The Office of Community Health at ECU Health brought barbers and health professionals together for an afternoon of education, fellowship and hands‑on learning during its Barbers for Life men’s health event.
ECU Health Lifestyle Medicine hosted a Dining with the Doc event especially for barbers throughout eastern North Carolina. The gathering highlighted the essential role barbers play as trusted community leaders, often serving as the first line of conversation when it comes to well-being.
“Today is all about empowering barbers as community health leaders,” said Almon‑Re Alston, community health engagement coordinator, ECU Health.
Alston organized the event alongside the ECU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic, which routinely hosts Dining with the Doc.
This particular demonstration stemmed from a previous meeting where barbers expressed interest in learning more about healthy food choices – not only for themselves, but so they could share practical guidance with their clients. Because barbers are often trusted confidants, equipping them with knowledge about healthy lifestyles can help strengthen community well being and support long term health improvements across the region.
Ariana Lohmann, a lifestyle coach and chef at the ECU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic, hosted the live cooking demonstration and began by demystifying tofu, showing barbers how to marinate and roast it for flavor and texture.
“It’s a really inexpensive, high protein option,” she explained, noting that all ingredients were purchased from everyday grocery stores. In addition to tofu, the menu included salad ingredients, homemade dressing and fresh vegetables.
Lohmann emphasized that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. The meal she prepared cost about $4.85 a serving.
Lohmann said events like this matter because they expose people to possibilities they may not have considered.
“A lot of times, the food we prepare at Dining with the Doc are things people haven’t tried, and so they’re hesitant to try it,” she said. “They get an opportunity to try new things and be in a group of community members who are doing the same things.”
Beyond nutrition, Alston hopes the initiative chips away at long‑standing barriers.
“We have to push back against the stigma that says Black men don’t go to the doctor or don’t take care of themselves,” Alston said. “Every man deserves to feel comfortable getting screened, asking questions and talking about his health. When barbers come together like this, it shows the community that taking care of yourself is something to be proud of.”
Dining with the Doc includes a live cooking demonstration preparing a simple, affordable, heart‑healthy dish while discussing the benefits of whole‑food, plant‑forward eating.
The centerpiece of the afternoon was a men’s health awareness talk by Dr. David Michael, medical director for the ECU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic and clinical informaticist, who covered the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, exercise, sleep, substance abuse, stress management and healthy relationships. Dr. Michael also discussed the rising rates of chronic disease, especially among Black and Latino men, and the importance of early detection. Drawing from decades of clinical experience, he emphasized that lifestyle changes can prevent, and in some cases reverse, chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Dr. Michael also highlighted the unique role barbers play in health conversations. He encouraged barbers to ask simple questions about sleep, stress and daily habits, noting that these conversations can open the door to life changing awareness.
“When you’ve got someone in your chair, you talk about everything — and health can be one of those conversations,” Dr. Michael said. “Whether it’s social connection, nutrition or even checking blood pressure, you have opportunities to bring these things up. The truth is that a lot of people are living with chronic conditions they don’t even know about.”
“That connection between barbers and community health is exactly why the Barbers for Life initiative exists,” said Kelly Spivey, community health improvement coordinator, ECU Health. “Barbers see so many people in their chairs, and they can make such an impact in so many people’s lives. Barbers for Life is our way of giving the barbers all the tools in their toolbox to be able to inform their clientele about all these amazing, healthy initiatives.”
Spivey believes events like this strengthen the network of barbers across the region.
“It brings them together, it lets them know what resources we have,” she said. “If they see it firsthand, then they’ll be able to do it more. I hope the barbers gain a new vision on how they can prepare good food. We all have traditions and culture, but we can tweak little things that make a really big difference.”
For many attendees, the event wasn’t just informative – it was personal. Barber Wady Santos of Bongos Barbershop in Greenville said participating in the initiative is part of giving back.
“We as barbers tend to give back to the community,” Santos said. “Getting educated about health gives us the opportunity to help our customers learn about their own health.”
Santos plans to bring what he learned straight back to his shop.
“I’m excited to start changing my nutrition habits and helping my customers do that as well,” he said. “We’re very thankful that ECU Health has provided that for us.”
Event organizers also trained the barbers on taking blood pressure and gifted each barber a blood pressure cuff for their shops.
“Today just proves that when barbers are equipped with knowledge, resources and support, they become more powerful advocates for healthier communities,” said Alston.
To learn more about future Dining with the Doc events free and open to the public, please visit www.ecuhealth.org/events.