Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Guevara, Mph, Rd, Ld
Hi Diana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2012 our founder, Laura Moore, was appointed director of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Dietetic Internship. Ms. Moore, as the students called her, has always taken a food-first approach. As a registered dietitian and formally trained chef, her role as director of the dietetic internship was to guide the training of future registered dietitians. Moore quickly realized that, although our students were well versed in the science of nutrition, they didn’t know as much about food itself. She made it her mission to build a program that would teach people “How Good Food Works.” In the following years, she became an agent of change within the university, garnering support from colleagues, leadership, and funders to build our three state-of-the-art resources: a holistic garden, a teaching kitchen, and a simulation lab. Through these resources, the Nourish Program, housed under the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at UTHealth Houston, is now able to offer a robust understanding of nutrition through food from seed-to-plate-to-prevention. Our curricula are taught to future dietitians, health care trainees and professionals, and the community at large. As an alumnus of the school and current full-time staff at the Nourish Program, my aim is to uplift our mission that I wholeheartedly believe in and continue to scale the work started by my incredible colleagues who came before me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Although support from colleagues and leadership has been strong, establishing our program certainly came with challenges. In the education and community realm, funding is often a roadblock – particularly when it comes to resources that require such care and attention as a garden and kitchen. Laura Moore knew that relying on grant funding would be difficult, so Laura Moore, and her supportive husband Don Sanders, donated funds which were matched by the university to build out the Nourish Program resources and support ongoing operating expenses. We are forever grateful to this generosity and continue to work towards operating sustainably by offering our services and curricula for a fee to various professional groups, worksites, and institutions.
As you know, we’re big fans of Nourish Program. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
It is no secret that the way we eat affects our health in the present and in the future. Diet-related chronic diseases consistently rank among the top 10 causes of death here in the U.S. Meanwhile, Americans are consistently not getting their recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in their diets. Through hands-on, evidence-based classes, the Nourish Program shows people how to grow, prepare, and promote food that encourages lifelong health and well-being. Our team of culinary-focused registered dietitians help to bridge the food-as-medicine gap by teaching students, health care professionals, and community members where food comes from, how to make it taste great, and how it can prevent and address nutrition-related health conditions. We are housed within the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, which allows us to leverage behavior change theories and methods to contribute to the growing evidence base for hands-on culinary medicine activities in higher learning, health care, and beyond. We are proud to demonstrate that healthy eating does not have to mean “sad salads,” but instead can be easy, affordable, and delicious. Our “bread-and-butter” offerings include hands-on cooking classes and seed-to-plate activities. Our facilities also allow us to offer virtually-streamed classes, cooking demonstrations, and webinars. We have partnered with institutions to train students (dietetic interns, medical students, dental students), health care professionals (dietitians, residents, fellows, doctors), and community members (employees, patients, and clients).
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
As mentioned, this program would not exist without the vision, leadership, and support of Laura Moore and Don Sanders. Early supporters and advocates of Laura’s vision include Drs. Eric Boerwinkle, Deanna Hoelscher, and Shreela Sharma. Dr. Eric Boerwinkle is dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. He has been supportive of the program, and its evolution, for years. Dr. Deanna Hoelscher is a registered dietitian, dean of the Austin location of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and director of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, under which the Nourish Program is housed. Dr. Shreela Sharma is a registered dietitian and epidemiologist and director of the Center for Health Equity at the School of Public Health. After Laura Moore’s retirement, Drs. Hoelscher and Sharma have assumed the role of co-directors of the Nourish Program.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nourishprogram.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishprogram/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Nourish-Program/100084381152543/
