076: Semper Fi the Vegan Way (Dennis Jones)

How does one go from a high performing Marine to a morbidly obese Type II diabetic to being mistaken for a sumo wrestler by a young boy to losing 180 pounds, finding their life’s work as a Diabetes Lifestyle Coach & Food for Life Instructor? Dennis Jones has done this and more.

Growing up in rural America, Dennis saw a concerning part of America that some people overlooked. When his family moved into the city and provided him with a private school education, he still saw the ravages of poor health across the economic and social spectrum.

He started his career as a Health & Life Insurance broker, working with individuals and organizations to develop health insurance solutions with cost containment strategies.

Over time, he realized that cost containment was more than just financial. After leaving the US Marines, Dennis’ health began to decline. His weight jumped to nearly 350 pounds, and he developed high blood pressure and cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes.

Despite becoming vegetarian and losing weight for about a year, the lack of structure and guidance led him back to his old ways.

A few years later, he nearly suffered a heart attack and was told he needed a double stent or bypass surgery. Neither option was ideal, and Dennis faced taking medications and making a significant lifestyle change.

One day, while looking for a healthy plant-based restaurant, he discovered GreenFare, an educational restaurant offering organic, whole food, plant-based meals. There, he saw a flyer for the Barnard Medical Center and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and on the spot, he signed up for the 21-day challenge to improve his health outcomes.

Having faced his own mortality, Dennis woke up to making drastic changes. Under the guidance of Dr. James Loomis and Nutritionist Susan Levin, his life changed. He explored lifestyle management strategies built on evidence-based medical research and studied as a Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN).

From there, he became a certified Food & Lifestyle Coach and Food for Life (FFL) Instructor through the PCRM, and he has not looked back since.

He got his numbers in check and eliminated his diabetes medications. Today, he teaches, coaches, and speaks about food because of a deep desire to improve people’s health and quality of life.

As a FFL Instructor, he teaches whole food plant[1]based cooking, and shows people how they can eat healthy for $50 per week. He provides both one-on-one and group coaching.

Because of his own health journey, his practice focus is on diabetes & heart disease food and lifestyle management. Working under the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association, he also moderates a diabetes peer support group for the Barnard Medical Center, and speaks about motivational and lifestyle changes. Dennis is also a disabled Veteran of the US Marine Corps.

Visit his website at http://www.coursecorrection.us.

Instagram: @binjones07

PCRM website: https://www.pcrm.org/ good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/ffl/instructors/ dennis-jones