Episode 120: Dr. Irina Ghenea on the Push to get Processed Meat Out of Hospitals

Our guest this week is Dr. Irina Ghenea. Dr. Ghenea was born in Romania and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up in Montreal, and her experience as a competitive swimmer and working as a lifeguard in her teenage years sparked her interest in health and fitness. As a medical student at McGill University, and went on to do her Family Medicine residency at Memorial University in Newfoundland. She started her Family Practice in North Sydney in September, 2000. In 2021 Dr. Ghenea discovered the field of lifestyle medicine. She learned how to support people in becoming as healthy as they can be, by improving lifestyle habits. Dr. Ghenea became certified with the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine in December 2025. Dr. Ghenea was also among more than 160 healthcare professionals who signed an open letter calling for processed meats to be removed from institutional menus across Canada. They argue the move would better align hospital and school food policy with chronic disease prevention and dietary guidelines after processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats were classified by the World Health Organization as Group 1 carcinogens.RESOURCES Facebook Page Oceanview Family Practice and Lifestyle Medicine CBC Interview Support the show