Lori Bumbaco, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN

Oncology Dietitian

Food is more than just nutrition. Food offers us connection, empowers us, and is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Being diagnosed with cancer can change someone’s relationship with food and eating. Someone may assume that food causes cancer, or that only certain food is allowed to help treat or prevent cancer from recurring. Misinformation about food and cancer spreads faster than fact-based information. This can create fear and anxiety around food at a time when stress and anxiety are already present. Eating may become an entirely different experience because of taste or smell changes, reduced appetite, digestive changes, or fatigue. Sometimes these changes result in a feeling of loss that food and eating is no longer what it once was. Navigating the decisions about what to eat after cancer can be overwhelming; however, food can provide essential nutrients, be an opportunity to deepen relationships with loved ones, and is one of the few things we have control of in life.

My role as a dietitian is to help those that I work with understand how food can serve to nourish our body and mind in pursuit of whatever our unique goals may be. I serve as a partner to empower people with knowledge and skills to confidently choose and prepare food they can enjoy in the service of nutrition and connection. I utilize motivational interviewing in practice, in order to learn more about the reason why someone seeks my expertise. Our time spent in sessions will explore how even subtle changes can significantly enhance the way someone interacts with food. We will explore how best to create changes to your eating habits that not only support you during the time around a cancer diagnosis but also promote a sustainable approach to lasting change.

Lori Bumbaco has been a member of the Center’s staff since 2015. She received her MS in Nutrition and Dietetics from South Dakota State University.