When Vanessa Sardi was a drug rep for one of the world's largest and most powerful pharmaceutical companies, she firmly believed that she was educating doctors to make better prescribing decisions and was helping patients live healthier, more comfortable lives.
Vanessa had gone into the medical field resolved to help people with heart disease, inspired by the loss of her beloved grandfather in her early teens. Armed with a masters in cardiovascular physiology, she threw herself into cardio rehab and fell in love with the field, her colleagues, and her patients.
When the clinic folded due to insurance reimbursement changes, Vanessa moved on to pharmaceutical sales. As a long-time dancer and member of the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad, the Saintsations, she had the prerequisite “pharma rep looks” to go along with her deep expertise in biology and medicine. And as she learned the art of the sale, she quickly rose to become the second most successful US rep in the company.
And then she watched Forks Over Knives and everything changed.
The scales fell away from her eyes, and Vanessa suddenly saw the truth behind the pharma marketing machine. Drugs treated symptoms, they didn't cure diseases. Doctors managed illness, and didn't really know how to make people better.
When Vanessa contracted Guillain-Barré Syndrome from a flu shot, she didn't stop believing in vaccines. She was just one of the few unlucky ones, she assumed. The rest of us would still benefit. But once she began to question the pharma party line, she saw mountains of evidence linking vaccines to all manner of ill health.
Vanessa quit the industry, re-schooled herself as a transformational health coach and graduate of Wellness Forum Health and e-Cornell's Program in Plant-based Nutrition, and reinvented herself – all while staying true to her initial passion for heart health.
In our conversation, we covered:
- her struggles with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating
- dealing with food addiction through mindfulness
- surviving her abusive grandmother and loving the grandfather who wasn't strong enough to protect her
- working at a cardio rehab center
- the life of a professional NFL cheerleader
- getting
trainedbrainwashed as a pharma sales rep - pulling back the curtain on pharma's marketing BS
- how to distort statistics to hoodwink doctors
- why doctors don't catch on to pharma's misleading tactics
- watching Forks Over Knives in 2014 and going plant-based overnight (literally)
- from pharma rep to farmer's rep – still walking the walk and dressing the part
- how eating whole food, plant-based affected her “fat thoughts” from her disordered eating days
- 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
Vanessa's website: Nutriception.net
Forks Over Knives – the documentary
(T. Colin Campbell's e-Cornell course in Plant-Based Nutrition)
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This Month's Skedaddling Report
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This month's SR is called Sometimes Say Never: How to Avoid Binge Eating and Be at Peace with Food.
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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.
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.
I’d like to know more about that gardening technique you mentioned after the interview.
Hugelkultur! Start here: https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/many-benefits-hugelkultur
Thanks so much for doing this podcast. I have gained so much knowledge and inspiration in my healthy lifestyle journey from your show. Keep up the great job 🙂
P.S.
Just a note to let you know that the link to Vanessa’s website above is incorrect-it should be https://www.nutriception.net/
Thanks, fixed now!
Hi guys.
Thanks for a great podcast.
It seems you got the address of Vanessa’s site misspelled, both here on this site and in the show notes of the podcast.
I believe it’s nutriception.net instead of .com. The last one just looks weird 🙂
Thanks, fixed!
Her experience with the flu vaccine raises concern for me particularly as a parent. I was hoping she would share more about confidence or concerns with vaccines. Has she written anything about this?
I’m not sure. Check out her website, Nutriception.net. Also, for those interested in the science behind the pros and cons of vaccination (and not just the knee-jerk “vaccines are good and how dare you question them?” reaction), Wellness Forum Health of Columbus, Ohio has lots of balanced information. http://wellnessforumhealth.com.