GAG | eating life with head & neck cancer Ep 60 - 120

About GAG | eating life with head & neck cancer Ep 60 - 120

GAG | eating life is a podcast about rebuilding confidence with food and life after treatment. Hosted by Yvonne McClaren, author of GULP: Taking a seat back at the table after head and neck cancer, this podcast shares lived experience, practical insight, and honest reflections on navigating dysphagia, eating challenges, and recovery. This is not just about nutrition. It’s about identity, social connection, and finding a way forward when eating becomes difficult and life changes unexpectedly. For people living with eating challenges, caregivers, and clinicians supporting recovery. A podcast about rebuilding confidence with food and life after treatment. New episodes released monthly. yvonnemcclaren.substack.com (https://yvonnemcclaren.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Rebuilding confidence with food, identity, and life after treatment.

Category

education · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Mar 2022

Latest episode

29 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

91 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Jun 2026

   Research Says Dysphagia Is About More Than Swallowing. It Was Right.

   This is the first video in my new Research to Real Life series. Every month I’ll take a published research paper on dysphagia, translate the science into plain English, and ask one simple question: What does this actually mean in real life? Not in a laboratory. Not in statistics. In everyday life, travelling, hiking, sharing meals, managing fatigue, and trying to build a meaningful life after head and neck cancer. The first study, from Austria, found something many of us already know from experience: dysphagia doesn’t just affect swallowing. It can affect physical health, emotional wellbeing, social connection, sleep, pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Today also happens to be the day I’m heading back to hospital for another swallowing assessment (video fluoroscopy), so this seemed like the right place to begin. I’d love to know what you think of this series. If there’s research you’d like me to unpack in future editions, let me know in the comments. Because research matters - but only if it helps us live better. If you'd like to dive deeper, you can read the full Research to Real Life article here, where I've broken down the study in plain English and included a link to the original research paper: It’s more than food (https://open.substack.com/pub/yvonnemcclaren/p/dysphagia-after-head-and-neck-cancer?r=1iwslb&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web) Yvonne Eat Well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yvonnemcclaren.substack.com/subscribe (https://yvonnemcclaren.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   4 Feb 2026

   Food is culture. Swallowing is science. Healing needs both.

   Everything I want and need to say is here. What I am not sure about is how to get the message out about this book to those that need it. I’ll be honest, I don’t know who needs it more - it might be other patients like me, their care givers, their clinicians - friends, family all of the above. I feel so deeply and strongly attuned to this information getting the air play it needs. There is so little out there to help people “Running the Gauntlet” of head and neck cancer treatment. I use that term to describe the process and then what happens ? It is … * linguistically correct * metaphorically precise * emotionally honest I hope you find the book the same. I can’t read it without it evoking such strong emotion in me. I take that as a good sign on this World Cancer Day 2026. You can get your copy here (https://yvonnemcclaren.com/b/SWhn5) or you can mosey on over here to Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHT6L2YJ) Eat Well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yvonnemcclaren.substack.com/subscribe (https://yvonnemcclaren.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   5 Dec 2025

   Book Update, Me Update & Shortbread ...

   Book Summary – GULP. The book will be available on my website and Amazon - likely (realistically) just before or just after Christmas - I will let you know. 🍾 Here’s what it is ALL about … GULP. is a practical and insightful guide designed to help people navigate the physical, emotional, and social challenges of eating after dysphagia or related feeding difficulties. The book’s core purpose is to provide both patients and caregivers with structured guidance, actionable strategies, and lived-experience insights that clinical care alone often cannot address. The book is written for individuals recovering from head and neck cancer, radiation therapy, or other conditions affecting swallowing, as well as their caregivers, family members, and healthcare professionals seeking a patient-centred perspective. Central themes include rebuilding confidence around food, reclaiming social participation, understanding the physiological and psychological aspects of dysphagia, and integrating practical, evidence-informed strategies into daily life. Readers are introduced to the Back At The Table (BATT) Framework, a structured approach to recovery that emphasizes attention to mind, body, nutrition, and social connection. Key takeaways include the importance of embracing failure as part of progress, the role of social and emotional nourishment, and the value of personalised, step-by-step approaches to regaining independence. The book is organised into chapters and series that guide readers progressively: understanding the impact of feeding challenges, practical strategies for home and social eating, culinary exploration, and integrating life skills. Modules include personal stories, real-world examples, exercises, and illustrative frameworks, making complex concepts tangible and relatable. Distinctive elements include first-person narratives, reflective insights from personal journeys such as the Camino, practical exercises, and applied frameworks like BATT and IDDSI. By reading GULP., readers gain the confidence, knowledge, and practical tools to rebuild their relationship with food, navigate social settings, and restore a sense of agency and enjoyment in daily life, transforming eating from a source of anxiety to a pathway for connection, resilience, and well-being. Eat Well - Merry Christmas 🎄 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yvonnemcclaren.substack.com/subscribe (https://yvonnemcclaren.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

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Quality

86

Social presence

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YouTube

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Engagement

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