To help encourage local residents to eat healthy and raise awareness for its Diabetes Prevention Program, Holy Cross Health will begin offering a free monthly cooking class. The virtual sessions will be hosted by Cathy Whitt, a diabetes prevention coach and community wellness specialist at Holy Cross.

“I want to make health and wellness personal and fun, so it makes adopting healthy habits an easy adjustment,” says Whitt. “Eating right is key to a healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to be a professional chef to enjoy cooking.”

The first class is scheduled for 12 p.m. May 4 via Zoom and interested participants can register here. The recipes will feature well-balanced meals capable of being cooked at home. Whitt will detail the ingredients used in each class to explain health benefits and cooking techniques with a Q&A after every session.

“These open sessions provide additional support for our diabetes prevention program and diabetes self-management education and support participants, as well as anyone in the community who is striving to live a healthier life,” says Samantha Willins, prevention specialist at Holy Cross Health. “Health and wellness are a priority in Cathy’s life, and she wants to share that passion with others.”

The free cooking classes are part of Holy Cross’ Diabetes Prevention Program, which helps people manage their diabetes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 88 million American adults deal with prediabetes with 84% of those people not knowing they have the condition.