USA Health joins international effort to promote nutrition and healthy lifestyles

USA Health was admitted to a global network of 35 teaching kitchens, the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative (TKC), through a competitive selection process. The TKC is an invitational network of leading organizations using educational kitchen facilities and concepts as catalysts for better personal and public health in medical, corporate, school and community settings.

“To be invited to join the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative is an honor and carries an important responsibility,” said Robert Israel, MD, one of the founders of the USA Health Culinary Medicine Program. “We want to help people learn everyday skills that have a positive impact on their life in general, in this case by learning cooking skills and good nutrition.

“The Gulf Coast is a region with a world of flavors but also a large number of people affected by poor eating habits, including too much added sugar, too much processed food and, unfortunately, foods lacking in nutritional value”, Israel added. . “Changing this has been shown to improve people’s health and reduce disease. “

Founded in 2016 by David Eisenberg, MD, the TKC connects innovators, including recently admitted USA Health, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of Medicine and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

Culinary medicine initiatives have been underway at USA Health for the past seven years, with hands-on lessons delivered by Israel at Bishop State Community College through the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) Cancer Control and Prevention Program. USA Health’s continued commitment to fighting chronic disease and promoting health, wellness, and mindfulness, and to providing medical student-focused educational programs within the USA College of Medicine and the USA College of Nursing has earned USA Health acceptance from TKC.

In addition to hands-on culinary medicine classes, USA Health has a demonstration kitchen at its University Commons facility, and another is planned for the Mapp Family Campus currently under construction at Fairhope.

Collective members share best practices with each other to help patients learn how to change their eating habits to prevent or relieve diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and more. lifestyles. Members include the Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern University, Google, Inc., Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Stanford University, the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation in Italy, and others.

“Ultimately our goal is to educate healthcare providers and patients, through evidence-based methods, on how to implement healthier eating and its positive implications for health.” Israel said. “For too long the ‘regime’ has had a negative connotation. We look at it from a holistic perspective and want to help people have a positive relationship with the food they eat. All of this is designed to help people lead better and longer lives. “

For more helpful information about USA Health’s Integrative Health and Wellness Program, visit https://www.usahealthsystem.com/wellness.