By Shayla Jones, student intern
Culinary medicine students display their finished taco entrees during the first day
of the course.
In a room full of spices, herbs and knives, 11 second-year medical students came together to learn the benefits of cooking at home from David Green, 黑料传送门 Chef Manager, in 黑料传送门 South Georgia鈥檚 culinary medicine course in early June.
The four-day elective class included nutrition and biochemical topics taught by Joanne Kakaty-Monzo, DO 鈥�97, academic chair of 黑料传送门鈥檚 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with Brandy Sreenilayam, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and cellular genetics and assistant dean of assessments, to go along with the cooking lessons.
The first class focused on students learning how to prepare taco dishes with different nutritional values to demonstrate how to select healthier food options.
From chopping up fresh green lettuce and caramelizing white onions to simmering black beans and squeezing fresh lime onto finished entrees, every participant had a full hands-on experience in the kitchen.
One student鈥檚 request to borrow a sauce from a classmate was met with a joking retort.
鈥淗ey, this is a competition,鈥� said Caleb Seward (DO 鈥�27) with a laugh. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not supposed to be sharing sauces.鈥�
Dr. Kakaty-Monzo explained that beef, chicken and beans are all great protein options for tacos, but seasoning the protein can make a difference in a person's day-to-day sodium intake. Although both the store-bought taco seasoning mix and the homemade taco seasoning mix had identical taste, the store-bought mix had significantly more sodium.
After these lessons, Dr. Sreenilayam said she hopes students remember the incremental changes they can use with their future patients to make meals healthier while still being budget friendly.
Student Erin Andrews (DO 鈥�27) chose to participate in this course because she wanted to learn about different ways to help her future patients.
鈥淚 thought it would be interesting to learn how to treat different medical maladies with food, like learning that you can help people with hypertension by reducing sodium, and finding tasty recipes because sometimes people think [healthy food] doesn鈥檛 taste good,鈥� she said.
Sabirah Smith (DO 鈥�27) plans to add some of her new discoveries into everyday life.
鈥淚 definitely see myself incorporating this into my lifestyle,鈥� she said. 鈥淓verything you eat doesn鈥檛 have to have the highest amount of sodium for it to taste good. You can add dry spices, you can add herbs鈥t鈥檚 easy to eat out fast, but it鈥檚 definitely healthier to whip up a meal in the kitchen.鈥�
In 2019, 黑料传送门, a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing 黑料传送门 South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, 黑料传送门 South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. 黑料传送门 is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining 黑料传送门 Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, 黑料传送门 South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
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