#150: Paul Young - This Firefighter Responded to His Own 911 Alarm Call with Plants
Paul saved his life so that he could save the lives of others
Paul Young is a hero. He's a husband, father of three, and has been a firefighter in Southern California for 17 years. He LOVES his life and his job.
Imagine his surprise when he had his annual firefighting physical and received results that frightened him: 243 total cholesterol, 173 LDL, and a heart calcium score of 104, which put him in the 90th percentile in his age for a cardiac event.
As Paul says, he thought he was healthy and had dabbled with whole-food plant-based nutrition but, after thoughtful consideration, realized he was still consuming too many processed foods, cheese, seafood, and wasn't "all-in."
Earlier this year, Paul went ALL IN and, in just a few short weeks, the results astonished even his Doctor. It inspired Paul to reach out to Rip.
Paul graciously shares his story with Rip, his "why" wanting to improve his health, his doctor’s reaction when those follow-up tests came back, and what this means for his life and his family now. I can promise you - there’s no turning back for this firefighting brother who ditched the meat-and-potato firehouse culture for tofu and broccoli!
In fact, he’s so jazzed about his health and vitality that he recently paddled 22 miles from Catalina Island to California with friends and family! PLANTSTRONG, baby!
Episode Timestamps
6:00 Rip introduces Paul
11:14 Almost 90% of his calls are medical calls and not fires!
13:10 What happened at his annual fire department physical?
15:07 Why he didn't want to take statins
16:21 The pitfalls of moderation
17:30 The results speak for themselves!
21:30 Feeling empowered and in control, despite family history
22:50 A day in the life of Paul's diet
25:00 Reactions from the firehouse and the family
28:45 What happened when he found out his white blood cell count was low
31:15 What's next for this firefighting athlete?
35:40 Paul's advice for fellow firefighters
Episode Resources
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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0
Full YouTube Transcript
Rip Esselstyn:
Hey, gang. I just saw this fun review of our show on Apple Podcasts from Trisha Gray. It reads, "I had the pleasure of meeting Rip at a PLANTSTRONG immersion retreat earlier this year. I love this podcast because it keeps me inspired and I always learn so much. The enthusiasm Rip brings to plant-based eating is contagious and he makes veganism cool." Well, thanks, Trisha. That's very, very kind of you. We had a blast during our week in Black Mountain together. If I remember correctly, you even sang a song during the talent show that was an absolute hit. I am super glad that the podcast is keeping you on track.
Rip Esselstyn:
Speaking of our PLANTSTRONG immersion retreats, our next event is this October in Sedona, Arizona. If any of you have ever wondered what it's like to join one of our retreats, 99% of our attendees agree, they are absolutely life transforming. I would invite you to come learn, laugh, and grow with us this fall as we enjoy bountiful buffets of PLANTSTRONG foods, we're going to go hiking among the Red Rocks together, we're going to tell ghost stories by the bonfire, and we're going to get answers to all of your questions from our team of world class experts. Learn more at plantstrong.com/sedona.
Paul Young:
When I was in that CT scan machine, I'm going, "Wow. I'm just like one of my patients. I don't want to be like that." But what's been amazing is I feel so empowered now. Your health is completely in your control, and I didn't realize that before.
Rip Esselstyn:
I'm Rip Esselstyn and welcome to the PLANTSTRONG podcast. The mission at PLANTSTRONG is to further the advancement of all things within the plant-based movement. We advocate for the scientifically proven benefits of plant-based living and envision a world that universally understands, promotes, and prescribes plants as the solution to empowering your health, enhancing your performance, restoring the environment, and becoming better guardians to the animals we share this planet with. We welcome you, wherever you are on your PLANTSTRONG journey. I hope that you enjoy this show.
Rip Esselstyn:
For those of you that are just tuning in to the PLANTSTRONG podcast and for whatever reason, don't know my backstory, I spent 12 years as a firefighter for the City of Austin, Texas Fire Department. Before that, I spent a 12 year stint as a professional triathlete. Now, one of my biggest passions is to rescue the health of our everyday heroes. I'm talking about first responders like my fellow firefighters, police, EMS, those individuals who are tasked with saving the lives of others. So I love it when an email comes across my desk from a fellow firefighter who was heard of my story and become motivated to make big, wonderful changes to rescue their own health.
Rip Esselstyn:
My guest today is Paul Young, who did just that. At 45, this Southern California based firefighter and father of three got some health tests that were startling to him. Let me read you some of his email. "Rip, I am 45 years old and was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol, 245 points. I know that there are far worse diagnoses, but this really hit me hard because I always considered myself to be super healthy. I am very active, I'm not overweight, and until recently, I consumed very to little meat. I have always worked at busy stations in Southern California and have always taken great pride in being able to keep up with the younger guys. I felt totally blindsided when the department doctor told me I needed to get a calcium scan of my heart and start statins immediately. It really caused me to reflect and examine, what have I been doing wrong?
Rip Esselstyn:
"After watching many of your YouTube videos, reading your dad's book, and listening to your podcast, I quickly realized that I've been consuming way too much processed food and oils, despite the appearance of being healthy. I also decided that there was no way I was going to take statins without really giving 100% effort to change my numbers with diet. I have three young kids and a wife at home, and decided that I owed it to them to change once and for all."
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, after just a few weeks of going all in on a whole food PLANTSTRONG way of eating, Paul's results were dramatically improved, to say the least. I had to have him on the podcast to discuss his love of firefighting, his why for wanting to improve his health, his doctor's reaction when those follow up tests came back, and what this means for his life and his family now. I can promise you this, there's no turning back for this firefighting brother. Let's meet Paul Young.
Rip Esselstyn:
All right, PLANTSTRONG people. We have a fellow firefighter in the house. His name is Paul Young. He resides from Southern California. If there's anything I love doing, it's helping out fellow firefighters. As hopefully all of you know, season one was 100% dedicated to helping out our New York City firefighter, Joe Inga. It was quite a season and Joe made some amazing progress. But Paul Young here reached out to me February 1st. You sent me, actually, the first email letting me know that you were exploring this lifestyle for a myriad of reasons. What I'd love to do with you, Paul, today on the PLANTSTRONG podcast is talk about your journey in a culture that is traditionally very meat and potato, and how your firehouse embraced you starting to eat this way and what inspires you to do this. So my first question to you, Paul, is, you've been a firefighter in Southern California for how long?
Paul Young:
17 years.
Rip Esselstyn:
17 probably incredible years. I can't even imagine all the amazing things you've seen-
Paul Young:
It's amazing. Yeah.
Rip Esselstyn:
... helping people and saving lives. What inspired you 17 years ago to become a firefighter?
Paul Young:
Just growing up, my uncle, his best friend was a fire chief. We used to go over to his station and ride the truck, and just stay at the station and see everything he did. I was really inspired by that. And then just as I got older, it was something I wanted to do. I wanted to help people, be part of the community, make a difference. I did it and it's one of the best decisions of my life. I love it.
Rip Esselstyn:
How old are you now today?
Paul Young:
45.
Rip Esselstyn:
45. And so 17 years ago, that puts you at about 28 if my math is correct.
Paul Young:
28, yeah.
Rip Esselstyn:
So what did you do before you became a firefighter? What were you doing from high school to 28? Did you go to college or not?
Paul Young:
Actually, I went to college, and I got a degree in English with a minor in Spanish. I ended up writing for a newspaper for a little bit. I did that for about five years and I covered police and fire, believe it or not. Those guys would pick me up in their little plug buggy car with the lights and sirens and everything, and they'd take me to these incidents. I'd go, "Man, this is cool. I want to do this." So I ended up leaving journalism and headed down this path of firefighting and never looked back.
Rip Esselstyn:
Was it competitive for you to get on with firefighting in Southern California? It seems like it's pretty rough to get a job there. I know, for example, when I went through my Fire Academy class, there were a lot of guys from Southern California that couldn't get on with some of the departments there.
Paul Young:
Yes. It's very saturated, very difficult. But anyone could do it, really. You just got to put your nose to the grindstone and go for it. It was just a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck too.
Rip Esselstyn:
No, totally. I totally hear you there. It took me three tries before I was able to get on with the Austin Fire Department. Were you able to get on your first try?
Paul Young:
No. I interviewed with quite a few departments, all in the area near where I live, probably 10 departments. And then finally, the one I work for picked me up and it's all worked out.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow. So 17 years. Are you a firefighter? Are you a... I don't know what the terminology is out there in Southern California, but in Austin, you become a specialist, which means you drive in the apparatus. So you have firefighter, fire specialist, then you got fire lieutenant, then you got fire captain, and then battalion chiefs, blah blah blah.
Paul Young:
Right. I'm a straight firefighter and paramedic also. Firefighter paramedic.
Rip Esselstyn:
Got it.
Paul Young:
That's what I do.
Rip Esselstyn:
So as a firefighter and paramedic, and in your email that you wrote to me, you said that you like working at busy stations. What does that mean to you, working at busy stations? Are you talking 15 calls a shift or what?
Paul Young:
To be honest, I've slowed down a little since then. I work in a little bit of a slower spot. But for a long time, 15 to 20 calls a shift, you're up all night in the busiest areas of the city, and you're doing it. You're going to tons of medical calls, tons of fires, tons of vehicle accidents, you name it. It's a lot of fun to be a part of that.
Rip Esselstyn:
I don't know if you've read any of my books, but in my books, I talk about how as a firefighter, I went into this profession thinking that every shift, I'd be making a big old barn burner. And instead, what I quickly discovered is that close to 80% of our call volume, we're making medical calls.
Paul Young:
Absolutely.
Rip Esselstyn:
I'm wondering if it's the same thing for you in Southern California?
Paul Young:
Oh, it's the same. It's probably even more than 80% now. I would say probably closer to 90%. Just so many medical calls all day. Lots of sick people. Diabetes, heart attacks, other sorts of heart disease, breathing problems, you name it. You name it. Especially in the lower income areas, they're just so busy now.
Rip Esselstyn:
I was never a paramedic. I was just your basic right EMT, emergency medical responder. I found that 90% of the medical calls we made, we didn't need to use that advanced life support stuff, like finding an airway and stuff like that. But when you need it, man, you need it. But I'm wondering on your medical calls, how often are you using some of that advanced technology that you need as a paramedic?
Paul Young:
A majority of the time, we're hooking everyone up to the EKG monitor, looking at their hearts, checking their blood sugar. There's a lot of advancements in technology, even that I've seen in the last 17 years. So we're able to have a better idea of what's going on with our patients still. It's a tool and we try to use it when we can. But yeah, there's a lot of sick people out there.
Rip Esselstyn:
Have you had to, over the course of your 17 year career, shock many people and try and get them back into a... If they hearts have stopped because of a full blown heart attack?
Paul Young:
Yes. Quite a few times. So many, I can't even count anymore, to be honest with you.
Rip Esselstyn:
Speaking of all this, in your fire department, you have annual physicals.
Paul Young:
Correct.
Rip Esselstyn:
When you wrote me February 1st, you mentioned that you had an elevated cholesterol that really caught you off guard and really got you pissed off.
Paul Young:
Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
Tell me how high was it and what did that cause you to do?
Paul Young:
I went in for my physical thinking I was healthy because I work out and I thought I was eating super healthy and all these things. My total came back at 243. My LDL, the bad cholesterol, 173, HDL was 58, and triglycerides were 70. So doc wanted to put me on statins right away. What he also did too, I should mention, he sent me to get what's called a calcium scan where they took a picture of my arteries, and found a buildup of calcium in my widow maker, the left anterior descending artery. My calcium score was, I think, 104, which put me in the 90th percentile for my age. That was the real wake up call, was laying in that CT scam machine thinking, what am I doing here?
Rip Esselstyn:
You also said that... So your doctor... 243 total cholesterol, which is obviously elevated. The 170 LDL, that's really high. And then you got the calcium scan back, and it showed that you were in the 90th percentile at 104 for age 45. Your doctor wanted to put you on statins, right?
Paul Young:
Right away. Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
You didn't want to go on statins. Why didn't you want to go on statins?
Paul Young:
I didn't want to go that route because the side effects, and then all the research is there. I've read your books, I've read your dad's book, I've read Dr. Ornish, a bunch of these different books, and there's so much evidence that points toward plant-based nutrition. You don't need these meds to heal your body. I just wanted to give it a try. I thought, what's the worst that could happen?
Rip Esselstyn:
Now, before you decided to go all in after this scare, you were tinkering with it, right? You said you were tinkering with it, but you weren't doing it right.
Paul Young:
Right. I was tinkering with it for a long time. I've been interested in this diet for probably over a decade. I've always loved fruits and veggies, but I still was doing a lot of cheese, I was doing tons of fish, and things that I thought were healthy for me. I didn't really realize what type of effect they would have on my body. I figured, hey, I'm eating mostly plants and veggies. I think I'm good. I didn't realize what moderation was.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, most people don't, right? Most people, they're like, "Oh, a little bit of this, a little bit of that can't hurt me. Everything moderation." Which is the phrase that so many people use to justify having that ice cream or that fish or that cheese or whatever. As we are now discovering, our 10 trillion cells in our body, they don't know what moderation is. So if you keep basically abusing them and hitting them with this saturated fat and this cholesterol and this problematic animal protein six, seven, eight, nine times a week instead of 31, it's better, but it's not going to get the job done as far as getting that cholesterol down to 160, 170 from 240. Or that LDL below 100, which is what we're striving for. So you're motivated. You realize that you've been doing too much processed stuff, oil, fish, cheese. What happened when you went 100%?
Paul Young:
I had some massive changes, like mind blowing changes. Basically, my total went down to about 140, so I dropped it 100 points in a two month period. My LDL went from 173 down to 83, HDL was 47, and triglycerides were 63. It was such a big change that I go, "I got to call this department doctor. I want to tell him." So I called him up and I told him, and it was like he didn't even believe me. He goes, "I've never heard of this before." He was shocked.
Rip Esselstyn:
You told him that you did this without statins, just food.
Paul Young:
Just food. I healed myself with food. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, it's not surprising, I can tell you that. Unfortunately, some of the in-house physicians that we had here in the Austin Fire Department thought that I was loony tunes as well. For whatever reason, they're just not up on the latest research and whatnot. What ended up happening with that conversation ultimately?
Paul Young:
Basically, he just said, "Hey, that's great. Congrats. Just keep doing what you're doing," I guess. That was it.
Rip Esselstyn:
I hate that phrase, keep doing what you're doing. Looks good. And as opposed to, listen, I've never seen anything like this, Paul. I am so intrigued by what you were able to do. Maybe there's other firefighters that would be willing to do this. Tell me everything that you did.
Paul Young:
Right. I wanted to share all this information and everything, and it didn't happen. It was a bit of a awkward conversation, to be honest
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, you know what? He's on his journey, and hopefully you've planted a seed with him now and he'll remember that conversation.
Paul Young:
I figure, hey, I can spread the word. I can tell my fellow firefighters and my friends. So many people have hit me up about this in the last few months, it's unbelievable.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, it's a real thing. As you and I both know, because of the firehouse culture, the toxic masculinity that exists, especially around food, most firefighters are, unfortunately, overweight, have elevated cholesterol levels, many are pre-diabetic, and they're wrestling with all kind of health related issues. So this is a lifestyle whose time has come for firefighters. As you and I both know, the number one cause of in the line of duty deaths for firefighters is heart attacks on the job, right?
Paul Young:
Right.
Rip Esselstyn:
I love the fact that you didn't want to make yourself a liability to your crew as well.
Paul Young:
Right. I didn't. And then also, I didn't want to end up like one of the patients that I've been on in the past. I've been on thousands and thousands of people with heart disease and diabetes and all these other ailments. When I was in that CT scan machine, I'm going, "Wow, I'm just like one of my patients. I don't want to be like that." But what's been amazing is I feel so empowered now. Your health is completely in your control, and I didn't realize that before.
Rip Esselstyn:
I want to dive into that and unpack that a little bit. Because at the very top of this, you said you considered yourself a healthy guy, you ate healthy, and then you got this revelation that at 44 or 45, you have a cholesterol of 243, LDL of 190, you got a calcium score that puts you in the 90th percentile, which is not good. And so all of a sudden, are you feeling like, I thought I was in control of my health, but I'm not?
Paul Young:
Right. I was starting to think, is it genetics? What is it? Why is this happening? Because I thought I had checked all the boxes, and I didn't. But this proved to me that I was just doing it a little wrong. I needed to make some major changes and some tweaks in my diet. Once I did, everything fell into line.
Rip Esselstyn:
So any heart disease in your family that you know of?
Paul Young:
My grandparents had it on my dad's side. My grandfather died of congestive heart failure, which was awful to watch. Midwest, meat and potatoes, that's what they lived on. They loved that stuff. That's really the only heart disease. My mom has some high cholesterol and things like that.
Rip Esselstyn:
Tell me this. So you said that you started making some major tweaks. What does that look like? What does a typical day of Paul Young eating PLANTSTRONG look like?
Paul Young:
I basically cut out all processed foods, all dairy. I hadn't been drinking milk for a long time, but I was still loving the cheese. But what I do, like this morning, I had a big bowl of oatmeal and I put tons of fruit in it. I try to go for the diversity. So I like doing the flax, the chia, the hemp seeds. I throw some spinach in there, maybe a little date syrup if I wanted it a little sweet. So I did that. I'll do green smoothies sometimes middle morning, like around 10:00, 10:30. Especially if I workout hard, I need that fuel. Or I'll snack on some sweet potatoes or something like that. And then lunchtime is usually a big salad or bowl, something like that. And then dinner, same thing, just a soup or a bowl or a wrap or something like that. My thing is focusing on the diversity. Tons of beans, lentils, grains, brown rice, all that stuff, all those goodies. I love it.
Rip Esselstyn:
You texted me a photo of one of your meals not too long ago, and it looked totally righteous. Looked like something that I would make. All right. So you're eating this way and you've been doing it now for how long would you say all in?
Paul Young:
Five months.
Rip Esselstyn:
Five months. And so with your fire department, are you 24 on 48 off? What's your schedule?
Paul Young:
It's a funky schedule, but basically 24 hours at a time, I'm there.
Rip Esselstyn:
You're at a station with how many guys or gals?
Paul Young:
14. It's a big station. Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
That's a huge station. That's like when I was at Central Station in Austin. So 14. Is it guys and gals or all guys?
Paul Young:
Guys and gals both.
Rip Esselstyn:
What kind of blowback did you get from your fellow firefighters when you started doing this?
Paul Young:
I got some. There's always going to be vegan jokes, but it's all good. It just means they love you.
Rip Esselstyn:
It's when they don't start ribbing you that you know you're in trouble.
Paul Young:
Right. Actually, I got a friend there who's been a vegan for a long time, like 10 years he's been a vegan, and he's super healthy. So I think people are starting to catch on, especially in the fire service. Yes, it's still very meat and potatoes, and it's prime rib and lobster for promotional dinners and stuff like that. But I think a lot more people are becoming more and more interested. It's like they'll rip you with a little vegan joke, and then later they'll pull you to the side and like, "Hey, I had an extra big salad today for lunch," or "I made this soup at home and shared it with my family." I think they're intrigued.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, I would imagine so. If all these guys and gals are also having an annual physical, I would imagine those numbers don't lie, and they usually tell you know if you've been doing things right or wrong with your lifestyle. I can't imagine eating the way most firefighters I know eat, that their cholesterols aren't elevated like yours were.
Paul Young:
Right. Absolutely.
Rip Esselstyn:
Now, what about your family? What about your wife and your three kids? How have they embraced this?
Paul Young:
My wife has been all in. She's eating with me, doing it PLANTSTRONG, feeling great. My kids, we're working on it. They're a little harder to convince. They're 13, 10, and 5. But definitely more fruits, more veggies, and we're going to get there.
Rip Esselstyn:
It's always nice to have the family on board when-
Paul Young:
100%. Makes it so much easier. Especially just cooking meals together and eating together. It's just a lot easier that way.
Rip Esselstyn:
Your kids don't know it now, but this is going to be one of the greatest gifts that you give them, is understanding that mommy and daddy love the dickens out of you guys, and that's why we're feeding you strong food instead of the weak food. We know that you like the weak food, and most people do, but it's not doing them any favors. So yes, occasionally we'll embark on this stuff, but in this house, we like serving strong food.
Paul Young:
That's right.
Rip Esselstyn:
They can get their heads wrapped around that, especially when they see their superhero father firefighter eating this way, and mom as well. So tell me this, because I know that you recently became part of the dive rescue team, correct?
Paul Young:
Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
What inspired that? I was part of the dive rescue team as well.
Paul Young:
Oh, were you?
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah.
Paul Young:
I've always loved the water. Living in Southern California, I'm about 10 minutes from the beach. So always surfing, diving, fishing, you name it. Whatever I can do in the ocean, I'm in. An opportunity presented itself, it was a test, and I took it and made it. It's so amazing. It's such a cool gig. I love it.
Rip Esselstyn:
Did you have to switch fire stations or are you able to stay at the one you're at?
Paul Young:
No, I had to move. I had to move.
Rip Esselstyn:
How long ago did you make that move?
Paul Young:
About a year and a half ago.
Rip Esselstyn:
Got it.
Paul Young:
All my calls now are basically on the waterfront. We're doing a ton of training out on the boat and diving. I love it. It's right up my alley.
Rip Esselstyn:
Now, however, there was a little catch there. Because I think your white blood cell count was a little low and it spooked one of the doctors, right.
Paul Young:
Right. So I had to go to another medical, separate from the one we talked about earlier, and my white blood cell count was low. He calls me and says, "Hey, we got a problem. I can't pass you on your medical because your white blood cell count's so low." I was like, "Wow. I wonder why." I started doing some research. I actually got a hold of Dr. Miller over at Plant Based TeleHealth, who you recommended. They were so awesome. I love that.
Rip Esselstyn:
It's a good resource. It's a good resource.
Paul Young:
It's such a good resource. And she says to me, "No, your white blood cell count's fine. It's because the inflammation in your body is so low, you don't need all those white blood cells." So she was able to basically, through a letter, let this other doctor know that I was just fine. It was because of the way I'm eating.
Rip Esselstyn:
So this other doctor said that he needed a letter, right?
Paul Young:
Correct.
Rip Esselstyn:
From a physician indicating that this low white blood cell count was actually fine.
Paul Young:
Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
So you were able to get that through Plant Based TeleHealth, which is fantastic. And then what? Did he have any problems or did he just say, "Okay. Sounds good to me"?
Paul Young:
He said, "Okay, sounds good," and that was it.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, I love the fact that our bodies, when we're not feeding it all these inflammatory foods, it knows exactly what to do. That white blood cell count was a function of you stopping the cheese and the fish and the oil and the other processed refined foods that you were enjoying so much.
Paul Young:
Right. Right.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow. So you just got off shift, correct?
Paul Young:
Correct.
Rip Esselstyn:
How was it? Was it a good shift?
Paul Young:
No, it was a great shift. It's always a great shift. I love going in and hanging out with the guys and running calls and doing all that. But it's always come home to the family too.
Rip Esselstyn:
I know. It's such a great lifestyle. It truly is. Now, speaking of lifestyle, you texted me the other day saying that you feel as good as you've ever felt in your life.
Paul Young:
Absolutely. Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
You're riding high right now on energy and motivation, all your numbers are just kicking major butt, and so you're inspired to do a race that you haven't done since you were in your 20s. Will you tell me about that?
Paul Young:
I don't know what I got myself into, Rip. So with this whole ocean thing, back in my mid 20s, I used to race paddle boards. They're these prone paddle boards that look like a surfboard, they're just longer and thicker. And you do these long distance races in the open ocean.
Paul Young:
So when I was, I think, 26 years old, they did a race from Catalina Island, which is a small island off of the LA area, to Manhattan Beach. So it's a 32 mile race that took eight hours. It's a beast. It's a beast of a race because you're just braving all the elements and the currents and everything else. So anyway, I did it, but I never felt great about the race. I always wanted another crack at it. I wanted to do it faster. And so for the last 20 years, next year, I'm going to do it next year. This is my year. I'm done making excuses. I signed up for a similar race. It's called the Rock to Rock. It's from Catalina to the mainland. This is a 22 mile race. It's going to be about five, six hours. So been training for that. I need somewhere to put all this energy.
Rip Esselstyn:
The three kids aren't doing it. So the five hour race roughly, 22 miles. Now, when you say you're prone on this paddle board, does that mean you're lying down on it and you're basically... Are you propelling yourself with your arms or how?
Paul Young:
With your arms, like you're paddling a surfboard or swimming almost, that same movement. You go from your belly to your knees just back and forth, so you're using different muscle groups and you're just grinding it out.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow. So you don't get a paddle. This all has to be done with your own appendages.
Paul Young:
Right. Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow. That sounds really exciting.
Paul Young:
I'm really excited about it. I'm scared too. But it's so cool to just be working towards this again and to be back in the mix and training and talking about it.
Rip Esselstyn:
What do you do as far as... Do you have a little something on your board where you can put fluids and nutrition while you're over the five hours?
Paul Young:
I have a double water bottle holder, so I put my water with the electrolytes and all that stuff there, and keep my nutrition with me as best I can, like in my pockets and whatnot. But when I do the actual race, I'm going to have a boat. They make you have a boat because you're in the middle of a channel. I'm 22 miles from the mainland. It's a long way to go, so you have to have a support boat.
Rip Esselstyn:
That's good. So on the support boat, you can get fluids and nutrition.
Paul Young:
Yeah. My kids are going to go, they're super excited, my boys. They're like, "All right. We're going to hit." They already got their plans, so they're going to hand me all the food and drink and all that stuff that I need just to get to the end.
Rip Esselstyn:
Fantastic. How many competitors do you think there'll be?
Paul Young:
I don't know. I think probably 50 or 60. The other race that I referred to, the 32 miler, 200 people do that one. That's a big deal. We'll see. That one's in August. If this one goes well, I might just enter that one too. Keep rolling with it.
Rip Esselstyn:
I do want to ask you this before I give you the ground. And that is, what advice would you give to other firefighters that are out there listening right now and are thinking, I'm interested. But man, I don't know if, A, I can do it; B, the guys and the gals at the station are just going to rip me to no end. I just want to get along. What would you say to them?
Paul Young:
I would say you'll get along. You'll be fine. Stop making excuses and just go for it. It's not about what you're giving up, it's about what you're gaining. You're going to gain so much. I tell the guys at work, just try it. Try it for a week, try it for two weeks, see what happens. Find something that motivates you, whether you do it for yourself or your wife or your kids, for whatever. Just go for it. People think it's a hassle to be a vegan, but it's more of a hassle to have a heart attack.
Rip Esselstyn:
Amen to that. Do you feel like your masculinity, has it all been marred by eating this way?
Paul Young:
No, not at all. I feel even stronger and better than I ever did. I think once people start to see that, they see you working out, and I'm entering this race and doing these things, all that doubt and questioning goes away because you're just kicking butt. How do you argue that?
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, kicking butt and taking names like in The Game Changers. Have you seen The Game Changers?
Paul Young:
I have. It's a great documentary.
Rip Esselstyn:
What about Forks Over Knives? You ever see that?
Paul Young:
I've seen that multiple times. I actually just watched it again a couple months ago just to refresh my memory on some things. It's a great one.
Rip Esselstyn:
No, it is. It's interesting to go back and watch that thing. Because I watched it for the first time in 2011, so it's been out for over a decade now, which is hard for me to believe. Well, listen, Paul, it's been an absolute pleasure talking with you. Thanks for joining me on the podcast. Thanks for sharing your story. It means a lot that you reached out to me with your results and what you're trying to do with your life. What was your big why? Why did you decide to do this? Was it because of your wife and kids? What was it?
Paul Young:
It was the wife and kids. Like anybody that has a wife and kids, you love them more than anything and you want to be there for all those moments and you want to be there for a long time. So that's what my motivation has been. I want to be a good example to them and I want to be around to experience them growing up, just being with them. So that's it, what it's all about.
Rip Esselstyn:
It is beautiful. I've got three young kids as well, 8, 13, and 14. There's nothing like it. Nothing like it. I don't want anything to take me away from them before I have to go. I want to be around a long time
Paul Young:
100%.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, Paul, give me a big PLANTSTRONG fist bump. Dude, way to be PLANTSTRONG. Appreciate you and all the things you're doing in Southern California with fire and paramedics. Thank you.
Paul Young:
Thank you, Rip. Great talking to you.
Rip Esselstyn:
Paul, my firefighting brother, thanks so much for your passion and your willingness to make a change. Your wife, your children, and most importantly, the people you help will benefit so much from your dedication to your own health. I've said it before, you can't rescue others if you don't rescue yourself first. That's what we do at PLANTSTRONG every single day, help others rescue their own health so they can be of service to others. Thanks for listening and always keep it PLANTSTRONG.
Rip Esselstyn:
The PLANTSTRONG podcast team includes Carrie Barrett, Laurie Kortowich, Ami Mackey, Patrick Gavin, and Wade Clark. This season is dedicated to all of those courageous truth seekers who weren't afraid to look through the lens with clear vision and hold firm to a higher truth. Most notably my parents, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. and Ann Crile Esselstyn. Thanks for listening.
