Popular Indian food blogger who lived without a stomach for years dies at 50

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A popular Indian food blogger, who chronicled her experiments with food after having her stomach surgically removed due to a tumour, passed away at the age of 50.

The news of the death of Natasha Diddee, also known as “The Gutless Foodie”, was confirmed on Instagram by her husband, Bengt Johansson. She died early morning on 24 March in the western city of Pune.

“That Heartbreaking Announcement…It is with great pain and sorrow that I am forced to announce the sad and heartbreaking passing of my wife Natasha Diddee, aka The Gutless Foodie. We lost her in the early morning of 24 March, 2024 in Pune, India,” her husband posted on her official Instagram account.

“The Instagram account @thegutlessfoodie will be kept alive and open since I know her posts and stories inspire a lot of people and many of her followers frequently come back for her recipes and the published content continues to serve as a source of inspiration for many,” he added.

The cause of her death is not known, but she has spoken about the chronic medical conditions she lived with, including diarrhoea, nausea, and lightheadedness after a meal, also known as dumping syndrome.

With dumping syndrome, the stomach, instead of slowly regulating the movement of the food from the stomach to the small intestine, will do it too quickly.

The food blogger had to have her stomach surgically removed via gastrectomy, and her digestive system rerouted to bypass the stomach, due to a tumour in 2018.

After her gastrectomy, Diddee had to adhere to strict diet guidelines, consume small but frequent meals, and manage her calorie and nutrient intake to ensure a balanced meal.

Her followers offered their condolences on the post, with user @thefoodusi commenting, “In this world of so many people sharing their recipes and stories, Natasha had something so unique about her that made her stand out from the rest. Her jovial, effervescent energy despite going through a tumultuous journey in her life sets an example”.

Multiple bloggers too shared how heartbroken they were, with food blogger Natasha Minocha saying, “I have no words….missing my Tasha. Fiery, feisty, what a life force she was”. Lifestyle content creator Tanvi Agarwal said: “She was an inspiration”.

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