DUBOIS — Most people believe that if you want to be healthy, you have to eat healthy. Social media is filled with information about the latest diet and weight-loss crazes, but who is substantiating this information?
Penn Highlands Healthcare is leading the way by teaching its doctors about nutrition and healthy eating. The health system, which trains residents in Family Medicine and Psychiatry, provides a course “Food as Medicine.” The course provides formal nutrition education and practical information to help teach primary care doctors in training how to discuss healthy eating with patients.
“Lifestyle choices and poor eating habits are the fundamental basis for diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes,” said Purvi Parekh, DO, DipABLM, who is board- certified in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine at Penn Highlands Healthcare. Parekh takes a holistic approach to patient care.
Kevin Wilson, DO, Program Director of the Family Medicine Residency at Penn Highlands Healthcare, partnered with Dr. Parekh to start the “Food as Medicine” class in 2024. Through a grant from the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association, they established a teaching kitchen on campus which is home for the “Food as Medicine” class. For National Nutrition Month, the resident class made and packaged healthy granola bites, divided into teams and distributed the boxes of treats to staff throughout Penn Highlands DuBois.
In addition to providing nutrition information and a healthy snack to the staff at Penn Highlands DuBois, the activity had a ripple effect that stretched into the community. Two students from the Brookville Area High School Med Club were shadowing the residents and helped make and distribute the granola. Their advisor, Sharon Doolittle, worked with Dr. Parekh to take the activity back to the high school. The Brookville Med Club made the healthy snacks and delivered them to staff at Penn Highlands Brookville and Penn Highlands Jefferson Manor.
“This exercise was designed to teach staff how to make informed food choices and develop better snacking habits,” said Parekh. “It is thrilling to see activities like this come to life and really engage our providers, staff and community. Eating healthy is a group effort and this activity certainly got many involved.”
Chocolate Chip Granola Bites
(Makes 16-20 servings – Allergy information: contains nuts)
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup dried chia seeds
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
Directions:
Combine oats, chia, chocolate chips and flax seed. Stir well. Add vanilla extract and peanut butter. Stir to combine until peanut butter is evenly mixed into the oat mixture.
Using your hands, roll into 1 ½ inch balls and serve. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
