Jessica DeLuise & Culinary Medicine
“Since graduating from the CCMS program, I have made it my mission to enrich and motivate others through direct patient care and digital or broadcast media.”
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JESSICA DeLUISE PA-C, CCMS
As healthcare providers, we create safe and intimate relationships with our patients, discussing all facets of their lives.
We provide a place for sharing, guidance, empathy, and care. And while we do that, the world continues to change and evolve. Therefore, we must adjust the ways we approach these special patient encounters.
Like many of my PA and physician colleagues, I found minimal content in my graduate, PA program surrounding food and nutrition. When it came time to answer questions posed by my patients, I wanted more information to provide complete answers and guide them properly. I took it upon myself to study the grocery store, self-educate about ingredients, and seek additional opportunities to learn and educate myself.
Jessica DeLuise's BackgroundPatient interest in nutrition is one area in which I have witnessed a marked transformation since beginning my career.
During patient encounters, I began receiving more and more questions about meal choices for health, food preparation, and grocery shopping. This interest and intrigue were amplified as social media platforms increased in popularity, especially with the introduction of video content.
Patients frequently reported trying new eating styles based on content they saw or posts a friend shared. While access to the vast internet full of information is wonderful, most of the content posted online is inaccurate, unsafe, or not applicable to my patients. Even though nutrition is evidence-based, nutrition is nuanced and unique to the patient’s health status and life circumstances.
It is my responsibility to help patients sift through the marketing gimmicks at the grocery store or online and guide them toward safe and effective lifestyle modification and nutrition choices.Proper nutrition is more influential to overall wellness and chronic disease prevention than most people realize. We have thousands of studies and much anecdotal evidence showing food’s impact on various disease processes. The Mediterranean diet may prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke risks, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and promote healthful aging.
Certain foods may exacerbate the symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, gout, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We also know that specific food components can influence our health status. For example, fiber can impact our serum cholesterol levels and bowel regularity and feed beneficial gut microbiota.
The Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist (CCMS) designation identifies clinicians who have a unique foundation for incorporating healthy eating into patients’ diets: comprehensive knowledge of nutrition and the culinary techniques to prepare food that is consistent with real-world budgets, time constraints, and nutritional ideals.
The obesity and cardiometabolic risk epidemics are running rampant in the United States. With 69% of adults identified as overweight or obese and the typical American diet exceeding the recommended intake levels for fat, sugar, refined grains, and sodium2, the need for healthcare practitioners to actively engage patients on issues related to diet is greater than ever.
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The Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist (CCMS) Program allowed me to continue to educate myself
with more varied, meaningful nutrition information and, in turn, nourish my medical practice and my patients’ lives. The program lessons are tailored toward specific disease processes, allowing for a thorough understanding of the curriculum. The coursework is presented in a self-study model. This makes it convenient and attainable while balancing work and family commitments. As part of the program, hands-on learning in the kitchen with the faculty allowed us to collaborate with other healthcare providers and practice the lessons we learned in the coursework.
Since graduating from the CCMS program, I have made it my mission to enrich and motivate others through direct patient care and digital or broadcast media. I reach exponentially more people through media to educate and encourage discussion with their healthcare providers. In 2020, I produced a TV show aimed at educating people about food concerning specific disease processes called Eat Your Way to Wellness. In 2021, this show won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy award. I am the founder of TheWellnessKitchenista. I share tips, recipes, and educational content across social platforms, speak at corporate events, volunteer and advocate with the American Heart Association, host cooking classes, provide community demonstrations, and more.
I cannot speak more highly about the CCMS program and how it has benefited me, the patients I serve, and TheWellnessKitchenista community.
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