Plant-Based Nutrition Leadership Symposium

April 15-16 | Los Angeles
Made Possible by Wonderful Pistachios
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Speakers

Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH
Professor, Nutrition and Epidemiology
Loma Linda University
Sharon Palmer, MS, RD
Founder
The Plant-Powered Dietitian
Christopher Gardner, PhD
Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine
Stanford University
Kate Geagan, MS, RD
Founding Director
Kate Geagan Nutrition
Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD
President
Sass Consulting Services Inc.
Jack A. Gilbert, BSc, PhD
Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego
Julia Nordgren, MD
Pediatric Lipid Specialist, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Culinary Medicine Instructor, Stanford Medical School
Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN
Author, Chef, Writer, Recipe Developer
The Natural Culinary Nutritionist
Carolyn O'Neil
President
O'Neil Food & Nutrition Communications
Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD
Chief Nutrition Officer
Nutrinic Diabetes Prevention Program
Whitney English, MS, RDN, CPT
Co-founder
Plant-Based Juniors
Nyesha Arrington
Executive Chef
Native
Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Director, Nutrition Communications
The Wonderful Company

Schedule

  • 15 April
  • 16 April
07:30 AM
Registration

07:30 AM 09:00 AM Foyer

08:00 AM
Breakfast

08:00 AM 09:00 AM Gramercy Ballroom

09:00 AM
Mindful Moment

09:00 AM 09:10 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD

09:10 AM
Welcoming Remarks

09:10 AM 09:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Maggie Moon, MS, RD

09:30 AM
Protein Quality: Time to Update the Debate

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Christopher Gardner, PhD

10:30 AM
Second Breakfast

10:30 AM 11:00 AM Gramercy Ballroom

11:00 AM
Raising Plant-Based Kids

11:00 AM 12:00 PM The Great Room

Julia Nordgren, MD

12:00 PM
It's a Wonderful Lunch

12:00 PM 01:00 PM Gramercy Garden

01:15 PM
Sustainable Nutrition: How the Latest Science and Consumer Trends are Reshaping our Business Opportunity

01:15 PM 02:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Kate Geagan, MS, RD

02:30 PM
Plant-Based Snacking Culinary Workshop

02:30 PM 04:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN

04:45 PM
Day 1 Closing Remarks

04:45 PM 05:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

05:30 PM
Plant-Based Celebration

05:30 PM 07:30 PM OpenAire

08:00 AM
Breakfast

08:00 AM 09:00 AM Foyer

09:00 AM
Mindful Moment

09:00 AM 09:10 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD

09:10 AM
Welcoming Remarks

09:10 AM 09:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Maggie Moon, MS, RD

09:30 AM
Plant-Based Athletic Performance

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD

Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD

10:30 AM
Second Breakfast

10:30 AM 11:00 AM Gramercy Ballroom

11:00 AM
Trust Your Gut to Plants: The intersection of plant-based diets, human and environmental health

11:00 AM 12:00 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Jack A. Gilbert, BSc, PhD

12:00 PM
It's a Wonderful Lunch

12:00 PM 01:00 PM Gramercy Garden

01:15 PM
Plant-based Diets for Human and Planetary Health

01:15 PM 02:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH

02:30 PM
Adapting the Mediterranean Diet to the United States

02:30 PM 03:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD

03:45 PM
Trend Watch: Middle Eastern Cusine

03:45 PM 04:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN

04:45 PM
Closing Panel on Leading Change & Call to Action

04:45 PM 05:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Whitney English, MS, RDN, CPT

Kate Geagan, MS, RD

Carolyn O'Neil

Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH

05:30 PM
Closing Remarks

05:30 PM 05:45 PM

Maggie Moon, MS, RD

Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH

Professor, Nutrition and Epidemiology
Loma Linda University
Joan Sabaté MD, DrPH, is Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health where he directs the Center for Nutrition, Lifestyle and Disease Prevention. Originally from Spain, Dr. Sabaté is a board certified physician in Internal Medicine who moved to the U.S.A. to further train in Public Health Nutrition. He obtained a doctorate in Nutrition and a Fellowship in Nutritional Epidemiology.

Dr. Sabaté was the principal investigator of a nutrition intervention trial that directly linked the consumption of walnuts to significant reductions in serum cholesterol, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993. The Archives of Internal Medicine later published his findings of a pooled analysis of 25 intervention trials establishing the benefits of nut consumption on blood lipid levels and lowering the risk of heart disease. He has been the principal investigator of many clinical trials investigating the health effects of nuts and other plant foods.

He enjoys conducting research and disseminating the findings. He has authored more than 200 research articles in the scientific literature many of them in high-impact journals.He has an H-index of 54.

Dr. Sabaté is co-investigator of the Adventist Health Studies, prospective epidemiological studies relating dietary intake with health outcomes that have the largest cohort of vegetarians. He is editor of the reference book Vegetarian Nutrition published by CRC Press, and was the principal architect of the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid released in 1987 at the 3rd International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition and redesigned in 2008. He has been chair of the 4th, 5 th, 6th & 7TH International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, and edited the congress proceedings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

For the past 10 years, Dr. Sabaté has directed the Environmental Nutrition research program at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. This program focus on sustainable diets and explores the interrelationships between the environmental and health impacts of food choices, and ultimately seeks to improve the sustainability, health and equity of food systems.

16 April

Plant-based Diets for Human and Planetary Health

01:15 PM 02:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Closing Panel on Leading Change & Call to Action

04:45 PM 05:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD

Founder
The Plant-Powered Dietitian
Sharon has created an award-winning career based on combining her two great loves: nutrition and writing. Sharon is an accomplished writer, editor, blogger, author, speaker, and media expert. In particular, her expertise is in plant-based nutrition, cooking, and sustainability. Sharon has authored over 950 articles in a variety of publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Prevention, and LA Times.

Her book The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health, Beginning Today (The Experiment, July 2012) was a critical success, which was followed by her second book Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes in July 2014. In addition, she has contributed to several book chapters on nutrition and sustainability.

Sharon serves as the nutrition editor for Today’s Dietitian, provides her expertise to many publications and organizations on an advisory basis, and speaks widely at conferences and in the media. And she still has time to blog every day for her popular online community (45,000+ members strong) at The Plant- Powered Dietitian. Sharon is a judge for the prestigious James Beard Journalism Awards, and is currently attending graduate school at Green Mountain College in Vermont in order to obtain a Master Degree in Sustainable Food Systems. Living in the chaparral hills overlooking Los Angeles with her husband and two sons, Sharon enjoys tending to her own organic garden, visiting the local farmers market every week, and cooking for friends and family.

15 April

Mindful Moment

09:00 AM 09:10 AM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Mindful Moment

09:00 AM 09:10 AM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Adapting the Mediterranean Diet to the United States

02:30 PM 03:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Christopher Gardner, PhD

Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine
Stanford University
Christopher Gardner holds a PhD in Nutrition Science and is the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford. For the past 25 years his research has examined the potential health benefits of dietary components such as soy, garlic, antioxidants, ginkgo, omega-3 fats, vegetarian diets, and weight loss diets in the general population.

He has completed more than a dozen randomized human trials, involving more than 2,000 study participants. The most current continuation of this work includes an NIH funded weight loss trial among 609 overweight and obese adults that examined insulin resistance, genotype and microbiota as potential predictors of differential weight loss on different diets (DIETFITS - JAMA 2018).

Recently his nutrition interests have expanded to two new areas. The first is to explore motivators other than health for making positive dietary changes, linking to ongoing social movements around animal welfare, climate change, social justice, and their relationships to food - stealth health. The second is to focus on a food systems approach to dietary improvements that addresses the quality of food provided by schools, worksites, senior centers, hospitals, food banks and other institutional food settings, and considers a range of stakeholders including farmers, marketers, parents, chefs, dining operators, CEO’s and consumers.

He is one of the founders of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, where he served as the Chair of Research for the first 3 years. His most recent publication (Nutrition Reviews, 2019) is an overview of protein production and consumption in the U.S. titled “Maximizing the Intersection of Human Health and the Health of the Environment Regarding the Amount and Type of Protein Produced and Consumed in the US”.

15 April

Protein Quality: Time to Update the Debate

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Kate Geagan, MS, RD

Founding Director
Kate Geagan Nutrition
Kate is an award-winning nutrition pioneer who has helped millions of eaters fall in love with foods that create a healthier body and a better world. Kate is the author of Go Green, Get Lean: Trim Your Waistline with the Ultimate Low Carbon Footprint Diet (Rodale) and a columnist for Clean Eating Magazine. She’s also the creator of the Go Clean 45 Health and Happiness Transformation (AIM Media).

Passionate about connecting big ideas with consumers for impact, Kate is an international speaker and advisor to forward-thinking companies, investors and organizations who are transforming our food system to be healthier and more resilient. Using a proven blend of science and story, Kate helps food leaders build breakthrough brands at the intersection of health and sustainability.

In 2013 Kate was named “One of the Top 10 RDs Making a Difference in the US” by Today’s Dietitian Magazine. A seasoned media expert with over 1,2000 interviews in digital, print and television platforms, Kate has appeared over 20 times on the Emmy Award Winning The Dr. Oz Show, as well as Katie, Access Hollywood and more. She has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, The Guardian, O magazine, Time and other leading global outlets on sustainable food issues. She formerly served as a Medical Advisory Board Member and blogger for The Dr. Oz Show, and From 2008-20011 she was the Nutrition Contributor for Pregnancy Magazine.

15 April

Sustainable Nutrition: How the Latest Science and Consumer Trends are Reshaping our Business Opportunity

01:15 PM 02:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Closing Panel on Leading Change & Call to Action

04:45 PM 05:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD

President
Sass Consulting Services Inc.
Cynthia Sass is a three time New York Times best selling author, writer, and practitioner, with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health. One of the first registered dietitians to become a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, she has consulted for five professional sports teams in the NBA, NHL, and MLB. In her private practice Sass counsels a wide range of clients. She has worked with Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy winners, professional athletes in numerous sports, Fortune 500 CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and many other high performance people. She is also the nutrition consultant for UCLA’s executive health program.

Sass is currently the contributing nutrition editor at both Health magazine and Athletes Quarterly, and blogs weekly for Health.com. She has appeared on numerous national TV shows, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, The Martha Stewart Show, The Dr. Oz. Show, The Biggest Loser, Nightline, and many others.

In addition to her science background, Sass is trained in plant-based, organic culinary arts and mindfulness meditation. She specializes in high performance nutrition and plant based eating. Sass splits her time between Los Angeles and New York City, with her husband Jack and their kitty Bean.

16 April

Plant-Based Athletic Performance

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Jack A. Gilbert, BSc, PhD

Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego
Professor Jack A Gilbert earned his Ph.D. from Unilever and Nottingham University, UK in 2002, and received his postdoctoral training at Queens University, Canada. From 2005-2010 he was a senior scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK; and from 2010-2018 he was a Professor of Surgery and Director of The Microbiome Center at University of Chicago.

In 2019 he moved to University of California San Diego, where he is a Professor in Pediatrics and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He is also Group Leader for Microbial Ecology at Argonne National Laboratory, and the Yeoh Ghim Seng Visiting Professorship in Surgery at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Gilbert uses molecular analysis to test fundamental hypotheses in microbial ecology. He cofounded the Earth Microbiome Project and American Gut Project.

He has authored more than 250 peer reviewed publications and book chapters on microbial ecology. He is the founding Editor in Chief of mSystems journal. In 2014 he was recognized on Crain’s Business Chicago’s 40 Under 40 List, and in 2015 he was listed as one of the 50 most influential scientists by Business Insider, and in the Brilliant Ten by Popular Scientist. In 2016 he won the Altemeier Prize from the Surgical Infection Society, and the WH Pierce Prize from the Society for Applied Microbiology for research excellence. He also co-authored “Dirt is Good” published in 2017, a popular science guide to the microbiome and children’s health.

16 April

Trust Your Gut to Plants: The intersection of plant-based diets, human and environmental health

11:00 AM 12:00 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Julia Nordgren, MD

Pediatric Lipid Specialist, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Culinary Medicine Instructor, Stanford Medical School
Dr. Julia Nordgren is a physician, an expert in childhood obesity and cholesterol disorders, and a trained chef. She received her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School in 1999. She is a board-certified pediatrician, and a specialist in dyslipidemias, weight management, and heart disease prevention.She is an active member of the National Lipid Association’s Pediatric Practice Management Committee, which strives to prevent heart disease through early lifestyle interventions.

Dr. Nordgren is also a trained chef, having graduated from the Culinary Institute of America’s Accelerated Culinary Arts Program with honors in 2013.She is a co-instructor for Stanford Medical School’s innovative Teaching Kitchen Elective, which bridges the gap between medical science and culinary arts. This course promotes enhanced self-care through healthy eating habits, as well as developing needed skills to be effective at lifestyle and dietary counseling.

Dr. Nordgren’s clinical practice is at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, where she sees children of all ages with cholesterol issues, prediabetes, or weight concerns. She is a passionate advocate of lifestyle medicine, which helps patients succeed through nutritious, delicious eating.

Dr. Nordgren teaches hands-on culinary medicine classes through her organization’s Physician Wellness committee. She is passionate about helping people discover the joy of making a soup, seasoning a salad, or confidently chopping an onion for the first time. She is the author of a cookbook, “The New Family Table,” a collection of recipes, techniques, and stories about making healthy family eating a reality.

You can follow her adventures on Instagram, @drjuliacooks.

15 April

Raising Plant-Based Kids

11:00 AM 12:00 PM The Great Room

Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN

Author, Chef, Writer, Recipe Developer
The Natural Culinary Nutritionist
Chef and Nutritionist Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, sure has come a long way since her earliest childhood creation of bologna-potato chip canapés. She’s a New York City-based classically-trained chef, registered dietitian nutritionist, award-winning cookbook author, professional recipe developer, and media personality. She’s passionate about plant-forward cuisine. And she’s a lifelong fan of flavorful food.

Jackie’s newest book, The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook–2nd edition, (American Diabetes Association, October 2015) was awarded a Silver Nautilus Book Award 2015! The first edition of the book was also award-winning, receiving the “Best Health and Nutrition Book in the World” by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2007. She’s author of The With or Without Meat Cookbook (American Diabetes Association, 2014) which won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2014 for “Best Health and Nutrition Book–Institutions (USA).” Additionally, Jackie is author of the media-acclaimed Big Green Cookbook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and 1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Jackie is currently working on a new cookbook. Details coming soon!

Be on the lookout, Jackie can be spotted as a culinary nutrition expert on television. Past appearances have included The Dr. Oz Show, ABC’s Good Morning America and World News Now, NBC’s Later Today and Dateline, Food Network’s Follow that Food, and The Daily Buzz. She was a repeat guest on Planet Green’s Emeril Green and Martha Stewart Living Sirius Satellite Radio’s Whole Living. Additionally, Jackie can be seen as host of healthy cooking videos. Jackie is a regular contributing food writer to Livestrong.com. Her food articles, menus, and recipe features have also been regularly seen in national publications, including Rachael Ray Every Day. In addition to her own blog, she is an official Meatless Monday blogger. As a culinary specialist, Jackie is frequently quoted in major national print and online media and has been a columnist for top magazines, including Fitness’ “Healthy in a Hurry,” Woman’s World’s “Diet Club,” and Glamour’s “Eat More”.

Jackie is a chef instructor with the recreational division of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City where she has been teaching hands-on cooking classes for 20 years. Her popular courses include Superfoods, Cooking for Fitness, and Luscious & Lean Vegetarian. Jackie collaborates on popular consumer books as a highly-experienced and versatile recipe developer and tester. She has worked as a freelance recipe developer at Food Network. Plus, Jackie is a plant-based private cooking instructor.

She’s often invited to speak and provide culinary demonstrations at consumer events and professional meetings, including the International Association of Culinary Professional’s Annual International Conference, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, and Go Green Expo. As a food media spokesperson, Jackie can be seen throughout the country via satellite media tours. Jackie is a former national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Jackie received her B.S. in Allied Health Professions from The Ohio State University and Certificate in Professional Cooking from Kendall College. She resides in Brooklyn, New York.

15 April

Plant-Based Snacking Culinary Workshop

02:30 PM 04:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Trend Watch: Middle Eastern Cusine

03:45 PM 04:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Carolyn O'Neil

President
O'Neil Food & Nutrition Communications
Award winning food journalist, blogger, author, nutrition communications consultant, nutrition science consultant, television personality and registered dietitian nutritionist, Carolyn O'Neil MS RDN LD, believes “The More You Know, The More You Can Eat"!

Carolyn is the author of Southern Living’s best selling The Slim Down South Cookbook: Eating Well and Living Healthy in the Land of Biscuits and Bacon and co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous winner “Best Health and Nutrition Book” at the World Food Media awards. Carolyn writes food, nutrition, travel and healthy lifestyle features for numerous publications including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WebMD Magazine, Modern Luxury Magazines, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, VIE Magazine and Best Self Magazine. Her blog, www.TheHappyHealthyKitchen.com, is “good for people and the planet”.

A multi-award winning television journalist, Carolyn is seen regularly on NBC Atlanta & Company with food and nutrition focused cooking segments. She can also be seen as “The Lady of the Refrigerator” nutrition expert on Alton Brown’s Good Eats TV on Food Network wearing a tiara and ice blue ball gown.Carolyn has worked with multiple brands on nutrition projects including ALDI, Nestle, Chobani, Quaker, Sunsweet, US Pecans, Florida Department of Citrus, POM Wonderful, National Rice Council and HBF (Hojeij Branded Foods).

Carolyn has earned two James Beard Foundation Awards for excellence in food journalism and was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who’s Who in Food & Beverage in America. She has been honored by the National Restaurant Association, the American Heart Association, the American Society for Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for her pioneering work in nutrition communications.

Carolyn was executive producer, correspondent and anchor at CNN for nearly 20 years, launching and leading the network’s coverage of food and nutrition. Her master’s degree in Nutrition is from Boston University and undergraduate degree in Foods and Nutrition is from Florida State University. Carolyn lives in Atlanta.

16 April

Closing Panel on Leading Change & Call to Action

04:45 PM 05:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD

Chief Nutrition Officer
Nutrinic Diabetes Prevention Program
Matt Ruscigno (roo-CIG-no) has a wide range of experience including cooking and gardening with low-income students in Los Angeles, teaching community college, and running a diabetes-prevention program that utilizes plant-based nutrition to reduce disease risk.

Matt’s books include co-authorships of No Meat Athlete with Matt Frazier and Appetite for Reduction with Isa Moskowitz. He is the lead author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller, Superfoods for Life, Cacao and a co-author of the upcoming Plant-based Sports Nutrition with Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD.

An avid traveler, Matt has bike toured over 12,000 miles in his lifetime including through Alaska, Montana, Mexico, Belize, and across the United States, twice.

16 April

Plant-Based Athletic Performance

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Whitney English, MS, RDN, CPT

Co-founder
Plant-Based Juniors
Whitney English Tabaie MS, RDN, CPT is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer. Whitney holds a Master's Degree in Nutrition, Healthspan, and Longevity from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Through her website, Whitney E. RD, social media channels, and YouTube channel, she works to dispel nutrition myths and provide the public with evidence-based information and answers to common nutrition questions.

Whitney is also the co-creator of Plant-Based Juniors (PBJs), a community for parents and educators interested in properly implementing plant-based diets for children. PBJs works to fill the gap in credible pediatric nutrition information for plant-based infants and children. PBJs recently released their first ebook, "First Bites," which guides parents in guiding their infants through baby-led weaning on a predominantly plant-based diet.

Whitney has been featured on outlets like Good Day LA, Bon Appetit, People, Today's Dietitian, Buzzfeed, Huff Post, Men's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and furry pup, Mr. Chow.

16 April

Closing Panel on Leading Change & Call to Action

04:45 PM 05:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Nyesha Arrington

Executive Chef
Native
Chef Nyesha J. Arrington has been in love with the kitchen since age five, cooking alongside her Grandmother. Born in Southern California, Arrington was introduced early to diverse foods such as bulgogi, octopus, and homemade kimchi at a young age. These first stages of culinary experiences definitively shaped Arrington's palate development and her ideas about cooking. By integrating flavors and techniques from around the world, Arrington is able to create a global style that is both personal and unparalleled.

A graduate of the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles, Arrington has been praised by Joel Robuchon; legendary French Chef, Brad Johnson; restaurant critic of Angeleno, renowned Chefs Raphael Lunetta and Josiah Citrin of Santa Monica, CA, and the late Jonathan Gold putting both of her restaurants in the “Best 101 of Los Angeles”.

Arrington is celebrated for her advocacy of using farm fresh, locally, and responsibly sourced ingredients and has been featured on the Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine, GQ, Cooking Channel, Essence Magazine, Life and Thyme, and Eater LA for her accomplishments in the culinary industry and has partnered with Facebook, Tastemade, Nike, PBS, and many more. Additionally, Arrington has headlined Austin Food & Wine, Los Angeles Food Bowl, Disney California Adventure® Food & Wine Festival, and most recently was featured on the Cover of The Rachael Ray Everyday (March 2019) and Delta Airlines’ Sky Magazine (May 2018).

Her greatest enthusiasm will always be cooking food for others that “hug their soul.” Arrington continues to innovate by drawing inspiration from her diverse cultural background and French-technique while maintaining her mission to spread the message of love through food using every plate as a new canvas of creation.

Maggie Moon, MS, RD

Director, Nutrition Communications
The Wonderful Company
In her current role, Maggie Moon, MS, RD, leads domestic nutrition communications programs on behalf of healthy produce brands POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, and Wonderful Halos.

Ms. Moon is a Columbia University-educated dietitian with culinary school training whose north star is the practical application of sound science. She is the lead author of the Medical Nutrition Therapy for Neurologic Disorders chapter in the 15th edition of Krause’s Food and Nutrition Care Process (Elsevier, 2019), and the best-selling author of The MIND Diet (Ulysses Press, 2016). Her nutrition work has taken her across America and around the world: from NYC public schools to U.S. commodity boards, from supermarket sustainable seafood programs to securing retailer engagement in the National Salt Reduction Initiative (in partnership with NYC DOH-MH), and more.

Ms. Moon’s unique career has been profiled in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ book, Launching Your Dietetics Career (Eat Right Press, 2011, 2016) and DiversifyDietetics.org, an online community founded by dietitians Deanna Belleny and Tamara Melton to attract, encourage and empower students and young professionals from underrepresented minority groups to join the next generation of nutrition experts.

She completed her clinical training at New York Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, and holds a master of science degree in Nutrition and Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, with a bachelor of arts degree in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley. Her culinary school training is from The New School of Cooking in Los Angeles, CA. After a decade in New York City, she and her husband now live in Los Angeles where they strive to spend more time eating amazing produce than sitting in traffic.

15 April

Welcoming Remarks

09:10 AM 09:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Welcoming Remarks

09:10 AM 09:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

16 April

Closing Remarks

05:30 PM 05:45 PM

Registration

07:30 AM 09:00 AM Foyer

Breakfast

08:00 AM 09:00 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Mindful Moment

09:00 AM 09:10 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Speakers

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD
Founder
The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Welcoming Remarks

09:10 AM 09:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Speakers

Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Director, Nutrition Communications
The Wonderful Company

Protein Quality: Time to Update the Debate

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

The amount of total protein most Americans eat is well beyond their daily requirement. Unlike dietary fat or carbohydrate, which both have storage depots in the human body, there is no mechanism for storing dietary protein consumed in excess of functional need, and therefore daily excesses of protein intake are converted to carbohydrate and fat. Reductions in the consumption of animal food protein and shifts toward increases in the consumption of plant food protein are consistent with improvements in human health, particularly in the areas of prevention and treatment of chronic, noncommunicable, diseases. The quality of plant-based protein is higher than many Americans realize. Reducing total protein consumption and shifting a substantial proportion of animal food protein to plant food protein would be consistent with growing public health recommendations to move to a more plant-based diet, while simultaneously contributing to substantial climate change mitigation and savings in agricultural water usage. Reductions in animal food protein intake would have the added benefit of freeing up farmland now dedicated to corn and soybean production for livestock feed to produce more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Guidelines for optimal protein intake in the United States should consider human health, the availability of food sources of protein, and the effects of raising and growing those protein food sources on environmental sustainability. It should be less than the total protein currently consumed in the United States and should involve a shift toward consumption of a greater proportion of plant protein.

Speakers

Christopher Gardner, PhD
Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine
Stanford University

Second Breakfast

10:30 AM 11:00 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Raising Plant-Based Kids

11:00 AM 12:00 PM The Great Room

In this session, participants will learn about the neurobiology of taste development, the importance of early exposure to positive food experiences, and how these experiences are shaped by context and family responses. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the societal challenges to eating more plant-based foods that promote good health. We will discuss common barriers to eating plant-based foods, and how to implement sustainable and realistic strategies for healthy eating that includes more plant foods.

Speakers

Julia Nordgren, MD
Pediatric Lipid Specialist, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Culinary Medicine Instructor, Stanford Medical School

It's a Wonderful Lunch

12:00 PM 01:00 PM Gramercy Garden

Sustainable Nutrition: How the Latest Science and Consumer Trends are Reshaping our Business Opportunity

01:15 PM 02:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Sustainability has cracked the health and wellness conversation wide open across all touchpoints of the food system. No matter where you focus in your business, understanding these forces that are driving rapid change in our profession (and in the marketplace) is crucial to remaining relevant. This session will present a snapshot of the latest science and frameworks around sustainable diets (including the newly released EAT Lancet report), explore how consumer trends are driving significant changes in the marketplace, share insights as to how these shift are creating fresh business opportunities for health professionals, and offer specific suggestions as to how attendees can incorporate sustainability into their work.

Speakers

Kate Geagan, MS, RD
Founding Director
Kate Geagan Nutrition

Plant-Based Snacking Culinary Workshop

02:30 PM 04:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Professionally-trained chef and registered dietitian nutritionist, Jackie Newgent, will guide you in a hands-on culinary activity focused on plant-based snacks. 

Speakers

Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN
Author, Chef, Writer, Recipe Developer
The Natural Culinary Nutritionist

Day 1 Closing Remarks

04:45 PM 05:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Plant-Based Celebration

05:30 PM 07:30 PM OpenAire

Breakfast

08:00 AM 09:00 AM Foyer

Mindful Moment

09:00 AM 09:10 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Speakers

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD
Founder
The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Welcoming Remarks

09:10 AM 09:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Speakers

Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Director, Nutrition Communications
The Wonderful Company

Plant-Based Athletic Performance

09:30 AM 10:30 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Athletes are turning to plant foods in increased numbers, but can they thrive without animal products? This talk will discuss nutrient needs and sources, with a focus on protein and iron, as well as the impact physical activity and plant-based diets have on bone health.

This session will cover the rationale some athletes use to choose plant foods over other options, and potentially problematic nutrients and their plant-based sources. Learn to successfully work with athletes by providing practical tips on how to prepare nutritionally adequate plant-based snacks and meals, and be able to identify the potential benefits plant foods have for athletes, including the correlation between bone health and physical activity.

Speakers

Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD
Chief Nutrition Officer
Nutrinic Diabetes Prevention Program
Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD
President
Sass Consulting Services Inc.

Second Breakfast

10:30 AM 11:00 AM Gramercy Ballroom

Trust Your Gut to Plants: The intersection of plant-based diets, human and environmental health

11:00 AM 12:00 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Understanding the microbial ecosystem dynamics of our planet is central to our role as custodians of the planet. The Earth Microbiome Project aimed to characterize the microbial diversity of the diverse ecosystems across our world, which we have used to model the ecosystem dynamics of these environments. Integrating these models with agricultural policy provides a framework on which to determine how climate change and shifting policy will influence the microbial metabolic dynamics, which will affect our ability to modulate system scale outcomes. The human microbiome is quickly being recognized as a dynamic part of the human ecosystem, and research is starting to demonstrate that using ecology to understand this ecosystem has profound benefits for patient wellness. The immune system controls our interaction with the microbial world, and yet the microbial communities in our bodies are central to modulating the immune response. Changes in the human microbiome have substantial influence on atopy, neurological disorders, metabolic disorders, and a range of complex conditions and disease states. We will discuss evidence of these mechanisms of interaction and how we have started to disturb the delicate balance of the immune-microbe equilibrium, impacting the development and function of our immune systems. Central to this disturbance is the distance we have placed between our children and the microbial world, which has been demonstrated to have a substantial influence on their physiological, immunological, neurological and even endocrinological development. Applying new strategies to identify how the microbial ecosystem correlates with diseases states and treatment efficacy through Microbiome-Wide Association Studies (MWAS) is altering the trajectory of precision medicine, and providing a new framework for facilitating patient care.

Speakers

Jack A. Gilbert, BSc, PhD
Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego

It's a Wonderful Lunch

12:00 PM 01:00 PM Gramercy Garden

Plant-based Diets for Human and Planetary Health

01:15 PM 02:15 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Consumption of plant foods and plant-based dietary patterns have been associated with lower risk for obesity, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and some cancers. These benefits translate to a healthier and longer life. We will present evidence on the benefits of plant-based diets with results from the Adventist Health Studies and other epidemiological investigations where thousands of individuals with a variety of food patters have been followed up for many years. In general, the production of plant foods requires the use of less natural resources and is less taxing on the natural environment in comparison to the production of animal derived foods. Thus, in addition to their health benefits, the consumption of plant-based diets is more environmentally sustainable than the consumption of animal-based diets. The global adoption of plant-based diets will simultaneously optimize the food supply, human health and environmental outcomes.

Speakers

Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH
Professor, Nutrition and Epidemiology
Loma Linda University

Adapting the Mediterranean Diet to the United States

02:30 PM 03:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

The Mediterranean Diet is more than just a "diet". It is an eating pattern in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, which evolved out of a fascinating history that dates back to the beginning of civilization, with multiple historical, cultural, religious, and agricultural influences that inspired this diverse eating style. Hundreds of studies have documented numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer; brain protection, and improved arthritis symptoms. Even the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize the health benefits of eating the Mediterranean Diet. However, applying this diet to average Western eating patterns can be challenging. By focusing on strategies, including story-telling, food swaps, cooking tips, recipes, and local, seasonal, plant-based eating, dietitians can help inspire the public to embrace this eating style.

Speakers

Sharon Palmer, MS, RD
Founder
The Plant-Powered Dietitian

Trend Watch: Middle Eastern Cusine

03:45 PM 04:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

Classically-trained chef and registered dietitian nutritionist, Jackie Newgent, will present a culinary demonstration discussing Lebanese cuisine and showcasing Lebanese-inspired, snack-focused, plant-based recipes.

Speakers

Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN
Author, Chef, Writer, Recipe Developer
The Natural Culinary Nutritionist

Closing Panel on Leading Change & Call to Action

04:45 PM 05:30 PM Gramercy Ballroom

This panel of experts including two registered dietitian nutritionists (Whitney English, MS RDN, CPT, Kate Geagan MS RDN), a leading researcher in plant-based nutrition as well as a member of the 2020 US Dietary Guidelines Committee (Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH) and a professional chef and restaurant owner (Nyesha Arrington) will join moderator Carolyn O'Neil MS, RDN to identify ways that nutrition professionals can take the lead to promote plant-based nutrition. Barriers to promoting plant-based food production and consumption will be discussed with suggested solutions and a call to action for nutrition professionals working in diverse fields from healthcare and media to retail and restaurants.

Speakers

Whitney English, MS, RDN, CPT
Co-founder
Plant-Based Juniors
Kate Geagan, MS, RD
Founding Director
Kate Geagan Nutrition
Carolyn O'Neil
President
O'Neil Food & Nutrition Communications
Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH
Professor, Nutrition and Epidemiology
Loma Linda University

Closing Remarks

05:30 PM 05:45 PM

Speakers

Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Director, Nutrition Communications
The Wonderful Company