The Rich Roll Podcast

Beyond the chiseled arms and imposing six-foot six physique, the thing you notice most about this week's guest is his smile — a smile the size of Texas that only hints at the even bigger heart within. But John Lewis wasn't always the exemplary model of health and advocacy he is today. Tipping the scales at 315 pounds by his freshman year in high school, things could have easily gone sideways for this young man growing up in Ferguson, Missouri. But instead of drugs and gangs, he turned to sports, finding solace and refuge in basketball and football. Honing his skills in both high school and college helped him ditch his fat kid image and triggered his life-long love for healthy living. Nonetheless, John began experiencing some serious, negative health issues despite maintaining an athletic nature post-college. He sought medical advice and was informed that excessive animal protein consumption just might be the culprit. That advice, combined with his mother's colon cancer diagnosis, catalyzed an experiment with