“I am not a medical doctor; how do I impact others with healthy eating? How do I impact change?”
Meet James Beard Chef Hari Pulapaka and Podiatrist Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka: A married couple trying to impact healthy changes in their patients, one bite at a time. They are a dynamic duo who focus on plant forward nutrition and healthy living in their respective areas of business. Whether, it is while teaching people how to cook, Hari brings in healthy tips and asks the questions of why we choose the foods we do. When it is foot health, Dr. Jennifer talks about how to use complex carbohydrates instead of refined ones to reduce their diabetes and improve their foot health.
Key Areas We Discuss
What motivates a chef and a podiatrist to want to change how people eat?
What does “change” mean?
What are simple things people can do to change their diet?
Hari and Jenneffer have written a new book about heart healthy plant-based eating. What were your goals in writing this?
Does eating healthy have to be hard? How can we make this simple and easy?
How do you encourage people to change?
About Hari Pulapaka, Ph.D., CEC, AAC, WCMC:
Originally from Mumbai, Hari has been residing in the United States since 1987. He earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Florida in 1995. A professional midlife crisis prompted him to pursue culinary arts, resulting in his graduation from classical culinary school in 2004 with top-of-the-class honors.
A four-time James Beard Best Chef semifinalist, Hari has been invited to cook at the historic James Beard House in New York City seven times. He was also a featured chef at the 2018 James Beard Awards in Chicago. In 2008, Hari co-founded the award-winning restaurant, Cress, located in DeLand, FL with his wife Jenneffer Pulapaka, which, during his co-ownership and leadership from 2008-2019, garnered numerous accolades, including being rated as ZAGAT’s #1. In 2017, Hari established his company, Global Cooking School, encompassing his culinary pursuits, which include teaching, philanthropy, and crafting world-class, globally inspired, and sustainably minded tasting menus. Hari is no longer affiliated with Cress Restaurant. Through the Global Cooking School, Hari channels all of his creative endeavors as a classically trained globally-inspired chef with a keen and focused eye on sustainable practices and mindfulness. For the past 3 years, Chef Hari has been creating diverse menus in an Omakase setting.
Recognized as a GRIST 50 fixer in 2016 for his innovative efforts in food waste reduction, Hari holds the title of Certified Executive Chef (CEC) with the American Culinary Federation and is an inductee into the American Academy of Chefs. Additionally, he is a Worldchefs Certified Master Chef (WCMC). Hari actively contributes to sustainability initiatives as a strategic advisor for Postelsia, a member of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) Group and the Academic Working Group of Food Tank, and a participant in the Zero Food Waste Coalition. He serves as Chef/Partner for Enroot Organics, PBC.
Hari is a prolific author, with multiple published books to his credit. His latest endeavor, coauthored with his wife, Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka, is titled “The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook: 101 Recipes for Lowering Blood Pressure, Reversing Heart Disease & Cardiac Recovery”. The book is published by Hatherleigh Press and distributed by Penguin Random House.
Hari Pulapaka is a dedicated and tenured Associate Professor of Mathematics at Stetson University since the year 2000.
About Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka:
DeLand Foot and Leg Center, under the leadership of Dr. Pulapaka, is redefining podiatric care. Having built a legacy as the first and longest-running female surgical podiatry practice in West Volusia County, Dr. Pulapaka is fueled by a mission to transform healthcare from reactionary to preventative medicine.
Her passion lies in empowering patients through lifestyle medicine, as evidenced by her groundbreaking achievement – becoming the first podiatrist board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine. This conviction guides her belief that “every patient deserves a physician who advocates for their holistic well-being.”
But Dr. Pulapaka doesn’t stop at advocacy. She actively shapes the future of healthcare, serving on the Board of Directors for the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care and the Podiatric Population Health Committee of the American Podiatric Medical Association. Her expertise extends beyond feet, reflected in her co-authorship of three books, including “The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Lowering Blood Pressure, Reversing Heart Disease & Cardiac Recovery” (October 2024).
Dr. Pulapaka’s commitment to plant-based wellness goes beyond publications. She holds certifications in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell and Culinary Health Education Fundamentals Coaching from Harvard. This deep knowledge fuels her mission to bridge the gap between nutrition and healthcare, empowering patients to heal from the inside out.
Shifting the paradigm from symptom management to root cause prevention, Dr. Pulapaka champions a sustainable future for healthcare. Join her on this journey towards a healthier world, one bite at a time.
