From left are Amanda Latvala, education coordinator, Marquette Food Co-op; Jim Lajoie, executive director, Superior Health Foundation; Evan Loukusa, MD, Marquette Family Medicine residency program; Sarah Monte, outreach director, Marquette Food Co-op; and Sarah Wagner, community health worker, Upper Peninsula Health Plan. (Courtesy photo)

MARQUETTE — Evan Loukusa, MD, resident of the Marquette Family Medicine Residency Program applied his interest in lifestyle medicine to a newly developed program called “Food for Yoopers.”

With support and partnerships from Upper Peninsula Health Plan, the Marquette Food Co-op, Superior Health Foundation, UP Health System-Marquette and faculty physicians Lisa Long, MD, and Tyson Luoma, DO, the program aims to teach meal planning, cooking techniques and education designed to promote healthy lifestyles.

Loukusa attributes his interest in lifestyle medicine to a culinary medicine elective in medical school that taught the positive impacts of preparing healthy and delicious food at home.

“I have a passion for healthy lifestyle change,” said Loukusa. “We know that somewhere between 50-80% of disease in our country is directly attributable to our behaviors, and that our unhealthy society makes it difficult for the individual to live a life that promotes energy, wellbeing, and happiness throughout the lifespan.”

The CDC states that “processed foods and sugary drinks add unneeded sodium, saturated fats, and sugar to many diets, increasing the risk of chronic diseases.”

Their statistics show fewer than 1 in 10 adults and adolescents eat enough fruits and vegetables, and 9 in 10 Americans aged 2 years or older consume more than the recommended amount of sodium. Additionally, 6 in 10 young people aged 2 to 19 and 5 in 10 adults consume a sugary drink on a given day.

“Food for Yoopers focuses on making small changes that are attainable and can lead to healthy lifestyle changes,” said UP Health Plan Community Health Worker, Sarah Wagner. “The reason 95% of typical diets fail is because the expectations are not sustainable. Combining education, peer support, and access to a health coach gives participants in the Food for Yoopers program the foundation they need to make manageable steps to reach their health goals. These small steps eventually turn into habits which lead to a lifestyle change.”

The framework for content in the Food for Yoopers course utilizes materials put out by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and other resources. The program highlights the fact that big results in health are attainable when small changes are consistently applied over time. Nutritional education and health coaching are included in the program to help boost participant’s confidence in how to maintain their own health.

“Good nutrition is a fundamental part of taking care of ourselves,” said Loukusa. “Science is discovering more and more ways that nourishing our bodies with healthy food keeps us well, prevents disease, and can even reverse things like heart disease and type 2 diabetes! The wonderful thing is that a lot of complex topics like phytonutrients, gut microbiome, macronutrient composition, glycemic index all can be cooked down into very simple, actionable advice.”

Community partners contributed administrative support, curriculum support, recruitment, and cook-along demonstrations as well as logistics and technical support for the virtual sessions.

“We are very happy that the Marquette Food Co-op was given the opportunity to be involved in such a great program,” said Marquette Food Co-op Education Coordinator Amanda Latvala. “Providing cooking classes that aim to help folks understand how to improve overall diet quality and their own nutrition status is a cornerstone of our programs. When someone is told they need to eat healthier, often the first thought is that the food will not taste good. Our mission with these cooking classes is to show not just that healthy food can be delicious, but practical, cost effective, and time saving. It has been a really rewarding experience working with this program and something we plan to keep doing as long as there is a need.”

Cost of the 9-week program is $300 with scholarships available. To be placed on a wait list for the next program, call UPHS-Marquette Family Medicine at: 449-1010. Food for Yoopers is open to the public, adults and children accompanied by an adult are welcome.

“The Superior Health Foundation is always interested in funding projects that improve the health of people in the Upper Peninsula,” said Jim LaJoie, executive director of the Superior Health Foundation. “The ‘Food for Yoopers’ is an incredible, innovative project that seeks to change behaviors to ensure healthy eating habits. We’re happy to supply grant funding for scholarships. We think this will be very successful.

“Putting a focus on healthy behaviors through simple nutritional advice and health coaching is a winning strategy for achieving optimal health.”