Food is medicine – that’s the mantra of culinary medicine. The first line of defense against chronic disease and inflammation could be your dinner plate. The science of culinary medicine combats illnesses like chronic inflammation and pain, heart disease, cancer and diabetes with recipes and meals designed to help the body heal. Chef Jim Perko was Drs. Oz & Roizen’s YouBeauty.com’s culinary expert columnist for 4 years, creator of hundreds of delicious and healthy recipes, and is a co-author with Michael F. Roizen. M.D., and Michael Crupain M.D., M.P.H., in the groundbreaking lifestyle guide What To Eat When Cookbook. Chef Jim Perko has been a part of Cleveland Clinic for over 36 years. During his time at Cleveland Clinic, Chef Jim has collaborated with numerous physicians to develop the first evidence-based, technique-driven culinary medicine initiatives for the Cleveland Clinic. He has developed culinary curricula and recipes for six patient programs including Culinary Medicine for Chronic Disease. He is the creator and provider of the first Cleveland Clinic Culinary Medicine patient consult program to help patients execute prescribed nutritional plans and find true enjoyment in their new and tailored culinary plan. We will be discussing easy, budget friendly meals to help inflammation and ease pain. Chef Jim’s passion is to implement culinary medicine that’s evidence-based in both clinical and culinary disciplines to educate how foods can be powerful medicine without compromising the flavor of your meals or your health. Remember anything you eat you are either feeding or fighting disease