Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching—The Basics

Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching—The Basics

Most clinicians grapple with the challenge of enabling patients to be drivers of their own wellness regimen. Nutrition is a vital part of Lifestyle Medicine, which not only prevents disease, but is integral to the treatment, management (and reversal) of many noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, many cancers including breast and colon, as well as depression, anxiety, osteoarthritis, and sexual health issues. This culinary medicine course offers a deep dive into culinary coaching, an evidence-based telemedicine strategy that combines culinary training with health and wellness coaching to improve nutrition. Attendees receive the latest updates of the culinary coaching approach and acquire new skills, tools, and resources to empower patients to adopt sustainable and nutritious home-cooking behaviors. The economics of health care reform increasingly pressure clinicians to promote healthy nutrition. This course provides education and experience that will keep clinicians at the forefront of this critical global trend, leading by example to improve and increase healthy eating for patients and themselves.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Discuss the relationship between home cooking and health Explain the rationale for the importance of patients’ culinary behaviors Summarize common barriers to home cooking, and explore alternative cooking skills to help address those barriers Identify strategies to facilitate cooking for improved personal health

Target Audience

This course is targeted to Specialty and Primary Care Physicians, Pharmacists, Physician Assistants, Psychologists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Health and Wellness Coaches, Dietitians Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Exercise Physiologists, Occupational Therapists, Residents, Fellows, and Personal Trainers.

CHEF Coaching—Beyond the Basics

If you are looking to further your Culinary Medicine skills and receive the Certificate of Completion in Culinary Coaching from the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, check out CHEF Coaching—Beyond the Basics! Graduates of CHEF Coaching - The Basics course are eligible to participate in the second part of the two-part CHEF Coaching program, CHEF Coaching—Beyond the Basics. This live streamed course is comprised of five weekly 90-minute educational and skills-development sessions. Please visit the site for full details.

More Beyond the Basics Options:
July/August 2021
January/February 2022 
April/May 2022 

Completion of both CHEF Coaching the Basics and CHEF Coaching Beyond the Basics grant gradates with Certificate of Completion in Culinary Coaching from the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Course Directors

Rani Polak, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Part-Time

Eddie Phillips, MD
Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Course Outline

Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching—The Basics is organized as follows:

Welcome to the Course

Module 1: Introduction to Culinary Coaching P1
Module 2: Introduction to Culinary Coaching P2
Module 3: Culinary Medicine P1
Module 4: Culinary Medicine P2
Module 5: Why Doesn’t my Patient Cook? P1
Module 6: Why Doesn’t my Patient Cook? P2
Module 7: Why Doesn’t my Patient Cook? P3
Module 8: Culinary Tools to Mitigate Cardiometabolic Risk Factors P1
Module 9: Culinary Tools to Mitigate Cardiometabolic Risk Factors P2
Module 10: Cooking with Limited Time or Limited Budget P1
Module 11: Cooking with Limited Time or Limited Budget P2
Module 12: Getting Patients Into the Kitchen P1
Module 13: Getting Patients Into the Kitchen P2
Module 14: In-Office Culinary Education Tools and Delivery Strategies P1
Module 15: In-Office Culinary Education Tools and Delivery Strategies P2
Module 16: Mastering Culinary Coaching P1
Module 17: Mastering Culinary Coaching P2

Posttest and Evaluation