The Chef’s Rx: Nutrition’s Impact on Gut Health
Event Details:
Date / Time:
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 | 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Location:
Hislop Auditorium, Thurston Hall
Utica University
(Virtual attendance also available)
Admission is free
Description:
Join California Chef Kimber Dean and explore the vital role nutrition plays in gut health. Discover how nutrition directly influences overall wellness by learning the basics of your microbiome! We'll also explore the differences between prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, and their roles in supporting digestive function. Chef Kimber will also share how to assemble dietary strategies to support gut integrity as well as how to create simple, healing prepared meals. We're bridging clinical knowledge with chef-inspired meals, connecting culinary science to real-world application and everyday wellness!
What You’ll Learn:
- How the gut microbiome works and why it’s crucial for overall health.
- The science behind prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics—and how to include them in your diet.
- What leaky gut is, how it affects the body, and dietary strategies to heal it.
- How to create practical, gut-supportive meals that promote digestion and wellness.
Featured Speaker
Chef Kimber Dean
Chef Kimber Dean is a professionally trained chef, nutrition educator, and wellness speaker with over a decade of experience translating evidence-informed nutrition into practical, healing food strategies. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, she is certified in personal nutrition and yoga and is the founder of Happie Food LLC. Chef Kimber specializes in gut-supportive, plant-forward cooking and has worked alongside healthcare professionals to develop therapeutic meal plans addressing conditions such as PCOS, Hashimoto’s, menopause, and digestive disorders. Through her cookbooks, media work, and speaking engagements, she focuses on the role of the microbiome and whole-food preparation in restoring gut integrity and supporting overall health. Learn more at https://chefkimberdean.com/.
R.S.V.P.
Contact Us
Bethany A. VanBenschoten, M.S.
