Dr. Ed Bauman’s Legacy and the Founding Philosophy of Bauman College

For over 50 years, Dr. Ed Bauman has been a luminary in the holistic health and nutrition movement. A champion for wellness as an innate human right, he holds multiple degrees, including a M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts and a M.S. in Nutrition from Heartwood College. After decades of studying traditional and modern health systems, Dr. Bauman created the Eating for Health™ approach, which serves as the foundational philosophy for all Bauman College programs. As the founder of Bauman College and a co-author of numerous renowned books, his journey is one of pioneering a new paradigm in nutritional education.

Bauman College is unique, special, and ever-evolving. Conceiving and implementing a whole-food healing curriculum was a seed idea that came to me over fifty years ago. At that time, nutrition education and research was funded by the commercial food industry. Dietetic education often vilified the organic food movement. I took that personally! I studied, taught, wrote, practiced, and codified a system of learning into the first state-licensed whole-food nutrition curriculum in 1984.

The Eating for Health™ Approach

My preparation to write a paradigm-shifting curriculum was a stepwise journey: organic farmer, food co-op buyer, natural food restaurant chef/owner, master’s degrees in education and nutrition, naturopathic medical student, and the founder of the Berkeley Holistic Health Center.

This fertile experience allowed me to craft the Eating for Health™ food system in 1990. This system is the foundation of subsequent Bauman clinical and professional education. Eating for Health™ is a sustainable alternative to the commercial USDA model and other reductionistic diets, protocols, and products.

Learning how to work with the Eating for Health™ approach to design person-specific, not symptom-specific, meal plans is what differentiates Bauman nutrition consultants and whole-food chefs from graduates of other programs. Bauman College has often been imitated but never duplicated.

A Focus on S.O.U.L.™ Food and Critical Thinking

At Bauman, we have created an optimal learning environment where we teach students how to think, not what to think. The joy of learning to source, prepare, enjoy, and share S.O.U.L.™ (seasonal, organic, unprocessed, and local) food is at the heart of our education. Our aim is to teach people how to better care for and feed themselves.

Our students are a work in progress, as are we all. Students often come in with one set of diet beliefs and come out with a wider, more thoughtful way to apply healing food guidance to match client needs and resources. We value cultural diversity and love to connect people to the roots of their family food traditions. We use research to validate the healing properties of whole food, culinary herbs and spices, teas, tonics, and ferments from around the world.

A Living Legacy

After being at the helm of Bauman College for over 30 years, I retired from being dean, director, and faculty trainer. The school is in great hands under the guidance of the National Holistic Institute. They honor the unique DNA of Bauman: holistic nutrition and culinary arts professional training that transmits heart and soul along with art and science. Food, love, and skills make us able to connect and serve people anywhere in the world.

It’s my legacy to have conceived Bauman College, trained tens of thousands of graduates, and remain a living testament to the benefits of Eating for Health™. Let’s walk our talk and be a light of guidance to folks ready to eat well to weather the relentless storms of change.

In health and good taste,
Dr. Ed Bauman

Explore Dr. Bauman’s Work & Bauman College

Dr. Bauman’s current passion is Bauman Wellness, the workshop division that nourishes cultures of wellness through healing foods, arts, and community learning. He continues to consult with individuals and organizations on how to adopt self-care practices to build resilience.

For a deeper dive into Dr. Bauman’s work and his extensive free library of resources, visit his website at edbauman.com.

Ready to begin your own journey in holistic nutrition and culinary arts? Explore Bauman College’s programs and discover how to become a part of this enduring legacy.