Infinite Foods, Africa’s plant-based food platform, has created a new scholarship programme to help community physicians across the continent to be certified in Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle Medicine is the evidence-based practice of incorporating plant-based food, physical activity, positive sleep and destress habits into a patient’s life to proactively prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease.
The Infinite Foods Scholarship for Lifestyle Medicine will be providing both financial support for interested physicians to study and complete the Lifestyle Medicine Certification Exam as well as establish Lifestyle Medicine organisations. Currently, the only countries in sub-Saharan Africa with a Lifestyle Medicine organisation are Nigeria and South Africa.
The Infinite Foods Lifestyle Medicine Scholarship will be accessible for aspiring Lifestyle Medicine practitioners across Sub-Saharan Africa in the countries where Infinite Foods operates currently including South Africa, Mauritius, Botswana and Kenya. The scholarship will aid practitioners by covering up to 50% of the costs for the purchasing of necessary study materials for certification preparation and up to 75% of the costs for taking the exam (one exam per medical professional). The company will also be providing monetary and in-kind contributions to incorporate and establish of new Lifestyle Medicine associations within these Sub-Saharan countries.
With this new scholarship programme, Infinite Foods hopes to expand the number of African medical professionals who are certified in Lifestyle Medicine and help support the creation of local associations to provide health practitioners a community and to educate citizens and governments on the benefits of plant-based diets.
Michelle Adelman, CEO of Infinite Foods, is optimistic that this scholarship will have a positive impact community. “In the past, Lifestyle Medicine certification has been cost prohibitive for many physicians in Africa. Through this scholarship, we hope to further encourage the growth of holistic, preventative healthcare and plant-based nutrition in for the continent. Equipping more physicians with the knowledge of Lifestyle Medicine will help ease the economic burden of lifestyle diseases that are quickly becoming the leading killer on the continent.”
The Infinite Foods Scholarship for Lifestyle Medicine has already been used to support the formation of the South African Lifestyle Medicine Association (SALMA) which currently consists of six South African physicians. The Scholarship Fund will look to continue to expand SALMA’s success as they build awareness around lifestyle medicine in the country.
“The Infinite Foods Scholarship has been extremely helpful in coordinating the formation of our South African Association… [and] by sponsoring two of our founding physicians in obtaining certification,” said Dr Bruentrup-Taylor and Dr Myeni, vice president and secretary of South African Lifestyle Medicine Association respectively. “[The company has] also been instrumental in assisting with the start-up of our organisation by providing skills and knowledge that that a young organisation like Salma is grateful for.”
Interested physicians should visit the Infinite Foods’ website for more information and the scholarship application.
