Nearly 200 wellness enthusiasts gathered at Keuka College over the weekend of July 12-14 for presentations, activities, entertainment, and healthy meals, all centered around a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.
Farm animal rescue pioneer Gene Bauer is flanked by Keuka College President Amy Storey, left, and National Health Association Executive Director Wanda Huberman at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, N.Y. A tour of the sanctuary was part of the Wellness Weekend lineup.
The inaugural edition of Wellness Weekend at the Lake saw participants eat, laugh, learn, exercise, hike, and make friends.
“The atmosphere is great,” said Elena Escobar, who drove up for the event from Queens, N.Y., with her husband, Roberto, and the couple’s 18-month-old daughter, Winry. “Being vegan, we don’t have vegan friends who are into this type of lifestyle. So coming here, it’s like, ‘Wow! We’re here with like-minded people.’”
‘Reversible Diseases'
Through a series of presentations from among the most esteemed voices in the whole food, plant-based movement, attendees heard a consistent message: A diet free of meat, salt, oil, and sugar can prevent and halt many common diseases that are too often treated exclusively with medications.
“These are reversible diseases,” declared nutrition expert and college lecturer Dr. Michael Klaper, pointing to a list that included obesity, clogged arteries, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other frequently diagnosed ailments. “And a plant-based diet is the key to this reversal. I want to reach the students with this message before ‘pharmaco-sclerosis’ sets into their brains.”
Along with the presentations, the weekend included cooking demonstrations, outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking, panel discussions, and a screening of the influential documentary “Forks Over Knives.” But the presentations, delivered by some of the nation’s leaders in clinical nutrition and advocacy, highlighted the weekend, which was organized through a partnership between Keuka College and the National Health Association.
New York Times bestselling author and nutrition expert Dr. Michael Greger gave a presentation based on his most recent book, "How Not to Age."
The sessions provided instruction and inspiration, both for those taking their first steps toward a whole food, plant-based lifestyle and those further along the path.
“I’m a health teacher and a health nerd,” said Becky Burke, a high school health teacher from Dundee, N.Y., who added that the weekend provided professional as well as personal development opportunities. “I would like to make some personal changes and maybe find some strategies for my children, too, and I feel reinvigorated to make some of those changes.”
Also making changes was the College’s culinary staff, which became an all-vegan operation for the weekend, creating an entire whole food, plant-based menu that earned high marks from diners.
“It was amazing,” raved Jody Tyler of Branchport following Saturday’s lunch. “From the mango chutney to the vegan burger – it was delicious!”
Varied Voices
The weekend’s lineup of speakers likewise garnered praise. Notable presenters, along with Dr. Klaper, included New York Times bestselling author Dr. Michael Greger and Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a pioneer in the study of the association between diet and health who has endured considerable blowback from pharmaceutical interests over his 60-plus-year career.
“We are in the presence of somebody who is not only brilliant but brave,” Keuka College President Amy Storey said in thanking Dr. Campbell following his remarks.
Citing numerous studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of a whole food, plant-based diet in suppressing various diseases, the 90-year-old physician and researcher said the nation’s public health woes stem from the fact that, “We are a drug culture, not a food culture.”
Presentations were also delivered by Rochester, N.Y.-based physicians Dr. Kerry Graff and Dr. Ted Barnett; Tim Kaufman of the popular platform FatMan Rants; Gene Bauer, a farm animal rescue pioneer who also hosted a field trip to the Farm Sanctuary he co-founded in Watkins Glen, N.Y.; and popular YouTube host Chef AJ.
Author and popular YouTube host Chef AJ filled the College's Geiser Dining Commons for a pair of cooking demonstrations, one on savory foods, the other on sweets. Assisting, at left, was Keuka College Events Operations Manager Michael Piccone, a former chef himself.
Self-proclaimed sweet-a-holic Bob Owens of Henrietta, N.Y., paid $40 for an auctioned-off peanut butter parfait made personally by Chef AJ.
“It was delicious,” said Bob, who gave up all sugar four years ago and saw his cholesterol go down.
Chef AJ presented two live cooking demonstrations – a savory version on Saturday and a sweet session on Sunday. Her rapid-fire delivery, wide-ranging knowledge, and occasionally borderline-bawdy humor kept the audience on its toes. So did her penchant for tossing samples of her culinary handiwork into the crowd.
“She has a good arm,” noted Wendy Caffee of Marion, N.Y.
She also had a good sidekick. Assisting Chef AJ was Keuka College Events Operations Manager Michael Piccone, a former professional chef who holds a culinary arts degree.
“I literally had no idea what Chef AJ was going to say,” Michael said of the unrehearsed presentations. “One moment we are discussing the versatility of dates as an ingredient and the next she's asking me about my ‘dating’ preferences. It was 100% off the cuff.”
Next Steps
Wellness Weekend was not only a celebration of Keuka College’s commitment to holistic well-being but also a significant step in the College’s establishment of its Keuka Wellness Institute. The initiative would see the College continue to build on its academic programs, location, and resources to create a model for providing healthcare – and healthcare education – for the entire region.
The College used Wellness Weekend to christen its new hiking trail off of Assembly Avenue, near the site of a one-time College-affiliated outdoor amphitheater that drew crowds in the late 1800s.
“We recognize that true wellness encompasses our entire community,” President Storey told attendees. “Through strategic partnerships with local organizations and stakeholders, we aim to create a network of support that extends far beyond our campus."
Wellness Weekend participants certainly extended far beyond campus. Attendees flew in from as far away as Florida and California to be part of the three-day gathering.
“All the lectures were wonderful and the setting is gorgeous,” said Randi Carroll of Greenville, Ohio, who was making her first visit to the Finger Lakes. “We’re thinking of coming again next year.”
Keuka College will be ready. Wellness Weekend 2025 is scheduled for July 11-13.
