'Think Pink, Live Green' is Inspiration for Organic Healing Garden at HVHC Cancer Center

 You are what you eat is an old truism, but it’s taken on a new life at Hudson Valley Hospital Center, where an organic garden will nurture a new approach to cancer care.

Hudson Valley Hospital Center has teamed up with Breastcancer.org, a global non-profit organization, to promote a health campaign called “Think Pink, Live Green.”  The brain child of Breastcancer.org president and founder Dr. Marisa C. Weiss, “Think Pink, Live Green” stresses the importance of lifestyle changes, including healthier eating, as a way to help prevent breast cancer and improve the health of those already diagnosed with the disease. 

“Dr. Weiss’ ideas were very much in tune with our philosophy of treating the whole patient at our new Comprehensive Cancer Center,’’ said John C. Federspiel, President of Hudson Valley Hospital Center. “By creating an organic garden we hope to nurture this philosophy, and what better partner to have in this endeavor than Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a leader in the organic, farm to table movement.”

With direction from Stone Barns, the Hospital plans to build and design an organic garden of herbs and vegetables that can be used to educate and nourish cancer patients as well as serve as a place of relaxation and contemplation for cancer patients and their families.

“As an educational nonprofit, Stone Barns Center is pleased to be a part of this project that promotes healthy eating and holistic thinking,’’  said Jill Isenbarger, Executive Director of Stone Barns Center.  “Our hope is that it provides another avenue to discuss the importance of locally grown, organic food while also being a source of enjoyment for the hospital and its patients.  

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is a non-profit farm and education center located in Pocantico Hills, New York. Stone Barns operates an 80-acre four-season farm and is working on broader initiatives to create a healthy and sustainable food system. Through its Growing Farmers Initiative, children’s education programs, and diverse public awareness programs, the Center aims to improve the way America eats and farms. Stone Barns Center’s children’s education programs give thousands of kids the opportunity to get their hands dirty and see where their food comes from.  It is open to the public year-round and offers programs for adults and families to learn about healthy food and sustainable farming.

The Hospital plans to unveil its garden on April 25 with a visit from Dr. Weiss, a renowned breast cancer oncologist, who will speak about her “Think Pink, Live Green” program. Through Breastcancer.org and numerous public appearances, Dr. Weiss shares her message with audiences around the country. Everything is on the table: what we eat, drink, breathe, take, and use from the kitchen, pantry, cleaning shelf, and medicine chest; how we handle stress, sleep at night, make reproductive choices, treat ourselves, and interact with others. All these factors affect the inside environment within our bodies and may increase our risk of developing breast cancer.

 Breastcancer.org is the world's leading online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support— reaching 28 million people globally over the past 11 years.

“Contrary to popular opinion, most breast cancers aren’t inherited,” said Dr. Weiss. “Only 10 percent of breast cancers are caused by your genes. This means there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk of developing breast cancer. The healthy lifestyle changes you make today can reduce your risk tomorrow.”

As a renowned leader in the field of breast cancer and author of four critically acclaimed books on breast cancer, Dr. Weiss is frequently called on by both print and broadcast media and has been a repeat guest on ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s TODAY, CNN’s medical features, and The Dr. Oz Show.

The “Seeds for Health” Garden at Hudson Valley Hospital Center will be a community project with local volunteers helping to plant and care for the garden under the direction of Stone Barns gardener Laura Perkins, a Peekskill resident.   Myra Marsocci, owner of Shades of Green garden design and a member of the Peekskill Garden Club, has volunteered to assist with the garden’s design. Funds to purchase materials for the garden were donated by Kohl’s Department store as part of its Associates in Action National Go Green Event.

 “The Hospital is very interested in spreading this important health message, and the best way to do that is to invest the community in this project and the philosophy it represents,’’ said Federspiel.