DELISH MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020
FOOD AS
MEDICINE
Lockport surgeon shares
ideas from her new
UB med school class
BY MICHELE DELUCA
EDITOR OF DELISH
D
r. Helen Cappuccino is going to be
teaching an unusual new class at the
University at Buffalo Jacobs School of
Medicine in February.
The Lockport surgeon’s class will
expose medical school students to ideas
about how food can be as important as
medicine in healing.
Cappuccino, who is a surgical oncolo-
gist at Roswell Memorial Medical Center
in Buffalo, will also be teaching the fledg-
ling doctors how to cook nutritious foods
that are also delicious.
“I like a more holistic approach to
health, wellness, and disease avoidance,”
she explained during a recent interview.
“I don’t want my patients to need surgery
or medicine. To the extent I can forestall
these choices by better eating habits, I
want my patients to understand this,
and I also want future doctors to be more
conversant in, and concerned about it, so
they can educate their patients as well.”
The breast cancer surgeon and med-
ical school professor is a bit of an expert
on good foods. She and her husband,
renowned spinal surgeon Dr. Andrew
Cappuccino, parents of six, are long-time
members of the international gourmet
food lovers association, Chaines de Ro-
tisserie, and locally are known for their
appreciation of fine foods and wines.
“Eating well doesn’t need to mean
feeling hungry or unsatisfied,” she said
during a recent interview. “Like anything
in life, moderation is the order of the day.
It’s okay to have occasional sweet treats, or
16
Dr. Helen Cappuccino tests the scent of an apple at Niagara Produce.
a beer or a glass of wine or a drink, or pro-
cessed meats. Just do so in moderation.”
Increasingly, restaurants are making
health and nutrition an important part
of their offerings, she said. Many restau-
rants are also making nutritional content
information available.
“Chefs are now often sourcing their
food locally, organically, and sustainably,
and prepared to offer gluten-free, keto,
vegetarian, and vegan dishes. Even
when enjoying fine dining, you can eat
healthily if you know what to look for,”
she added.
Her class will be called “Culinary
Medicine,” and take place in the culinary
labs at Erie County Community College.
The medical students will learn about
healthy meal preparation and about
food that can help prevent, or moderate,
obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, and
diabetes.
“We will also discuss fad diets, sup-
plements, and teach the student doctors
about how difficult it can be (and costly)
to eat healthy foods, and to work with
their patients to identify strategies to eat
in a healthier way,” she said.