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Jim Gray on Defeating Genetics Through Diet: PYP 169

jim-grayJim Gray (middle of the photo) knew that he had been dealt a lousy health hand when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure at the tender age of 18. At that point, he was in good shape, a high school athlete, muscular and lean at six feet tall and weighing under 200 pounds.

Jim's health continued to deteriorate, even as he stayed active as a firefighter. From one prescription medication for hypertension to four meds a day. Then adding the obligatory meds to control his high cholesterol. And all the time, never suspecting that the three-times-a-day Standard American Diet was the culprit.

Eventually, Jim succumbed to debilitating migraines; three-day affairs that recurred twice a year at first, and then increased in frequency until he was laid up roughly every ten days. And that was the final straw, and the impetus for Jim to try something – anything – to relieve that pain and disability.

In our conversation, Jim and I covered:

  • the ever-increasing and unsuccessful pharmaceutical strategy to control his migraines
  • the spiral of ill-health triggered by pain and disability
  • his family history of heart disease
  • the epically wrong advice doled out by his doctors
  • the small steps of eliminating nitrates and MSG, and how much and how little they helped
  • Jim's reaction to the Engine 2 Diet (“No way: I like bacon too much”)
  • his first 28-day challenge, and what convinced him to give it a try
  • the zero-migraine zone, and his surprise and delight
  • the surprising variety that Jim discovered during the Engine 2 challenge
  • how he and his wife and kids navigated the transition to plant-based eating
  • the hardest thing to give up (hint: “mooo”)
  • their increased ethical awareness of animal welfare (and how it blossomed naturally once the behavioral barrier was removed)
  • winning the lottery for the Chicago marathon, and becoming a runner
  • the unbelievable reaction of his doctors (maybe it's depressingly believable – I dunno)
  • Jim's influence over other firefighters
  • “selling” the diet and its health effects to his extended family
  • and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

The Engine 2 Diet book

Proteinaholic the Audiobook (unrelated to the podcast, but still exciting to me)

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Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons
  • Kim Harrison
  • Lynn McLellan
  • Anthony Dissen
  • Brittany Porter
  • Dominic Marro
  • Elizabeth Clifton
  • Barbara Whitney
  • Tammy Black
  • Amy Good
  • Amanda Hatherly
  • Mary Jane Wheeler
  • Ellen Kennelly
  • Melissa Cobb
  • Rachel Behrens
  • Christine Nielsen
  • Tina Scharf
  • Tina Ahern
  • Jen Vilkinofsky
  • David Byczek
  • Michele X
  • Elspeth Feldman
  • Viktoriya Dolomanova
  • Leah Stolar
for your generous support of the podcast.
Also, many thanks to the generous folks who reviewed the podcast on iTunes! Here are four recent reviews:

Superb… intelligent…thought provoking

in iTunes by Val Ferg from UK on August 17, 2016

I have listened to several of these podcast episodes now, and have been bowled over by what I have learnt. My whole perspective on changing to a plant based way of eating is becoming clearer. Howard J. is so incisive in the way he interviews his guests. This is such a balance between intelligent, science-based information and down to earth guidance for every day improvement of one's health. I can't thank you enough, Mr Jacobson, for this consistently excellent podcast.

One of the Best Plant-Based Podcasts Available!

in iTunes by AnthonyDissen from USA on August 12, 2016

This has been one of the greatest podcasts I have subscribed to, and especially in the realm of plant-based nutrition. Howard is fantastic, and he brings on such incredible guests. I look forward to this every week!

Great podcast! Thoughtful questions, good guests

in iTunes by MindquakeNZ from New Zealand on August 10, 2016

I really enjoy this podcast. Very thoughtful questions, interesting guests, good production quality. Thank you!

Brilliant interviewer!

in iTunes by Mekenzie Peck from USA on July 26, 2016

I look forward to my walk each morning as I select my podcast and take Howard and his guest along! I don't know how to do him (Howard Jocboson) justice with my words in this review, except to say, “brilliant”! Thank you Howard!


Thanks, y'all!

Announcements

I'm thrilled to announce that Proteinaholic the Book has been turned into Proteinaholic the Audiobook. This must mean that Proteinaholic the Movie and Proteinaholic the Video Game and Proteinaholic the Theme Park can't be far behind. I personally can't wait to experience Gastric Bypass the Roller Coaster!

The reader, Corey Snow, does an amazing job. He really channels Dr Garth's passion and outrage and humor with his voice.

Also, Proteinaholic the Book First Edition, which lacked an index, has been replaced on store shelves with Proteinaholic the Book Second Edition, which sports an index. And its younger sibling, Proteinaholic the Paperback, has just been released. O happy day! Check 'em out on amazon.

In non-Proteinaholic news, check out my online TV show, Triangle Be Well. This week I take off, so catch a rerun (I mean “special rebroadcast”) from a prior week.

I can help you navigate the medical system and adopt a healthy lifestyle

I'm available for one-on-one consulting and coaching to help you navigate the medical system, make informed decisions, take control of your health destiny, and achieve true wellness and not just medical management of disease.

Ask your questions or share your feedback

Comment on the show notes for this episode (below)
Call 919-794-3735 to leave a voicemail
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Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Disclosure

This post may contain amazon affiliate links. I may receive amazon gift certificates from your actions on such links.

Dr Howie Jacobson

This podcast is a labor of love and a way to give back to the world that has given me so much. That's why there aren't any sponsors (except me :).

My day job is helping leaders and their teams master their mindsets to remove all obstacles to heart-centered high performance.

Here are three gigs that I do:

1. Executive and Senior Leadership Mentoring and Facilitation

I work with high performing executive teams in organizations — and executive teams that need to become high  performing. My focus is mindset mastery, because it’s our mindsets that either support high performance or get in the way.

At this level, everyone’s got the skills and experience to excel and contribute at the highest level. What holds people back is mindset stuff: specifically the triggers that get them out of creative engagement and into fight-or-flight defensiveness.

My practice is all about teaching people to respond differently to those triggers by updating old maps — essentially removing the glitches that the triggers grab onto.

2. Executive Coaching: Quick Wins for High Performance

I work with individual executives and leaders, one on one. The program is called Quick Wins for High Performance, and what we do is, we work strategically on one or two areas that are holding you back and keeping you from performing at your best.

We reverse engineer the presenting problems — too much work and not enough time, underperforming employees and teams, maddening organizational inefficiencies, etc — and identify and rewire the suboptimal mindsets that are behind those problems.

The work is all about updating your mental maps so your actions and responses are always appropriate, proportionate, and strategic.

3. High Stakes Conversations for Fast Growing Small Business Teams

I help small business teams have high stakes conversations with skill, humor, and grace. When people feel safe, they can do their best, most creative, most collaborative work.

So that's what I do. If you'd like any of those results, drop me a line and tell me about yourself.

You CAN Change Other People!

Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.

What we really mean is, you can bring out the best in the people around you. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.

Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.

 

Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.

Disclosure

This post may contain amazon affiliate links. I may receive compensation from your actions on such links. It don't cost you a dime, tho.

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