Help your patients understand the value of diet and exercise

Our Principles of Nutrition and Applications modules arm you with the knowledge and skills to positively influence the lives of your patients immediately.

Buy Now
Made for Clinicians by Clinicians
Food as Medicine is ideal for MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs, dieticians (RD/LD), and other clinicians seeking improved patient outcomes and CE credit.

Built in collaboration with the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, the leading organization for application of clinician-based nutrition science.

Credentialed through the IPMA, the Food as Medicine Curriculum qualifies for 8 CE credits.

2.5 CE credits for Nutritional Principles
and
5.5 CE credits for Nutritional Applications

Built by the industry-leading team at OnlineMedEd, our pedagogy leverages the adult learning theory to help ensure you can retain and apply the knowledge you learn.

Explore the Curriculum

Nutritional Principles and Nutritional Applications

Get the new gold standard for nutrition education. The full curriculum focuses as much on application and teamwork as it does the knowledge to start using it in your practice the next day.

Food As Medicine

Nutritional Principles

This activity is designed to increase health care providers’ use of scientifically grounded nutrition principles in their patient care. This includes implementing effective communication and counseling strategies to improve patient adoption and adherence to healthy nutrition habits.

See Lessons
Hide Details

Nutritional Foundations

Dietary guidelines
Nutrient density
Quality and quantity
Energy balance
Physical activity guidelines
Dietary reference intakes or DRIs
Hydration

Lesson 1

Nutritional Foundations II

Layers of influence on food choices
Underconsumed nutrients
Healthy eating patterns
Portions matter
DASH, Mediterranean, vegetarian Diets
Practical tips
Evaluating new diets
Medical Nutrition Therapy

Lesson 2

Behavioral Change Counseling

Patient-centered counseling
Active listening: OARS
Motivational interviewing
5 A’s: Assess/Ask, Advise, Agree, Assist, Arrange
SMART goals

Lesson 3

Nutrition and Activity Screening

Nutrition as a “vital sign”
Taking a diet history
Dietary habits screening tool
Regulation of dietary supplements
Taking a dietary supplement history
Taking a physical activity history/FITT
Write a prescription!

Lesson 3

Weight Counseling in Primary Care

Small amounts of weight loss have health benefits.
Ask permission to discuss weight.
Be systematic in your clinical workup.
Counseling and support are essential.
Determine health status.
Escalate treatment if appropriate.
Follow up regularly and leverage available resources.
Intensive behavioral therapy includes nutrition, activity, and behavioral interventions.

Lesson 5

Geriatric Nutrition

Body composition changes
Physiological and functional changes
Changes in nutrient requirements
Malnutrition/undernutrition
Nutrition screening
Factors contributing to malnutrition

Lesson 6

Applications

This curriculum will increase the application of nutrition principles to patient care, thereby improving the outcomes of participants’ patients among diverse populations, including those with chronic diseases such as diabetes, as well as geriatric, pediatric, pregnant, and obese patients, and those living in food deserts

See Lessons
Hide Details

Obesity Diagnosis

Obesity is a disease
Classifying obesity using BMI or waist circumference
Trends in obesity over time
Epidemiology of obesity
Multifactorial causes of obesity
Health risks & comorbidities of obesity

Lesson 1

Obesity Treatment

Decrease intake with portion control, smallest size choice, stimulus control
Quality of calories ingested
Danger foods are processed, sweetened, and fast foods
Bad foods are animal sources
Good foods are plant sources
Exercise for weight loss
Oral medications for weight loss
Bariatric surgery for weight loss

Lesson 2

Obesity Pediatrics

Monitor pattern of growth
Interpreting BMI-for-age in children
Body composition changes
Epidemiology of childhood obesity
Prevention is key
Family-based treatment
Nutrition education

Lesson 3

Treating Diabetes

Lifestyle interventions more effective than metformin alone
Insulin resistance contributes to prediabetes and diabetes
Prediabetes goal: 7%–10% weight loss, physical activity, improve eating
Diabetes goal: minimum 5% weight loss, 15+% is better
DSMES and MNT referral after diagnosis
No single ideal dietary pattern for diabetes or prediabetes
The meal plan should be individualized
Meds may need to be adjusted quickly with weight loss

Lesson 4

Treating Hypertension

Lifestyle interventions as effective as medications
Weight loss: 1 mmHg for every kg lost
DASH Diet
Reduce Sodium ≤ 1,500 mg/day—optimal but difficult
Increase dietary potassium (fruits and vegetables)
Increase physical activity: aerobic, dynamic, and isometric resistance
Alcohol in moderationLesson

Lesson 5

Treating Atherosclerosis

Lifestyle factors modify LDL concentration
Heart-healthy dietary patterns are plant-based
Fatty acids are cholesterol-decreasing, neutral, or cholesterol-increasing
Reducing saturated fat reduces LDL
Physical activity and Weight Loss
Adjuncts: Plant stanols and sterols, viscous soluble fiber
Triglycerides and HDL: not the primary target but influenced by diet

Lesson 6

Chronic Kidney Disease

Diet modifications can slow the progression of CKD
No such thing as a “renal diet”
MNT recommended for all stages of CKD
Stages 1 and 2: reduce protein and sodium
Increase fruits and vegetables with the Mediterranean diet
Stages 3–5: restrict protein, sodium, potassium, phosphorus
Dialysis: protein liberalized; sodium, potassium, phosphorus, fluid restricted

Lesson 7

Gluten-Free Diet

Gluten protein found in wheat, barley, rye (oats?)
Triggers immune response
Intestinal AND extra-intestinal symptoms common
CD inherited, autoimmune condition—nutrient deficiencies common
CD patients must strictly avoid traces of gluten
Label reading and avoiding cross-contact essential
NCGS/NCWS—nutrient deficiencies less likely
GF diets have nutritional risks

Lesson 8

OBGYN Pre-Conception

Preconception vitamins = prenatal vitamins
Optimize BMI to 19.5-25 to optimize fertility
Preconception nutrition prevents birth defects (folate)
Folate and Iron supplementation
Calcium, and Vitamin D supplementation
Where to get Iodide
What to avoid in preconception period

Lesson 9

OBGYN Pregnancy

Gestational weight gain affects maternal and fetal outcomes
Openly discuss weight early in pregnancy
Iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, iodide
Malnutrition compromises fertility and causes neural tube defects
Obesity compromises pregnancy and causes childhood obesity
Preconception vitamins = prenatal vitamins

Lesson 10
Start Helping Your Patients

The first nutrition curriculum built for the clinical provider looking to understand nutrition principles without getting lost in the details. This course focuses as much on application and teamwork as it does the knowledge to start using it in your practice the next day.

  • Created in collaboration between OnlineMedEd and the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists (NBPNS)
  • Earn up to 8 continuing medical education credits through the IPMA
  • Taught by seasoned clinical educators who have your perspective in mind
  • Designed to incorporate both clinical guidelines and preclinical mechanisms
  • Built on a time-tested teaching pedagogy - PACE - that brings multiple learning modalities with one unified voice
Sign me up

Everything in one place

Teaching Paradigm With Success

Every lesson comes with notes containing diagrams, tables, tips, and insights to prime your brain on the material. Building on notes, watch the chalk-talk style whiteboard video lecture to bring the information to life. Then engage the challenge questions for the most essential, high-yield information.

Buy now

Nutrition Principles

  • Nutritional Foundations

  • Behavior and Weight Counseling

  • Geriatric Nutrition and Screening

  • 2.5 CE Credits

Nutrition Principles

$75

Yes! Sign me Up

Nutrition Applications

  • Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension

  • Atherosclerosis and Kidney Disease

  • OBGYN Pre-conception and Pregnancy

  • 5.5 CE credits

Nutrition Applications

$125

Yes! Sign me Up

Food as Medicine Bundle

  • Nutrition Principles and Applications

  • Created by world-class experts

  • Application for your team and patients

  • 8 CE Credits

Food as Medicine Bundle

$150

Yes! Sign me Up

Accreditation and Designation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Interstate Postgraduate Medical Association and OnlineMedEd. The IPMA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Interstate Postgraduate Medical Association designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

IPMA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 6971, for 8 contact hours.