Employee Wellness Program

Many organizations have tapped into the power of offering team building activities combined with wellness programs. In fact, according to a survey administered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), approximately 25% of companies increased their wellness benefits between the years of 2006 and 2017. 

I have been teaching wellness cooking classes at the corporate level for several years helping teams get healthy while building deeper connections with each other. My classes are founded upon nutritional certifications from institutions such as Cornell and others, as well as personal experience in reversing my own chronic illnesses.

As a licensed Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) Food for Life Instructor I show how to improve your health with a plant-based way of eating.  There is a variety of health topics and all can be presented over a lunch hour.

If the Food for Life curriculum doesn’t meet your needs, we can work together to create one that will.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS AND TEAM BUILDING?

Studies show that healthier employees are less likely to call in sick or use vacation time due to illness.  In addition, because employee health frequently carries over into better health behavior that impact both the employee and their family, employees may miss less work caring for ill family members as well.  Research also shows that plant-based diets are cost-effective, low-risk interventions that may lower body mass index, blood pressure, HbA_1C, and cholesterol levels. They may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic diseases and lower ischemic heart disease mortality rates.

The success of most organizations depends on their ability to build effective teams. The main goals of team building are to improve productivity, motivation and connections. They are important not only for the immediate experience of the activities performed by the team, but also for the group skills, communication, and bonding that result from them.

Most wellness programs focus on fitness and exercise, and little on what foods (and why) we choose them to nourish our bodies with. I have a way for you to build healthier and more connected teams.

We connect over food! All over the world, people say they make friends by “breaking bread together.” Social science research examines how sitting down to eat together makes people feel closer. Research suggests that people just feel closer to those who are eating the same food as they do. Eating the same food increases people’s trust and cooperation.

Food for Life Employee Wellness Cooking Class Series

This curriculum is flexible and can be customized to met your organization’s needs and goals.

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Food for Life Employee Wellness Class Descriptions

WK 1: POWER OF YOUR PLATE
– More than one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese – a condition that can lead to many other health
problems including diabetes, heart disease, and even increase one’s cancer risk.
– This introductory class will look at factors in foods for effective weight management.
– Discussion also includes how and why plant-based diets are beneficial for health in a multitude of ways. Suggestions and tips for plant-based breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snack foods are offered.

WK 2: LET’S GO
– The second class includes a brief review of what was learned in the introductory class.
– Attendees are also guided through how to read a food nutrition label and what components to look for.
– Helpful tips are given on how to easily follow a low-fat, high-fiber diet, and attendees are challenged to build their menu for the next week.

WK 3: GETTING IN GEAR
– Changing one’s diet can be especially difficult when dining out for the very first time.
– Adopting a plant-based diet does not have to mean limited options – in fact, you may discover you really like a lot of new foods that were not previously a part of your diet.
– This class offers attendees guidance on what to order within a variety of restaurant cuisines.

WK 4: BREAKING THE FOOD SEDUCTION
– Ever wonder why after eating copious amounts of sweets or cheese, you still crave more? It’s related to
how these foods influence our brain chemistry.
– Discover how sugar, dairy products, and meat products are unfavorable for healthy weight management as well as why they have addictive qualities.
– Suggestions on how to best avoid the temptation of these foods are discussed.

WK 5: KEYS FOR NATURAL APPETITE CONTROL
– Plant foods, not animal products, contain fiber. Fiber is important because it keeps you fuller for longer and lowers your cholesterol. Ideally, you should aim for 40 grams of fiber each day.
– Taking care to eat an abundance of low-fat, high-fiber, plant foods can help you reach your health goals such as maintaining a healthy weight or lowering your cholesterol level.

WK 6: DIGESTIVE HEALTH
– Learn how certain foods can negatively affect your digestion. Certain foods that trigger digestive problems are dairy products, wheat products, caffeinated beverages, refined sugars and sweeteners, and fatty foods.
– Take away some tips on how to remedy any digestive issues you’ve encountered in the past.
– Suggestions will be provided on which foods are best to avoid and which foods will help make your transition into a healthful diet much more comfortable.

WK 7: INTRODUCTION TO HOW FOODS FIGHT CANCER
– Certain diet patterns seem to have a major effect in helping people diagnosed with cancer to live longer,
healthier lives. Numerous studies have shown that a diet built from plant foods offers the most cancer fighting protection of any diet plan. The research from the American Institute for Cancer Research shows that as much as 40 percent of cancer risk may be related to diet.(1)
– In this class, you will learn about the right food choices that can help reduce the risk of developing cancer as well as overcome the disease after it has been diagnosed.

WK 8: INTRODUCTION TO HOW FOODS FIGHT DIABETES
– Diabetes is a major public health problem of epidemic proportions. Eleven percent of the U.S. population 20 and older has diabetes (up from eight percent in 2007), and nearly one-third of those 65 and older have the disease.(2) Uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to complications from head to toe, including stroke, loss of vision, heart disease, kidney failure, and various problems due to nerve damage and circulatory problems. However, the road to diabetes does not have to be a one-way street. There is reason for hope!
– People who eat plant-based meals are less likely to ever develop diabetes, and for those who have diabetes, plant-based meals can help to improve blood sugar levels and prevent complications.
– The introductory class reveals the latest science behind this nutrition approach, provides a sampling of four dishes, and offers useful resources and simple ideas for getting started.

WK 9: HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE
– In the final class of the full series, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about which foods raise
blood pressure as well as which foods lower and regulate blood pressure.
– Attendees are encouraged to have their blood pressure checked before starting a plant-based diet and after. The results are quite motivational!

References:
(1) World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Washington DC: AICR, 2007.
(2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Number of Americans with Diabetes Rises to Nearly 26 Million [Press release].