My story begins back when I was a teenager watching Michael Johnson in the 1996 Olympic Games. Like most teenagers, I was excited to watch new world records set by some of the greatest athletes in the world. But what mesmerized me was not the gold medals…
 
It was the pure potential of the human body.
 
(Kind of nerdy, I know).
 
Since that time, I’ve spent the majority of my life searching for ways to optimize how our bodies function – not exactly what they teach in medical school.
 
This means I had to search for answers across many disciplines. I’ve worked as an athletic trainer, studied advanced clinical nutrition, researched and published on dietary supplements, and mastered the art of cooking.
 
And all these things have resulted in some pretty incredible experiences along the way, like lecturing alongside my mentor Dr. Andrew Weil and traveling the world as an elite-level athlete.
 
Of course, this journey was never about optimizing my performance alone. It was about empowering others to do the same for themselves.

I have personally followed a whole food, plant-based diet for the last two decades and have over time gotten most of my family to follow along most of the time.  I have helped many patients improve and sometimes reverse their diabetes, atherosclerosis, arthritis, cancers and mood disorders by adopting an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, high fiber, high nutrition density, low calorie density, whole food, plant based diet.
As the founding Program Director for the DeTar/Texas A&M Family Medicine Residency program, I train 24 soon to be Board Certified Family Medicine specialists to understand the primacy of patient lifestyle choices in managing and reversing the majority of ailments that plague Americans today. 

Dr. Asha Subramanian is a Board-certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician with specific expertise in evidence-based lifestyle change. She received her B.A. and M.A. in psychology with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University. Dr. Subramanian received her combined M.D./Master of Public Health degree from Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh St. Margaret Hospital. Dr. Subramanian also completed a fellowship in community health at Georgetown University Medical Center. She is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University in the Department of Family Medicine. In 2018, Dr. Subramanian obtained a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition through Cornell University and in 2019, became a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. In 2019, she also became a Certified Food for Life instructor. Dr. Subramanian is a recipient of the Washingtonian Top Docs Award. Her professional interests include lifestyle medicine and the use of good nutrition, exercise, sleep and other strategies to optimize health; health behavior change; whole food, plant-based cooking, and community health advocacy. Dr. Subramanian founded Diya Lifestyle and Wellness LLC to better help individuals and families attain their health and wellness goals.

Dr. Steigerwald practices outpatient family medicine in Milwaukee and sees patients of all ages. His passion for preventative medicine and the advice of a well-read colleague led him in 2019 to “Forks Over Knives” and the world of plant-based nutrition, where he has since been correcting the plant-shaped gap in his medical education. While utilizing the full range of standard medications, Dr. Steigerwald also promotes a whole-food, plant-based diet as the most reliable path to long-term health and longevity, and the answer to many chronic conditions. He enjoys working closely with patients as they improve their food choices and retake control of their health.

Dr. Shayla Toombs-Withers grew up in Atlanta, GA.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN in 2003 where she earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Dr. Toombs-Withers earned a Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine located on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA in 2007.  After completing her formal medical education, Dr. Toombs-Withers continued her medical training at the University of Cincinnati, The Christ Hospital.  She is double board certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine.
Over the years, Dr. Toombs-Withers has served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine with the University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency Program and she worked as a Family Physician for a federally qualified health center caring for underserved populations in the Cincinnati area. In 2013 Dr. Toombs-Withers was named as the Medical Director for the All Care Health Center in Council  Bluffs, IA where she continued to practice family medicine and supervised a staff of physicians and nurse practitioners.
Dr. Toombs-Withers moved to Chattanooga, TN in 2015 and became a Family Medicine Physician in the UT/Erlanger Primary Care Medical Group at the Pineville Road office.  She earned a certification in Plant Based Nutrition in 2016 and the was board certified in Obesity Medicine in 2018.
Dr. Toombs- Withers has practiced a plant based diet for over 15 years and over the past 5 years she has moved to a vegan diet.  She has trained as an endurance athlete and she has completed the New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Ironman Chattanooga 70.3, Ironman Augusta 70.3, Ironman Texas and a host of other endurance races.
Dr. Toombs-Withers founded the Essence of Health Wellness Clinic in Chattanooga, TN in 2019 so that  she could combine her deep knowledge of medicine, plant based nutrition, and athletic training to provide comprehensive primary care to her patients using a Direct Primary Care Model. Outside of work, Dr. Toombs-Withers is a mom for her three sons, wife, and dog wrangler.  She loves Chattanooga and all of the outdoor experiences it has to offer.  She enjoys cycling, hiking, camping, swimming, triathlons and trail running.

Dr. Dipak Patel is board a certified family medicine physician and practices the full-spectrum of family medicine, including pediatrics and women’s health.  Since 2012 he has worked as a family medicine physician and onsite medical director of a local health clinic as well as a hospitalist physician at Midstate Medical Center.   
In 2017, Dr. Patel earned his most precious board certification – from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.  As the physicain of our practice, Dr Patel enjoys spending time and talking with our patients to help them restore their health.

I am a Board-Certified Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine Physician.
I listen to you and spend time with you to understand the barriers in your life that prevent you from optimum health.
Emphasis on healthy lifestyle changes and moving towards a whole food plant-based diet.
Learn how to prevent and even reverse chronic disease and reduce the need for medication.
I offer convenience, peace of mind, and flexibility.
 

Niki Davis, MD is a “rocket scientist” turned physician. She is board certified in both family medicine and lifestyle medicine.  At age 13, she started removing animal products from her diet because she didn’t feel it was healthy. Once in college, she obtained bachelor and master degrees in mechanical engineering and worked on the space shuttle program for several years. However, instead of rockets on her mind, she was constantly thinking about health and nutrition – helping her own family members improve their health and their lives by switching to a plant based lifestyle. She eventually found her way back to her passion after leaving her engineering career to apply for medical school. She graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 2017 and completed a Family Medicine residency program in 2020. While in residency, in addition to serving as Wellness Chief, she helped form Plant Based Montana, an advocacy group with the mission to educate healthcare providers and the general public about the benefits of a plant based diet. She has had the pleasure of speaking at plant based events around the country and has been lucky enough to train with phenomenal mentors such as Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Anthony Lim, and Dr. Alan Goldhamer, among others. She is a regular guest on Chef AJ’s YouTube channel show and on the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) Podcast. She has a certificate in plant based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies through eCornell and is certified in The Starch Solution. She feels extremely grateful to be doing what she loves every day – helping people live their best lives. In addition to being available for TeleHealth appointments, Dr. Davis will also be running plant based wellness retreats in locations around the world, once safe to do so.

Bio/Profile Information

Medical Director at the Health for Life Medical Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  We provide a team-based Lifestyle Medicine approach to assist our clients to achieve Optimal health.

Dr. Abendroth is dual board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. In May 2020 he opened Sana Vita Health, a Direct Primary Care and Lifestyle Medicine clinic. Direct Primary Care is a revolutionary new model of healthcare delivery that puts the focus back on the doctor-patient relationship, instead of focusing on the paperwork and billing. You can learn more about DPC at www.dpcnation.org.
 
At Sana Vita Health you can call, email, or even text Dr. Abendroth! Many issues can be handled remotely, but when you do want or need to come in, you’ll find a relaxing, well-appointed boutique-like atmosphere with one exam room that also serves as Dr. Abendroth’s office, a small private waiting room (you’ll never wait with other patients!), and a clean, luxurious bathroom that is ADA accessible. 
 
Matthew Abendroth, DO is a Des Moines native. After high school, he left for the Pacific Northwest where he attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Six years later he returned in 2009 to attend medical school at Des Moines University. During residency at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, he began moonlighting in rural ER’s and local urgent care clinics. After graduating residency in 2017 he joined UnityPoint Clinic in Urbandale where he practiced for nearly 3 years. He left that clinic in April 2020 to start Sana Vita Health. His clinical interests include lifestyle medicine, sports medicine, and LGBTQ medicine, including transgender hormone management. 

Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA is a double board certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, who has been utilizing food as medicine since 2012. She is Co-founder of Plant Based TeleHealth, (http://plantbasedtelehealth.com) the first plant based lifestyle medicine practice covering the United States. Previously, she created a new medical model combining the power of nutrient-dense foods and intensive clinical psychological therapy to treat not only food addiction but also chronic disease. As the Managing Editor for the Plantrician Project’s International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, she works closely with the journal’s Editor in Chief, Dr. Kim Williams. The journal is focused on bringing plant-based research to the forefront of modern medicine and to the general public. She is also co-founder of Healthy Human Revolution, whose mission is to provide resources that will empower individuals with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to successfully adopt and sustain a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet.
In Colorado, when Laurie convinced a large hospital to create a lifestyle medicine program centered around a WFPB diet, the program showed resounding success. At another hospital, she conducted a one-month study of 26 employees on a WFPB diet. All employees were fed from the hospital’s kitchen, and each individual experienced improved health. She has spoken at the Golden VegFest in Colorado, the International Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference, and other venues teaching about the value of the WFPB diet.
Laurie received her dual degrees (MD and MBA) from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and TTU School of Business. She was awarded the Texas Tech University School of Medicine Gold Headed Cane Award, a symbol for excellence in the art of medicine and the care of patients. She wrote seven books while in medical school, six of which were in a series called “Visual Mnemonics.” These books used cartoons to help people memorize vast amounts of information—a system that helped her personally when she was a mom attending medical school. As a United States Air Force veteran, she served in the Middle East and South America. She is also a wife, mom of three grown children, host of the Healthy Human Revolution podcast, author, speaker, and avid runner.

Family physician in private practice, cash-based, but accept Medicare and insurance as “non-par”/out-of-network.

Dr. Benjamin Ha is a Family Physician with Kaiser Permanente in Bakersfield, California. As an Assistant Area Medical Director for the Kern County Service Area for ten years, he led local efforts to improve clinical quality of care, chronic disease management, and health education for members. After discovering the power of whole food, plant-based nutrition to transform lives, he transitioned back to full-time clinical practice to spend more time working directly with patients.
In 2013, Dr. Ha co-authored an article published in The Permanente Journal entitled “Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-based Diets,” and was a featured speaker and panelist at the First and Second Annual International Plant-Based Nutrition conference. He regularly volunteers his time to lecture about plant-based nutrition to community organizations and universities.  Dr. Ha also leads a free monthly workshop to promote a whole food, plant-based diet as a powerful prescription for optimal health and wellness.
 

Online telemedicine and nutrition consultations worldwide.
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