• Serving Others

    Rochester Program – AYAs – We will team up with the Dorothy Day House to volunteer and serve dinner at the St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality.

  • Noodle Night

    Syracuse Program – AYAs and Parents – Make your own healthy bowl of ramen noodle soup with fresh ingredients. All food provided, just bring an appetite! Cooking instruction will be led by Dr. Kaushal Nanavati from Upstate University Hospital.

  • healthy

    Easy Ways to Live Healthy

    Whole health and wellness seems to be trendy these days. But what exactly does it all mean? And how can you — cancer patient or “healthy” person — incorporate whole health into your lifestyle?

    The idea of “holistic” wellness simply means to treat the entire body as a “whole” system, rather than disconnected, separate parts. It’s about really being in tune mind, body, and spirit to address underlying problems (as simple as an upset stomach to more complex chronic issues) at their root, rather than treating the symptom by itself.

    We all tend to live in the mindset that we’re healthy until we get sick. But what if we looked at health as the goal to reach for instead of simply “not sick”? What benefits are there to living a “whole health” lifestyle?

    • Creates balance
    • Boosts your mood
    • Better awareness of physical abnormalities
    • Improves sleep and healing
    • Boosts your immune system
    • Promotes clarity and better brain function

    And that is merely scratching the surface! 

    But what does this look like in a daily routine? It could be waking up a little earlier and going to bed a little earlier. Choosing a raw, vegan dessert over those premixed and processed brownies. Adding more leafy greens into your diet, and embracing “meatless Monday”. Parking further away from your destination to get some cardio in. Learning a couple of easy, simple yoga poses to stimulate circulation and give your lymphatic system some love. Go for your monthly massage. Take a walk after dinner.

    “Starting with small, painless changes helps establish the mentality that healthy change is not necessarily painful change. It’s easy to build from here by adding more healthy substitutions. It’s about doing what you can, to the best of your ability, and treating your body like the gift that it truly is.”

    -Rick Olderman, MS, PT 

    Find those things that make you feel well. Don’t be bogged down or overwhelmed by all of the “healthy” advice and available research — you know what’s right for YOUR body. You know how certain foods energize you or slow you down. You know how you feel after staying up too late or missing a meal — you already have that intuition when you’re getting sick. So tap into that same intuition!

    Whole, healthy living doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s simply about learning to trust yourself when it comes to your body, mind, and spirit, and taking care of the precious life you’ve been given — for however long that might be. Living your BEST life TODAY is about learning to embrace gratitude, giving yourself permission to create space and breathing room, learning by trial and error, recognizing stress and releasing those things beyond your control.

    Your mindset is powerful; cultivate positivity, and you’ll be amazed at the everyday difference! Whole health is more than just the what you eat — it’s how you approach all aspects of your life.

     


    13thirty Cancer Connect is a place where teens and young adults impacted by cancer are living their best lives — TODAY! We get it here. We’ve been through it or are still walking through it. And we are supporting each other in health and wellness through our Fit! programs and events! Visit our Rochester page or stop in to the Center to meet the staff and get connected! 

    About the Author

    Sabrina Gauer is our Communications Coordinator and Wellness Coach here at 13thirty Cancer Connect! Follow her blog and Instagram for more tips and encouragement for whole health and wellness living!