We were hired once more by Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet Immersions. This sixth retreat for employees of Whole Foods Market was the first program we were involved with where some slots were opened up for the general public. Up until this time all the participants were Whole Foodies and spoke the language of their working environment. We love the Whole Foods people and love working with them. However, we also loved having some members of the public also added to the mix. The experience ended up being a huge benefit to everybody involved and continued on from this point. The general public participants walked away with an increased respect for Whole Foods Markets as a company. After all, what other company out there is paying for their employees to be treated to a week of health education, exercise and dining on low fat plant based cuisine? And, it is all expenses paid! Whole Foods Market does this because they value their employees! They realize that 80% of their healthcare dollars are being spent on 20% of their employees and so the answer to them is obvious; Help the 20% with the worst health problems to become healthy. We hope that Whole Foods Market is blazing a trail that the rest of corporate america will choose to follow!
This retreat returned to the Austin area but a new locale was found. The new locale called the Retreat at Balcones Springs is located outside of Marble Falls Texas and is a wonderful facility for such events. The personel there treated us like special guests and made us all feel welcome! The environment was peaceful and serene. There is nothing like the sites and sounds of nature to assist in the healing process. And, these retreats are very healing! We have seen MANY people break their addictions to caffeine, cigarettes, processed junk foods and high fat animal foods at these events. They walk away in less then a week feeling better than they could remember feeling since their teenage years.
People wonder why we would close up the Medical Practice for a week and endure a time of income reduction in order to serve people that we don't have never met. The answer is simple; Our payment is in seeing their lives changed for the better and knowing that we have been able to be a part of it! We leave these retreats exhaused, but it is a HAPPY tired! There is nothing like the thrill of seeing participants crying tears of joy because they have discovered how to be free from the costly, and inconvenient medications with side effects. Many people have been told by their Physicians that they will have to remain on these medications for the rest of their lives. We hope these people will return to their physicians to demonstrate to them the power of the low fat plant based diet.
Dr. Carney provides a letter for each of the participants and their Physician outlining what the program has been and showing before and after numbers. This is a tool that should serve two purposes. First it is a huge encouragement, and a reminder, to the partipants about how quickly, and how deliciously their health improved. Secondly it is an educational tool to help their Physicians to have an open mind to the idea of using food as medicine!