcorn
- Clementines and other citrus fruits
You can incorporate these and other healthy foods in a variety of ways, such as:
- Serve sweet potatoes or winter squash as a side dish in place of white potatoes. Deep orange vegetables are loaded with beta carotene.
- Make pumpkin or cranberry bread. Pumpkin contains more beta carotene than any other food, and cranberries contain antioxidants.
- Serve cranberry relish or sauce as a condiment or side dish; use cranberry juice in the holiday party punch.
- Give or treat yourself to a box of clementines as a gift.
- Snack on popcorn. Did you know that popcorn is a whole grain?
- Wild rice is also a whole grain. Use it for soups, stuffing or as a side dish.
- Make a dip out of smoked salmon.
- Serve shrimp along with raw vegetables. Don't forget the cocktail sauce and salsa. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, vitamin C and potassium.
- Add dried fruits and nuts to salads.
- Consider making dips made from legumes, such as hummus or black bean dip, which are good sources of fiber and other phytonutrients.
- Make a snack mix out of dried cranberries, almonds and dark chocolate bits. All nuts are high in antioxidants, protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
- Use dark chocolate and walnuts in baked goods. Dark chocolate has more antioxidants (known as flavonols or phenols) than milk chocolate.
And don't think you have to avoid sweets. Contrary to popular belief, sugar doesn't feed cancer. But it can contribute to unwanted and unnecessary calories, so you may want to practice moderation.
I hope these suggestions got your imaginations running. Make sure to check out our healthy holiday recipes. And if you have other hints for healthy holiday eating or meal planning, or a favorite recipe or two, please share. Just don't forget to add the bake time and temperature.
Happy holidays!
Jaci See
16 comments posted
Share on:
16 comments posted