Promote HEALTH

Thank you for your interest in Promote HEALTH. The program has recently ended. For questions, please contact Laura Sugarwala, MBA, RD., director of Community Health Partnerships.

The Promote HEALTH* (previously Promote Health. Prevent Cancer.) initiative, which ran from 2018 to 2024 in partnership with Wilmot Cancer Institute, empowered participants through evidence-based health promotion and chronic disease prevention education.

Healthy Living Classes

What you eat and how much you move can impact your risk of chronic diseases. Promote HEALTH was a free eight-week program aimed at empowering participants to make and maintain changes in diet, physical activity and exposures. Participants with similar health goals came together to learn how small changes can add up to make a big difference in increasing overall health and well-being.

The class met for eight consecutive weeks. Classes were offered at different times of the year throughout the Finger Lakes region.

In-Person Class Format

Each class was one hour and 30 minutes and included nutrition education and physical activity. These 30-minute exercise videos are an example of exercises participants learned in class.

Virtual Class Format 

Class topics were the same as the in-person class. Participants were invited to join from the comfort of their home and, once enrolled in a program, received a link to join the virtual classes in advance of the course.

Class Topics & Curriculum

• Personal Values & Goal Setting                                                    
• Healthy Eating Patterns & Portion Sizes
• Nutrition Label Reading & Healthful Smart Shopping
• Whole Grains, Vegetables, Fruits & Beans
• Added Sugars & Sweetened Beverages
• Protein, Red & Processed Meats
• Processed Foods, Fast Foods & Fat
• Health Behaviors & Lifestyle Choices

Curriculum

Curriculum was based on the following evidence-based sources:

• American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• MyPlate
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• American Heart Association

Health Talks

The eight class topics were also offered as individual one-hour presentations. These health talks, given by members of our  team, were available for community groups, places of worship and more.

* Promote HEALTH ("Honoring Eating and Active Living Together for Health") provides a safe space for program participants to be able to honor where they are in their lives, join together in group discussion about eating and physical activity, and support overall health and well-being.