Culinary Medicine Cookshops

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Castle Hill, NSW
Culinary Medicine Cookshops

Join us at our award winning cookshops, an innovative way to improve your success with healthy eating and show you how to use food as medicine.

Each month we’ll inspire you to cook easy, delicious meals everyone can enjoy! Each month we'll inspire you to cook easy, delicious meals everyone can enjoy. See fresh ideas to get you back into the kitchen
Learn tips and tricks to save time and money
Enjoy tasting plates from entree through to dessert
Drop your cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels
Lose weight and improve your wellness

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u'll learn how to use more seasonal and minimally processed foods lacking in most Australia diets. The cookshops are conducted by Sue Radd and her team of Accredited Practising Dietitians. You will experience a culinary adventure and receive medical nutrition advice as well.

05/05/2026

“Exciting news! ‘A Taste of Food as Medicine for Diabetes’ is now available!

Perfect for educators and health professionals, this evidence-based booklet empowers diabetes management with delicious meals.

Buy in bulk to offer free in your waiting room or use in community or student education programs. It’s only $3.95 per copy!

You can order online from Adventist Book Centres in Australia: https://adventistbookcentre.com.au/books/health/cookbooks/a-taste-of-food-as-medicine-diabetes.html”.

03/05/2026

Not beetroot… 💜
This vibrant dish is purple potato salad—and it comes with a smart metabolic twist.

Potatoes aren’t the problem. It’s how we prepare and eat them that matters.

Here are 3 simple culinary tricks to help lower the glycaemic impact:

✔️ Cook, then cool your potatoes (ideally the day before)
→ boosts resistant starch for a gentler blood glucose rise

✔️ Choose purple potatoes
→ naturally rich in flavonoids that help slow carbohydrate digestion

✔️ Dress generously with extra virgin olive oil + lemon juice
→ healthy fats and acidity help dampen the post-meal glucose response

So… do you need to avoid potatoes?
Absolutely not.

With a few clever tweaks—and mindful portions—even people with diabetes can enjoy them as part of a balanced meal.

💡 One more tip: timing matters.
We tend to be more insulin resistant at night, so enjoying some potato prepared like this like earlier in the day (e.g. lunch) supports better glucose control.

Interestingly, traditional patterns such as the Mediterranean diet often placed the main meal in the middle of the day—not late at night.

📘 For more tips and practical strategies to prevent or better manage diabetes, check out my book Food as Medicine: Cooking to Prevent and Treat Diabetes—available in local libraries or from online bookstores.

Real food. Real science. Real-life strategies.

PlantBasedNutrition MediterraneanDiet DiabetesPrevention HealthyEating NutritionScience EatSmart DietitianApproved BloodSugarBalance WholeFoods HealthyCooking

30/04/2026

“I didn’t expect to learn so much…”

That’s what one dad (and grandad!) told me after last week’s cookshop.

It was his first time attending—his wife had come before but was called into work last minute and insisted he take her place (yes, our tickets are transferable 😊).

He stayed back just to share how much he enjoyed it…
✔️ The learning
✔️ The tasting
✔️ The science brought to life

Before? He was already cooking a weekly Mexican black bean soup for his grandkids—one his wife first discovered through our cookshops ❤️ Apparently, it’s a hit with the kiddies!

Now? Walnut and mushroom meatballs are next on his menu.

This is what these evenings are all about.
Real food. Real science. Real change you can take home—that very night.

If you’ve been thinking about coming along… this is your sign.

NEXT COOKSHOP (just announced)
Gut Health: Feed Your Microbiome to Combat Disease and Power Whole-Body Wellness
📅 Tues, 16 June 2026
⏰ 6–8 pm

In just one evening, you’ll learn how to:
✨ Feed your gut microbes the right way
✨ Harness short chain fatty acids to reduce inflammation
✨ Turn cutting-edge research into simple, delicious meals

👉 We run only 5 culinary medicine events per year in our teaching kitchen—so don’t miss out.

Book now and read more: https://nwbc.com.au/cookshops/dates.html

Bring a partner, a friend… or come solo and leave inspired.

27/04/2026

🌿 Our first olive tree is in the ground!

A special moment in Port Stephens – and, of course, Louis the lab was at the ready to help 💚

This little tree came with a bit of effort (and love) behind it – my father carefully uprooted another tree so we could give the olive pride of place in the sun ☀️. And rightly so… olives don’t like to share their spotlight!

There’s something deeply satisfying about getting your hands in the soil together. And it’s not just good for the garden—research consistently shows that older adults who garden tend to live longer and better, with benefits for physical health, mood and even cognitive function.

Now comes the waiting game… 🌱
What type of olives will we get? Small and robust for oil, or plump for the table? We have no idea – it was a generous gift, and the variety is a mystery. There are already a few olives on the tree, so an informed reader who has olive trees may know.

But you can be sure of one thing… I’m already thinking about the polyphenols 😉
Because when it comes to olives (and especially extra virgin olive oil), these natural compounds are where so much of the magic lies – supporting heart health and helping to dampen inflammation.

From soil → tree → fruit → oil…
Food as medicine, right from the backyard.

Have you ever planted something without knowing exactly what you'd get? 🌿

26/04/2026

This weekend’s table was full of flavour and meaning. By request, I made seitan schnitzels with rich gravy – alongside a spread of vibrant plant foods. One of the desserts? Dark chocolate, hazelnut & prune squares… deeply satisfying and naturally sweet.

The eleven of us also enjoyed peppery watercress, crisp fuyu fruit, fragrant dried herbs from Greece, and turmeric sourdough dipped in fig balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.

Simple ingredients. Shared moments. Food that nourishes on every level.

What did you celebrate this long weekend?

If you’d like more food-as-medicine ideas and inspiration, follow along 🌱

18/04/2026

🌿 Two ways. One nourishing theme.

Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated to be powerful.

Today’s duo:
✨ My freshly made fig & ginger jam on top of black tahini
✨ Beautifully tender raspberries (presently inexpensive) with crunchy peanut butter

Both built on a simple foundation—fruit, nuts or seeds, and wholegrains.

Different flavours. Somewhat different nutrients. Same goal: supporting gut health, helping me reach my fibre target, and delivering plant protein that works with my body—not against it.

The magic? Dietary variety.
It’s one of the most underrated strategies for better health.

How do you vary your breakfast?

👇 I’d love to hear your combinations.

13/04/2026

🌿 One of the most nutrient-dense greens you’ve probably never tried…

Moringa is a traditional leafy green used across many cultures – from the Philippines and India to parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. It’s wonderfully versatile. You can grow it easily at home as a tree (or keep it trimmed like a shrub), and even use the long seed pods – often called “drumsticks” – in cooking.

I’ve enjoyed chopped drumsticks in curries while travelling in India with Herbie (and our group of Australian foodies) – but this time, the dish was made by friends originally from the Philippines. A beautiful reminder that the same plant can be used in different ways across cultures.

Thank you Angela and Mary for the delicious pumpkin, green bean and moringa coconut curry – and to our generous friend Alice in Port Stephens who shared homegrown moringa from her garden. 💚

From a nutrition perspective, moringa leaves are:
✔️ Rich in antioxidants (including polyphenols)
✔️ A source of vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium
✔️ Linked in early studies to anti-inflammatory and blood glucose–lowering effects

Moringa has a mild flavour – making it an easy way to add an extra lutein-rich green to your meals without overpowering the dish.

Sometimes, the simplest plants carry the richest stories. 🌱

If you’d like more food as medicine ideas and simple, evidence-based nutrition tips, follow me. 🌿

07/04/2026

There’s something deeply satisfying about eating together at a beautifully set table.

For me, food has always been more than nourishment. The colours, the textures, the way it’s presented… and yes, even the table setting itself. It all matters.

Over the Easter break, I attended a beautiful community, pot luck gathering – young and old coming together around shared food. We were also lucky to have an artist-in-residence join us.

He took one look at the blue napkins, stepped outside, and within minutes returned with tall vases filled with palm leaves.

And we all went… wow.

Such a simple, natural touch – yet instantly elegant.

But this was no ordinary artist. It was “Mr John” from Palazzo Design, who has created stunning pieces around the world – from fashion to antique carriages – even working on royal weddings in Dubai.

It reminded me that while food stylists create magic professionally… there’s an artist in all of us.

With a little creativity – and a walk outside – we can elevate even the simplest gathering into something special.

What’s one thing you would add to your table for maximum decorative impact?

25/03/2026

Need to dampen inflammation in your body? Ready to make food work harder for your health?

Join us in Sydney for a fun and informative evening on anti-inflammatory eating and discover how simple food choices can help calm chronic systemic inflammation - for you and your family. At this event Dr Sue Radd will explore what inflammation is, health problems fuelled by inflammation, anti- versus pro-inflammatory eating patterns, the central role of the gut microbiome, and why cooking methods matter too.

Across the evening, we’ll cook, taste and discuss plenty of delicious ideas you can easily repeat at home. After attending a previous cookshop, one attendee said “WOW, I'm diabetic and this will certainly really help me!”

You’ll learn which foods help dampen inflammation, which ones can fuel it, and how to prepare meals in ways that reduce the formation of pro-inflammatory chemicals. Expect practical take-home tips, vibrant flavours, and lots of tasting and discussion along the way.

Whether you come on your own, with a friend, or turn it into a date night and bring your partner, this is a wonderful chance to be inspired, learn something new, and enjoy a delicious evening out. People who have come to multiple cookshop events (on different topics) have consistently told us they’ve found this type of adult learning not only stimulating, but invaluable for their health. And everyone is welcome, including health professionals!

Delicious Anti-Inflammatory Eating: Fight Chronic Disease with Every Bite
21st April | 6–8 pm (Sydney)

Seats are limited, so don’t miss out. Call Susan on 02 9899 5208 to book your seat today.

23/03/2026

Inspiring the next generation of health professionals 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

I simply love lecturing to students. Last Friday was to our future Exercise Scientists and Exercise Physiologists at the University of Sydney, in the Susan Wakil Health Building.

We explored Food & Culture: Considerations for Practice in an immersive 2-hour session where students didn’t just learn - they experienced. From Mediterranean and Asian to African and Indigenous Australian food traditions, they were able to touch, smell and taste the foods that shape how people eat and live.

Because food is never just nutrients on a plate - it’s culture, identity and tradition.

Developing cultural awareness is essential for building trust in consultations and helping patients embrace healthier choices without losing the pride of their heritage.

We also touched on the powerful role of Lifestyle Medicine and the 6 pillars from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine - practical tools these future practitioners can use to support better long-term health outcomes in their patients. And students were encouraged to avail themselves of the Lifestyle Medicine overview course from the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

If we can equip students to integrate even simple, evidence-based nutrition advice into wholistic practice, the ripple effect on community health could be enormous.

It was so encouraging to see such engagement and curiosity in the room 🙌

22/03/2026

What do you contribute to community lunches? There’s something special about sharing food at potlucks, picnics or scout gatherings – simple dishes made with care, designed to nourish and bring people together.

You can’t go past a colourful Greek-style salad – fresh, vibrant and always a crowd favourite. This time, I also made a black-eyed bean salad inspired by my recipe in Food as Medicine: Cooking for Your Best Health, (p127), but with a twist: fresh organic basil from my garden 🌿 It adds a beautiful high note and lifts the whole dish. Black-eyed beans are not only yummy but quicker cooking (you don’t even have to soak them) and used in many countries ranging from Greece to Africa.

When catering for a crowd, I like to choose meals that travel well, look appetising, and satisfy. Glass or ceramic containers are my go-to, but when I need to dash, a simple disposable option has to do the job.

Good food doesn’t need to be complicated – just wholesome, colourful and made to share.

Address

Nutrition And Wellbeing Clinic @ Suite 10, 80 Cecil Avenue
Castle Hill, NSW
2154

Telephone

(02) 9899 5208

Website

http://www.nwbc.com.au/

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