MEET
JESSICA DeLUISE
PA-C, CCMS
Physician Assistant, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, AAPA Nutrition Fellow, TV Host, On-Air Guest Expert, Emmy Award Winner
ABOUT
Jessica
The Wellness Kitchenista, Jessica DeLuise, MHS, PA-C, CCMS, is a seasoned medical practioner, culinary medicine specialist, TV-chef and wellness entrepreneur.
Jessica’s mission is to make the road-to-wellness fun, easy to follow, budget friendly, and delicious! Jessica holds a Masters degree in Health Science from Drexel University and certification in a Culinary Medicine from Tulane University’s acclaimed Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine. She has more than eleven years of clinical experience as a Physician Assistant, practicing in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. In 2022, Jessica was one of 33 Physician Assistants nationwide to be accepted into and complete the 2022 AAPA Nutrition Fellowship Program.
Jessica’s passion for culinary medicine is rooted in her own life experience. As a teen and young adult, Jessica suffered from unexplained episodes of syncope (fainting), complex migraines, GERD, esophageal ulcers, and other intrusive health symptoms. At this time in her life, Jessica felt confused and frustrated with lack of guidance, prescription pushing, and cold bedside manner of many practitioners she visited. As Jessica empowered herself and transformed her diet, she began to learn which foods triggered her symptoms. Now, due to her lifestyle and dietary modifications, she is able to live symptom-free. While this isn’t the case for everyone, lifestyle and food, Jessica believes, can have a considerable impact.
Inspired by her own experience, Jessica has made it her mission to bring to the forefront the potentially transformative benefits of food and life balance. Whether with patients, in front of an audience, or engaging with her social media following, Jessica can be counted on to demystify facts and science behind the food and share delicious meal ideas. Jessica is the host of “Eat Your Way to Wellness”, a cooking and lifestyle program streaming on Amazon Prime. You can also spot Jessica on one of her frequent TV appearances, including the Dr. Oz Show, Insider, Fox 29, and many others. She is a brand ambassador for several trusted national and local brands, including OXO, Calphalon, Tropical Fruit Box, Mooala, Hungry Harvest, and more.
ABOUT
Jessica
The Wellness Kitchenista, Jessica DeLuise, MHS, PA-C, CCMS, is a seasoned medical practioner, culinary medicine specialist, TV-chef and wellness entrepreneur.
Jessica’s mission is to make the road-to-wellness fun, easy to follow, budget friendly, and delicious! Jessica holds a Masters degree in Health Science from Drexel University and certification in Culinary Medicine from Tulane University’s acclaimed Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine. She has more than eleven years of clinical experience as a Physician Assistant.
Jessica’s passion for culinary medicine is rooted in her own life experience. As a teen and young adult, Jessica suffered from unexplained episodes of syncope (fainting), complex migraines, GERD, esophageal ulcers, and other intrusive health symptoms. At this time in her life, Jessica felt confused and frustrated with lack of guidance, prescription pushing, and cold bedside manner of many practitioners she visited with. As Jessica empowered herself and transformed her diet, she began to learned which foods triggered her symptoms. Now, due to her lifestyle and dietary modification, she is able to live symptom-free. While this isn’t the case for everyone, lifestyle and food, Jessica believes can have a considerable impact.
Inspired by her own experience, Jessica has made it her mission to bring to the forefront, the potentially transformative benefits of food and life balance. Whether with patients, in front of an audience, or engaging with her social media following,
Jessica can be counted on to demystify facts and science behind the food and share delicious meal ideas. Jessica is the host of “Eat Your Way to Wellness”, a cooking and lifestyle program streaming on Amazon Prime. You can also spot Jessica on one of her frequent TV appearances, include the Dr. Oz Show, Insider, Fox 29 and many others. She is a brand ambassador for several trusted national and local brands, including OXO, Calphalon, Tropical Fruit Box, Mooala, Hungry Harvest, and more.
Need a quote here that speaks to Jessica’s knowledge or personality.
Firstname M.
Thank you so much for welcoming me into your kitchen. I believe that wellness shouldn’t feel overwhelming and complicated.
Whatever wellness means to you, I can’t wait to share my journey and inspire you to make the food that makes you feel your best.
COOK WELL, EAT WELL, BE WELL!
Jess
As a physician assistant, I’ve seen first hand how the nutritional choices people make on a day-to-day basis are powerful enough to change lives. For example, certain foods may decrease the risk of certain cancers, while others can lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Still others can be used as adjunct treatment for mental health. Knowing which foods are right for you given your health history and wellness goals, empowers you take an empowered and active role in your own health and wellness.
The field of culinary medicine has been steadily growing in popularity. There are various programs throughout the country geared to educating practitioners how best to support and guide patients through the choices they face at the grocery story and during meal time. In 2019, Jessica completed her certification as a culinary medicine specialist from the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University. culinarymedicine.org
Using this certification and more than 10+ of clinical practice as a physician assistant, Jessica educates and inspires individuals through her SYSTEM/ NAME TBD.
References:
You may have heard friends or colleagues state they are eating a “gluten free” diet … or have seen the entire grocery store sections or restaurant menus dedicated to gluten free items. And you may be wondering, ‘Should I be eating a gluten free diet’?
Here is what you need to know.
First, what heck is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in a variety of grains such as wheat or barley. Items that contain gluten include malt, breads, cakes, desserts, food thickeners or additives, protein bars, crackers, seasoning blends, condiments, and so
many others. Gluten may even be present by cross contamination with gluten containing items on restaurant work surfaces and deep fryers.
In my experience, elimination of gluten from the diet is usually due to one of two main reasons. First, in an effort to reduce or resolve symptoms someone may be experiencing. Or secondly, because there is a misunderstanding about gluten containing items and the effect they may have on weight gain or health status. I will explain both below in a little more detail and then offer some ways I can support you
Reactions to gluten are very real. For some people, gluten may trigger symptoms of bloating, upset stomach, migraine headaches, and even as severe as intestinal damage in those who have Celiac disease. If you are experiencing any symptoms you may believe are related to gluten or are otherwise unexplained, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. I have outlined three reactions you may experience to gluten below.
If you are not experiencing symptoms, but rather, have chosen to eliminate or are considering eliminating gluten – keep reading. In my experience, the protein gluten has become synonymous with “processed food”. To that end, many people believe that items without gluten are better for overall wellness. Additionally, many people assume because it is gluten free, it is also free from carbohydrates, additives, or sugar. This is not the case! Let’s look at gluten free pasta as an example. Per cup of standard, wheat spaghetti, there is 200 calories, 1g fat, 42g cabs, 2g fiber, 2g sugar, and 7g of protein. In the gluten free variety from the same company, where corn is used instead of wheat, there is 190 calories, 1g fat, 44g carbs, 2g fiber, 0 sugar, and 4g protein. You can see the nutrition profiles are quite similar. This tends to be similar with other gluten free items as well. Also, gluten free cookies, cakes, or snacks still contain refined fats and sugars. “Gluten free” does not necessarily equal “better for you”. But, if you decide to switch from refined pasta and bread to a whole grain variety in an attempt to include
more whole foods in your diet – WONDERFUL! According to an article by Harvard Health, as compared to refined grains, whole grains provide more fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants.
Harvard Health has a great article: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/whole-grains/ . Remember to always discuss food choices with your health care
Three Common Gluten- Related Reactions:
practitioner before making any changes.
Yes, absolutely ! Of course your individual choices should be discussed with your healthcare practitioner for your safety. To that end, here are a few tactics I use when eating at restaurants – whether for business or pleasure!
Definitely. Believe it or not, I encounter may people who complain about bloating. The tricky part is, though, that even though bloating is very common, it is not very specific. This means there are multiple causes for bloating, including potential fatal causes – keep reading!
I often recommend starting with a food diary. This exercise alone can sometimes help you tease out the cause for bloating. If you can’t discern the cause on your own, then you will at least have some information to bring to a dietitian or healthcare practitioner. In the diary, it is important to log EVERYTHING; food intake, chewing gum, drinks, sleep, stress level, bowel movements – everything! All of this will be pertinent to figuring out the cause of the bloating.
Some common food causes of bloating may be food intolerance or sensitivity, IBS, stress, irregular bowel movements, sleep disturbances, artificial sweeteners, menses, or eating processed foods. Bloating may also be a sign of something more severe than food intolerance, like inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, or even certain cancers. It is important never to brush off bloating as “no big deal”. If it is, in fact, no big deal, let a professional tell you so after a full evaluation and examination. SAFETY FIRST!
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