Born and raised in New York State, he soon left the city life to head west and follow his passion for horses. For several decades he was chief instructor at the Arizona Cowboy College in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has trained more than 1,000 students in the physical and mental aspects of cowboy life. When he isn't busy working with students, he is also a professional horse trainer, gives clinics in Total Horsemanship and Equine & Rider Safety and trains ranch horses. He even got his 15 minutes of fame as lead instructor in the CMT hit series Coyboy U for several seasons. Rocco has been many things, but one thing never changed - he loved meat.
Until he met Dr. Oz, that is.
Dr. Oz (for those of you who don't know) was a featured health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” for over five seasons before getting his own show. On September 24, Dr Oz invited Rocco to be his guest.
Dr. Oz asked the 53yr old, 265lb cowboy to define a "meat and potatoes" man. Rocco replied, "There nothing green on my plate". What was on his plate? The 2.5 POUNDS of saturated fat that he ate every week. The visual of seeing that much fat was pretty alarming. What was even more alarming were Rocco's bloodwork numbers as shown on the "Truth Tube".
Weight: 265 pounds.
Waist size: 49 inches.
Hemoglobin A1C: 9% (diabetics need to have this number less than 7),
Blood Glucose: 172 (as Dr Oz said: "You're not borderline anything, you're just a diabetic")
HDL Cholesterol: 33 (Normal is 40-50, less than 40 puts you at risk for heart disease)
BMI: 37 (Anything over 30 is considered obese)
CT Artery Scan: 97 percentile for plaque buildup. He had the heart of an 85yr old man.
The truth hurt.
Although Rocco may have felt perfectly fine, he was actually very sick. He had Type II Diabetes, was obese, and was at serious risk for developing Heart Disease - the number 1 killer in America. Rocco needed some intervention. He needed help from: The Enforcer. Otherwise known as Dr. Michael Roizen.
The solution? Rocco, the meat eating cowboy, was about to go VEGAN!
For the next 28 days, Rocco was assigned to a strict Vegan diet. No meat. No dairy. No eggs. Instead, lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and seeds.
The result? After just 28 days - here are Rocco's new numbers.
Weight: 235 pounds (a loss of 30)
Waist size: 43 inches (a loss of 6")
Hemoglobin A1C: 7.7% (not perfect - but definitely better)
Blood Glucose: 99 (wow)
HDL Cholesterol: 45 (double wow)
Rocco was able to stop taking 2 out of his 3 prescriptions!
Just after 28 days. Look closely, Rocco reversed his Type 2 Diabetes. He also cut his risk of cardiovascular disease. And he stopped taking several of his prescription, with all their side effects.
How is that possible? You can't reverse diabetes! You have to take medication for high cholesterol, and high blood sugar! My Doctor said I'd be taking it for the rest of my life! He should be taking insulin!
This is what we have always believed. But as I have said, over, and over, and over again. Most of what we have always believed to be true - usually isn't true at all.
When you start to eat healthy, giving the body what it needs. It will heal itself.
You can heal yourself. Believe it.
So how is Rocco doing now?
Rocco now walks 12,000 steps a day--keeping track with a pedometer. He quit using his ATV and truck to get around his ranch. To get in his 12,000 "steps" he now gets out of the house at 5:30 am, instead of the usual 9:00 am.
Before the diet he was on 3 different medications--but he after only 28 days he was able to come off of 2 of these, one for cholesterol, and one for his diabetes.
His blood sugar is now in the normal range--99--down from 172.
His acid-reflux is gone!
Although he was supposed to re-introduce meat in week 4, after eating some meatloaf, he didn't find it as satisfying. "I figure I will stay way from anything with a face or legs for a few more weeks at least." Dr. Roizen recommends doing it slowly, only 2-3 ounces twice a week.
"Old Rocco" used to eat meat at every meal. The "New Rocco" now eats 5-7 times a day choosing from nuts, seeds, soy protein, vegetables and fruit.
He's never hungry! He learned that when he eats the amount of food the size of his palm--he isn't hungry any more--and that he just eats again 2 to 3 hours later.
He now eats more times a day than he did as a meat-eater, but at the end of the day he's consumed less calories, and can lose weight.
The first 7 days were the hardest. "I had to retrain myself to wait for my stomach to tell my brain I was hungry. Previously, I let my brain tell my stomach when to eat."
Rocco says that changing his diet isn't anything that he couldn't have done by himself, but the fact that he had the "hands on" support and prodding from Dr. Roizen upped his odds. Besides, he had the pressure of millions of viewers counting on him, wanting to be inspired by his win!
Everything feels different, as if a huge weight has been lifted off of me. -- If I can do it, anyone can. -- You've literally kick-started my life, and I have the opportunity of a lifetime!
“Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food” – Hippocrates.
The title of the documentary is Food Matters. The focus of the film is in helping us rethink the belief systems fed to us by our modern medical and health care establishments. The interviewees point out that not every problem requires costly, major medical attention and reveal many alternative therapies that can be more effective, more economical, less harmful and less invasive than conventional medical treatments.
The problem is - we don't want to change. And we don't want to think for ourselves.
We'd rather believe what our authority figures tell us. We believe our parents, our doctors, our government. We believe the deceptions handed out by the mass media. We believe what we see on the news and what we read in our newspapers and magazines. We will believe anyone and anything, as long as we don't have to do anything, besides maybe take another pill.
We want to continue to eat the way we have always eaten. We want our fried foods, our steak and bacon, our milk, and especially our sugar. As long as what we see, hear, or read, conforms to what we already believe, without taking us out of our comfort zones, we are happy. We're very sick - but we're also happy.
This site is all about the Magic of Believing. The point of this article is to just be careful who and what you believe. Because most people do not realize just how badly they are being fooled. And - sadly enough - it's all because of money.
To illustrate the point, I was thumbing through one of my wife's women's magazines. This is a major publication that boasts some 22 million readers. To say that they have an influence on young women and young mothers is probably an understatement. So imagine my surprise when I flipped the page and found the following ad:
Make The Right Choice
The ad was comparing Kellogg's Pop Tarts to Pilsbury's Toaster Strudel. The tag line says, "Kellogg's Pop Tarts, always baked, never fried", implying that their baked pastries are better for you, and your children, than their competitor's fried pastries. They even list some of the nutritional information, to help you make the right choice.
Kelloggs
Pilsbury
Total fat
5g
8g
Sat Fat
1.5g
3.5g
Trans Fat
0g
1g
Cholesterol
0mg
5mg
Vitamins & Minerals
7
0
Seems pretty obvious doesn't it? I mean through the media, we have heard how bad Trans Fat and Cholesterol is for you. The Kellogg's product is purely the healthiest choice. And it even has 7 Vitamins and Minerals!
However...........................Kellogg's fails to mention their actual ingredients in the ad.
Ingredients such as flour, corn syrup (sugar), high fructose corn syrup (more sugar), dextrose (also a sugar), vegetable oil, soybean oil (soybeans and corn are the two most genetically modified crops grown in the US), Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil (with TBHQ and Citric Acid for Freshness - Less than 0.5 g Trans Fat per Serving), and of course....more sugar.
Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil is a trans fat. Even though they list their Trans Fats as 0mg, there is some included in their product. Since the amount of trans fat is less than 1g, the FDA allows the packaging to read 0g, which is clearly false and misleading. TBHQ is a preservative used to prevent oils from going rancid - meaning a longer shelf life. It is also a form of butane (think lighter fluid) that the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food. A number of studies have shown that prolonged exposure to TBHQ may induce carcinogenity. And Citric Acid? Citric acid is the active ingredient in some bathroom and kitchen cleaning solutions.
The point is - neither of these two processed frankenfoods is healthy. But unknowing moms will gladly give this product to their children, thinking they are making "the right choice". Keep giving this stuff to your kids and yes, your doctor will stay alive, and in business.
The magazine was just full of junk food ads, and I soon found another comparison:
Cool Whip uses hydrogenated oils (thanks to the media - we recognize that word now and know that it's bad for us) but Reddi Whip uses real dairy cream. Easy choice. Right?
Looking at the list of ingredients for Reddi Whip we see, sure enough - Cream. Also - Nonfat Milk, Corn Syrup, Sugar, and Mono and Diglycerides - wait a minute. What are Mono and Diglycerides? Fat. Hydrogenated fats. Trans fats. They just use the Mono and Diglyceride name to confuse use. They are really no better than cool whip. More misleading information suckering you into buying their products.
Ask Your Doctor if Dying is Right For You
Besides the junk food ads and sugar laden, sweet desert recipes, the magazine was also full of drug ads. No surprise. After eating all of this sugary, processed junk - we will need some drugs - sooner or later - to counteract the sickness and disease that eating this way will cause.
Have a Migraine? Take (drug name deleted) because it is superior to all the other drugs in relieving migraine pain. In fact, you can get up to $50 off your first prescription by calling now! What a deal!
Just remember, with all prescription drugs, there may be side effects. And we are all encouraged to report negative side effects to the FDA - that is, if you are able. You see, (drug name deleted) may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, serious stomach and intestinal problems such as bleeding and ulcers, and serious rash that may be FATAL and OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.
Hold on - if I understand that warning correctly, by taking this drug, I may die?!? And without warning?!? Plop?!
As John Stossel would say - Give Me a Break!
Another ad - this time for a popular feminine cream - "to help relieve dryness and painful intercourse" - especially after menopause (I did say it was a Women's Magazine). Again, you can get $15 off your prescription by going to their website. Such a sweet deal.
Of course there are side effects. There are always side effects.
Breast cancer, stroke, blood clots, gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cancer of the uterus, heart attack, dementia, ovarian cancer, and liver problems. Some of the warning signs of these 'serious' side effects include: breast lumps, dizziness and faintness, changes in speech, chest pain, vomitting, yellowing of the skin, changes in vision, and severe headaches. (hey - we can just take that other pill for the migraines).
Is that ridiculous? Would YOU take these drugs? The sad thing is - people ARE asking their doctors if these drugs are 'right for them'. In fact, many people actually demand these drugs, because they saw them advertised in their magazines, or on their TV shows. They actually believe they NEED this drug or that one.
Wake Up People
Americans are getting sicker and sicker. As they said in the trailer, heart disease is going up, stroke is going up, cancer rates are going up, diabetes rates are going up. Even our children are getting sicker, and fatter.
But - as Andrew Saul says in the trailer - It's a choice- You Don't Have to Be Sick!
The answer?
We KNOW the answer.
Want to know what's wrong? Look down at your plate - it's staring back up at you. It's all the junk we are putting in our mouths.
The ironic thing is, if we changed the food we ate - we probably wouldn't need the pharmaceuticals.
We have been led to believe that we eat for taste alone. This is simply not true. We eat to replace the vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that our body uses up on a day to day basis. But most of the junk foods we eat have no vitamins, nutrients, or minerals. It's all been processed out. And so we get sicker, and take more drugs, and sicker, and take more drugs....
We can stop this mess of disease and sickness. We can even avoid the mass hysteria of the Swine Flu Virus. Bur first - we need to get healthy.
And that - getting healthy - all depends on the food we eat. Because - as we know:
There are just certain things that you don't talk about. Religion, Politics, and especially.... Food. It seems that everyone has an opinion when it comes to food. Eat this, don't eat that, and for Pete's sake, you have to eat your meat! You may have voted for the other guy, or belong to a different church, but that's ok, people will usually forgive you. I mean, hey - we're all different - right? But oh my God, tell someone you're a vegetarian and watch the sparks fly.
I know. I became a vegetarian almost a year ago. My friends thought it was funny at first. But after awhile, when they saw I was serious about sticking to it, they became concerned. It's really kinda funny, and ironic in a way. They are genuinely concerned about my health, usually my protein intake, and at the same time they are munching on a Carl's Jr $6 dollar gutbuster and fries.
Uh guys - you're worried about MY health?
So why Vegetarian. Why No Meat.
The American Dietetic Association states that Vegetarians:
have lower rates of death from heart disease
have lower blood cholesterol levels
have lower blood pressure
have lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer
are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese
are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease
have a 40 percent lower cancer rate than that of meat-eaters
meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegans are
have stronger immune systems
are less susceptible to everyday illnesses like the flu
and that we live, on average, six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters
The consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products has also been strongly linked to osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, asthma, and male impotence.
Enough reasons? I haven't even discussed the fact that the majority of meat you buy in the supermarket is factory farmed. This isn't grandpa's farm we're talking about here with chickens running around the courtyard. This is mass production. Look up factory farms on YouTube. What you see will shock you. These poor animals are literally tortured. They live in very unhealthy environments, usually with no space to even move around, never seeing the light of day, eating a diet of corn, antibiotics, and artificial growth stimulants. They are bred for one single purpose. To grow as quickly and as cheaply as they can - so you can eat it. Mmmm.
My co-workers and I had a discussion about this last week. I said, "How old do you think that chicken was, that you ate for dinner last night? " Their answer was 1-2 years? Not even close. In today's factory farms, a broiler chicken is raised from baby chick to slaughter weight in just 39 days. The average life expectancy of a chicken today is just 6 weeks. They grow so fast and so heavy, many of them cannot even stand up. They're not even called chickens anymore, they are now 'units'. A sellable product, just for you.
Another question I get asked often is:
So What's Difference Between a Vegetarian and a Vegan?
Today there are just too many categories of Vegetarians to list them all. Some eat Dairy, some eat Eggs, some eat Fish, some eat just Fruits, and some even have an occaisonal piece of chicken or steak. But Vegans are at the opposite side of the scale, they make it simple. They eat no animal products at all - period.
And there's a new trend that is rapidly growing amongst the larger cities. Raw Vegans. Raw Foodists as they are sometimes called are basically the same as Vegans - only they don't cook their food. Cooking your food above a temperature of 118 deg F kills the enzymes. They are no longer considered a 'live' food. It's dead, like that piece of meat you just ate. Raw Foodists, or Live Foodists, only eat foods that are still alive and full of energy. Their staples are:
Raw vegetables
Raw fruits
Raw nuts
and raw seeds
Also, nuts and seeds are soaked in water, to activate the enzymes to begin sprouting. Once a seed or nut begins to sprout, it truly is a 'live' food.
So You've Been Doing This For a Year Now - How Are You Doing?
I've been 'dieting' if you want to call it that for several years now. When I ran my own business, and had easy access to all the fast food restaurants around me, I balooned to over 225lbs. I felt terrible and was tired all the time. The pepsi machine inside my store was my own personal supply of energy drinks - just to make it through the day.
I knew I had to do something, so I started the Atkin's diet. I initially lost some weight, but knew that it just wasn't sustainable long term. So after seeing an article on the Internet, I decided to give Vegetarianism a try - just for 30 days. Looking back, I'm sure I went about it completely wrong - but regardless - at the end of 30 days I still noticed a big change. I felt so much better!
Sadly, for whatever reason, after the 30 day trial, (maybe I just wasn't disciplined enough at the time) I soon found myself back to eating my old, comfortable, standard american diet, and guess what. The weight started to come back.
So January 1, 2009 I told my wife I'm going veggie again - permanently. And I did. And I haven't looked back. Yes, I have cheated. But the thing to realize, is that this is not a 'diet' to me. This is a permanent lifestyle change, and it does take time. So never, ever, feel guilty if you have a setback. It's going to happen. And when it does, just start again the next day.
So as far as how I'm doing, one year later, here are some numbers..
Before
Weight 225lbs
Body Mass Index - 31.4 (I was technically obese - anything over 30.0)
Blood Pressure - 152/97
Waist - 36/38
Yesterday
Weight 183.5lbs
Body Mass Index - 25.5 (normal is 18.5 to 24.9)
Blood Pressure - 122/79
Waist - 34/36
As you can see I've lost over 40 pounds. My blood pressure is normal, and my BMI is approaching the 'normal' range.
Just this week I have been adding some elements of the Raw Food Diet into my normal routine. I've replaced my usual breakfast of toast and butter with a green smoothie made from fresh spinach, celery, an apple, and a banana. And I've been sticking to a raw salad for lunch. I guess I would be considered 66% raw. Just in 4 days I've noticed my energy level has more than doubled.
I think ultimately, I'm going to end up a 100% Raw Vegan.
Some of you might say that this is extreme. Maybe. But ask Mimi Kirk, the lady in the video up above. She's been a vegetarian for over 40 years, and a Raw Vegan for the last year and a half. She just won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50 Award. Did you watch the part where she says she was born in 1938? That's right.
She's 71 years old!
While you're looking up Mimi on Google, go ahead and also look up Lillian Muller, the 57 yr old ex-playboy model, or Tom Hairabedian, the 87yr old olympic diver. All Raw Vegans. All looking at least 20 years younger than they actually are.
If you believe in luck, then Morris Goodman truly is a lucky guy.
In March of 1981, Morris was living the life most people could only dream about. He was one of the top insurance salesmen in the country, he had a beautiful wife, owned a big house, and even flew his own plane. And then disaster struck. Morris had taken his new airplane out for a test flight, but upon landing, his landing gear got caught in power lines. He crashed.
“The last thing I remember is the ground coming up. I thought to myself, Well, I’ve had it now… I can’t begin to describe the pain I was in. How bad I hurt. You can’t put it into words.”
His injuries were numerous and horrific. His neck was broken in two places, his diaphragm was destroyed and he couldn’t breathe, his swallowing reflex was destroyed so he could not eat or drink. He also couldn’t talk as his voice box was crushed. Doctors said every muscle in his body was affected by the crash.
“My kidney, bladder, bowel and liver didn’t function. I destroyed pretty much everything in my body,” he says. “All I could do was blink my eyes, once for yes and twice for no. That’s the way I functioned for a long, long time.”
The doctors had said he would never walk, talk, or even breathe on his own again. He could blink, and that’s about it. What would you do if this was you? Just give up? I’m tempted to say I would, I mean what’s the point? Never being able to walk, talk, or even breath on your own? Ever? How depressing. How hopeless.
The Power of Belief
But Morris happened to have an Ace up his sleeve. Goodman decided to use the power of the only thing he had left to fight back with –his mind. Using his eyes to blink and spell letters, he told the hospital staff he would walk out of there under his own power by Christmas.
During the months that followed, Goodman became stronger - in his mind and belief – and with each passing day, one by one the injuries he received in that accident began to heal. He restored health in areas of the body that were believed to be immune to recovery.
The interesting thing here is that he was not only fighting the physical impairments he had sustained - but also the negative beliefs of the very same doctors who had initially saved his life as well. Because no matter how much his body repaired itself, and how amazed the doctors became, they continued to tell him that a full reversal of his injuries was just not possible. But Morris never waivered or gave up hope and continued to insist that he was going to make a complete recovery. And you know what? He did.
Day by day, Morris worked with his Physical Therapist and pushed his body beyond its own limits. He would listen to his favorite motivational speaker, Zig Zigler, throughout the day to keep his mind cleared of any doubt. He had a goal and he was NOT going to fail! That simply was not an option for Morris Goodman. By the time December had arrived, Morris had regained the full use of his voice. he had full body mobility, and he could breathe on his own – all without the help of any type of medical instrument.
On December 25, 1981, Morris Goodman walked out of the hospital under his own power, while the entire hospital staff, in tears of joy and amazement, watched.
Today Morris is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, with clients that include AFLAC, General Motors, and Xerox to name a few. He’s written a book describing his experience, and there’s even a short film made about his life with a special appearance by Zig Ziglar. Morris was also a Guest Teacher in the hit movie, The Secret.
Lessons Learned
The mind is more powerful than you can ever imagine
You have the power to heal yourself
No matter how bad it seems, a positive attitude can work miracles
Health
