Want to change your diet? Then change your kitchen. That's Alison Ragusa's philosophy, as well as the cornerstone of her business plan. Calling herself "your culinary health style specialist," she offers kitchen makeovers, cooking lessons and personal chef services, all designed around healthful food.

Unlike the calorie-counting cookbook that sits on your shelf or the gym membership that you keep meaning to renew, Ms. Ragusa's style of food therapy isn't so easy to ignore, at least once you invite her into your kitchen.

During a kitchen makeover, she'll help you go through the foods you have and decide what you should keep and what you should stop buying. She'll help you think of more healthful substitutes for processed food, such as homemade granola bars and muffins sweetened with fruit and honey. "It's really fun to make your own snacks," encourages Ms. Ragusa, who recommends "replacing [junk food] with things that have no high-fructose corn syrup."

She's a trained cook, with a certificate in the culinary arts and a master's degree in gastronomy, both from Boston University. She also studied extensively in Florence, Italy, where she earned a certificate in Italian language and culture from the Istituto Europeo and a certificate in Italian regional cuisine from the Istituto Lorenzo de'Medici. In Florence, she trained and worked at Ristorante Beccofino, where she became the pastry chef in 2006.

So what's she doing in Pittsburgh, and why isn't she in a restaurant kitchen? Ms. Ragusa was supposed to go back to Italy to teach a course on pastry, but she came to Pittsburgh to visit her sister. She fell in love with the city, and so when she found out that the course had been canceled, she decided to stay. Ms. Ragusa's greatest passion is for teaching others how to cook and how to make healthful food a constant and delicious part of their lifestyles.

Along with cooking lessons and grocery shopping tips, you'll also get helpful and realistic advice. Giving up junk food isn't easy, and she recommends "giving your taste buds a chance to readjust." But Ms. Ragusa believes that learning how to cook the right kinds of food in your own kitchen can have amazing results. In her experience, "Once you see, oh, wait, I could do this, it really opens up this whole new side of yourself," she explains.

That's also why she teaches cooking classes in your home kitchen. "Learning in a familiar place and also where you're going to be [cooking] next time helps your memory," she explained.

Many of Ms. Ragusa's classes are geared toward learning about whole categories of foods that will help add healthful variety to the diet. In "Whole Grains and Vegetables," you'll learn how to incorporate a wide variety of whole grains into your diet, including whole wheat pasta, quinoa and bulgur.

The course "Sauce Night" covers 10 different fresh sauces. You'll learn how to make them and how to use them: Toss them with pasta; pair one with chicken, another with fresh fish; and add them to soups to enhance and transform staid recipes. "By the end of the lesson, you'll be surprised at how simple it is to make a sauce with your own creative touch," says Ms. Ragusa.

Groups can sign up for classes, which are $100 per person plus the cost of groceries. Most last approximately 2 1/2 hours. Want to start a supper club? Make your first meeting a class on "The Dinner Party." Ms. Ragusa will teach you stress-free techniques for creating a multi-course meal. Want to surprise your significant other? Take "The Romantic Meal," in which you'll "use only the most alluring ingredients to create a romantic aroma for you and your loved one to share."

Ms. Ragusa also works as a personal chef. Personal chef services start at $45 an hour plus the cost of food, although prices vary depending on the number of meals and the number of people they need to serve. She can prepare five entrees and assorted side dishes at a time, and along with them she'll leave descriptions of all of the dishes, their health benefits and instructions for reheating them. However, her services are very flexible, and she's happy to work with someone who only wants prepared meals once or twice a week. She can also be hired to cook for a small dinner party or a romantic dinner for two.

One of the challenges of this type of cooking is that she must plan meals that will hold and reheat well. Although she brings a lot of her own equipment to cooking lessons, Ms. Ragusa recommends that personal chef clients invest in a set of Pyrex containers, which easily transition from the freezer to the oven.

For more information on Alison Ragusa's cooking classes and other services, check out her Web site www.LeaveItToAlison.com, e-mail her at alison@leaveittoalison.com or call 1-716-861-7553.