Written by: Amy Mejias
On Saturday, March 2, at 8 p.m, the Lifestyle Medicine Club will host a “Chopped Challenge” in Hulsey Room 3135. This challenge will be based on the popular Food Network TV game show “Chopped,” where four chefs face off against each other by making a meal out of mystery items in their basket for the chance to win a cash prize.
The university expects approximately 80 people to attend the free event, according to Michael Scribner, senior allied health and pre-nutrition major, who is the Lifestyle Medicine Club president. “However, we hope everyone who wants to come is able to attend,” he added.
Scribner said the club wants the Chopped Challenge to inspire viewers to incorporate lifestyle medicine practices to improve their quality and length of life. The students’ vision for the event is based on the TV show, where chefs interact with the audience through a narrator and judges provide interesting feedback to help viewers understand the created dish without having to taste it themselves, Scribner said. He added that snacks will be available.
“We came up with this idea since an officer of our club had friends who put on this event at their former school,” Scribner said. “It was a big hit, so we thought we would try it out and put a healthier spin on the competition by using only plant-based whole foods.”
The Lifestyle Medicine Club’s mission is to provide information about lifestyle medicine and educate others on an evidence-based practice of helping individuals and families adopt and sustain healthy behaviors that positively affect health and quality of life.
“We have a great panel of judges with familiar faces to campus, including overt and covert chefs, professors and advisors,” said Julia Dinger, vice president of the Lifestyle Medicine Club and senior nursing major. “We are expecting some great feedback and maybe even some humor!”
Dinger said she first became interested in lifestyle medicine when she had a chronic illness as a teenager. She said she would visit doctors but would not receive an answer or solution to her symptoms.
Dinger continued, “When I came to Southern and started nursing, I found that I wanted to learn more about nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle medicine topics beyond what I was learning in nursing school. After talking with a few of my classmates and professors who also had some similar experiences and passions, we decided to create a lifestyle medicine club on campus.”
The Lifestyle Medicine Club formed at Southern in 2022, according to Scribner. The campus organization is associated with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, which is founded on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social connection and avoidance of risky substances.
“We have sponsored a plethora of events that involve volunteering at farms, enjoying nutritious meals while watching nutrition documentaries, club vespers and many more,” Scribner said.
To date, the club’s most popular event was a “Dinner With the Doctor” lecture featuring Gregory Steinke, a board-certified lifestyle medicine family doctor and published author who works for LifeMed Clinic in Chattanooga. In addition to Steinke’s lecture on the importance of the brain-gut connection, Scribner says the organizers provided a healthy meal for about 80 people who attended.
Dinger noted, “I have loved being part of this club for the past two and a half years! I will be graduating in May and moving on to the next chapter with a few other members of our leadership team, so we would love to mentor those interested in the leadership roles we have held.”
Those passionate about promoting health and wellness can contact the Lifestyle Medicine Club on Instagram at @sau_lifestylemed to join or to stay up-to-date on its upcoming events.
