COMFORT FOOD: Shelley & Arash in first-ever cooking healthy meals collaboration on Feb. 25
Arash and Shelley
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Shelley Wood, and Chef in a Wheelchair, Arash Bayatmakou, are collaborating on Thurs., Feb. 25th at 5 p.m. PST by hosting a live virtual presentation that brings the education and research behind food into reality of a kitchen where you can learn and enjoy preparing nutritious and tasty meals from your wheelchair. Given that it’s winter, they have chosen “Comfort Food” as the theme for their first-ever collaboration which is part of our “NorCal SCI Presents: Virtual is the New Reality Series”. You may register for this presentation HERE.
While Arash will prepare a Risotto as a main dish along with a hearty winter soup, Shelley will share the nutritional values of the ingredients used in both recipes which will have a seasonal aspect to them. The recipes will be simple, easy and quick to make as part of Arash’s approach to cooking. And you can also count on Shelley to share how you can substitute ingredients, if necessary, while meeting the dietary needs of your body following a spinal cord injury.
This presentation is funded through a grant by the Reeve Foundation and you must register in advance to attend. Once you register, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail from us which you should keep for access information to the virtual event.
Shelley is a lifelong advocate of nutrition. When she isn’t working with her patients, she can be found in her greenhouse or kitchen. She obtained her B.S. in Nutritional Science from San Jose State University in 2012 and has been working at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, one of the top spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospitals in the country, since 2013. She currently works in the outpatient clinic of the hospital seeing primarily those with SCI and also spends time working with complex GI issues in the outpatient gastroenterology clinic.
Arash experienced his SCI in 2012 as a result of a fall. He has given numerous talks and shared his story of perseverance, recovery, and challenging limits to audiences large and small, including his TEDx talk. A Bay Area native, Arash credits his California upbringing for his love of the outdoors, nature, and cooking, activities he still cherishes as he continues to travel, explore and enjoy new experiences. He also serves on NorCal SCI’s Board of Directors.