Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction

Use food as a powerful tool for treatment—not just prevention.

This course dives into the evidence on how dietary patterns and food choices impact chronic disease progression and recovery. Learn practical, clinically relevant strategies to support patients with conditions like cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, cancer risk, and obesity—plus how to guide sustainable dietary behavior change in real-world settings.

Description

This Food as Medicine course session will provide an overview of the scientific evidence on food groups and dietary patterns for treatment and risk reduction of common lifestyle-related conditions, with a focus on cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, cancer prevention, and obesity. The session also includes a brief review of carbohydrates, fats, and protein in relation to chronic disease, as well as a discussion of practical approaches to supporting healthful dietary changes with clients and patients. 

This course expires May 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST.  

Course Format

The Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity course is comprised of two parts and consists of three hours of content. Topics include:

  • Part 1: Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity  
  • Part 2: Popular Diets

Target Audience

This course is applicable for interprofessional healthcare team including physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician associates, registered dietitians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, other health professionals working with chronic disease prevention or treatment, certified health coaches, and clinicians in training.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe dietary patterns that have been shown to be effective in the treatment and risk reduction of common lifestyle-related chronic diseases 
  • Discuss how diet behaviors impact chronic disease development and progression 
  • Identify ways in which different macronutrient sources may contribute to disease progression or improvement 
  • Explore basic strategies for supporting dietary behavior change 
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.50 AAFP Prescribed

    The AAFP has reviewed Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.50 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credit(s). Term of Approval is from 5/18/2025 to 5/17/2026. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. .

  • 1.50 ABIM Medical Knowledge

    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.50 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participation completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

  • 1.50 ABLM MOC

    The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine has approved 1.50 maintenance of certification credits (MOC) for this learning activity.

  • 1.50 ABS Accredited CME

    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

  • 1.50 ACPE Pharmacy

    Rush University Medical Center designates this knowledge-based enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 contact hour(s) for pharmacists.

  • 1.50 ACPE Technician

    Rush University Medical Center designates this knowledge-based enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 contact hour(s) for pharmacy technicians.

  • 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    Rush Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.50 ANCC

    Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 nursing contact hour(s).

  • 1.50 APA

    Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.50 CE credits in psychology. Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship in the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

  • 1.50 ASWB

    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Rush University Medical Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved continuing education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 general continuing education credits.

  • 1.50 CPEU

    This enduring material has been approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Completion of this activity awards 1.50 CPEUs.

  • 1.50 NBC-HWC

    The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) has approved 1.50 continuing education credits for this learning activity: CE-000071-3.

  • 1.50 Occupational Therapy CE

    Rush University Medical Center is an approved provider for physical therapy (216.000378) and occupational therapy (224.000220) by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.50 continuing education credits.

  • 1.50 Participation (AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for non-MDs)

    Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.50 Physical Therapy CE

    Rush University Medical Center is an approved provider for physical therapy (216.000378) and occupational therapy (224.000220) by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.50 continuing education credits.

Course opens: 
05/15/2023
Course expires: 
05/17/2026
Cost:
$60.00

Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM

 Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM is Executive Director of Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public healthcare system in the US. A practicing internist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, she also directed Bellevue’s Adult Weight Management Program from 2005-2022. In 2019 Dr. McMacken founded the innovative Bellevue Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program, the first of its kind in a safety-net setting. She now leads the expansion of this program to six new sites throughout NYC. An Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Dr. McMacken has received the faculty “Teacher of the Year” award three times. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has presented at numerous academic conferences including the American College of Physicians and the American Diabetes Association. She is board certified in both internal medicine and lifestyle medicine.

 

Accreditation Statement, Disclosure Information and Credit Designation Statements

Joint Providership Statement: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by RUSH University Medical Center and American College of Lifestyle Medicine. RUSH University Medical Center is Jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing medical education for the healthcare team.

 

Disclosure Information

Unapproved Uses of Drugs/Devices: In accordance with requirements of the FDA, the audience is advised that information presented in this continuing medical education activity may contain references to unlabeled or unapproved uses of drugs or devices. Please refer to the FDA approved package insert for each drug/device for full prescribing/utilization information.

It is the policy of the Interprofessional Continuing Education office at RUSH to ensure that its CE activities are independent, free of commercial bias. Therefore, we manage all financial relationships associated with accredited continuing education activities. RUSH asks everyone who has the ability to control or influence the content of an educational activity to disclose information about all of their financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months.

An ineligible company is an entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. There is no minimum threshold; individuals must disclose all financial relationships, regardless of the amount, with ineligible companies. Individuals must disclose regardless of their view of the relevance of relationships to education. Mechanisms are in place to identify and mitigate any potential conflicts of interest prior to the planning, implementation, or evaluation of the continuing education activity. If a financial relationship is identified for the person in control of content, conflict mitigation strategies will be used to mitigate the financial relationship before they assume their role.

Individuals in control of content for this activity have the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose and all financial relationships have been mitigated.

  • Rohit Moghe, PharmD, MSPH, CDCES: Member, Speaker's Bureau - Novo Nordisk

All other individuals in control of content have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Available Credit

  • 1.50 AAFP Prescribed

    The AAFP has reviewed Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.50 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credit(s). Term of Approval is from 5/18/2025 to 5/17/2026. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. .

  • 1.50 ABIM Medical Knowledge

    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.50 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participation completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

  • 1.50 ABLM MOC

    The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine has approved 1.50 maintenance of certification credits (MOC) for this learning activity.

  • 1.50 ABS Accredited CME

    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

  • 1.50 ACPE Pharmacy

    Rush University Medical Center designates this knowledge-based enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 contact hour(s) for pharmacists.

  • 1.50 ACPE Technician

    Rush University Medical Center designates this knowledge-based enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 contact hour(s) for pharmacy technicians.

  • 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    Rush Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.50 ANCC

    Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 nursing contact hour(s).

  • 1.50 APA

    Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.50 CE credits in psychology. Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship in the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

  • 1.50 ASWB

    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Rush University Medical Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved continuing education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 general continuing education credits.

  • 1.50 CPEU

    This enduring material has been approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Completion of this activity awards 1.50 CPEUs.

  • 1.50 NBC-HWC

    The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) has approved 1.50 continuing education credits for this learning activity: CE-000071-3.

  • 1.50 Occupational Therapy CE

    Rush University Medical Center is an approved provider for physical therapy (216.000378) and occupational therapy (224.000220) by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.50 continuing education credits.

  • 1.50 Participation (AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for non-MDs)

    Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.50 Physical Therapy CE

    Rush University Medical Center is an approved provider for physical therapy (216.000378) and occupational therapy (224.000220) by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.50 continuing education credits.

Price

Cost:
$60.00
Please login or create an account to take this course.

ACLM member and category discounts are applied at checkout.

Non-memberACLM Members
$60

Physician/Doctor: $45

Non-Doctoral Health Professional: $33.75

Student/Trainee: $22.50

Access to online material is granted through the term of approval, which ends May 17th, 2026.

Participant User Agreement (Terms of Use and Copyright) 

Before registering for a Continuing Education/Continuing Medical Education Course (“Training”) for the first time, carefully review the following conditions of usage at https://lifestylemedicine.org/terms-of-use-and-copyright/

Registering for an American College of Lifestyle Medicine Course indicates your acceptance of the Participant User Agreement and its terms and conditions. 

Required Hardware/software

This course can be viewed on desktop or tablet using a modern browser and most mobile devices. Speakers or headphones are required for this course.