John La Puma

Internist, professionally trained chef, author

What is John La Puma known for?

Born in the heart of New York City around 1960-1961, John La Puma turned out to be a remarkable alum of the San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California, eventually becoming a household name in the realms of medicine and culinary arts. His family relocated to Santa Barbara in 1967, paving the way for his diverse career path.

La Puma holds a B.A. in Creative Studies, Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MD from Baylor College of Medicine, earned in 1982. Later on, he marked a significant achievement in the medical field and founded the Lutheran General Center for Clinical Ethics after completing the first U.S. postgraduate fellowship for physicians in clinical ethics and general internal medicine at the University of Chicago. Besides his medical credentials, he is also a professionally trained chef, having graduated (in Professional Cooking) from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago.

Throughout his career, John La Puma has worn many hats, spanning from education to healthcare. He taught as a professor of nutrition at the prestigious Kendall College in Chicago, nurtured his love for cooking with renowned chef Rick Bayless, and founded the CHEF Clinic, a program focused on cooking, healthy eating, and fitness to prevent and treat obesity and promote wellness.

Moreover, his innovative health and media company, ChefMDR, and CHEF ClinicR, aims to bridge the gap between medicine and food. And if that doesn’t speak volumes about his dedication to wellness, he also created GlutenFreeQuiz, a screening tool for celiac disease, and a unique test to gauge if you need more nature in your life.

His literary contributions include numerous publications, book chapters, abstracts, and books. His first book for the public, "The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat" co-written with Dr. Michael Roizen, and his "ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine" both made it to The New York Times Bestseller List. His work has helped define and develop the field of culinary medicine, which combines the art of cooking with the science of medicine and is now taught in over 22 U.S. medical schools.

Beyond the world of medicine and food, La Puma is an advocate for the benefits of nature on our health. He has given TEDx and TEDMED talks on culinary medicine and recorded a mini docuseries on nature therapy for anxiety, addiction, and well-being. He also lectured at Harvard University on the scientific basis for nature as medicine.

La Puma not only writes and speaks about the importance of nature for well-being but he lives it. He runs an organic regenerative farm, exemplifying his belief in the preventive and therapeutic benefits of connecting with nature.

You can get to know more about him on his official website.