“Jen, I’d like to change my business by putting the current business out of business.” That was how the conversation began between my best friend from college, Peter, and me.
I was taken aback. “I’m not sure I follow, Peter. You sell medical devices, but you don’t want to anymore?”
He explained, “I’m truly in this business to help people. Isn’t that what healthcare is about? Many chronic conditions are driven by behavior—behaviors that can be hard to change or control. Some are simply bad habits, and others are influenced by socioeconomic factors. There’s a lot at play. Sure, a continuous glucose monitor or CPAP device can help, but what can help even more is creating a community. A space where my customers, their friends, and families can come together to support each other and share information. A place where they can learn how to manage diabetes and sleep apnea through lifestyle changes, not just medical devices.”
Peter went on, describing his vision. He didn’t want to just treat symptoms anymore. He wanted to build something that provided tools and education for people to prevent and manage chronic conditions, starting with type 2 diabetes. “If we can make this work, the rest will follow. Selling products to treat symptoms is easy. Sometimes doing what is hard comes with more reward. We’ll pivot from being a company that treats symptoms to one that empowers people to take control of their health. I want you to help me by writing recipes that are healthy, pretty easy, and delicious. Will you do that?” From there, who knows? Maybe we have an app we will launch soon to help people track their progress, coach them or maybe even “gamify” healthy living. That would be something my co-workers, customers, kids could be really proud of. Plus shouldn’t we all model the best behavior we can for our family and friends?”
That conversation, which took place in August 2024, quite literally changed the way I think about food. Peter’s vision for his business opened my eyes to the potential for food to be more than just fuel. He was asking me to help educate others, but in doing so, I started educating myself. Wearing a glucose monitor and tracking how my body reacts (or doesn’t) to different foods has been eye-opening. It’s fascinating to see how small tweaks in diet can make a significant impact on health.
Peter’s goal is big and audacious, to say the least. He wants to shift the way we think about health—by helping people control or prevent type 2 diabetes, he’s striving to make his own business obsolete. Is it a typical business plan? Not exactly. But it’s a plan rooted in something much deeper: the desire to truly help people live healthier lives.
This is how the “Food as Medicine” blog series was born. It’s about more than just recipes; rather, it explores the connection between what we eat and how we feel. Helping people make small, meaningful changes that can have a big impact on their health. And maybe, just maybe, it’s about changing the world—one healthy recipe at a time.
Speaking of recipes, if you’ve missed our blog post series, you can catch up quickly by clicking the following links:
Food as Medicine Spotlight 1 – Portuguese Kale Soup
Food as Medicine Spotlight 2 – Tuna & Broccoli Cakes
Food as Medicine Spotlight 3 – Apples, Leeks & Honey Chicken
We also encourage you to follow Chef Brulé on TikTok @chefjenress for more healthy culinary inspiration!
