We had a fantastic webinar “Food As Medicine in Practice: From Study to Standard of Care” last week, on November 6th. Moderated by Joi Chevalier, Founder and CEO of The Cook’s Nook, this webinar was co-hosted by The Cook’s Nook and Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. The event emphasized the importance of Food As Medicine and its role in improving health outcomes. Thank you to all the amazing panelists – Dr. Polinard, Dr. Sharma, Dr. Van den Berg and Dr. Hollis-Hansen for sharing their research and insights in this field, and to all the participants for joining the webinar.
Practicing “Food as Medicine” is critical for transforming patient care and improving public health. By integrating nutrition-focused approaches from the research phase to becoming a standard of care, healthcare systems can more effectively prevent and manage chronic conditions. Grounded in rigorous scientific study, nutrition-based interventions provide evidence-based guidelines for dietary modifications tailored to patient needs, improving outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and promoting a holistic approach to wellness.
Establishing food as a recognized component of treatment elevates its impact from theoretical study to tangible care practices. It encourages collaboration across disciplines—uniting researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and communities—to address root causes of disease and advance preventive health strategies. Making nutrition a standard part of care shifts healthcare culture towards proactive health management, reducing reliance on medications, enhancing patient empowerment, and building healthier, more resilient communities.
The panelists addressed essential questions regarding the role of nutrition in managing chronic diseases. They discussed their approaches to studying this relationship, measuring the outcomes and effectiveness of nutrition-based interventions in patient care, collaborating with policymakers to incorporate food-based solutions into public health programs, and the major challenges involved in translating “Food is Medicine” research into practical applications within clinical care.
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