About Us
Culinary Medics is the partnership of Diet + Medicine for Health.
A combined of 35 years of practical experience and a passion for teaching clients flavorful recipes is what makes Culinary Medics the inspiration you need to take charge of your own health.
Disha Narang, MD
Disha Narang, MD is a board-certified Endocrinologist practicing at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. Dr. Narang completed her undergraduate and medical training at Vanderbilt University and went on to completed her internal medicine residency and Endocrinology fellowship at the University of Chicago. She has since been in clinical practice since 2016 in the Chicagoland and greater Midwest region.
Dr. Narang was drawn to Endocrinology by the complex interplay of physiology and its manifestation on various metabolic disorders. Her primary focus is diabetes and medical weight management/obesity. Unlike many other Endocrinologists, she has developed expertise in the field of culinary medicine. Dr. Narang recognizes the central role that food plays in our well-being and how it can be related to diseases.
Her knowledge of pathophysiology combined with her passion for cooking led to her founding Culinary Medics. Culinary Medics aims to educate individuals on how vital food is to health, through primarily food education demonstrations from the unique vantage point of a physician and dietitian.
Dr. Narang’s specialized knowledge of food, cooking, nutrition, medical science, therapeutics, and human behavior helps clients develop healthy relationships with food, which in turn can help with managing chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and obesity.
In her free time, Dr. Narang enjoys traveling, cooking, and exercising, and loves spending time with her husband and 3-year-old son. With an active professional and home life, she makes healthy food preparation a priority for her family.
Monica Joyce, MS, RDN, CDCES
Monica Joyce, MS, RDN, CDCES, is a clinical dietitian and a certified diabetes educator with over thirty years of clinical experience: in an endocrinology practice in Chicago, and currently at Northwestern Medicine in Lake Forest. She also has been an adjunct professor teaching nutrition in a Culinary Institute in Chicago, IL.
Monica received her BS in Foods and Nutrition at Mundelein College/Loyola University and her Masters in Human Services Administration in Chicago, Illinois. She also has a certificate in Culinary Nutrition from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Monica is the Founder and Executive Director of Slam Dunk for Diabetes, a nonprofit organization that provides an opportunity for low-income children to learn to manage their diabetes in a fun environment. She has won numerous awards and recognition for this program.
In 1997, Monica was a member of the American Diabetes Association Task Force that developed the national standards for diabetes education and medical nutrition. She has authored many publications, served on numerous diabetes advisory boards, and participated in research for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). She currently a national speaker to health care professionals on diabetes and participates in a national RD Mentorship Program.
As a working single Mom raising three children, Monica made eating healthy family meals a priority. She co-authored the book Too Busy to Diet, written and designed to provide and inspire others to combine a busy lifestyle with healthy eating.
Monica enjoys traveling, reading, and taking long walks with her Sheepadoodle, Nelson. She loves to spend weekends cooking and experimenting with new recipes and sharing them with her family including her five grandchildren.