FreshStart! program is available at UAB for cancer survivors

A new eight-week FreshStart! program beginning Feb. 1 will help cancer survivors make healthy lifestyle changes.

fresh start image 2018Beginning Thursday, Feb. 1, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center will present FreshStart! a free eight-week lifestyle program specifically geared to help cancer survivors adopt healthier behaviors. With the help of supporters like Cooking Light magazine and the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation, the program is designed to help cancer survivors make healthy diet and exercise choices and manage their stress. 

Cancer survivors now make up 4 percent of the population in the United States and are more likely to have health issues like obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, lung disease and cardiovascular disease after a cancer diagnosis.

“FreshStart! is designed to support positive behavior change that is so important for healthy outcomes and survival,” said Teri Hoenemeyer, Ph.D., director of Education and Support Services at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Research indicates that survivors are more willing to consider behavior changes following a cancer diagnosis. However, in many communities, they lack the support and resources needed to do this. We are very fortunate to have UAB in our own community and, with that, the research, resources and expertise it offers to survivors. And, programs like FreshStart! help connect survivors to support and services needed for a permanent shift toward a healthier lifestyle.”

Meetings will be held by trained professionals every Thursday beginning Feb. 1-March 22 at 5:30 p.m. Topics and locations include:

Feb. 1: Basic nutrition and meal planning for cancer survivors, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 Sixth Ave. South, Room 237

Feb. 8: The skinny on super foods, supplements, herbs and vitamins, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 Sixth Ave. South, Room 237

Feb. 15: Cooking classes at Cooking Light test kitchens, 4100 Old Montgomery Highway

Feb. 22: Transitional physical activity and exercises, Lakeshore Foundation, 4000 Ridgeway Drive, Room TBD

March 1: Energizing ways to incorporate slow movement into an exercise program, Homewood Community Center, 1632 Oxmoor Road

March 8: Gentle restorative and completely supportive floor work, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 Sixth Ave. South, Room 220

March 15: Guided imagery for relaxation and stress relief, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 Sixth Ave. South, Room 220

March 22: Therapeutic roundtable group discussion on self-assessment, strategies and resources that can help with stress and anxiety management, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 Sixth Ave. South, Room 220

Registration is required online. For detailed information and directions, please call 205-934-5772.