The refreshed “Food as Medicine” series was kicked off by Jemez Valley Community Wellness last month with “Fresh Air: Foods to Help You Breathe Easy in the New Year.” The program held on February 4th welcomed new and returning guests to an interactive cooking demonstration to learn about how preparing fresh produce and natural ingredients can improve respiratory system health for overall vitality. This was the first session of five planned for JVCW’s wellness series in 2026 taking place at The Rose Center for Integrative Health.
“We are pleased to be a part of the New Mexico Food is Medicine Collaborative and offer this model of community outreach and education to improve public health outcomes through access to nutritional food and integrative healthcare,” says JVCW Founder and Executive Director Dr. Sweet. “Our mission leads us to improve access to food, fellowship, and compassionate whole-body healing for more of our low-access and low-income neighbors.”
To open the program, special guest presenter Dr. Cathy Taylor shared tips about using humidifiers and neti pots to keep mucous membranes moist, in addition to using household herbs in teas and steam baths to help ease congestion. She says, “Essential oils will activate in hot water and have medicinal properties to help open your airways. Cold water, however, is best in humidifiers and neti pots to open nasal passages.” Dr. Taylor served a hot herbal tea blend with eucalyptus and mint and encouraged people to exercise at least 20 minutes a day, 3-5 times per week to have healthy lung function. She also said an anti-inflammatory diet is beneficial to preventing breathing problems, “Look for Omega-3 fatty acids in cold water fish, flaxseed, and walnuts to calm an irritated system and quiet inflamed mucous membranes in your lungs and sinus.” Finally, says Dr. Taylor, “Don’t smoke.”
Continuing on the subject, Dr. Sweet provided a personal account of living with asthma during her childhood in Phoenix, Arizona to illustrate the effects of environment on respiratory health. She shared more about potent plant medicines like pippali peppers and licorice that can act as expectorants and hydrating supplements to regulate mucous. Dr. Sweet specializes in Naturopathic and Ayurvedic education, prevention, and treatment.
“In your cabinets already are oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary – those all have volatile oils in them that are antimicrobial and antiviral,” says Dr. Sweet. She also demonstrated two breathing techniques to help balance the doshas or biological energies of Ayurvedic medicine. “Use the alternate nostril technique to help alleviate a dry cough or anxiety-related breathing issues. Kapalabhati breathing uses a series of small, forced abdominal contractions that can be helpful for asthma and clearing a more congestive cough.”
The ten participants enjoyed an interactive hands-on cooking demonstration by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Fallon Bader. The recipes emphasized the role of pantry ingredients and everyday herbs that can be modified for vegan diets. Fallon showed attendees how to prepare a nutritious and flavorful meal of pumpkin chickpea curry with spinach, a vegan creamy oregano dressing using aquafaba (canned bean juice) with steamed sweet potato, and “Morning Glory” muffins loaded with oats, coconut, and fresh carrots. She reminded guests to “eat the rainbow” of fruits and vegetables for balanced nutrition.
“Most of the ingredients that we chose to feature in these recipes are common enough to find at the local grocery, but we are also looking for ways to encourage people to grow their own or buy from nearby producers in their own communities,” says Fallon. “Pumpkin, spinach, and peppers are very nutritious and are generally easy to grow here in New Mexico.”
The monthly “Food as Medicine” series began in 2025. Each of the events focus on a different body system with local ingredients and communal nourishment. Fallon’s monthly presentations feature a cooking demonstration and tasting focused on seasonal healing through food. Dr. Sweet and other invited practitioners and special guests provide informational sessions to connect natural foods to whole body health and wellness.
The in-person events of this year’s series are being held from 5-7pm at The Rose Center for Integrative Health at 8372 Highway 4, across from Jemez Valley High School. The next will be held on March 4th and continue through June 2026 with a variety of topics. To see future event postings and to make a charitable donation to support this type of community health education, visit https://www.jvcw.org/.
