Shirley Garrett
For over 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with clients as a Personal Trainer and Medical Exercise Specialist (A.C.E). Through those decades, I came to understand that while choosing to exercise is a powerful first step toward health and fitness, it isn’t always enough to sustain lasting wellness and weight management.
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Nutrition and the daily choices we make around food often become the biggest hurdle my clients face. I saw their struggles firsthand, and I wanted to help. In 2015, I earned my PA professional Culinary Arts diploma to better support them in the kitchen. Cooking became a bridge: a way to help people build confidence, develop skills, and transform their health from the inside out. Many were told by their physicians that home cooking could reduce their risk of chronic conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, and Osteoporosis. But without practical guidance, even the most well-meaning advice fell flat.​
I wanted to provide that starting point. As a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, my role has been to walk alongside clients as they set meaningful goals and build sustainable habits. My focus is to make sure they feel empowered, equipped, and supported, whether that’s in the gym, the kitchen, or navigating their own mindset and lifestyle choices.
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After graduating from the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver, an exciting opportunity found me: I was invited to join a pioneering Culinary Medicine program as its first faculty member. Led by a physician and designed for healthcare professionals, this program, CHEF*Coaching (Culinary Health Education Fundamentals), is part of Harvard Medical School’s continuing education curriculum. Its goal is simple but transformative: to teach providers how to help patients cook at home, improve nutrition, and embrace a lifestyle of wellness through food. Since its launch in 2015, I’ve been honored to contribute to this program’s global reach. It’s a joy to see patients and practitioners alike discover the power of cooking, one meal at a time, and to know that this kind of holistic care can truly change lives.