Cooks within Our Communities
Written by Dr. Georgia Tetlow, MD and Clare Abercrombie, BS Do you cook? How often? What kinds of foods? This post explores an innovative teaching program designed to help us become healthier, more motivated cooks. While flipping through the latest “Edible Jersey” publication, we noticed a truly inspiring article chronicling one woman’s ambition to create a healthier community. Dorothy Mullen, a holistic health practitioner and founder of Supper Programs, began with an interest in nutrition and healthy eating. She quickly realized that in order to help her patients obtain optimal health through food, she needed to address their daily eating habits, most of which began in their own kitchens. Mullen initiated the program to help community members learn the ins and outs of simple holistic recipes while in a non-judgmental learning environment.
Why It’s So Hard To Eat Well These Days
Most of our readers have interests in health, nutrition, diet, and/or holistic lifestyles. I know personally this yearning to make sustainable food choices and intelligent nutritional decisions, can at times be challenging. Often, I am confronted with questions from my peers, (usually with an undertone of judgment) about my diet choices and food sourcing. Why pasture raised, grass-fed beef? Why organic produce from a CSA? You may get questions like: why gluten-free or dairy-free? These questions and concerns about our diets are constant within our communities. But why? Is it perhaps due to the fact that many of our community members have lost interest in cooking, diet, and nutrition? Or are they removed from the way certain foods make them feel? We know as integrative providers, that each person is different and requires different nutritional advice. We also understand that what you put into your body affects both your short-term and long-term health. This is why I was so inspired to write about Supper Programs and offer this as a valuable option to our readers who are interested in cooking. Mullen understands that each person differs and so should their food choices, and that really, there is not one style of cooking for everyone. Mullen’s Supper Programs also empowers community members to make healthy decisions about their diets on an individual, personal level. Listen to your body, eat whole foods, and fresh is always best!
An Integrative Medicine Approach to Health and Healing
Through an integrative medicine approach, we hone in on the root cause of health conditions. We recently expanded our practice to include two integrative nutritionists, to help our patients heal through our diets and nutritional choices. We understand that every person is different, which is why we individually tailor each patient’s treatment plan and nutritional guidance. We do not subscribe to the theory that any one diet should be used for everyone. We realize each person’s genetic and physiological disposition varies immensely. This is why we use specialty testing to identify on a cellular level what treatment and diet is best for YOU! So, think about Supper Programs as a way to learn how to cook foods that nourish your body, and think about PIM’s nutritionists as a way to pinpoint the diet that is right for you. We also hope you can join us for our free monthly educational programs that highlight your role in your own health--we explore your next step toward a healthier diet and a healthier you.
For more information on Dorothy Mullen’s Supper Programs visit: thesupperprograms.org
As always, reach out to Philadelphia Integrative Medicine with questions or concerns about YOUR health and nutrition! Philly-im.com/PIM-nutrition