The recipe for an award-winning, food-focused TV program doesn’t always have to include excessively decadent desserts or brash celebrity chefs.

Jessica DeLuise, PA-C, MHS, CCMS, host of the program “Eat Your Way to Wellness,” has built a strong viewership simply based on her show’s unique topics and evidence-based insights. Infusing culinary medicine concepts in each episode, DeLuise examines how certain foods can impact one’s health.

Becoming a TV personality didn’t happen overnight. Early in her career, DeLuise worked clinically in both in-patient and out-patient settings. A significant portion of her patients had health issues influenced by diet and lifestyle choices. And frequently, the same patients returned again and again seeking care for recurring problems.

“So many of these patients were dealing with significant barriers to proper nutrition,” DeLuise said. “It motivated me to expand my knowledge base so I could provide patients with more tools to help prevent hospital readmission or exacerbations of their chronic diseases, when possible.”