Adam Sud: Addicted. Obese. Suicidal.
These are three words that Adam Sud uses in introducing his narrative to me through a recent Zoom call. At thirty-seven, Adam bravely emerged out of this abyss and into a future where he wants to help those in recovery heal through healthy eating using the power of nutrition, diet, and wellness as a 
catalyst to a better life.
I’m sharing Adam’s courageous and honest story out of admiration, compassion, and respect for his journey. He held nothing back as he told me the raw truth of his experience. By sharing Adam’s story, my intention is to amplify his plant-based advocacy and mission to empower those going through recovery.
Speaking with Adam was a nourishing experience.
Adam and I met through our mutual friend Mike. Adam’s father is one of the early founders of Whole Foods Markets and his dad continues to work today in business development and real estate for the growing food retailer.
As a child growing up in Austin, Adam used foods to satisfy and pacify himself. The cinnamon rolls his mom would lovingly prepare became his first compulsion, where he had difficulty controlling himself and what he ate.
Over time, he slowly became diagnosed as ADHD and Ritalin were prescribed by his doctor.
What he took away from this experience was that there was something wrong with him. He needed something to help him correct and fix whatever wasn’t right.
Above all, it was as if the doctor was saying something is wrong with you, but if you take this pill, you’ll be better.
High School
Unfortunately, the Ritalin habit and abuse morphed during high school into an Adderall problem. And, Adam was taking more than he should have, and the medication was working – or that’s how it made him feel at the moment.
Therefore, when the outside world found something wrong with him, Adam looked for an external substance to fix it.
Although he got a scholarship to the college of his choice, he dropped out his sophomore year, and in his own words, he became a criminal drug addict.
What should have been a 30 mg per day dose, Adam was taking 450 mg per day. He would stay up for days – and his diet was totally out of control. He reached 350 pounds and stuck in a vicious downward spiral.
Rip & The Plant Strong Community
Through Adam’s father and his association with Whole Foods, Adam met Rip Esselstyn and enrolled in the Engine 2 Total Immersion Program. Adam’s father urged him to participate and he went to every lecture to learn how he could reverse chronic western disease through diet.
But Adam wasn’t ready for the change.
However, after a year, Adam recognized that his hoarder life, addiction and his fast-food lifestyle was killing him.
Hitting rock bottom, he became suicidal. At thirty, he was dying and his suicide attempt led him to find a path toward healing. How brave to share this absolutely horrendous moment of his life in the service of others.
Adam called his father, who helped him check into rehab. The doctors at the facility said that he had Type II diabetes and was at serious risk for a heart attack. But Adam found that impossible to accept at first but the evidence was unavoidable and the medical tests didn’t lie.
Following the lessons he learned from Rip about a plant-based diet, in three months, Adam’s blood sugar dropped from 300 to 70. His endocrinologist convinced the meds were working, was pleased. But Adam stopped taking the meds about halfway through the prescription and used food as his means to heal.
He was turning over a new leaf. Adam felt self-worth for the first time in decades and could see a path forward.
Infinite Study
Today, at age thirty-seven, Adam has started a non-profit called www.plantbasedforpositivechange.org. Through this 501(c) 3 non-profit, he is funding The INFINITE Study.
It is groundbreaking research exploring the effects of implementing a nutrient-dense diet and nutrition education in early addiction recovery. Adam has partnered with an addiction recovery facility in Austin, TX, where participants will undergo a 10-week intervention through both inpatient and outpatient settings, and then complete follow-up assessments up through one year.
He and his partners are exploring the effects of a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet on physical health, mental health, and resilience in addiction recovery.
Consequently, the study began in September 2019 and continue through August 2021. The findings of this study will provide new insights into the field of addiction recovery and the relationship between nutrition and mental health. Consequently, he plans not only to publish the data in peer-reviewed journals and present at national conferences but also to work with other addiction recovery centers to implement similar protocols.
Want to learn more about Adam’s work or to donate to his non-profit? Find more information here.
Meet Adam through this video about his story.
Does your business need a marketing coach, guide, or sherpa? Are you generating enough leads? Is your marketing underperforming? I can help.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me – 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash
