Zest: The Health meets Food Newsletter
June 2024
Zest. It says a lot about what the folks who are involved with Culinary Medicine are about. People connected with the Culinary Medicine movement have just that: a zest for life, learning, and teaching.
Zest evokes the excitement and passion that is happening at the intersection of where health meets food.
Research Participation – Culturally Diverse Seasonings
Dr. Minakshi Raj is conducting a study to understand personal and professional use of culturally diverse seasonings among registered dietitian nutritionists, food service professionals, and physicians who provide dietary recommendations to patients.
Dr. Raj and his team want you know about a study you may be eligible to participate in. The study seeks to understand your personal and professional use of culturally diverse seasonings.
The study involves a 25 to 30 minute online survey that can be taken on any browser. You will be compensated with an Amazon gift card upon completing the full survey. Your participation will not affect your relationship with us or our network. You are eligible to participate if you are currently:
A practicing dietitian, physician, chef, or food service personnel, including a consulting dietitian who works in multiple healthcare facilities
Work in a hospital, long-term care facility, or in private practice in the U.S.
If you have any questions about the study or whether you are eligible, please directly email the study team at hk-actlab@illinois.edu. If you are interested in participating, please email the study team at hk-actlab@illinois.edu for a personal link to the survey using a work/professional email address.
George Washington University Culinary Medicine Interest Group Journal Club
Please join the George Washington University Culinary Medicine Interest Group for a great mid-summer Journal Club meeting: Thursday, June 20 at 6PM Eastern.
The topic is the article “The fructose survival hypothesis for obesity”presented by Nathan Liu, a rising MS2 at GW SMHS.
The Zoom link: https://gwu-edu.zoom.us/j/96570745062?pwd=Szg4NWRDWFpwZTN4cUxVb2lPeXZDUT09
In the coming months the GWU Culinary Medicine Interest Group will be leading more journal club meetings. If you have a paper you would like reviewed, or if you would like to present, email Mahi Batt at mahi_bhatt@gwmail.gwu.edu.
Save the Date for Health meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference 2025!
The 2024 Culinary Medicine conference was amazingly successful and we are looking forward to a great conference in 2025.
The conference will take place in June 5 through June 8, 2024 in the Washington, DC metro area.
There will be an online streaming option using a virtual conference platform that will allow for a conference experience including lectures, expert panels, culinary skills-building programming and small group interactions with your colleagues.
FRIDAY: REBOOT OF FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Friday programming will focus on the Food Safety and explore the fundamental information around safety of food in the supply chain, diagnosing and treating food borne illness, and contaminants in our food.
SATURDAY: CHALLENGES IN CULINARY MEDICINE
Saturday programming will explore the intersection of women’s health, food and nutrition. Topics will include an exploration of the role of women in nutrition research as well as nutrition and PCOS and nutrition and menopause.
During this year’s culinary skills building sessions we will explore the challenges our vulnerable patients face with cooking great healthy food using a variety of pre-selected ingredients. Teams will create and share recipes with other conference participants in the afternoon sessions.
SUNDAY: LOOKING TO THE HORIZON – FOOD FOR THOUGHT
What are the current issues and impact of nutrition in the food supply chain and how is this affecting our planet?
Featured Speaker: Health meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference 2025
Jen Gunter, MD – Women’s Health: Menopause and Nutrition
I am an OB/GYN and a pain medicine physician. I write a lot about sex, science, and social media, but sometimes I write about other things because, well, why not?
I’ve been called Twitter’s resident gynecologist, the Internet’s OB/GYN, and one of the fiercest advocates for women’s health. I have devoted my professional life to caring for women.
I’m here to build a better medical Internet. You can’t be empowered about your health if you have incorrect information. I got interested in online snake oil and dubious science when my own children were born extremely prematurely. I found separating the facts from the fiction difficult and I am a doctor, so I started thinking if this is hard for me how does everyone else manage? It put the bad information that my own patients were bringing into the office in perspective. I know people sit up late at night Googling things and fall down rabbit holes of misinformation because I’ve been there!
Cooking Up Change: How Texas AgriLife’s Training is Making a Difference
By Karen Joseph, MPH
Andrea Valdez, a dedicated County Extension Agent III- Family & Community Health and Hidalgo County 4-H Coordinator, is one of 16 participants in the Certified Culinary Medicine Professional Training program at Texas A&M AgriLife.
In Hidalgo County, where about 92.5% of residents are of Mexican descent, Andrea teaches diabetes prevention and blood pressure awareness, bridging university research and culturally relevant health education.
Andrea first learned about the Culinary Medicine training program at a local health summit in 2022. Although she initially applied on her own, she couldn’t afford the training. Fortunately, Paula Butler, the Regional Program Leader at Texas A&M AgriLife, recognized the program’s benefits during the pandemic, wanted to ensure her agents had the knowledge to help their communities and advocated for it. Associate Director Courtney Dodd worked closely with the American College of Culinary Medicine team to secure financial support, enabling Andrea and 15 other Extension Agents to participate.
Chef Barbara Kamp, the lead trainer, provided invaluable hands-on experience, focusing on recipe modifications, and emphasizing that Andrea and her colleagues “meet their community members where they are,” especially in rural areas with limited access to specialty ingredients.
The training allowed the students to consider appropriate substitutions, with Chef Kamp weighing in with alternatives. “The hope for the program,” says Chef Kamp, “is that they learn techniques to help Texans use what’s available to them to eat healthier and appreciate whole grains and whole foods. And to do this without removing their favorite foods.”
The program includes bi-weekly meetings, lectures, quizzes, and practical recipe presentations. But the initial in-person classes were particularly valuable for Andrea in fostering connections with her colleagues, “many that before I only knew as a name in an email chain,” she reflected. This sense of community has only deepened as they continue to progress through the program together online and on Zoom, because “when you make a meal with someone, you become your own kitchen family, and it’s about building community.” Strengthening the ties between agents was crucial to Paula, who envisioned this program as a way to foster collaboration between agents and across agencies, amplifying the impact of their work.
Andrea’s journey through the Culinary Medicine Training at Texas AgriLife underscores the transformative potential of the American College of Culinary Medicine mission. It has equipped her with the knowledge and skills needed to foster healthier lifestyles in her community.
As she prepares to take her certification exam in October, Andrea passionately believes, “EVERY Extension agency should take on this training. It’s so much more than professional development; it’s about changing lives.” Her experience echoes the initial visions of both Chef Kamp and Paula Butler, demonstrating that this program’s impact can resonate deeply with agents everywhere, driving positive change in communities across the country.
Monthly Spotlight: Advisory Board Member Jeffrey Quasha
By: Karen Joseph, MPH
Name: Jeffrey Quasha
Profession: Senior Director of Culinary Innovation at Morrison Healthcare
Location: Savannah, Ga
For Jeffrey Quasha, cooking isn’t just a profession: it’s personal. Every slice of his chef’s knife, every turn of the spoon in the pot, and every bite of something delicious is a vivid memory of generations of his family’s culinary and oral traditions. Each dish paints a picture and tells a story, rich with the colors and textures of ingredients from his past.
One of Jeffrey’s favorite memories is sitting on a stool in his grandmother’s kitchen, watching his mom and grandma make dumplings. Even over the phone, you can almost hear his mouth watering as he describes the scene, full of warmth and love.
Jeffrey’s path into culinary medicine began unexpectedly. As a fresh graduate from culinary school, on the brink of competing with Bobby Flay for the title of Iron Chef, his world shifted. His young wife informed him that her mother had breast cancer, and with limited time left, they chose to bring her home for hospice care. Jeffrey witnessed firsthand how certain foods would make her ill during chemotherapy, while others were strictly off-limits. This was his first glimpse into the therapeutic potential of food.
Nearly a decade later, Jeffrey’s own diagnosis of multiple myeloma cancer brought him face-to-face with the healing power of nutrition. As a patient himself undergoing radiation therapy, he noticed how fried foods worsened his symptoms. His friend and colleague, Chef Cary Neff, introduced him to fortified bone broths, which significantly improved his well-being. This experience cemented his belief in the impact of eating and healing and led him to document his journey into a soon-to-be-published book, chronicling his understanding that “every dish matters.”
After receiving a stem cell transplant, Jeffrey’s cancer is now behind him. Today, he serves on the board of the American College of Culinary Medicine, grateful to colleagues like Chef Cary Neff and Lisa Roberson, who connected him with Dr. Tim Harlan. As Senior Director of Culinary Innovation at Morrison Healthcare for the past 15 years, Jeffrey champions the philosophy of “stealth health.” This approach centers on making delicious, nutritious meals the star of the show, drawing more people to the table without them even realizing they’re eating healthfully. Because, let’s face it: who really bothers looks at the “Buddha’s Delight” section on the back of a Chinese menu anyway?
Jeffrey’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of food. From his grandmother’s kitchen to the forefront of culinary medicine, he’s committed to spreading the message that every dish matters, provided it’s delicious. His story invites us all to connect more deeply with our own culinary traditions and embrace the healing power of DELICIOUS food that just happens to be nutritious.
Monthly Food Lover’s Questionnaire
What’s your favorite ingredient?
Tagine: a spicy chile pepper blend with citrus on a mango with simple syrup.
What’s your least favorite ingredient?
Coconut.
What turns you on creatively?
When i go to a restaurant and see something on a menu that I’ve never seen or thought of before. Like cauliflower grits!!
What turns you off?
In my family, we don’t say we don’t like or that we’re turned off by something. We just say we’re uninspired. I’m uninspired by a lack of passion or creativity on a restaurant menu – when it looks like they aren’t even trying.
What’s your favorite recipe or meal?
Low country shrimp and grits.
What culinary flavor or aroma do you love?
I’m really into Persian cuisine right now, loving the flavors of pomegranates, coriander, pistachios…. I’m a fan of their family style dishes and kabobs.
What culinary flavor or aroma do you hate?
I don’t hate anything, though there are times I’m uninspired. Right now though, there’s nothing that I’m not inspired by. I’m finding there’s something to learn everywhere. And in everything.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’d go back to one of my first loves, art/painting. I’d paint portraits, not live ones, though.
What profession would you not like to do?
A surgeon – can’t deal with the blood.
Julia Child invites you to a pot luck dinner with James Beard and Auguste Escoffier. What dish would you take?
I actually cooked for Julia Child and for the man who trained Auguste Escoffier. It was at a James Beard dinner in 2011. I made Spanish style tapas and it was a big hit with them. Morgan Freeman enjoyed it too! I’d make it again!
ACCM Annual Report
This year’s Annual Report is available and offers an update of activities of the College in the past year.
You can download the report here: 2024 ACCM Annual Report
Recently Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist Graduates
Congratulations to the recent healthcare professionals who have completed the Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist Program.
This represents a significant achievement, with completion of both the courseware as well as sitting for and passing the certification examination.
| Anthony Chen, MD | Katherine Irizarry, CNM |
| Giana Dimaria, MS. RDN | Melanie Madriaga, DO |
| Arlie Britton, MD | Paige Poffenberger, MD |
| Julia Esswein, MD | Sarah Pontell, PAC |
| Lisa Ference, MD | Jordan Ross, MD |
| Terezia Galikova, MD | Victoria Saunders, MD |
| Ryan Hayes, MD | Catherine Trader, DO |
| Jennifer Hronkin, MD |
The Culinary Medicine Roundtable: Past, Present and Future Recording
The recording of this past month’s roundtable is now available for viewing.
After registering you will be enrolled in the course and materials for the roundtable will be available to you. The topic is Culinary Medicine: Past, Present and Future. Speakers from across the country who are active in the Culinary Medicine movement spoke about the origins of programming, the current state of the art, and a glimpse of what the future holds.
Culinary Medicine Research and News
Culinary medicine is an innovative approach to address the need and increased demand for improved nutrition training in medicine. The findings from this review can guide medical education stakeholders interested in developing or modifying culinary medicine experiences. Despite barriers to implementation, culinary medicine experiences can be offered in a variety of ways during undergraduate and graduate medical education and can be creatively designed to fulfill some accreditation standards.
Diet plays a pivotal role in health outcomes, influencing various metabolic pathways and accounting for over 20% of risk-attributable disability adjusted life years (DALYs). However, the limited time during primary care visits often hinders comprehensive guidance on dietary and lifestyle modifications. This paper explores the integration of electronic consultations (eConsults) in Culinary Medicine (CM) as a solution to bridge this gap.
Poster Presentations at the 2024 Health meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference
If you were not able to attend in person, you are able to view the posters from this year’s conference. Email addresses of the corresponding author is included if you have questions.
Upcoming Virtual Culinary Medicine Classes
The Health meets Food team has been offering virtual online hands-on Culinary Medicine programming for over 3 years. Participants use Zoom to gather, collaborate, cook together, and discuss case studies. Each module will follow the workflow of in-person programming and will take about 3 1/2 hours to complete.
For registration problems, questions, or for more event information, please contact Cecilia Hatfield at cecilia@culinarymedicine.org.
Saturday August 10, 2024 at 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT – Module 3 – Fats – Virtual Programming via Zoom
Free Food Security Continuing Medical Education Online
The Health meets Food team offers free continuing medical education programming focused on food security issues:
1. Food Security in Older Adults
2. SNAP and WIC
3. Food Banks and Medically Tailored Meals
This is a significant issue for many in our society and the courseware covers background as well as actionable information for healthcare professionals. All three of these modules are also available for use by partner-sites using the Health meets Food courseware for healthcare professional students.
American College of Culinary Medicine Clothing and Swag
We are excited to announce the availability of Health meets Food clothing and swag. Great as a gift for yourself, family, friends and (even better) your Culinary Medicine colleagues.
Choose from baseball caps, t-shirts, polo shirts, embroidered aprons, mugs, and water bottles.
The Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist (CCMS) Program
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. Physicians, Physicians Assistants, Pharmacists, Registered Dietitians and Nurse Practitioners are eligible for certification.
The hybrid 60-credit curriculum includes a distinctive combination of online nutrition education courses, live conferences, and in-person attendance at hands-on teaching kitchen modules.By completing the program, clinicians will enhance their confidence and quality of care by learning how to:
- Integrate nutritional counseling to supplement pharmacological treatment
- Educate patients about weight loss and weight management
- Develop practical examination-room dialogues that inspire behavioral change
- Implement new strategies in even the busiest primary care offices
Apply for the CCMS Program Now!
Culinary Medicine Programming for Chefs and Foodservice Professionals
The Advisory Board and the Health meets Food team is excited to announce pioneering Culinary Medicine programming for chefs and foodservice professionals. The programming launches today as a 20 module series and the courseware will be available for culinary schools as well as a certification program.
Chefs and foodservice professionals are perfectly positioned to play a central role in changing the way Americans eat. However, many chefs and foodservice professionals feel their nutrition education and ability to communicate practical, effective guidance to consumers as well as their skill to produce food that is healthy and delicious is lacking.
The Certified Culinary Medicine Professional (CCMP) program provides foodservice professional at any level with a unique combination of nutritional knowledge and improved healthy culinary skills so that they can effectively incorporate healthy options into menus to help consumers.
Through certification, foodservice professionals will enhance their knowledge, confidence, and skills by learning how to:
- Evaluate and apply the most rigorous current research to menu and recipe development.
- Enhance the quality of meals prepared.
- Improve the diet quality especially targeting diet-related chronic diseases
Featuring a hybrid 45-credit curriculum comprised of online education, live conference learning, and hands-on teaching kitchen modules, the CCMP program is designed for those passionate about integrating science-based nutrition research into their culinary skillset and will equip candidates with the nutritional knowledge and culinary skills to optimize health.
View the program’s hybrid curriculum and steps towards certification.
