Community and mental health support for life on artificial nutrition
The Battles of Nutrition Warriors of the invisible battle
A support network for people who are unable to eat food, and for the families and friends who stand beside them. Artificial nutrition looks after the body. We are here for the mind: the loneliness, the grief for food and the hard days that nobody else sees.
Fuelling resilience, one drop at a time∞Hope beyond the line∞Standing strong, never alone∞Because every battle needs a plan∞Strength through connection∞Fuelling resilience, one drop at a time∞Hope beyond the line∞Standing strong, never alone∞Because every battle needs a plan∞Strength through connection∞
Who we are
We battle artificial nutrition, so we understand
Living without being able to eat can feel lonely. Food is everywhere: at family meals, on the television, in every shop window. It is easy to feel left out of a world that is built around eating.
There is help for the medical side, and there are people who campaign and people who organise days out. What is missing is support for how it feels. The anger, the grief, the isolation and the toll it takes on the people who love us. That is the gap The Battles of Nutrition is here to fill.
Whether you are on TPN, tube feeding or another kind of artificial nutrition, or you care for someone who is, you are welcome here. You are not alone.
We believe in the power of community and the importance of mutual support. Let's uplift each other, celebrate our resilience and face the challenges of nutritional battles together.
A three day weekly planner and reflection diary, to help with the daily struggles that come with being on artificial nutrition. Small steps, three days a week.
Monday
Motivation Monday
Set the tone for the week ahead. Find some inspiration, set goals you can reach, and break them into small tasks you can tick off.
Wednesday
Well-being Wednesday
Time for you. Do something that looks after your mind and body beyond the medical routine, and celebrate your wins, big or small.
Friday
Fly High Friday
Get outside if you can. A gentle walk, time in the garden or simply sitting in the fresh air. Look back at how far you have come.
I'm Daz, Darren Carter. After years of health problems, I lost the ability to swallow on Christmas Day 2017. An emergency gastric bypass followed in 2018, and I have lived on artificial nutrition ever since: first through a J-tube, then from 2020 on TPN through a Hickman line.
Not being able to eat brought anger, frustration and some very dark days. Building this community is how I found my way through, by turning my own battle into something that helps other people facing the same thing. Now it is time to come back bigger and better.