New Year's Resolutions for Cancer Survivors: Healthy Eating

Editor's Note: This article is part of a mini-series featuring LCI's Cancer Support Programs. Stay tuned for future postings about additional classes offered to support New Year's resolutions.

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January is here, and with the new year comes a fresh start. We all try to be a little better. A little healthier. A little more enlightened. While many of us share the same goals, these healthy-living practices take on greater importance for those who are in treatment for cancer or who have finished their cancer treatments. 

Getting healthier can be fun and empowering, and Levine Cancer Institute is here to show how. Our expert team is ready to partner with patients on their resolutions, showing how New Year’s goals can become year-long habits, whether the goal is eating better, exercising more, improving well-being, or maximizing health.  

Resolution #1: Eat a Healthy Diet 

While some people begin the new year with drastic diets, Patricia Fogarty, MS, RN, LDN, believes that doesn’t have to be the case. Fogarty is a wellness oncology dietician at Levine's Cancer Institute, and she believes in the power of small changes to create a big impact.

To begin your year of healthy eating, Fogarty recommends her new class, Nine Nutrition Steps for Survivors. The class offers practical tips to create a healthy, balanced diet, without having to make drastic changes to the way you eat. 

The Healthy Cooking Club is another popular option. Each month, the club showcases simple recipes based on the most recent research in healthy eating, and participants get cooking tips and (even better!) taste samples of the prepared meal. Like all the nutrition classes, participants can attend the Healthy Cooking Club in person, watch online from other locations, or listen from the comfort of their homes.

“The Healthy Cooking Club has become a support group for people. We invite spouses and caregivers to come, too,” says Fogarty. “We try to keep it fun. In fact, two ladies who met through the club became good friends and started taking trips together.”

In addition to these classes, LCI touches on a variety of topics that cater to different tastes and needs. Silver Nutrition teaches how diet should evolve with age, Plant-Based Nutrition shows how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, and Breast Cancer Nutrition tackles the confusion regarding what to eat during and after breast cancer treatments. The program also offers a Hot Topics in Nutrition class, addressing diet issues in the news, such as the connections between sugar and processed meat with cancer.

“It can feel overwhelming with nutrition. It’s too easy for people to just throw up their hands,” Fogarty says. “But you can make small changes. Everything we do at LCI is based on research, and we try to keep it very positive and practical. You’re not alone, and we’re here to help you. All you need to do is ask.”