February 5-7, 2020 at The Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, California
An Annual Gathering of Physicians, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, Nurses, and Other Healthcare Professionals; Hospital, Insurance, and Other Healthcare Executives; and Foodservice Directors and Chefs
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Meals served throughout the course are an intrinsic part of the curriculum. Attendees gather in this celebrated facility in one of the most magical landscapes in the United States to learn how to communicate concepts of healthy food selection and preparation to their patients and clients.
Due to the interactive, hands-on nature of the program, space is very limited and early registration is highly recommended.
With unprecedented unity, physicians, nutrition professionals, economists, and politicians have warned that increases in obesity and diabetes rates have created extraordinary public health challenges nationally and globally. According to a 2012 Institute of Medicine report, "The substantial and long-term human and societal costs of obesity, the great difficulty of treating this problem once it has developed, and the relatively slow progress made thus far in turning the national obesity numbers around underline the urgent need to develop a plan for accelerating progress in obesity prevention." We believe that this plan necessitates nutritional knowledge, culinary literacy, and, most importantly, healthy kitchens.
How many doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals truly understand the latest scientific evidence to distinguish "healthy" versus less healthy or unhealthy foods? How many know how best to successfully engage their patients to improve their dietary choices and practice mindful eating and lifestyle strategies? How many can serve as role models, coaches, and teachers to shift the way adults think about purchasing, preparing, and enjoying healthy and delicious foods? During this three-day conference, faculty members from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and other leading institutions present the current research on diet, nutrition, and lifestyle choices as they affect health.
World-class chefs from The Culinary Institute of America and beyond join these experts to lead demonstrations and hands-on teaching sessions (literally in the kitchen) for healthcare professionals who want to learn about selection, purchase, and preparation strategies and techniques for healthy cooking. Conference attendees not only are exposed to the latest systematic reviews of nutrition science, they also taste, prepare, and learn to teach others to enjoy a broad selection of foods that can reduce disease risk and, ideally, replace unhealthy habits throughout a lifetime.