VGH Cardiac Rehab client cooks up a storm on Global TV
Cardiac Rehab client and chef Cindy Low (left) and dietitian Michele Blanchet (right) proudly display some heart-healthy dishes created in the kitchen used by the Cardiac Rehab Program cooking classes.
The Cardiac Rehab Program at VGH is teaching people how to eat healthier by thinking outside the recipe box.
Instead of telling people to eat healthier, the program is taking it a step further by showing clients how to eat healthy with heart-friendly cooking classes.
“We want to make it easier for our participants to incorporate heart-healthy foods into some delicious recipes,” says Michele Blanchet, one of the program leads and a dietitian with the Cardiac Rehab Program. “We want to show them cooking can be fun in addition to being healthier.
“What makes this program unique is the partnership between a cardiac dietitian and a chef,” she continues.
With the culinary expertise of local chef and longtime Cardiac Rehab client Cindy Low, Michele and the Cardiac Rehab Program are developing recipes for cardiac health and giving participants the tools to cook these recipes at home.
“The recipes are not only healthy and nutritious, they’re restaurant quality – yet easy to replicate at home,” says Cindy.
Cooking up a storm on Global TV
After holding the first class last month, Michele says the response has been very positive. So positive, in fact, that Global TV’s Morning Show invited Michele and Cindy to demonstrate on a cooking segment. They developed a heart healthy version of Salade Nicoise with pan-seared wild salmon and herbed vinaigrette .
“The first session of our cooking class was very informative, delicious and I think the group experienced ‘that spark’ to do better,” says Rosemary Trotter, a long-time Cardiac Rehab client and a cooking-class student. “The steps weren’t difficult to follow to create tasty and colourful meals. There was great energy and enthusiasm in the class setting by all as we tasted each recipe.”
After witnessing the enthusiasm from the first class, Michele is convinced the cooking classes are an effective way to get people healthy.
“This is definitely the way,” she says. “By showing them and engaging them, our clients truly start to understand and are empowered to make changes.”
These classes are a part of the Cardiac Rehab Program, which is designed to manage and prevent heart disease by incorporating new exercise and nutrition practices in the client’s lifestyle. Clients in the program work with a team of health professionals including a cardiologist, exercise specialists, counselors and a dietitian to make routine changes for a longer, healthier life.
Michele says a lot people in the cooking program feel they have a second chance.
“They see that they have some control over what they eat and how much exercise they get,” she says. “They just need the tools and the cooking class is a great tool.”
“It’s about getting on top of the issues when we can.”
Help for your heart
The right program is out there for you and your patients:
- Syd and Joanne Belzberg Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic
- Leslie Diamond Women’s Heart Health Clinic
- Happy Hearts Program