Tomato Products Wellness Council Joins Harvard Medical School and the Culinary Institute of America to Take Part in Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Lives April 2-5, 2009

NAPA VALLEY, Calif., April 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Lives engages a variety of health care professionals and culinary experts every spring and fall at The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone Napa Valley, California to interact in a continuing medical education conference that fosters a connection between nutrition science, health care, and the culinary arts. The Tomato Products Wellness Council is a participant in the event which will feature menu items that incorporate tomato products known for their myriad health benefits, including protection against cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer.

Physicians haven’t always had the best reputation for understanding and unleashing the power of a healthy diet in the lives of their patients. Yet with obesity and nutrition-related conditions on the rise, there has never been a better time to introduce a healthy lifestyle into the healthcare setting. It was with this in mind that Dr. David Eisenberg, director of the Osher Research Center at Harvard Medical School, came up with a brainstorm. Why not train doctors how to create nutritious and delicious meals so that they might bring these important lessons back home to their patients? Thus the Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Lives conference, held in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and The Culinary Institute of America, was born.

This semiannual conference attracts health care professionals like physicians, dietitians, and nurses; health and insurance executives; and health care food service directors and executive chefs to the beautiful Napa Valley region to hone an appreciation for good, healthy cuisine. The interactive conference provides attendants with the opportunity to learn about the latest findings in nutrition science from leading experts in the field, practice hands-on skills in culinary preparation and tasting of healthy, delicious food, and gain methods for translating nutrition and culinary knowledge in the healthcare setting.

Highlights from Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Lives this week include exploring a world of healthy flavors from such hotspots as India, Mexico, and Italy; understanding healthy carbohydrates, utilizing whole grains and legumes in quick and easy meals, making the most of plant-based nutrition in disease prevention, deconstructing popular weight loss diets, and developing kitchen skills for healthier lives. Conference presenters include David Eisenberg, MD (Harvard), Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RD (CIA), Frank Sacks, MD (Harvard Medical School), Joyce Goldstein (chef, cookbook author, consultant), Helen Delichatsios, MD (Harvard Medical School), and Kathy McManus, MS, RD, LDN (Brigham & Women’s Hospital).

The Tomato Products Wellness Council is pleased to participate in Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Lives for the first time. The Tomato Products Wellness Council is an organization of tomato growers, processors and well-known brands working to create awareness of the health benefits of tomato products by providing industry-wide leadership, communications and scientific research. Not only will the Tomato Products Wellness Council be attending the conference events and activities, they will be hosting an exhibit for the hundreds of participants expected in attendance. With the health and culinary focus of this upcoming conference centering upon quick, healthy, global cuisine, tomato products are perfectly aligned with many health and culinary objectives set forth in Healthy Kitchen, Healthy Lives.

If you would like additional information or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Rodger Wasson at (831) 254-5405 or rw@tomatowellness.com.

SOURCE Tomato Products Wellness Council