PEORIA (25News Now) – A breast cancer diagnosis in 2019 turned Kelli Ash’s life upside down.
Five years later, she is one of the first cancer survivors to join new CEFCU cooking classes at OSF Cancer Institute in Peoria.
In May 2019, Ash went to the doctor for a regular checkup after feeling a lump grow on her body. After several tests, Ash was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer.
“Three days before my daughter’s wedding, the radiologist had called me and said I’m sorry to have to tell us this, but your tests came back positive for cancer,” said Ash.
“I like to stay active, and I wanted to find something to help me feel normal,” Ash added.
Ash joined the OSF Cancer Institute’s nutrition program about two years ago to make that lifestyle change. Now she is one of the first cancer survivors to join CEFCU’s cooking classes at OSF.
Each cooking class is an eight-week course to teach survivors how to eat healthy post-cancer. Each class will have up to 12 students.
“It’s a ‘whole food’ kind of plant-based diet, it’s eating plant-based foods. There’s fiber, vitamins, minerals, and we have extra nutrients we know as viral chemicals,” said Katrina Sommer, OSF Registered Dietitian, and Teaching Kitchen Coordinator.
“I feel like when I wake up every day, it’s not a fight against food anymore,” said Ash.
The classes start in late January. For more information, click here.
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