A sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits can lead to a host of health problems. This comes as no surprise to anyone, particularly doctors and other medical professionals. But knowing that patients should lead a healthy lifestyle and knowing exactly what entails a healthy lifestyle are two different things.

A friend of mine is an OB/GYN and she recently attended the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. The conference is interactive -- the medical professionals who attend have a hands-on experience of tasting and preparing nutritious meals. The conference had a great impact on my friend. She learned so much about nutrition, eating healthfully, and preparing healthful and delicious meals. Not only are the things she learned going to benefit her own family, her new knowledge is going to benefit her patients as well.

My friend is already health-conscious. She's a runner and she pays attention to what she eats. But this conference fired something new in her ... passion for healthful cooking. When she talks to expectant mothers and other patients about eating healthfully, that new-found passion will come out. And while a dry recommendation to a patient to live a healthier lifestyle may not have much effect, a passionate sharing of information and knowledge will.