Chef Robert E. Graham, MD, MPH, ABOIM, FACP

Dr. Robert Graham is a Harvard-trained researcher and physician, board certified in both Internal and Integrative Medicine, trained in Holistic and Functional Medicine, a public health scientist, TED speaker, food activist and Chef. Together for over 20 years, Dr. Rob and his wife, Julie Graham, have been at the forefront of health and wellness. Julie is a Certified Health Coach, a 500-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher, Positive Psychology Practitioner and is certified in Meditation and Aromatherapy.  Together they co-founded FRESH Medicine and FRESH Med U -- both of which are based on the acronym Fresh which stands for the five ingredients in their recipe to health: Exercise, Sleep and Happiness. FRESH Medicine is an integrative health and wellness center located in NYC. FRESH MED U is their online self-care "university."

Dr. Graham received a Master’s of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health while completing three additional fellowships in General Internal Medicine and Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies at Harvard Medical School as well as Medical Education at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His clinical research focused on the use of dietary supplements amongst racial and ethnic minorities. He also completed course-work in Mind/Body Medicine, Positive Psychology, Lifestyle Medicine, Culinary Medicine, Botanical and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2018, Dr. Graham became one of less than twenty doctor/chef’s worldwide, as he obtained his culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Dr. Graham is a "food fighter" and a leader in the field of Integrative/Functional and Holistic Medicine. He has prescribed “food as medicine” for over 15 years, has taught over 500 healthcare workers, mostly doctors, how to cook whole food, plant-based meals, and created the first edible rooftop garden atop a hospital in NYC. He served as Chief Wellness Officer for a large healthcare system and provided strategic oversight, direction and leadership across all activities related to health and wellness, health promotion and disease prevention.

Dr. Graham was "sick" of the current medical model of a "pill for an ill." Dr. Graham created and prescribes the "FRESH 5" for health and healing and has witnessed many patients get off their medications and live happier, more fulfilling lives. He is an expert in gut health (SIBO, IBS, GERD, leaky gut), chronic disease (high blood pressure, diabetes, depression/anxiety, obesity) prevention and reversal and autoimmune management. He believes in food as medicine, is trained in herbs and dietary supplements and when needed prescribes medications. 

When not seeing patients, Dr. Graham trades his white lab coat for chef’s whites with the goal of expanding his toolkit both for use as a healthcare provider and as an advocate for a new model of integrative, “food-first” lifestyle-focused healthcare called Culinary Medicine. He recently became the first Chief Health Officer of a food company called Performance Kitchen where he not only advises but also designs medically tailored meals for patients with chronic diseases. This allows doctors to prescribe meals, i.e “food as medicine,” which are covered by Medicare. In 2019, with their launch of FRESH MED U, Dr. Graham and his wife Julie created a unique educational platform that  allows people to learn remotely, on their own time, using their intrinsic motivation in order to achieve their FRESH goals and live healthier and happier lives.

Follow them at @freshmednyc

Dr. Robert E. Graham and Julie Graham