Episode 29: "Nutrition & Diet Considerations for NET" with Sina Teskey

NET dietician Sina Teskey from the Medical College of Wisconsin answers common questions about diet and nutrition raised among NET patients and caregivers. She addresses special diets, food restrictions, and whether sugar “feeds” cancer. Sina also speaks to diarrhea, and digestive enzymes and shares tips on how to maintain nutrition and weight.

MEET SINA TESKEY, RD, CD

Sina Teskey, RD, CD received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006 and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Minnesota Medical College-Fairview in 2007. She has spent most of her career working with cancer and eating disorder patients. Sina practiced in the Twin Cities area for 10 years where she also spent time guest starring on a local TV show called Twin Cities Live to share nutrition advice. 

She moved to Milwaukee and has worked at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin since 2018. Sina sees all patients with cancer but specializes in GI cancers and neuroendocrine tumor patients. When she’s not working, Sina is a mom to three kids and a Labrador retriever. She loves to cook and bring people together with food. Her youngest son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2019. His cancer journey gave insight into what having cancer means to a family and has impacted her practice profoundly.  Her son Milo is now 7 years old and in remission.

TOP TEN QUESTIONS

1. Is there a diet NET patients should follow? Are there foods NET patients should avoid? Some people say there are certain “trigger foods” to avoid. What CAN I eat?
2. What diet is helpful after bowel surgery? What about pancreas surgery?
3. Are there vitamins or supplements recommended for NET patients?
4. What can NET patients do about diarrhea? What diet or medications might help?
5. What can NET patients do if they struggle with a poor appetite?
6. What can NET patients do if they are struggling to keep on or gain weight?
7. What can NET patients do to stay hydrated?
8. What are pancreatic enzymes and how are they taken? Who are they recommended for?
9. What proteins can people take if they are vegetarian or vegan given soy may be a trigger for carcinoid syndrome?
10. What do you think of alternative diets such as the keto diet or other “special diets?” Does sugar feed cancer? What about intermittent fasting?

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