Kickstart Your Health with Free Food for Life Classes in 2015

Kickstart Your Health with Free Food for Life Classes in 2015

By The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Every January, weight loss tops the list of Americans’ New Year’s resolutions. Gyms are packed, produce aisles are jammed, and weight-loss ads pop up on TV. But as winter wears on, many of these resolutions don’t stick. Fortunately, research shows that people are far more likely to achieve their resolutions if they establish a plan, create a support system, and hold themselves accountable.

Whether your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, improve your health, or finally end the cycle of yo-yo dieting, Washington, D.C., residents can kick off 2015 by joining the Physicians Committee’s free five-week-long Food for Life workshops. A Kickstart Your Health: Weight Loss class begins on Jan. 13, and a Reverse Diabetes class begins on Jan. 14 in Friendship Heights.

Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D., begins each series with an informative lecture on how diets loaded with fatty and processed foods can negatively affect health – and how plant-based diets rich in fruits and vegetables can help.

For the next four weeks, class members put this information into practice in a supportive group environment. The group meets with a certified Food for Life instructor once a week to work through challenges and celebrate successes, and participants learn new techniques to help them easily transition to healthful diets.

Washington, D.C., psychiatrist Laurence Drell, M.D., never imagined that lentils would be the answer to the steadily increasing weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar he had been battling for years. But when a patient challenged him to improve his health by attending a Food for Life workshop, he finally found something that stuck.

“I am shocked by how ‘not difficult’ this is,” says Dr. Drell. “Creating new dishes with ingredients I’ve never eaten before and trying different beans and grains is an exciting challenge. Learning about all the different spices is like an adventure.”

Throughout the classes, participants dive in by cooking and sampling delicious plant-based meals. Typical meals include flavorful leafy green salads with baked sweet potatoes, chickpea salads with orange miso dressing, and chocolate cherry smoothies. Throughout the food demonstrations, class participants interact and share practical tips for new meal ideas.

At the end of the five-week sessions, many participants report dramatic changes in their weight, blood sugar numbers, mood, and overall health. “After three months on this program, I feel so much healthier in every area of my life. My blood glucose remains in the normal range without medication, my blood pressure is now normal, and I have more energy. I savor food more, and I seem to be savoring more of everything in my life,” says Dr. Drell.

For more information or to reserve a spot in an upcoming class, please contact Tara Kemp at TKemp@PCRM.org or 202-527-7314.