“Food is our most intimate and powerful connection to each other, to our cultures, and to the earth, and to transform our food system is to take one giant step towards healing our bodies, our economy, and our environment.”
-HEAL Food Alliance
My Mission
The food system is responsible for 80% of deforestation, 70% of freshwater withdrawals, 34% of GHG emissions, 30% of energy use, and most nitrogen and phosphorus pollution (which can lead to dead zones).
The number one risk factor for death and disability is what we eat (or don’t eat).
We slaughter 108 billion animals for food every 18 months (not including fish). That’s nearly the same number of human beings who’ve ever lived on planet Earth.
More than half of the workers in agriculture and meatpacking are immigrants making unlivable wages, working in unsafe conditions, and unable to speak up due to fear of deportation.
The food system is built upon stolen land and wages. If African Americans had been paid $20 per week for labor on farms, they would have over six trillion dollars right now.
Demand for animal protein, reckless changes in agricultural land use, shifts in the food supply, and climate change are all human-mediated factors driving the emergence of zoonotic diseases (like COVID-19).
It’s clear that the food system is contributing to widespread suffering. But I believe it’s possible to create a more equitable, sustainable, healthful, and humane food system, and I want to help build it.
My Career (and life) at a Glance
I was a nationally competitive bodybuilder from 1996-2001.
I have an undergraduate degree (BS) in exercise science from the University of Northern Colorado.
I have two graduate degrees (MS/MA) from Kent State University. One in nutrition. One in exercise physiology.
I completed my training to become a registered dietitian (RD) at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
I studied sustainable food systems at Columbia University in the Executive Education Program.
I’m a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200).
I had my first book published in 2011 — Drop the Fat Act and Live Lean.
I’ve worked with over 3,500 clients/students in the past 15 years.
I was an expert/medical reviewer for Insider.
I’ve worked in school lunch and after-school cooking programs.
I was a coach, writer, and contributor at Precision Nutrition for over a decade.
I was an Adjunct Instructor at SUNY Purchase between 2018 to 2022.
I’ve accumulated over 1000 hours volunteering on sustainable farms and with non-profit food recovery organizations.
I’ve taught over 300 hours of trauma-sensitive yoga at Silver Hill Hospital.
I’ve been an Assistant Professor in the School of Health Sciences at Regis College since 2022.
I play a sports nutritionist in the upcoming film Challengers
Finally, I have an amazing support system, including my family and my wife (who is also a phenomenal actress…and remember, film and TV help shape societal norms).
