New sessions planned for Yes2Health program

The popular Yes2Health program offered through Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition has planned new sessions for fall. Participants in Yes2Health walk for 30 minutes each week and then meet weekly on Zoom to discuss fitness, health and wellness as part of the free 12-week program.

“The Yes2Health courses have been so delightful, and yes – life-changing for me,” Neita, a new member of Yes2Health said. “I’ve struggled with losing weight, eating was always a chore. I hated cooking; was not good at it; and the food I prepared did not taste good, so I didn’t enjoy it. I “thought” I was eating healthy because I would buy “healthy” carry-out options. The three Yes2Health programs I participated in helped so much with overcoming those challenges.”

The Yes2Health in the Kitchen program is a no-cost, interactive online cooking class. During each live class, participants learn new culinary skills while preparing a healthy recipe together during the class. Each class is led by Dee Iraca, founder of Eat Well Chef, a registered dietitian nutritionist and professional chef.

“In the Yes2Health in the Kitchen series, Dee taught us basic, simple cooking techniques, as we prepared the recipe along with her,” Neita said. “Her tips have made a world of difference for me. Finally, I’m learning how to cook without drying out or burning my food.”

In addition to learning from Chef Dee, Neita also participated in the Yes2Health Active Cooking program, something she named the “Cookbook Club” where participants cook all month long then meet to discuss their experiences and tips!

“The class introduced me to delicious, healthy recipes. The most recent cookbook was definitely restaurant-quality meals, yet easy to prepare. I particularly enjoyed the Zoom calls where each of us shared how we prepared the recipes and Dee would chime in with suggestions,” Neita said. “I learned how to make substitutions; I learned I didn’t have to follow the recipe exactly but discovered how I could use up the veggies and meats I already had on hand. I learned how to mix & match sauces and dressings to create my own meals. It opened my eyes to better ideas for cooking. I’ve been sharing my results with friends, and they are now remarking “But you used to hate cooking!” Not anymore! Now, I’m replacing my favorite carry-out meals with ones that I make myself, much more healthily, thanks to the Active Cooking program.”

Neita also enjoyed that the participants were given suggestions for recipes to try each month and that she could talk about those recipes in the next session. This encouraged her to actually prepare the meals so she could share her experiences.

“The Yes2Health self-guided series showed me that I was not eating as “healthy” as I thought I was. I was eating the same 3-4 veggies, fruits, and meats. I’ve learned how a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins each supply necessary nutrients,” Neita said. “The program taught us how much of each we should be eating each week to make sure we’re getting those nutrients. The course also taught us proper portion size, and how to develop an Action Plan to remake our eating and activity habits.

I feel like I’m finally fueling my body with the right foods. The “icing on the cake”, so-to-speak, is that the Zoom calls are very well-organized, the facilitators are very pleasant and patient, and the hand-outs are also well-planned and very useful.”

Neita explained that there are many reasons to join Yes2Health but found that the cooking classes were very beneficial to her. She learned how to cook healthy meals that were delicious, improved her cooking skills, discussed recipes with others who were also health-minded and discovered how easy it was to improve her eating habits.

“Not only did I get lots of useful information I can turn to again,” Neita said. “I have actually been inspired to cook.”

Members of the community are invited to sign up for the Yes2Health groups starting September 12 at no-cost! In addition, a Yes2Health Retreat, a complimentary interactive wellness retreat, is planned for September 27 from 6 to 7:30 PM at the Kent County Public Library. For more information on DBCC’s Yes2Health programs and how to register for free visit: https://debreastcancer.org/programs/yes2health/.