Culinary Medicine

culinary medicine is…

…a new evidence-based field in medicine that blends the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine.

Healthful Eating is Part of Lifestyle Medicine

A new field, Lifestyle Medicine, addresses root causes of disease by targeting nutrition, physical activity, wellbeing, stress management, substance use, connection with others through relationships, and sleep.

Healthy aging is a process that occurs over the life cycle, and implementing healthy habits throughout ones life impact longevity, as well as the quality of ones life. And later in life, perhaps after a diagnosis, this is what can contribute to a positive outcome.

Eating high quality meals, often cooked at home, is a subset of Lifestyle Medicine. So, just what IS lifestyle medicine?

Many of the diseases we suffer from are associated or caused by our lifestyle. The root causes of diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, some cancers, and many others, have shown to either reverse or benefit the client.

The root causes of most premature death, chronic disease, and health care costs originate from the choices we make throughout the every day, day after day. The occurrence of these health challenges are primarily based on daily habits. The good news is that you have the power to make changes!

If you are a woman in peri-menopause, menopause, or are post-menopausal, you may need additional assistance since natural hormonal changes present additional considerations.

By targeting nutrition, physical activity, wellbeing, stress management, substance use, emotional connection and relationships, and sleep people are healthier and can lead a happier life.

Additionally, I am comfortable working with people dedicated to their faith or personal religious beliefs, understanding that life is considered by many, including myself, as a spiritual journey. I will respect and integrate your beliefs into your wellness vision, if this is something you desire, even if our approach is systematic and based on the latest scientific research.

The practice of lifestyle medicine requires skills and competency in addressing multiple health risk behaviors and improving self-management. Targets include diet, physical activity, behavior change, body weight control, treatment plan adherence when it is provided by your physician, options for coping with stress, spirituality, mind body techniques, and tobacco cessation and substance abuse.

Why Culinary Medicine?

As both a gardener and health & wellbeing coach, this new area of medicine is exciting! It is aimed at helping people make good personal decisions about how to consistently access and eat high-quality meals that help prevent and treat disease and restore well-being.

Culinary medicine is concerned with the person who asks, “What do I eat for my health challenges?” Or, “What do I eat to prevent disease and increase longevity, resilience, and complete wellbeing?”

One eating pattern does not work for everyone. Although there can be some commonalities between them, especially when thinking about reducing inflammation, lowering the risk of metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, diabetes, as well as eating to prevent cancer, and more.

Culinary medicine attempts to improve your health by working with you to modify what you already eat and drink. The pleasurable aspects of eating and cooking are as important as addressing any possible diagnosis, which can also include social situations at home, work, friendships, organizations to which you belong, or school.

Did you know that some eating patterns have been found to be as or more effective than prescription medication for some conditions?

• an anti-inflammatory eating pattern for rheumatoid arthritis
• a ketogenic diet for epilepsy
• a Mediterranean eating pattern for cardiovascular disease
• advanced colon cancer
• type 2 diabetes

Several foods have been found to be as or more effective as well:

• legumes for cholesterol lowering
• soy nuts for systolic and diastolic hypertension in post-menopausal women
• tree nuts for metabolic syndrome
• baked and broiled fish for heart failure
• honey for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) cough frequency and severity
• tangerine tomatoes as a functional food for cardio-vascular disease, and prostate, gastric, and ovarian cancers, and promote good health.

For many people, nutritious & functional food is medicine!

Behavior is important. Choose a person to work with that cares for themself through these practices, as a coaches and clinicians’ own health habits predict their counseling practices on food and diet. ^{11 12} As a coach, I include these

In addition, few physicians have learned to facilitate patient access to self-care skills and programs. Expensive conventional interventions take less time to recommend than proven lifestyle intervention.

Increased health care costs can be created by food insecurity, especially diabetes children and adults, which may not are not recognized by physicians. Not quite half of graduating physicians feel adequately trained to counsel patients on preventive health behaviors, yet Health Coaching has been shown to be more effective than pharmaceutical options for many common health conditions. In preventing, reversing, and treating type 2 Diabetes, Health Coaching and changing eating habits have been proven to be a effective control that improves a persons life.

Every patient should have access to evidence-based, practical, culturally and religiously sensitive guidance about food, cooking, and eating specific to you. These are all a part of a personalized and tailored approach to lifestyle and culinary medicine coaching.

Is Working with A Coach
Right for you?

How do you know it’s time to work with a Coach to meet your health and wellness goals?

• You’re not meeting your health goals
• You need support to overcome everyday challenges, learn skills, and gain knowledge to eat healthfully based on your individual needs
• You don’t hold yourself accountable and find it easier to work with someone to reach your goals
• When you’re ready to create change within your family
• As a group or community you want to work together to change your eating patterns

It’s not easy making changes in your life, especially when it comes to food. Most of our cultural, religious, and holiday traditions involve food in one way or another, which can be challenging to navigate. Not to mention the meals that occur everyday for you, and if you have a family or live in a community, can make becoming healthy through food choices and changes in cooking style very, very difficult.

If you’ve decided Coaching is right for you, your family, or community then it’s time to take the next step to determine the next step.

offerings

CULINARY MEDICINE COACHING
Weekly 1:1 call, email support, and educational information specific to your needs.
3 Months for $1750
6 Months for $3000

CULINARY MEDICINE SITE VISIT
A one-time home visit via zoom (or an on-site option if local) to review your kitchen, weekly online support meetings, education how to read food labels, review of menu creation and supportive recipes to meet your needs.
1 Month for $600

PERMACULTURE GARDEN CONSULTING
A one-time site visit within Monroe County, Indiana + follow-up email overview of the meeting, to include educational resources.
1 Hour + follow-up email for $120

CULINARY MEDICINE GROUP COACHING
For existing groups, congregations, or workplace programs. Pricing will depend on group size, the needs of the group, number of meetings, and duration of time working together. This is a good affordable option for continued learning and support.
Contact Jami for inquiries.

GUEST SPEAKER
Jami has a history of being a guest speaker, and can speak on these topics:

• The Tangerine Tomato: A Functional Food
• Food Is Medicine
• Culinary Medicine
• An Overview of Lifestyle Medicine
• Native Forest Gardens
• Urban Agriculture
• Introduction to Permaculture Design
• Why Farmers & Market Gardeners Should be Part of the Healthcare System