Latest / NHA Today Podcast / Meet Dr. Stephan Esser: A New Era for NHA Today & The Science of True Health
Transcript
- Stephan Esser: Hi, my name is Dr. Stephan Esser and I'm excited to be the new host for the NHA Today podcast. I'm a fourth generation plant-based eater and a passionate proponent for the NHA. It's in fact kind of in my blood. You see, my path to medicine has been a circuitous one and full of all kinds of exciting adventures that have brought me to today. Just like you, I've been through some ups and downs and challenges here and there in my journey of health. But my journey started in a very special way with my grandfather, Dr. William L. Esser, one of the founders of the NHA more than 70 plus years ago, a visionary in his own right who cared about people and wanted to make the world a healthier place. So he founded Esser's ranch back in the 1940s and ran it for well over 60 plus years in South Florida, where I grew up and I got to live with him my entire life. know, going to the ranch was like some sort of a special, I don't know. kind of miracle place, if you will. I mean, there's beautiful 10 acres of land with organic farm and, you know, mango trees and 30 plus people at a time would come and stay there and improve their health. People from all over the world, people just like you and me who are wanting to be healthier and knew there had to be a better way. Or maybe they had tried everything that standard approaches had to offer them and it just wasn't working for them. And they tried simple, natural, science-based approaches. that radically altered their lives. And what was really cool as a boy was to grow up at Esser's ranch, walking around, carrying waters to people, carrying their meals to their rooms and seeing them go from places of disease and disability and illness to just feeling vital and healthy and able to walk with less pain and able to sing without ⁓ voices always being all cruddy ⁓ being able to wake up and just feel like themselves again. Because let's face it, disease has a way of robbing us of our own humanity. And when we begin to feel healthy again, we rediscover ourselves. And that was one of the coolest things was to be part of and to see people's journeys. And learning has always been part of the NHA's focus. My grandfather, I still remember so well, he would give free lectures every Sunday and the crowds would fill in all through the... dining area and there was those old glass slat windows that you could open up and people would sit outside as well and sit there and listen to him, not selling some product, not marketing some prescription, but talking about the human body and its incredible ability to be well when given the right tools. And that's what we're beginning to see now in our society, isn't it? That more and more organizations recognizing the power of the human body to heal itself. There's simple measures like excellent nutrition and exercise and sleep and emotional poise and social connection. These things that get your body to its most vital state. And that's what we're going to be focused a lot in on NHA today about what is the science behind health? What ⁓ are the things that you and I need to know about that we can implement objectively into our lives to improve our wellbeing so that we can be the healthiest and best version of ourselves? You know, it's interesting, my family history, my... grandfather actually never wanted to be a physician. It was his father that kind of had some health concerns and got interested in the science of living well and went back into this some of the traditional writers and speakers of that time and as a result discovered health from healthy living and encouraged my grandfather then himself pursue a career in health and medicine and as a result of my grandfather's influence on thousands and thousands of people over his career Well, they also had radical and powerful effects on me. Now I want remind each of you who are watching NHA podcasts with me and joining me in this journey, that that's part of your personal legacy as well. That as you learn from the NHA and on the NHA Today podcast, that you take that information and you spread it to your social circles and to the people that you have influence of, whether it be your direct family, your friends or other people and your business associates, et cetera. But each of us can be an agent for health. And as a result of what you learn on the NHA Today podcast, you can transform your circles of influence. Before you know it, this goes outward and outward. And before you know it, we together have had a powerful effect on the health of our nation, right? Not to mention our own personal health. You know, I think that connection is so important. And part of the NHA Today podcast is gonna try to create connection with you. about what your needs are, what your hopes are, where your health is and where you'd like to take it. That together we can target and tackle some challenging areas that many of us actually struggle with. It's easy to feel isolated as though what you're dealing with is just your own and that you're all by yourself in this. But the truth is that for most of us, we're dealing with a lot of the same stuff. And you know what, together we can more powerfully address these issues. Learn together. grow together, be inspired and encouraged and uplifted together. So that together with the NHA and the NHA Today podcast, you can achieve more vital health for years to come. You when you think about it, there's just so much misinformation out there, isn't there? I mean, I love one of the lifestyle medicine gurus used to say, you know, we all like to hear good things about our bad habits. And that's true. That's part of the problem that's, you know, out there on social media, et cetera. But it's also that There are a lot of voices that are trying to generate income and get you to buy their product. That's not new, of course, right? Snake oil salesmen have been around forever, but the NHA has always prided itself in not trying to market or sell products, but in focusing on the basic and powerful tenants of human health that come from the feats, the fingers and the forks, right? From what you do with your body, with your choices, with your mind and how powerful this can be. And yes, the other stuff has its place, but we never want to lose sight of that foundation of health, that foundation of our health pyramid, which are the lifestyle choices that you and I are making on a daily basis. And that's where we're going to focus a lot in the NHA Today podcast on good science-based objective and relevant information that can change your health and my health for years, for decades, for whole lifetime. That's what we're all about. You know, the conversations that we're going to be having on the NHA today podcast are ideally going to be very connected, very personal and very relatable to the things that you're dealing with, as well as hopefully stretching you and expanding your knowledge base, take you to the next level so that you can be a CEO of your own health company so that you can make informed and healthy decisions, not only for yourself, but for your family and help encourage and support friends and all the people in your social circles. for me, I want this podcast to number one, be fun. ⁓ There's much seriousness in our world. ⁓ Now are going to have to address some serious topics and some challenging areas, but we should still be able to do it in a place of joy and in a place of enthusiasm for what we're talking about. So I hope that I can always bring that joy and that enthusiasm to the table for the NHA Today podcast. And I hope that you'll bring a listening ear. and a readiness to change where it's appropriate. My hope is that we'll bring in some diverse speakers who bring different and exciting perspectives and ways of thinking about our health and individuals who themselves not only perhaps have been through challenges and that we can learn and grow with them from the challenges they've conquered or mastered, but also individuals who teach and lead by their own personal examples and by the research and the science. that they've collectively brought together. You this show is for everyone who wants to learn and everyone who wants to improve their health and everyone who wants to really find out where health comes from because that's what we're going to be talking about. Now this is different, isn't it? Because we're not here to market something or sell a product. We're here to provide clear, science-based, objective, practical, whole-person information that can be applicable to your life from day one. Tidbits. tips, ideas, concepts, as well as tangible things like food preparation and purchasing and all the basics, the tools that you need to be healthy. We're going to try to give you everything you need to live a healthy life. So that's really my vision for this. ⁓ When you think about the listeners, what I hope that you're all going to gain watching and listening to what we're sharing is inspiration, encouragement, education, and enjoyment. Those are a lot of big words there. And I hope that you're going to gain all of that so that you can be more vital, more healthy, and able to share your passion and joy for whatever it is that you care about in the world around you. I know I'm really excited to continue to share this message with you and I hope that all of you will follow along on the NHA Today podcast on YouTube or whatever streaming services you follow on because we're going to have fun. We're going to learn. We're going to get inspired and together we're going to achieve our most vital health.