The Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) hosted on November 9, 2017, Registered Dietitian, specialized in diabetes and weight-loss management, Ayla Coussa who delivered a lecture under the title of “Counseling and Meal Planning Have Never Been More Practical.” As a committed advocate of public well-being, Coussa is the author of the Arabic version of “Just the Basics: Tips for Healthy Eating” published by the Canadian Diabetes Association. Her latest achievement is the trilingual book on healthy eating and Levantine culinary, titled, “Calories of the Levant.”
She began the lecture by providing her audience with a general overview of efficient patient interviewing and counseling, and briefly introduced nutritional cognitive behavior therapy. The second part of the lecture focused on eating habits, mindful eating, and the internal and external factors affecting consumers’ eating pattern.
The last part of her lecture focused on meal planning with a main concentration on Levantine culinary. Coussa explained that not only was there “a limited knowledge of nutritional content of most Levantine dishes but also some confusion in relation to portion sizes.” She ended the lecture by saying, “Every cuisine can be made healthier and Levantine cuisine can be both tasty and healthy.” In short, it is all about making healthier food choices within one food category.