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Paving the Path to Wellness

@paving.wellness

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To empower individuals to thrive with a healthy body, peaceful mind, and joyful heart .Join the program & find our life changing workbooks below ⬇️

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Breast Cancer ACTION Month

Day 4: Defining Survivorship

In my breast oncology clinic, my patients often ask me: “Am I a cancer survivor?”

The term “survivor” can feel vague, or even unsettling, for many people. Words matter. Some prefer to say “I have a diagnosis of cancer” or “I am a thriver,” and those living with metastatic breast cancer often call themselves “metavivors.” When I give talks, I share the National Cancer Institute’s definition, which offers a comprehensive view of what it means to be a cancer survivor. It’s also the definition we share in our book, *PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond: Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Tools for Cancer Survivorship.*

This broad definition aligns with our philosophy and underscores the impact of the PAVING the Path to Wellness program: a roadmap to help you navigate the physical, mental, emotional, and social challenges that arise at diagnosis and persist through treatment and beyond.

October is Breast Cancer ACTION Month. Awareness is important, but this month is also a call to act: to support the millions of people living with and beyond breast cancer, to recognize their families, caregivers, and care teams, and to address the challenges that so often continue long after treatment ends.

Survivorship is about more than living longer. It’s about living well, with the best possible health, quality of life, and meaning, after a breast cancer diagnosis. Our PAVING program and book offer a roadmap to help you take action for your own health and learn to thrive. 🩷

#BreastCancerActionMonth #BreastCancerSurvivorship #CancerSurvivorship #PAVING

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October is Breast Cancer Action Month, a time not just to raise awareness, but to turn awareness into action. 💗

This month, I am thinking of my patients, who are my greatest teachers. Their courage, questions, and determination remind me every day why action matters: early detection, equitable access to care, ongoing research, and real support for every person living with and beyond breast cancer.

The goal that anchors my work is optimizing the health, well-being, and outcomes of my patients with breast cancer. Inspired by them, over 7 years ago I began a collaboration with @bethfrates.md and launched the PAVING the Path to Wellness Program for breast cancer survivors. Our first PAVING group met in a hospital conference room. Since then, the program has grown considerably, and we now have an amazing leadership team! PAVING offers a roadmap to help individuals navigate the physical, mental, emotional, and psychosocial challenges that begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment and beyond.

Lifestyle medicine is one of the most powerful forms of action we can take. Moving our bodies, nourishing ourselves well, prioritizing sleep, managing stress, and staying connected can improve quality of life and support long-term health. That is why Dr. Beth Frates, Dr. Michelle Tollefson, and I wrote “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond: Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Tools for Cancer Survivorship.”

This month, I invite you to take one action:
✔️ Schedule your screening, or remind someone you love to schedule theirs
✔️ Learn your family history and personal risk
✔️ Choose one healthy habit to build this week
✔️ Reach out to someone on their breast cancer journey

To every survivor, thriver, and metavivor, however you name your journey: we see you, we stand with you, and we are taking action for you this month and every month.💗

#BreastCancerActionMonth #BreastCancerAwareness #BreastCancerSurvivorship #LifestyleMedicine #PAVINGtheWay

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Week 2 of the PAVING the Path to Wellness program for breast cancer survivors kicks off in just 20 minutes! 💕

As we celebrate our 7th anniversary, I’ll be sharing a glimpse of what we are exploring each week in our program. Tonight’s topic is one of my favorites: physical activity! 🏃‍♀️🏋🏽‍♀️🧘🏼‍♀️

Tonight we will take a deep dive into the science behind why movement is medicine in oncology, and discuss the latest evidence-based exercise recommendations from national organizations, including ASCO, ACS, ACSM, AICR, and NCCN.

But the best part? The encouragement, accountability, and inspiration that grow when women support other women. PAVING is about celebrating each other’s progress, navigating challenges together, and discovering that you don’t have to take the next step alone.

Because PAVING is more than a program- as we always say, PAVING IS A MOVEMENT! ✨

I can’t wait to get moving with our amazing group this evening!
#PAVINGISAMOVEMENT #ExerciseOncology #MovementIsMedicine #LifestyleMedicine #BreastCancerSurvivorship

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In just 30 minutes, we will launch another session of PAVING the Path to Wellness, and celebrate our seventh anniversary! 🎉🩷

It is truly an honor to offer this transformative program to breast cancer survivors and thrivers. To mark this milestone, I am sharing an excerpt from our book, “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond: Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Tools for Cancer Survivorship.”

“How can I live my best life?”

“That question often propels individuals to seek support from the PAVING the Path to Wellness Program for breast cancer survivors. In the five years since I met with our first group at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, more than 400 participants have taken part in this program!

Together, they have explored the power of exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and meaningful personal connections. As interest has grown, so has our team. We now have a wonderful multidisciplinary group of leaders who, amid a world filled with misinformation, provide evidence-based tools to help participants become the healthiest versions of themselves.

I love how one participant described PAVING: “a roadmap for how to live and move forward” after a breast cancer diagnosis.”

-Amy Comander, MD, FACLM, DipABLM, MSCP

A special shout-out to my fabulous co-authors, Beth Frates and Michelle Tollefson, and to our AMAZING and INSPIRING PAVING leadership team at the @massgeneralbrigham Cancer Institute: Kiersten Anderson, Elizabeth Abraham, Dana Haggett, Sylvia Perry, Caroline Coyle, Isa Pupo Wiss, Stephanie Eisenstat, Loren Winters, and Carol Sullivan. I am so grateful for each of you! 🩷

Order our book directly from Healthy Learning:
https://healthylearning.com/

Use code 25PAVING2 for 25% off.

The book is also available on Amazon!

#PAVING #LifestyleMedicine #CancerSurvivorship #BreastCancerSurvivor #BreastCancerThriver

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Join us on Thursday, September 24th at 7 pm Eastern Time for an outstanding presentation by Michelle Thompson, DO.

"Participants will explore evidence-based techniques that calm the stress response, enhance self-awareness, and strengthen compassionate presence — both toward oneself and others. Through guided meditation, breathwork, reflective exercises, and small-group connection, you’ll learn practical tools that can be integrated into clinical practice, leadership, family life, and personal wellbeing."

Become part of the PAVING community and join us in our quest to enjoy a healthy body, peaceful mind, and joyful heart.

For more information and to register, go to www.pavingwellness.org and click on programs.

Here's a link you can copy and paste into your browser.

https://www.pavingwellness.org/programs

We are grateful to @mtyogidoc!

#pavingwellness #lifestylemedicine #health #mentalhealth #stress #stressless #stressresilience #WellnessJourney #wellbeing #healthcoach #wellnesscoach #leadership #happiness #joy #healthyliving #life

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So honored and delighted to co-author this paper!

Paving the Path to Wellness for Okinawan Descendants in Brazil: A Culturally Adapted Lifestyle Medicine Program in Group

I partnered with a long-time friend and colleague on this one, Dr. Sley Tanigawa Guimaraes, MD. @dra.sley

Here is the abstract, if you are interested.

Abstract
Noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of premature death and disability worldwide. Lifestyle medicine group interventions are effective in promoting behavior change and improving health outcomes. This study evaluated the impact of the PAVING THE PATH TO WELLNESS program among Okinawan descendants in São Paulo, Brazil. A longitudinal mixed-methods pilot study was conducted with 16 adults (≥18 years) from the Okinawa Vila Carrão Association. The 8-week group program included weekly sessions addressing purpose, attitude, variety, investigation, movement, stress management, nutrition, sleep, time, relationships, and goal-setting. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed health behaviors and literacy. A focus group was conducted at program completion. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired tests, and qualitative data were thematically analyzed. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design integrated both strands to enhance depth and validity.Pre- and post-intervention surveys show that statistically significant changes occurred in stress management (P = 0.034), nutrition (P = 0.034), energy (P = 0.008), experiences (P = 0.035), and goal-setting (P = 0.005). The Net Promoter Score was 93.7, indicating high satisfaction. Qualitative findings reinforced these outcomes. Taken together, these findings suggest that the PAVING pilot program was well accepted and effective in promoting health education, lifestyle changes, and reinforcing Okinawan cultural salutogenic resources, supporting its relevance for culturally adapted interventions.

Here is the link to copy and paste in your browser.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15598276261443937

#lifestylemedicine #pavingwellness #health #healthyliving #WellnessJourney #wellbeing #doctors #physicians #healthcare #medicaleducation #medicalschools

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Welcome, August! 🌸

As we enter the final month of summer (!!), it is a meaningful time to pause, reflect, and think about the goals that matter most to us.

Goal setting is not about perfection or placing more pressure on ourselves. It is about identifying what matters, connecting with our “why,” and taking small, realistic steps forward. Goals may focus on movement, nutrition, sleep, stress management, social connection, or simply doing one positive thing for yourself each day.

In our book, “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond: Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Tools for Cancer Survivorship,” we dedicated an entire chapter to goal setting. We explore SMART goals, the importance of accountability and community, and the need for flexibility and self-compassion along the way.

As you begin this new month, consider:

What is one goal that would help you feel healthier, more connected, or more fully alive?

Write it down! Identify your first small step. Share it with someone who can support you—and remember to celebrate your progress.💗

Our book is available on Amazon or through our publisher at healthylearning.com. Use code PAVING25. All proceeds support our nonprofit, pavingwellness.org.

#GoalSetting #WelcomeAugust #CancerSurvivorship #BreastCancerSurvivorship #LifestyleMedicine

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“How can I live my best life?”

This is the question that brings so many breast cancer survivors to the PAVING the Path to Wellness Program- and the question we explore together every single week.

In the 7 years since I met with that first group in a conference room at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, over 400 participants have walked this path with us, exploring the power of exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and connection. As interest has grown, so has our team of wonderful, multidisciplinary leaders who offer participants evidence-based ways to become the healthiest version of yourself.

But PAVING offers something just as essential as education: hope. PAVING graduate Mary Chevalier expresses this so eloquently: “The PAVING program and process gave me HOPE! … Not the red thread, but the golden thread that ran through it all.”

Want these tools for yourself? Our book, *PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond,” written with my wonderful co-authors Dr. Beth Frates and Dr. Michelle Tollefson. Our book is available on Amazon and at HealthyLearning.com. All proceeds support our nonprofit, @pavingwellness.

As National Cancer Survivors Month comes to a close, here’s our promise: our dedication to survivors doesn’t end on June 30. We show up for this community every single day of the year. 💗

#NationalCancerSurvivorsMonth #CancerSurvivorship #BreastCancerSurvivorship #LifestyleMedicine #PAVING

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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” -Mary Oliver

This question has guided much of my work and remains at the heart of how I care for my patients: helping each person live as fully and well as possible, during and after cancer treatment. Surviving is just the beginning.

This is why we wrote “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond: Evidence Based Lifesytle Medicine Tools for Cancer Survivorship”- an evidence-based guide designed to empower breast cancer survivors and thrivers along the survivorship journey. This workbook is a tool designed to help individuals become the best possible version of themselves after a diagnosis of breast cancer. This book serves as a roadmap to help people plan their future course of action, in order to enhance health and well-being. All of the information shared in this book is evidence-based and grounded in the latest scientific research. A comprehensive list of references is provided at the end of each chapter and can be easily accessed through QR codes embedded throughout the book. Because breast cancer research continues to evolve, I remain committed to updating these references and incorporating new evidence as it emerges, ensuring that readers have access to the most current and reliable information available.

Our book is available on Amazon or at HealthyLearning.com, our publisher’s site. Use code PAVING25 for 25% off.

💗 All proceeds support our nonprofit, pavingwellness.org

@bethfrates.md @drmtollefson @paving.wellness

#NationalCancerSurvivorsMonth #CancerSurvivor #BreastCancerSurvivor #Survivorship #LifestyleMedicine

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One of the greatest joys is hearing how resources we have created for breast cancer survivors are touching lives and making a meaningful difference.💗

This morning, my friend @mtyogidoc (Michelle Thompson!) shared a story that deeply touched me. She texted us that she spent a week with her mom, a breast cancer survivor, and watched her sitting with our book, learning and reflecting. Michelle also kindly purchased a copy for her mom’s friend, who also has a diagnosis of breast cancer, and now the two of them are reading our book together, discussing what they learn, just like a book club!

Moments like these are exactly why we wrote “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond.” Our hope was to provide breast cancer survivors with evidence-based tools from lifestyle medicine, as well as practical guidance, and hope- during treatment, survivorship, and beyond.

I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has read our book, shared it with a loved one, joined our PAVING community, or supported our mission. Thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your journey. 💗
#BreastCancerSurvivorship #LifestyleMedicine #PAVINGThePathToWellness #BreastCancer #CancerSurvivorship

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It has been a whirlwind few days at ASCO! I am incredibly grateful for the enthusiastic response to our educational session focused on optimizing breast cancer survivorship. Many attendees have asked how they can learn more about the topics we discussed, so I wanted to share a resource that is very close to my heart: “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond: Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Tools for Cancer Survivorship.”

When we launched the PAVING the Path to Wellness program in 2019, we recognized the need for a comprehensive, evidence-based resource tailored specifically for breast cancer survivors. This book was created to meet that need.

A breast cancer diagnosis often brings fear, uncertainty, and an overwhelming amount of information. In this book, my co-authors, Dr. Beth Frates, Dr. Michelle Tollefson, and I provide practical, science-backed tools from lifestyle medicine to help individuals improve their health, well-being, and quality of life during and after treatment.

Filled with actionable strategies and inspiring survivor stories, “PAVING Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond”offers a roadmap to help survivors move from simply surviving to truly thriving.

The book is available on Amazon and HealthyLearning.com. All proceeds support our nonprofit, @paving.wellness.

Thank you to everyone who attended our ASCO session. I hope this book serves as a trusted guide for breast cancer survivors and thrivers everywhere.
@ascocancer @paving.wellness
#PAVING #BreastCancer #BreastCancerSurvivorship #LifestyleMedicine #CancerSurvivorship

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You’ve done the hard part. Now let’s talk fueling your survivorship journey.🥬 Our June survivorship series is back — this time covering nutrition and variety for breast cancer survivors.

Join RN Elizabeth Abraham live on June 3rd, 12–12:45 PM for this free virtual event in partnership with @thrivingbeyondbreastcancer. Register now — link in bio! 🌯

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