Gourmet and Healthy? Absolutely!
Dr. Rani Polak—a Hadassah medical doctor and Cordon Bleu-trained chef—proves that delicious and nutritious can go hand in hand. In his first cookbook, Delicious Diabetic Recipes: The Gourmet Cookbook for a Healthy Life (Imagine, 2009), he shows that healthy eating doesn’t have to mean making separate meals for those with dietary restrictions. Instead, he crafts recipes so tasty that the whole family will be asking for seconds!
Beyond the kitchen, Dr. Polak wears multiple hats—both as a physician at Hadassah Medical Center and as an instructor at Hadassah College, where he trains future chefs in the art of health-conscious cooking. His expertise extends to creating dishes tailored for individuals with diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease, ensuring that delicious meals are accessible to everyone.
Dr. Polak’s journey is as unique as his culinary philosophy. Born in Rishon LeZion, he served in the IDF before enrolling in the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine. A year-long break took him to Australia, where he guided hikers through the Outback and honed his cooking skills at Le Cordon Bleu. Returning to Israel, he blended his medical knowledge with culinary creativity, focusing on patients with severe dietary needs. When his Crohn’s disease patients struggled with food restrictions, he traded his white coat for a chef’s jacket, launching cooking workshops that turned mealtime into an enjoyable, inclusive experience.
Today, he continues his mission at Hadassah College’s Culinary Arts program and the Center for Healthy Living, shaping the future of wellness cooking. “I’m not just here to treat diseases,” says Dr. Polak. “I want to enhance everyday life—one delicious meal at a time.”
Details:
- ISBN: 9781936140275
- Pages: 256
- Publisher: Imagine Publishing
- Format: Paperback
