What is Culinary Medicine?

WHAT IS CULINARY MEDICINE?

The prevalence of chronic diseases is higher in affluent communities with "food swamps," the geographical areas with overconsumption of less healthy food and beverages. However, they also have adequate access to healthy food retail.1,2 Conversely, the widespread poor access to healthy and affordable food, also called "Food deserts," may contribute to a diet-related decline in health with spatial disparities. Notably, the socioeconomically disadvantaged communities rely on highly processed foods that are cost-effective and affordable but not necessarily nutritious.3 The availability and access to unhealthy food are among the factors influencing dietary practices. Cultural inclinations, environmental exposures, and the level of nutrition literacy also play a significant role in driving eating behaviors. Thus, changing individual dietary patterns is a huge network of complex processes determining optimal health outcomes.4,5

In response to the complexity of healthy eating behavior, the prescriptive nutrient-centered "dos and don'ts" approach is evolving toward promoting healthy eating patterns. The initial goal is to break the resistance of individuals to changing eating behaviors and resolve the concern of giving up some of the foods they customarily consume regularly. This new approach can be more easily applied in real-world settings of home, school, and the workplace to decrease the risk of diet-related diseases.6,7

Unhealthy dietary intake is a critical risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide and is associated with over 11 million deaths annually.8 But despite the horrifying statistics, most health care providers fail to receive the recommended number of hours of learning nutrition and behavior change counseling in medical training.9 Most nutrition education offered in the medical and interprofessional curricula includes subjects primarily focused on the fundamental biochemistry of nutrients and common micronutrient deficiency states.10 Conversely, the emphasis on the risk of overnutrition is limited, which is a more significant factor for morbidity and mortality.

Culinary Medicine (CM) fills this educational gap by emphasizing nutrition knowledge, practical dietary behavior changes, and optimized cooking skills to prepare delicious, healthy, and accessible food. CM is a fast-emerging, evidence-based medical field that blends nutrition education with behavior counseling, culinary knowledge, and cooking skills. The goal is to assist and motivate patients to prevent and manage food-related diseases and maintain health by acquiring optimal dietary choices adjunctive to appropriate medical care.10

In recent years, understanding the relevance of the CM approach to nutrition education and behavior change counseling in health professional training programs has increased. It is also recognized that time availability, financial resources, health conditions, and cultural food traditions are essential for successful CM program implementation.9 However, the lack of an evidence-based and easily accessible guide to implementing CM practices is considered a significant barrier to most healthcare providers and health coaches.

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine published the Culinary Medicine Curriculum (CMC) in December 2019 to provide a reference for providing CM programs. It is one of the first comprehensive guides to support the implementation of CM in academic, clinical, and community-based settings.11 The CMC emerged after successfully implementing culinary medicine as an elective course for physician assistants and medical students at the Stanford University School of Medicine.12 Experts involved in developing the CM program and curriculum possess various educational and experiential backgrounds, including medicine, public health, and culinary arts.

Recently, culinary medicine was integrated into medical schools across the United States. Thousands of medical professionals have also included CM programs in their clinical, hospital, and community-based healthcare services.11 A growing number of institutions also offer continuing medical education (CME) in culinary medicine. These trends in expanding nutrition education reflect the demand for actionable advice on the critical role of diet in meeting healthcare goals.10

In addition, food industry specialists and consulting chefs collaborated with healthcare professionals, registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), and other nutrition influencers in the medical arena to provide a benchmark in delivering culinary medicine as an adjunct intervention to traditional medical care. This collaboration aims to expand knowledge on diet's nutritional and behavioral aspects to address individual and population wellness. Culinary medicine explicitly integrates the concept of "food pleasure" with the existing dietary interventions. This added approach addresses both the sensory-based experience (taste, smell, appearance) of food and the emotions that come around it. The ultimate goal is to expand the scientific knowledge and skills in nutrition counseling of healthcare providers and CM coaches.13

The Philippines was the first to implement a CM curriculum in Asia and has integrated it into medicine, public health, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine training programs. The Remnant Institute Inc. first offered a culinary medicine course powered by Lifestyle Medicine Solutions, accredited by the Philippine College of Lifestyle Medicine (PCLM), certifying culinary medicine specialists and coaches.


ARTICLE REVIEW

VIDEO REVIEW

Complete and Continue