It’s no secret that cooking classes can encourage people to eat better and improve their health. But it’s not always easy to motivate participants to use those skills in their everyday lives. New research may help people understand why they should.
A recent study linking cooking classes to changes in the gut microbiome—and physiological processes that impact disease—shows how learning such skills can reshape our health. These insights can help guide “food as medicine” programs and inspire Americans to adopt healthier long-term cooking and eating habits, experts say.
The study, conducted at University of Chicago Medicine, focused on how a series of community cooking classes affected the gut health and microbiomes of 34 participants. The classes focused on nutrition and healthy food choices. Participants were from the ZIP codes immediately surrounding the University of Chicago. Some of these communities have many restaurants but few options for healthier food.
Participants’ stool samples were taken before and after the classes to document any changes in the gut microbiome, or the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms that aid in digestion, make metabolites, produce neurotransmitters, and more.
Microbial Messages
A lab led by Dr. Eugene Chang at the University of Illinois analyzed the stool samples by classifying the microbiota and various metabolites, including sugar alcohols. Changes in the gut microbiome precede many changes in one’s symptoms and overall health.“Sugar alcohols are a key marker of ultra-processed foods,” Dr. Edwin McDonald, lead researcher, said in a news release. “We can detect—by analyzing the microbiota and some of the metabolites in the stool—that people are consuming less ultra-processed foods. Which is fascinating.”
In a way, the findings, which are part of an ongoing larger study, bridge the gap between the short-term benefits of eating well and long-term health, said Dr. McDonald, who is assistant professor at University of Chicago Medicine and director of its Community Health in Digestive Diseases program.
Nutrition has historically posed a unique problem—both for researchers who are studying it and people who are trying to apply it to their lives—in that, the greatest changes to overall wellness take place over years rather than weeks or days, he said.
Although the technology for mapping out the microbial community in stool samples is not widely available or generally covered by insurance, studies increasingly demonstrate microbiome testing is a tool that may eventually be broadly used as a biomarker in many diseases.
Learning How to Eat Well
When it comes to improving one’s gut health by adopting a healthier diet, one may encounter a significant roadblock: Our supermarkets are full of products with ingredients that are harmful to the microbiome, including artificial sweeteners, flavorings, preservatives, and other chemicals. On the other hand, choosing farm-fresh, organic, single-ingredient food presents challenges such as cost and access.All this means it’s important for us to learn how to discern which products may be harming our health and how to cook the ingredients we do have in a way that benefits us.
Getting that kind of education doesn’t have to be difficult, but people learn better in some ways than in others. A cookbook or instructional video is perfect for some, while others need more hands-on instruction. Many communities offer nutritional-education services through various channels, and some businesses facilitate these services.
Sue Davis, a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and owner of My Chef Shirley in Washington, offers meal prep, cooking classes, pantry cleanouts, and presentations. She sees that most people tend to focus on convenience when shopping for groceries, and need to learn a lot more about what they are eating and how to prepare better meals.
She helps her clients avoid keeping highly processed foods on hand, and educates them on basic kitchen and cooking techniques so they know how to put together a healthy meal on their own. Most of her clients work long hours, commute, and have little interest in regular meal preparation.
“It’s an issue of time. They don’t ... want to spend what little time they have shopping, preparing food, cooking, and cleaning up afterward,” Ms. Davis said.
But she said those who try culinary classes leave feeling empowered to have fun creating simple meals. The more that people learn about cooking and feel empowered in the kitchen—and the grocery store—the easier it becomes for them to cook healthy meals quickly, and even save money.
Niche cooking classes are increasingly available online and in person, and they help people target specific conditions, diet goals, and health goals. Gut health is a particularly popular niche.
Lipscomb University offers a culinary academy for student physician assistants, nurses, and pharmacists. It’s based on research that culinary training for medical students improves their diets and prepares them to counsel patients on how to eat healthier.
“There is a paucity of evidence in the role that culinary training plays for health-professional students in their nutrition education of low-income patients,” Tracy Noerper, assistant professor and assistant internship director, said in a Lipscomb University news release. “It’s important to me that students and their future patients know that eating healthy does not need to ‘break the bank,’ a myth that I hear quite often. Each week we are literally showing, through hands-on learning, how to prepare healthy foods that are delicious, nutritious and affordable.”
In April, the University of Denver is conducting a sold-out, in-person cooking class called “Cooking to Nourish: Gut Health.” The class will address how to prepare foods that will heal the gut mucosal lining to improve nutrient absorption.
Other gut-focused classes are taught by certified practitioners of the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) healing protocol. Monica Corrado, a certified nutrition consultant and teaching chef with Simply Being Well, hosts GAPS immersive weekends to teach food preparation techniques.
Baby Steps Toward Health
Another complication is the federal government contradicting itself with its nutrition recommendations.Meanwhile, 90 percent of Americans are falling short of daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption. Ultimately, the government is sending the mixed message that affordable food is more important than healthy food, said Ms. Thomas, director of nutrition innovation and implementation at Boston Medical Center.
“The ‘food as medicine’ movement is coming into focus because there’s not enough access to healthful foods, and the ultra-processing of food has led to a lot of chronic illness,” she told The Epoch Times. “Fresh crops aren’t subsidized the same as corn and soy, which are subsidized and then become ultra-processed ingredients.”
That doesn’t mean consumers have to feel hopeless. Ms. Thomas suggested the importance of avoiding black-and-white thinking about food. For instance, we can start eating more nutritious food without feeling compelled to use only fresh, organic ingredients.
“I think we feel like we’ve failed if we’re not cooking from scratch, but we don’t have to commit to that level all the time. There’s a lot of gray areas where we can live healthy,” she said.
She suggested using frozen vegetables if that’s more convenient, or canned tomato sauces that don’t have added sugars or additives.
Choosing better oils is another way to improve gut health. Certain oils, such as soybean and canola, have been found to be harmful. Others such as coconut and extra virgin olive oil have beneficial effects on the microbiome.
Ms. Davis recommends her clients use coconut oil, tallow, or ghee for cooking over high heat, and cold-pressed, organic olive oil for salad dressings.
To fill in some of the nutrition gaps, Ms. Thomas and her sister, Eva Weinstein, launched an app called Rewire Health. It allows consumers to input their medical needs and food preferences to get custom recipes. The app also includes educational interfaces so users can click on ingredients and learn more about their health values,and watch videos on how to cut or prepare different foods.
It’s also important for consumers to understand that cooking does take time and to factor that into their schedules, Ms. Davis said.
“There is effort that needs to be put into eating healthy. It really does take some planning and time and effort to get healthy foods on the table,” she said, adding that it’s worth it. “You’re going to feel better because you made a healthy choice, and your body is getting more vitamins and minerals as opposed to eating takeout, refined carbs, unhealthy fats, and that sort of thing.”
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