Proof That Dreams Do Come True

One of my professors in college told us that it takes 20-30 years for new ideas to infiltrate all aspects of society and become accepted and ingrained. Witness the changes we've seen in civil rights, gay rights, women's rights, animal rights, etc.... The list is never ending.

Today I witnessed this in the food arena. What started as the "hippy dippy natural foods movement" in the sixties, has now, finally, worked its way into our most venerated and highly regarded institutions.

The Cleveland Clinic, perhaps one of the world's most prestigious cardiac care hospitals, has announced its kitchen has gone "green." Get ready for organic produce, healthy meals, reduction of dangerous chemicals used in cleaning and insect control, and real food/nutrition/wellness education in hospitals. This is an enormous "tipping point."

Thirty years ago I applied as a clinical dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic. I was offered the job but instead took a job at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital (the county hospital) to be the administrative dietitian in charge of the kitchen. Disguised as a registered dietitian (because really there was a health nut inside that white lab coat), I tried my best to introduce whole wheat flour or at least get them to use unbleached flour in all those sweets they baked everyday. I also rallied to get rid of trans fats (Crisco) that they used in baking those unnecessary goodies. In general I tried to clean up the food they served. I even told them to stop using the government issued peanut butter since it was made with trans fats. Simple changes. I am sure they thought I was "weird."

Being a clean freak, I tried to institute new cleaning techniques in the kitchen using good old fashioned elbow grease instead of relying on insecticides to kill the roaches that climbed the walls to eat the dough stuck there from when it spewed out of the giant bread mixers.

Most importantly I tried to institute nutrition/wellness education to take advantage of the powerful "medical moment," the moment when someone who has not taken care of themselves says, "Aha." Most of my attempts did not come to fruition at the time, but today I am patting myself on the back because I played a part in this metamorphosis.

From having worked at Canyon Ranch, I know the Cleveland Clinic has worked closely with the dietitians there over the years to begin to make these changes. I am really proud of the Cleveland Clinic. Having grown up in Cleveland, I feel like they have done me proud!

I dreamed of the day when hospitals would serve food that would sustain life and prevent disease...and it has finally arrived.

Hip, hip, hooray!