At the age of thirty, my life took a truly unexpected turn. It was a life-altering experience that I would like to share with you. In this book, you will accompany me on my personal journey from skinny to obese to healthy. And when I say healthy, I am not just referring to weight. I am talking about mind, body, and soul.
It is truly extraordinary the way things happen sometimes. Who would have thought that taking a job I really didn’t want with a company I didn’t fully understand would be one of the best decisions of my life—second only to marrying my beautiful wife, Iris.
In October 2012, I became an employee of Whole Foods Market. It wasn’t long before I found out about the great perks of working for “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store.” In addition to discounts on food (which can be very helpful to those who often struggle to make ends meet, as I had been struggling at the time), Whole Foods Market offered an all-expense-paid health retreat to its fulltime employees who might benefit from it. At first, the trip sounded like some type of baptism—and, in a way, it was. Unlike that religious ceremony, however, this program was focused on rediscovering yourself, determining who you would like to be, and finding a way to become that person successfully. It aimed to teach you how to eat healthfully and live healthfully.
Imagine going to a luxury resort at a tropical location for seven days to learn from the best doctors, trainers, nutritionists, and chefs, all while enjoying fun exercise on the beach every morning. That was exactly the gift Whole Foods Market gave to me. In October of 2013, one year after I’d started work, I boarded a plane and flew to Naples, Florida, to attend Dr. Stoll’s Immersion program. This singular experience would change the trajectory of my entire life. Thanks to this book, you may now join me as I walk you through the same program. Step by step, I will share with you everything I did to attain my amazing results. From dealing with the emotional trauma to fighting through the withdrawal stage, you will be given an inside look at every aspect of the experience.
With the help of Dr. Scott Stoll, I will introduce you to the exact seven-day immersion process I followed. In fact, Dr. Stoll will personally take you through the ins and outs of his immersion program, detailing information that is sure to help you finally achieve the health goals you’ve been struggling to reach. Together we will show you how to apply this wonderful lifestyle to your everyday routine in a very practical way. From grocery shopping and cooking to exercising and staying motivated, you will be granted unprecedented access.
By sharing some of my most vulnerable and personal moments, I hope to teach others two very important facts. The first is that you are not alone. There are millions of people in this world who are all suffering from the same affliction. Obesity has grown at an alarming rate. The second is that you can change. At my heaviest, I remember feeling hopeless. I did not think I could change. Change seemed like a pipe dream. I had resolved that I, just like my mother before me and her mother before her, was destined to be obese. I had also assumed that the afflictions present throughout my family’s history—afflictions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease—were now my burdens as well. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
As you will soon learn, the food we consume on a daily basis is a powerful force, and not only because it quite literally provides fuel for the body. It is a powerful force because of its ability to fight the progression or even onset of disease. When you eat a whole food, plant-based diet, your body receives all the nutrients it requires to operate at its optimal level. It took me over fifteen years to realize I couldn’t out-train a bad diet. I had to begin eating for my health as well.
If you are reading this now and thinking that your personal struggles might be too big to overcome, or that your health is too far gone to repair, I would challenge you to allow yourself to follow The Change and see what happens. What I thought was going to be just another lucky on-the-job bonus—a free vacation—turned out to be a transformative event. Dr. Stoll and I now invite you to immerse yourself in the following information and become The Change.