FRESH Med NYC

11/19/2025

These are our FRESH 5 ingredients in your recipe to health. Adopting these 5 simple principles can go a long way toward improving your health and lowering your risk of many cancers as well as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and IBS. And they’re not as complicated as you might think.

Take control of your health, and encourage your family to do the same. Choose one or two of the behaviors to start with. Once you’ve got those down, move on to the others. Learn more about our FRESH 5 in our bio.

freshmednyc

10/18/2025

On Monday, Nov 10th, join me for an unforgettable night where flavor meets function, science meets pleasure, and food becomes a force for wellness. I’m honored to be joining the panel on Healing Modalities – Tradition, Evolution & Application - exploring how culinary artistry, science, and integrative medicine are merging, at the upcoming 11th annual The Next Big Bite: The Bite That Heals - hosted by at .

This deliciously informative event, which kicks off Les Dames 50th anniversary as the founding chapter of , explores how food is transforming into a vehicle for personal well-being. Through dynamic panels and engaging tastings, we’ll examine how chefs, farmers, doctors, and thought leaders are shaping a new standard for nourishment—one that’s delicious, culturally rich, and deeply restorative. We’ll get to explore dynamic healthy food and low/no alcoholic brands during our Tasting Showcase break between panels, where guests will also enjoy freshly prepared healthy nibbles from , , , and .

🗓️ Monday, November 10 at 5:30PM
📍 The Institute of Culinary Education
🎟️ Get your ticket - link in stories

09/25/2025

Researchers conducted the first national survey on public awareness and perceptions of food, health, and Food is Medicine programs. 90% of Americans agreed that eating healthy foods is important for preventing conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes.

The results, published in Health Affairs, revealed that under 30% have heard of the Food is Medicine movement, but over half would try a produce prescription, medically tailored grocery, or medically tailored meal program if offered through their healthcare providers. Among those with food and nutrition insecurity, interest rises to nearly 70%.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed felt that government programs like Medicare and Medicaid should cover Food is Medicine initiatives, while about half said private insurance should also pay.

First author Ronit Ridberg, stated “We found a disconnect in clinical settings. Only a quarter of respondents reported that their primary care provider had asked if they had enough food to eat, and fewer than half had conversations about diet during their clinical encounters.”

Healthcare providers often lack nutrition education and time to address various topics during appointments, making it uncomfortable for them to discuss food and nutrition insecurity.

The survey reveals that half of Americans would benefit from regular conversations with care providers about their dietary habits. Over 80% of respondents would take steps to eat healthier if it improved their well-being, treated a health condition, or reduced their risk of disease. However, financial barriers are significant, with 83% of respondents citing the cost of healthy food as the most frequent obstacle to consumption, and over 50% believing healthcare should reimburse or provide for healthy food.

People are hungry for change. Let’s feed them healthy nutritious sustainable meals! — Stay FRESH!

04/22/2025

8 FRESH Tips for Going Green on EARTH DAY

EAT MORE PLANTS
“Experts agree that a whole food plant-based diet is the healthiest for people and the planet‭.‬ This style of eating has been proven to reduce the risk of chronic disease, decrease environmental impact, and lower the risk of new infectious disease emerging from animals.”

GO OUTSIDE
There is no better place to be than ouside on Earth Day. Go for a walk, do some yard work, get your hands dirty in the garden. Reflect on the beauty of the earth beneath you and think about how you can help keep it that way for future generations.

HELP CLEAN UP YOUR COMMUNITY
Cleaning up your community can be as simple as picking up litter in the parks or ditches.  

PLANT SOME GREEN
Earth Day is a great time to plant a tree or even add a plant to your home or office. A new office plant will add some color to the room and help clean the air. Many people make planting a new tree an annual Earth Day tradition.

USE MORE ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
Cleaning supplies with harsh chemicals, throw-away products, and products that come along with excessive or non-recycable packaging can be replaced with more earth-friendly, non-toxic versions.

REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Rideshare to work, use your bicycle more often, and be an advocate for telelcommuting to drive down your transportation footprint. Every little bit counts!

USE LESS PAPER AT HOME & OFFICE
There can be a lot of paper waste at home, workplaces and schools. Look for new ways to use less paper by going digital. Dish towels instead of paper towels and plates instead of paper ones.

RECYCLE & REUSE & REPEAT MORE!
Come on now, recycling isn’t new. Get with the program.

How are you celebrating Earth Day?  We would love to hear about what you are doing in the comments below 👇🏻

03/07/2025

Ten years ago today, in 2015, presented my TED talk at TEDxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat. I named my talk, “Back To Our Roots,” because I believe we have to look at the “root” cause of everything, including dis-ease. And, because it always feels good to go back home, to our roots, to know what is best for us.

It was an honor to share the stage with so many other inspiring “food fighters,” many of whom are friends and colleagues of mine today. Thank you!

As you will hear, Fare Wellness, created by Julie and me, was “born” at Lenox Hill Hospital. Our mission was to create wellness initiatives for over-worked and burnt out health care workers.

We planted the seeds for “Victory Greens” the first-ever hospital organic rooftop farm and you’ll get to see and hear more about it in my talk. Proud to say, “Victory Greens” is still blooming and continues to be a respite for busy hospital workers—while providing healthier food for all—including patients. Have you seen what “hospital food” normally looks like? Yuck! And, 70% is wasted.

Julie and I also started yoga and meditation programs for hospital staff to help them better manage stress, as well as how they can use simple yoga poses to move, stretch … and breathe….

Our culinary medicine program was the initial inspiration for me to become a Chef. We created cooking classes for doctors and hospital chefs, taught at a health-supported culinary school by my Chef mentor and dear friend, . Thank you, Chef!

I continue to be humbled by this experience and where it has taken me since, including the birth of FRESH Medicine. My roots, who I am, what I believe in still holds true—and stands firm today.

I sincerely hope you enjoy my TEDx talk and I encourage you to go back to your “roots” and take good care of them. Ready to watch? I present to you: “Back To Our Roots.” Link in bio.

03/03/2025

We have been so lucky to continue to build relationships with our friends and colleagues in the Netherlands. Each time we visit, we connect with old friends, and new, and are continually inspired by the Dutch culture. Also known as “The garden of Europe,” the Dutch were the creators of the greenhouse, and they are majestically scattered all throughout their beautiful countryside.

After a week of being in residency with our friends at .info we got to visit some very cool and innovative places, like , , , , , .nl medical center, , . Wow! Stayed tuned for a separate post on all the meaningful work these incredible companies are doing….

And, of course, we carved out time to enjoy one of our favorite cities: Amsterdam! Always so much fun to walk the beautiful streets along the canals and mingle with some of the nicest—and tallest—people on Earth. Thank you for always welcoming your kin from New Amsterdam. We definitely feel at home in your city and plan to be back again soon. 🇳🇱

01/07/2025

There are many factors to consider when looking into diets. At FRESH Med, we use a approach for all of our treatment plans. Identifying the best diet for YOU is the key to your overall health and wellbeing.

I am honored to be on the U.S. News & World Report’s panel to review each diet rated in detail. Alongside other panelists, I provided expertise about each of the rated diets. Check out the full report — link in stories.

Guess which diet won🥇out again this year?

Remember, and it’s time we use it as medicine. 💊

01/02/2025

Happy, healthy and FRESH 2025 to all….

12/13/2024

10/30/2024

Over the past 20 years, I have dedicated my career to reconnecting the dots between Food and Health. And as most of you know, it has been a bumpy, challenging road, but it appears that we are finally getting close to the finish line. I hope!

I have seen many iterations of this pyramid first drafted by Tufts FAM institute but I truly love the incorporation of culinary therapy in this food is medicine pyramid. for your continued support and leadership in this movement.

If you know me, FRESH initiatives are about to drop! Stay tuned!

10/13/2024

WHAT THE HEALTH?! Wow, what an amazing event it has been!⭐️This Friday we took part in the getting health on menus event taking place at 🌱🪴 It has been a fun and wholesome day filled with many inspirational talks from the guest speakers 💡
Thank you and all the other chefs and doctors who participated for making this day so special. We had a blast!🛻