While practicing clinical pharmacy, I witnessed the pain and suffering of many cancer patients in hospitals and long-term care institutions. After losing friends and relatives to this devastating disease, I started to question the effectiveness of the conventional approach to treating diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. I observed the link between health and nutrition in my own family and decided to transform my career by focusing on lifestyle medicine. I completed continuing education in vegetarian nutrition and health coaching including the T.Colin Campbell Plant Based Certification . Today, I teach workshops on the use of food as medicine in my consulting practice “The Food Pharmacy”. I also teach PCRM’s Food for Life Program in Sarasota and the Southwest Florida region where I have resided for the past nine years.

Every can enjoy healthy long life without pains and aches. That is because the body has an excellent healing power. As long as we provide the body with proper nutrients the healing power is at work. Unfortunately, many people do not know about it. They don’t know how to treat their bodies properly. They don’t know what is their proper food, proper nutrition intake. That is why they get sick. That is why they have many health problems. As a health educator myself, I believe it is my mission to educate the people around the world health is the result of healthful living based on whole food plant-based diet. When we provide the body with higher quality nutrients from whole foods plant-based diet, it starts building healthier and stronger cells with those highest quality nutrients. As a result damaged tissues and systems are repaired. This is I believe, the only way we can make the body to be disease-proofed.

My research and personal experience support this effort and I seek to influence people at church, in community as well as at work with helpful information. WhiteWave brands, like Earthbound Farm Organic, Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands can be part of this vision.

As an educator, I experience the challenges clients face trying to control their chronic health problems without understanding the importance of healthy eating and benefits of a plant-based diet. There cannot be a healthy approach without including these two elements.

I have been a vegetarian for perhaps 25 years. I am 60 years old and take no prescription drugs and have the health of a much younger man. All praise be to God. I have worked many years in Critical Care. Patching people up and then simply telling them to take their pills, is not getting to the root of the problem. Disease management without presenting lifestyle change is irresponsible and does nothing to eradicate the cause of the problems that wealthy nations face with their health. I no longer do critical care, but now educate all that I can on the tremendous benefits that come from removing the cause of disease and thus eradicating or greatly improving disease as opposed to simply managing disease at a huge cost. I am now more into public health initiatives such as the Blue Zones Project, and conducting healthy lifestyle seminars and presentations with a special focus on plant based diet. Thanks so much for the opportunity to serve.

I am convinced of the importance of lifestyle measures in turning the health of our country around, and a healthy, plant based diet is key.