Committee Meetings
The AMWA Nutrition Working Group meets the first Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8 p.m. Eastern.
Advancing Nutrition as a Foundation of Women’s Health
AMWA recognizes the profound impact of nutrition on health and disease, and the essential role of food as medicine. We are committed to integrating healthy nutrition into AMWA conferences, elevating nutrition education across our membership, and advocating for clinical programs that address nutritional needs alongside the social and structural determinants that shape them.
Background
Although the United States grows an abundance of food crops, much of our farmed products are funneled into manufacturing ultra-processed foods rather than remaining as healthful, whole foods. These products are typically high in sodium, added sugars, saturated fats, and refined carbohydrates—ingredients that contribute little nutritional value. Reliance on these foods is strongly linked to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory illness, mental health disorders, chronic pain, and multiple cancers, including breast cancer in women.
Food as Medicine
AMWA has partnered with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to enable AMWA members free access to ACLM’s Food as Medicine Essentials bundle. (5.5 hrs)
We encourage AMWA members to become board-certified in lifestyle medicine to enhance clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. Learn more here.
Read More about Food as Medicine: The Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease by Dr. Beatriz Olson!
Learn about our Healthy Lifestyle Revolution!
White House Conference
In 2022, AMWA participated in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and hosted public listening sessions to better understand the issues and challenges faced by our members. We also promoted local activities, food drives, and physical activity in support of the White House Conference pillars: (1) Poverty is the root cause of hunger, (2) Integrating health and nutrition, (3) Empowering consumers, (4) Supporting physical activity, and (5) Nutrition research.
Diet, Microbiomes, and Health
Diet plays a powerful role in shaping the gut microbiome—a complex community of microorganisms that influences immunity, metabolism, hormone regulation, and overall health. AMWA highlights the growing evidence linking dietary patterns to microbiome diversity and prevention of conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and mental health.
By increasing awareness of this emerging field, AMWA supports a more comprehensive understanding of how nutrition and microbiome health contribute to women’s well-being across the lifespan.