When you think about your health, you might think about doctor’s visits or prescriptions or lab results. But research shows that the vast majority of a person’s health is influenced by things outside of medical care — by the air they breathe, food they eat, communities they live in.
At UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Jaclyn Albin and dietitian Milette Siler are bringing one of these factors — food — into focus. They work in culinary medicine, tailoring nutritional needs and plans to specific patients, as a way to improve patients’ health.
The phrase “food as medicine” is well-used, but when Albin and Siler use it, they aren’t talking in metaphor. Food, when used in this way, really can become a form of medical care.
True culinary medicine requires the advice and supervision of a medical professional. However, Albin said, Americans’ dietary habits generally have so much room for improvement that there are principles of culinary medicine that everyone can incorporate into their lives.
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“Generally speaking, Americans are so far off,” Albin said, “that movement towards general dietary recommendations … could apply to almost everyone.”
On Tuesday, The Dallas Morning News will host a panel discussion in Red Bird delving into these ideas and the practical ways to introduce more nourishment into our lives. There will be a total of five panelists: Albin and Siler, as well as Dr. Stormee Williams from Children’s Health; Dr. Dora Johnson from the Methodist Health System; and Jessica Hernandez at Parkland Hospital.
The discussion will outline the importance of food and nutrition, with an emphasis on real-life tips, including when food access is limited or grocery prices are high.
Johnson said that, when it comes to improving a person’s overall nutrition, it doesn’t take a complete dietary overhaul. Anyone, she said, can shift their habits just a little bit.
“You’re never too old or too late to start anything,” Johnson said. “Little changes are really what’s going to make the difference in the end.”
Join us at The DEC Network — at 3560 W. Camp Wisdom Road, Suite 200 — on Tuesday to learn more about food and how we can all nourish ourselves a little better. The panel discussion will begin at 6 p.m. on March 10, followed by a Q&A session. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Pre-register at this link.