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FEATURE

Eisenberg suggested Tulane would be the perfect home for a culinary medicine program that could lead the nation in combating obesity, diabetes and other health issues related to weight, diet and nutrition, given its home city’s reputation for its delicious cuisine. Hence, the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University was created, the first dedicated teaching kitchen of its kind to be implemented at a medical school. The center provides hands-on training for medical students through culinary medicine classes in the form of electives, modules and seminars, as well as continuing education for the healthcare and foodservice industries. The program introduces students to the basic concept behind a Mediterranean-style diet, championed by Harlan, emphasizing cooking with plant-based foods, whole grains, fish and poultry, legumes and nuts.The hope is that they in turn will be able to advise patients in the future on more healthful eating. Tulane students can take an eight-class culinary medicine elective in their first or second years.Third and fourth year students, as well as visiting students, can do an elective in the kitchen learning culinary medicine basics and helping to run classes for the community and first years. Fourth year medical students can enroll in a month- long away rotation at the partner culinary school, Johnson &Wales University where they can participate in hands-on culinary and culinary nutrition classes as well as academics related to Medical Nutrition Therapy. The program aims to arm doctors with cooking know-how, not just prescription pads. The Goldring Center isn’t just a classroom for nutrition-minded doctors, but welcomes health-focused chefs. Every quarter, a small group of Johnson & Wales’s culinary students spend a rotation at Tulane, helping to design curriculum and creating recipes that are a part of the students’ education. And in a city blessed with a plethora of acclaimed chefs, it is not uncommon to find one of them in the teaching kitchen or featured at a special dinner series event, sharing their knowledge and recipes. James Beard award-winning chef Alon Shaya, currently a member of the Center’s Advisory Board, has visited the center, showcasing his version of hummus with tahini, a popular staple on the menu at Shaya, his namesake eatery in Uptown New Orleans. Nationally known Chef John Besh, a champion for the program, was on the original advisory board. “Our hope is to bridge the gap between science and the clinical, to enable the medical students to share what they are learning in habits to patients and people in their communities, including and most important with those who may have health-related dietary concerns,” says Harlan. “It is also about teaching the students how to have the conversation with patients in the exam room.” “It was such a simple yet important concept,” recalls Goldring. “Teach medical students about nutrition so they, in turn, can teach patients. That is where it all started.”

who obtained her BS in Culinary Nutrition from the prestigious Johnson &Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, a partner institution with Tulane in this endeavor. In her capacity, Chef Leah spends a lot of time developing and teaching curriculum for medical students, the community and continuing education for the healthcare and foodservice industry. She is working continuously to build community partnerships with local and national organizations and to get students hands-on experience in community outreach, so they too can understand the rewards and challenges of nutrition intervention. Harlan recalls when the idea for the culinary medicine program was initiated.The original idea was introduced by Dr. David Eisenberg of the Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center, who developed the concept of teaching kitchens to help patients learn to shop, cook and eat healthy. Visiting Tulane’s School of Medicine,

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