COOKING CLASSES & YOUR HEALTH!

Did you know that studies have shown that cooking classes have clinical health benefits? The changes in dietary habits over the past few years have increased the number of people relying on packaged and processed foods and have decreased at-home cooking. By relying on pre-made packaged foods, people have increased their caloric intake and decreased their consumption of nutritious foods. On the other hand, food preparation at home from scratch is correlated with an increase in healthy-food consumption.

Researchers have found that nutritional interventions, such as attending cooking classes, is an effective strategy to help people increase their healthy food intake and improve overall health. This is especially important to those with diabetes since this form of nutrition therapy can improve overall glycemic control and blood pressure. 

Cooking classes teach people not only how to cook home-cooked meals, but about the importance and value of healthy eating while staying within an economically-friendly budget. When people are physically being shown how to cook and prepare their own meals at home, people realize that cooking healthy foods can be both easy and cost-effective; these results are seen regardless of attendance frequency. 

References:

Byrne, C., Kurmas, N., Burant, C. J., Utech, A., Steiber, A., & Julius, M. (2017). Cooking Classes: A Diabetes Self-Management Support Intervention Enhancing Clinical Values. The Diabetes Educator,43(6), 600-607. doi:10.1177/0145721717737741

Raber, M., Crawford, K., & Chandra, J. (2017). Healthy cooking classes at a children's cancer hospital and patient/survivor summer camps: Initial reactions and feasibility. Public Health Nutrition, 20(9), 1650-1656. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1017/S136898001700060X

Adam, Maya, et al. "Massive open online nutrition and cooking course for improved eating behaviors and meal composition." The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 12, no. 1, 2015. Health Reference Center Academic, http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/apps/doc/A469051178/HRCA?u=ubcolumbia&sid=HRCA&xid=57c9a230. Accessed 30 Apr. 2019.