The charity teaching Hong Kong patients why eating well can help them beat cancer

In a healthy eating workshop session held at a patient support centre in Tuen Mun, a group of around 20 people are listening attentively as a dietitian explains the benefits of a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Aside from an introduction to vegetarian diets, the course participants, many of whom have recovered from cancer, are also given tips on how to get all the nutrients they need if they adopt a meat-free approach.

The gathering is one of the highlights of a wellness programme set up by Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre.

Helen Lui Wong Yun-fong, who runs the charity, said it was important to make sure patients got enough nutrients during and after cancer treatments.

“While we can give a talk to a large audience on nutrition information, as body conditions among patients vary, we also carry out diet assessment for individuals and make specific recommendations to them,” she said.

Under the theme “Eating Well”, a vast array of activities aimed at helping cancer patients better equip themselves for the challenges of the illness, including one-on-one nutrition recommendation sessions and talks on healthy eating, have been staged at the organisation’s specially designed centre at Tuen Mun Hospital.