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September 18, 2025
DOES THE PERFECT DIET EXIST? THREE EVIDENCE-BASED TRUTHS ABOUT LIFELONG NUTRITION
A Virtual Seminar Organized by the Southern California Local Section of the American Chemical Society (SCALACS) & funded by an LSAC Grant.
Thursday • September 18, 2025 • 4:30 to 5:30 pm Pacific Time
Presented by
Prof. Carin Kreutzer
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USC
&
Melissa Shao
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USC
ABSTRACT
There is no single “perfect” diet. National recommendations like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025) and Dietary Reference Intakes give us a blueprint for balanced eating, but what’s healthy for you depends on your genetics, cultural traditions, life stage, disease risk, and access to food. Popular diets such as the Mediterranean, vegan, keto, or high protein will be compared and discussed in light of research on chronic disease prevention and management, including diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. The Mediterranean, vegetarian, and vegan diets share key strengths like high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber, all of which supports heart health, improves gut function, and helps maintain healthy blood sugar and blood pressure. The most sustainable eating patterns prioritize nutrient quality, variety, and minimal ultra-processed foods over strict labels. Building healthy habits early, like “eating the rainbow,” can protect brain function, reduce chronic disease risk, and improve quality of life. What's great is that it’s never too late to start! Understanding nutrition through both science and culture empowers us to create eating patterns that are personal, practical, and built for lifelong health.
BIO
Cary Kreutzer, EdD, MPH, RD, FAND is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Instructional Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Gerontology in the USC Leonard Davis School (LDS) of Gerontology and USC Keck School of Medicine. After completing a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and Dietetics, Kreutzer completed a dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She received a master’s degree in public health, health services management, and administration from the University of Washington, and a doctorate degree in urban education leadership, with an emphasis in educational psychology, at USC, Rossier School of Education. Dr. Kreutzer has been a practicing dietitian since 1982. She has worked in all areas of nutrition, both domestic and international. For the past 12 years, she has directed and taught in the LDS at USC and designed four graduate nutrition degree programs, including an ACEND-accredited master’s degree in nutrition, health span, and longevity. Her areas of expertise include nutrition across the lifespan, health promotion and disease prevention, obesity prevention and intervention, developmental disabilities and chronic illness, public health and nutrition education, health systems and health care access, and nutrigenomics.
Melissa Shao is a second-year student in the Master of Science Coordinated Program in Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University where she also did the Didactic Program in Dietetics. She is currently doing her dietetic internship at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. Outside of work, she loves to eat, drink matcha, and play video games.
REGISTRATION
Event is free but please RSVP HERE.
Download event flyer HERE.