VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Henry Zhang: The holiday season is usually a time of joy and celebration. gathering around with friends and family to enjoy delicious foods, but for families who are navigating cancer the autonomy of a carefree diet is often challenging. To offer support, the Upstate Medical Cancer Center hosted a special event called Cooking & Coping Through the Holidays, an event that emphasizes the importance of nutrition and wellness of cancer patients through a live kitchen demonstration.
Katie Krawcyzk: Today we’re going to be doing a sweet potato hummus is going to be the main kind of our cooking demo and along the lines of those savory undertones makes us think of warm feelings and Thanksgiving. As well as the content of the hummus being some fiber, some protein, easy to prepare, it’s kinda of along the lines of what we’re going for today.
Zhang: But beyond the recipes, experts say the diet misconceptions for cancer patients still exist, especially on the topic of sugar.
Krawcyzk: Very common is people will say “I’ve read sugar feeds cancer,” and what I say to that is it’s really misconstrued, we have to look at the big picture and food as a pattern of what we’re typically consuming versus a snippet in time. So I help them look at and develop a good healthy eating pattern.
Zhang: While comfort food and tasty recipes can aid the battle physically., the event also addressed how emotional processing for cancer patients varies, specifically in the ways they digest their feelings.
Dorianne Eaves: Some people want to share and openly share and for other people they cope differently. So yeah, I think there’s a lot of apps on our phone and on the computer now for meditation and deep breathing, I use grounding techniques a lot with patients of even just using your senses in the moment of what you smelling, tasting, hearing, seeing. But then also using your coping skills and activities you already enjoy and yes, they might shift and adjust to how you’re feeling now but it’s also those things are the first things to go when we get overwhelmed and stressed and busy and running to appointments and appointments, but also adding some of those back into your routine can be helpful.
Zhang: Events like this remind cancer patients and their families to focus on what really matters this season: connection, balance, and care, both mentally and physically.
Eaves: I think it’s giving themselves grace that holidays are hard and can be stressful and they can still be good in the midst of really hard things and in the midst of suffering. So again, lowering expectations and being flexible and really prioritizing your values.
Zhang: Reporting from Upstate Medical University, this is Henry Zhang, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – The holiday season is a time where families, friends and loved ones comes together to enjoy delicious meals and catchup. But for families navigating through cancer, the freedom to enjoy a carefree and savory meals is often challenging.
To offer support, the Upstate Medical Cancer Center hosted Cooking & Coping Through the Holidays, a special event that highlighted the importance of nutritional and emotional wellness for cancer patients in the form of live kitchen demostration with fresh ingredients.
But with any illness, misconceptions and myths exist. And for cancer patients, sugar became the hot topic.
“Very common people will say ‘I’ve read sugar feeds cancer’ and what I say to that is it’s really misconstrued,” Krawcyzk says. “We have to look at the big picture.”
While nutrition plays a major role in the physical wellness of cancer treatments, the emotional side is just as important. Different people vary in technique, especially in the way they digest those emotions.
“Some people want to openly share, and for others they cope differently,” Eaves said. ” Focusing on what you’re smelling, tasting, hearing and seeing is important”
Events like these help families find the balance and focus during the holiday season both mentally and physically.
“Holidays can be hard and stressful. It’s about giving yourself grace, lowering expectations and prioritzing your values,” Eaves said.
For families navigating cancer or not, the holiday season should always be prioritized on bonding and emotional warmth, reflecting on the highs and lows while enjoying a tasty and nutritional meal filled with love, support and most importantly: positivity.