The Plant Yourself Podcast Mindfulness, Diversity in Healthcare, and Proceeding with Promise: Lewis Bertus on PYP 608
Lewis Bertus was following medical best practices as a physician's assistant when his wife's illness forced him to take a hard look at the limitations of the healthcare industry.
The drugs weren't helping her type 2 diabetes, no matter how much her doctors insisted that the pharma route was the only responsible one.
So Lewis "did his own research," which can go in all sorts of directions, some of them pretty horrifying.
Fortunately, with his grounding in medicine and his deep spiritual faith, he struck gold.
Once he learned that a whole food, plant-based diet can reverse type 2 diabetes, he devoted himself to spreading the word. And empowering people with the ability to get that diet off the pages of books and the frames of videos into their kitchens, onto their forks, and into their mouths.
In our conversation, we talk about his work as a health coach specializing in diabetes reversal.
We look at various barriers to change: cultural, biochemical, and habitual.
We dive into the primacy of mindfulness as a tool for managing cravings and reducing stress.
We explore the intersection of mindfulness and spiritual practices, and how the "STOP" process can tap into religious beliefs in the service of health.
We also talk about the challenges of addressing health disparities in historically marginalized communities, and the urgent need for diversity in healthcare — patients can see healthcare professionals who "look like them" and have credibility talking about their lives.
Enjoy!