Integrative Nutrition and Culinary Medicine

What you eat has a great impact on your overall health. For better or for worse, your body responds to everything you put into it. Many chronic conditions are linked to the types of foods we eat. Diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure are directly associated with our diets.

It is important to include nutrient-rich food in our daily meals. The nutrients in the foods you eat support the activities of day-to-day living, protect your cells from environmental damage and repair any cellular damage that might occur.

Inexpensive and easy to find at local grocery stores and markets, including herbs and spices in the daily diet can provide an added boost of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to get and stay healthy. The course will explore 8-12 different countries and the herbs and spices that are used in their cuisine. The health benefits and how to use the herbs and spices will be covered in every session so that participants will become confident and comfortable with cooking with new ingredients.

Created in collaboration with the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Integrative Nutrition Program and Harvard University’s Lifestyle Medicine’s Culinary Medicine Program, Dr. Desmonette Hazly incorporates nutrition education with basic culinary arts skills to teach participants how to create economical healthy gourmet meals at home from ingredients found at local grocery stores and provided by community food pantries.

Since 2021, this 8-12 week series workshop began and meets in-person for 1 hour weekly at the center’s classroom and is directly taught by Dr. Desmonette Hazly and supported by Johana Davila, Senior Program Manager from Eastmont Community Center.

Dr. Desmonette Hazly

Dr. Desmonette Hazly MA, MSW Ph.D., is an Integrative Health Specialist and is the Chair of Integrative Health and Wellness at the Institute of Integrative Oncology/Greet the Day. She holds graduate degrees in social work, public policy and a Ph.D. in International Politics and Policy with a focus on community development and global health. Dr. Hazly currently develops and implements trauma-informed culturally inclusive health and wellness education programs based on Lifestyle and Mind-Body Medicine. Receiving specialized education and training from institution like Harvard Medical School and Cornell University, Dr. Hazly approaches health from a mind, body and spirit perspective and provides simple health and wellness skills and techniques that can be easily incorporated into daily activities. Dr. Hazly is also a formally trained chef and received her Culinary Medicine certification for the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and teaches classes in the community to prevent and manage chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Dr. Hazly has developed and implemented community health and wellness program locally, nationally, and internationally and has collaborated with the Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the VA Hospital in West Los Angeles, International Red Cross, the United Nations, and UNICEF. Dr. Hazly has taught integrative health and wellness education for over 15 years.