Session One

Alyssa Frisby, Culinary Medicine Registered Dietitian, and Culinary Medicine Sous Chef Agina Rasool partnered with the Little Rock Chapter of The Links, Incorporated to lead a nutrition presentation and hands-on demonstration for students in the JA Fair K-8 Preparatory School’s Next Generation Club. During this session, students learned about the benefits of including fiber in their diets and discussed foods that are good sources of fiber. A diet high in fiber can help lower cholesterol and help prevent heart disease and diabetes. Fiber also increases feelings of fullness, which may help with weight management. Students, with the help of The Links volunteers and J.A. Fair faculty and staff, prepared a grain and vegetable salad and crafted their own simple vinaigrette. The Mediterranean-inspired salad included quinoa, brown rice, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, and red onion, and was full of flavor and fiber. Students then prepared batches of trail mix to take home and learned about the nutritional benefits of fiber-rich nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. 

This program was the first in a two-part Culinary Medicine series presented by the Little Rock Chapter of The Links, Inc. A second nutrition presentation and hands-on activity was scheduled for mid-May. 

Session Two

UAMS Culinary Medicine staff, joined by the Little Rock Chapter of the Links, Inc. volunteers, returned to J.A. Fair K-8 Preparatory School to promote healthy snacking, and discuss the importance of fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet.  Alyssa Frisby, Culinary Medicine Registered Dietitian, and Culinary Medicine Director Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis led a nutrition presentation and hands-on demonstration for students in the J.A. Fair K-8 Preparatory School’s Next Generation Club. Students were asked to write down as many fruits and vegetables as they could think of using colorful markers. The exercise prompted students to think about fruits and vegetables as they collaborated with Links volunteers to fill out sheets of posterboard with a rainbow of colors. 

During this session, students learned about the benefits of including a rainbow of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins and minerals, and many are high in fiber. Eating fruits and vegetables in place of higher-calorie, higher-fat foods, can help with weight management and may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, strawberries, and cucumbers also have a high water content, and incorporating these foods into a healthy diet can help students stay hydrated during the summer months.

Students, with the help of The Links volunteers and J.A. Fair faculty and staff, prepared a smashed cucumber salad with rice vinegar and customized their salad flavor using ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. The students also prepared pinwheel wraps using cream cheese, and could add a combination of ham, strawberry jam, and cucumber to add flavor and texture. These light, healthy snacks are easy for students to prepare themselves and are a delicious option for a quick summer menu. 

This program was the second session in a two-part Culinary Medicine series presented by the Little Rock Chapter of The Links, Inc.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Culinary Medicine program participated in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Be a Part of the Cure event on Saturday, April 30 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The Be a Part of the Cure Walk aims to raise awareness in the community about cancer and to provide the participants with education on cancer prevention, screening, and therapeutic services available throughout Arkansas. Culinary Medicine registered dietitians Alyssa Frisby and Melissa Fenton created a healthy hydration display to show participants how much sugar is in common beverages. Bottled beverages were lined on the table and a portion cup of measured sugar was placed in front of each bottle. Each portion cup contained the amount of sugar found in each beverage. 

Event participants were surprised to see how much sugar these familiar beverages contained. Many took pictures to share with family and friends. The dietitians discussed the sugary beverages with participants and explained the importance of reading nutrition labels to determine how many grams of sugar their beverages contain, as well as what the serving size of each beverage is. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 advise that Americans aged two years and older limit added sugars in the diet to less than 10% of total calories. The American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons (24 grams) of added sugar for most adult women, and no more than nine teaspoons (36 grams) of added sugar for most men per day. The dietitians discussed ways to flavor water without adding sugar, and recommended opting for beverages that do not contain added sugars when trying to stay hydrated. The Culinary Medicine registered dietitians also promoted free on-campus teaching kitchen sessions and invited UAMS-employed participants to register using a special QR code. Community participants who are not affiliated with UAMS were invited to register for the free Zoom cooking sessions offered by Culinary Medicine. Teaching kitchen and Zoom cooking sessions are led by Culinary Medicine registered dietitians and offer participants the opportunity to learn basic cooking skills as well as nutrition information about the foods that are prepared. 

Gloria Ríchard-Davis, M.D., MBA, and UAMS Culinary Medicine Registered Dietitian Alyssa Frisby hosted a presentation and cooking demonstration for the Arkansas Department of Health’s virtual Lunch & Learn series. The February session, taking place during American Heart Month, was the first in a series titled “Paving the Way to Health with Our Forks.” Dr. Ríchard-Davis shared information about the prevalence of heart disease in America and the role nutrition plays in a healthy lifestyle, while highlighting the Mediterranean Diet and how the principles can be incorporated in a southern American diet. Alyssa Frisby prepared a one-pot shrimp and tomato skillet meal and discussed how it is possible to use both fresh and shelf-stable ingredients to create nutritious, affordable meals. Participants were able to ask questions after the presentation and were curious about food preparation techniques and requested tips on how to make small changes to their current habits to promote a healthier lifestyle. 

View the presentation

By Kalee Sexton 

The culinary medicine team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently partnered with the Little Rock Chapter of The Links, Inc., and Black Kidney Awareness Resource and Education (KARE) to educate people about chronic kidney disease and prevention.

Black KARE is a program grant funded by Baxter Pharmaceutical to raise awareness about chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Black communities. The Little Rock Chapter of The Links, Inc., organization is a group of professional Black women linked in friendship working together to improve their communities.

CKD is a condition in which kidney function decreases, causing the organs to be unable to filter blood as well as they should. It develops over time and is divided into five stages. Patients in the first four stages can take steps to stop the disease from getting worse while patients in the last stage experience complete kidney failure and require dialysis. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure.

The culinary medicine team and the Fresh & Reddie program at UAMS worked with the Little Rock Chapter of The Links, Inc., to provide four weeks of boxed meals to 75 participants from Longley Baptist Church and surrounding communities. The UAMS Culinary Medicine program’s registered dietician, Margaret Pauly, hosted Zoom cooking classes in November and December to teach the participants about the role nutrition plays in preventing chronic kidney disease.

Gloria Richard-Davis, M.D., MBA, executive director for UAMS’s Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the program director and lead instructor for the culinary medicine program, said the program helped patients understand food as medicine to prevent and control chronic disease.

“The program empowered patients with nutrition knowledge, resources and self-advocacy,” she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 37 million Americans have chronic kidney disease, many of whom are unaware because symptoms aren’t usually present until later stages. Black Americans are almost four times more likely to develop kidney failure than white Americans. Although Black Americans make up 13% of the population, they account for 35% of people with kidney failure in the United States. In Arkansas, the overall prevalence of the disease is 4%, but among Black Arkansans, the rate is 4.8%.

This health disparity is caused by several factors, including the fact that Black patients experiencing CKD are less likely to be identified as kidney transplant candidates than white patients.

When diagnosing patients with the disease, doctors calculate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which measures kidney function. Higher numbers, like 90 and above, indicate less advanced disease, while lower numbers indicate more severe damage. The eGFR is used to refer patients for transplant. Sometimes, race is used as a factor when calculating the eGFR. Most hospitals no longer factor in race because the result can make it seem like Black patients have better kidney function than they do. However, the race multiplier has hindered Black patients from proper care and treatment, allowing the disease to progress.

The two main causes of kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, are also more prevalent in the Black community. Both conditions can be managed through exercise and nutrition, which is the message Black KARE and the culinary medicine team articulated through their program by providing heart-healthy, nutritious meals containing lean protein, fresh vegetables and reduced sodium.

Richard-Davis said several participants expressed that the program gave them the knowledge they needed to improve their health. One said she had previously been diagnosed with diabetes but was never referred to a registered dietician, so she was able to learn how to take care of her health and how food can make a difference.

By educating participants, UAMS hopes to raise awareness about health care disparities regarding CKD and help Black patients live longer, healthier lives, said Richard-Davis.

By Ben Boulden 

What used to be a space where people could eat lunch is now a place where people will make lunches and other meals as part of the UAMS Culinary Medicine Program.

On October 5, the program reached a milestone in its brief history as it formally opened its new Culinary Medicine Kitchen to teach and train faculty and students how to prepare healthy, toothsome meals. The kitchen occupies what was formerly a dining area on the first floor of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.

Culinary medicine is a new evidence-based field in medicine that blends the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine. Culinary medicine’s goal is to help people make good personal medical decisions about accessing and eating high-quality meals that help prevent and manage chronic disease and restore well-being.

Using a temporary space provided by University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, the program’s registered dietitian, Margaret Pauly and college of medicine faculties have provided instruction in culinary medicine to 213 students enrolled in one-night interprofessional simulation events or its eight-week courses meeting once per week for the past two years. The course has been open to senior medical students as an elective, and students from the College of Pharmacy and the Physician Assistant Studies program in the College of Health Professions have joined as well. The program has also offered limited employee and community courses with plans to expand.

In the newly renovated space, thanks to generous donors, the program will provide the convenience of on-campus Culinary Medicine Program classes.

“This on-campus teaching is more convenient for students, and we think participation will increase greatly when there isn’t a transportation issue to and from UA-Pulaski Tech,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., provost and chief strategy officer. She added that UA-Pulaski Tech has been very accommodating and generous in its support.

The curriculum of the program does not strictly teach a vegetarian lifestyle, but it does place an emphasis on a more heavily plant-based diet of fruits and vegetables, said Gloria Richard-Davis, M.D., the program’s director. The menu is a Mediterranean-based diet, which has been shown to contribute greatly to longevity and heart health, is even known to reverse some cardiovascular disease.

“The reality is we are a very unhealthy society,” Richard-Davis said. “We are trying to make a difference. Arkansas has some of the worst health and nutrition statistics of any state. This program was born out of a passion to teach our students about nutrition, how to prepare healthier meals and hopefully to change their lives. That they will in turn teach our patients another healthier way of life.”

With that in mind, Gina Drobena, M.D., read to the audience at the opening celebration a letter she received from a student who is now an intern in North Carolina. Drobena is the course director  and also an associate professor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pathology.

The student wrote: “I enjoyed the culinary medicine rotation at UAMS last year and want to include it in my practice long-term. I want to start a program here, but I am not sure where to start. Would you mind helping?”

Drobena said the letter is a great example of what the program seeks to accomplish in culinary medicine — students being inspired to take what they learn and use it to teach healthy nutrition and cooking to their patients and colleagues. In the near future, the program hopes to expand instruction to UAMS employees and communities of Arkansas, too, allowing members of the public to sign up for classes.

“I’m so excited about tonight,” Gardner said, gesturing toward the kitchen. “It’s a dream we’ve shared for a couple of years, and we’re eager to have you walk through and see the space where students, faculty, resident and community members will be able to learn more about nutrition and healthy eating.”

Using a curriculum created by Tim Harlan, M.D., at Tulane University’s Goldring Culinary Institute in New Orleans, the program delivers a comprehensive hands-on interactive course.

The program was started with Chancellor Patterson’s vision and support. The seed money for the program was a Chancellor’s Circle grant and it has received several nonprofit grants to support its community outreach programs from the American Cancer Society, Robert Wood Johnson, Arkansas Medical Foundation, Ardmore Institute of Health and recently another Chancellor’s Circle grant. In partnership with community organizations, UAMS will soon launch a program to increase chronic kidney disease awareness focused on decreasing prevalence in the African American community. The Culinary Medicine program also has worked closely with the Mexican Consulate to deliver community programs in Spanish.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and Tonya Johnson, R.D., director of UAMS Nutrition and Hospitality Services, spoke briefly before a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Johnson also handed out several healthy meal kits to guests to promote the new Fresh & Reddie service the university plans to roll out in January to all UAMS faculty, staff and students.

The Fresh & Reddie program will market inexpensive healthy meal kits with fresh ingredients and easy-to-prepare recipes, using the principles of culinary medicine.

Gloria Ríchard-Davis, M.D., MBA, spoke at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society. She educated healthcare providers on using culinary medicine to improve health outcomes in midlife women and offered tips for women on using food as medicine to manage weight and overall health. 

We are excited to join the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, a unique group of medical professionals, chefs, educators, researchers, and food system experts dedicated to the improvement of personal and public health.

Learn more about the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative.

Save the Date: Ribbon cutting ceremony on October 5, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

The UAMS Culinary Medicine program is moving to a brand newly renovated teaching kitchen in the Reynold’s Institute on Aging at 629 Jack Stephens Dr, Little Rock, AR 72205.

We are excited to be moving into our own space on UAMS campus. This will provide the convenience of on campus classes for our students, faculty and staff. We hope to add community outreach programs and continuing medical education for health care providers.

Look for updates in the coming weeks.

Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis and Dr. Cam Patterson were interviewed in the July 2021 Zest Culinary Medicine Newsletter. Read it on the CulinaryMedicine.org website.

Dr. Gina Drobena will speak about the culinary medicine program and lifestyle medicine at the February 3 meeting of the Little Rock Plant Strong Club.  Get more details on the Plant Club website.