John H. Lutz, III

Educational Training Summary (Page 2 of 2)

Extensive Traditional, Nontraditional and World-Class Educational Training in Multiple Fields

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1994-2003: Work and Educational Training with Whole Foods Market

Nutrition-based Medicine, Natural Healthcare, Alternative Medicine and Dietetics Studies

As mentioned on Page 1, I began my work with Whole Foods Market in 1994 in Los Angeles, after moving there, in 1993, to train directly at what was considered by many to be the top martial arts training center in the world, at the time: Benny’s Jet Center -- with Benny Urquidez, a World-Champion kickboxer, holder of 9 different Black Belts, and other top trainers there (before the Internet and mixed martial arts become popular).

Prior to 1994, I had studied mechanical engineering in college, then switched to dietetics (to study how the body works, vs. pursuing further studies in math, physics and how machines work) and advanced martial arts training (at seminars with national-level and world-class instructors) -- training that provided additional training in how the body works, along with advanced leadership philosophy studies.

In Whole Foods Market, I worked directly with people (my immediate supervisors, and regional and national company leaders) who had regularly consulted with Linus Pauling and many other leaders and founders of the natural products and natural healthcare industries.

At the time, I was also studying dietetics part-time, while working in Whole Foods Market’s Los Angeles stores, and pursuing the world-class martial arts training and philosophy studies.

It became very clear to me that the information contained within the books featured in Whole Food Market’s Los Angeles stores (some of which are included in the above picture) was much more advanced than the nutrition information I was learning in dietetics (at the University of Delaware, then at Cal State University, Northridge, in Los Angeles). In fact, the American Dietetics Association, at the time, was so far behind (and actively against what was being taught, sold and featured in health food stores), that they provided honorary membership to the American Dietetics Association to the most outspoken critic of everything to do with the natural products industry, the emerging organics food industry, and the fields of natural healthcare, alternative medicine and nutrition-based medicine. His name will go nameless here, but he’s produced books and websites that are extremely (and essentially baselessly) critical of pretty much every healthcare therapy that is not focused on drugs and surgery. And, at the time, the PhD department head of Cal State Northridge, where I was attending, suggested that the dietetics students purchase and read his most recent book.

So, I chose a different path. And, I took on the responsibility of management of the book department of the Whole Food Market store where I worked in Los Angeles. Then, with support from the Regional Coordinators for the Books, Body Care and Nutritional Supplement product categories, I began to further, actively highlight the research from the top authors from the fields of nutrition-based medicine, natural healthcare, alternative medicine and integrative medicine in three different stores in Whole Foods Market’s Southern CA region. And, I was given the responsibility of ordering and merchandising the books for other new store openings and store resets in the Southern CA (Los Angeles) Region -- the company’s largest market, at the time (the second largest city in the U.S.), before the company later opened stores in New York (the largest U.S. city).

A few of these authors were dietitians (such as Brenda Davis, RD; 2, and Patrick Quillin, RD; 2), but most were not dietitians. At the time, in the mid-1990s, major food vendors in conventional food stores (including vendors which would now commonly be considered by many people to be junk food manufacturers) were sponsors for the American Dietetics Association’s conventions, and these companies were also financial contributors to ADA’s efforts to obtain beneficial state laws supporting promotion of the dietetics profession. There were also many good things being taught in dietetics too, (chemistry, biology, practice management, etc.), of course. But...

Most of the top authors were either naturopathic doctors (such as Michael Murray, ND, 2; and Joe Pizzorno, ND, 2), or medical doctors (such as Jonathan Wright, MD, 2; and Alan Gaby, MD, 2), and other authors who simply had done extensive individual study and real-world research/testing/healing with nutrition and natural healthcare (such as Margaret Wittenberg, 2, the former head of nutrition research and product standards with Whole Foods Market; Jay “the Juiceman” Kordich, 2, who excelled in juicing research; and Brian Clement, 2, Steve “the Sproutman” Meyerowitz, 2, and Ann Wigmore, 2, each of whom excelled in raw/live food healing related research). Their research was much more advanced than what I was learning in my Dietetics studies. The above dietitian and physician authors provided much more advanced “scientific research,” and the other authors provided much more advanced “real-world research” and information on emerging research in the rapidly expanding natural products and natural healthcare fields.

After the PhD Department Head of the Dietetics Department at Cal State Northridge told me that nutritional supplements, for the most part, were not needed (except iron), and that vitamin C and other supplements were often or somewhat not safe (she mentioned that vitamin C can caused kidney stones, which I suspected was not commonly true, and I later found out that this was untrue, or a greatly overstated concern), I made the very challenging decision that it was time to exit the common nutrition educational path provided by dietetics studies.

So, I attended every industry event possible in Los Angeles, where many of the top companies and authors in the natural products and natural healthcare industries were located, and Whole Foods Market flew me to train directly with the leaders of top companies in these industries numerous times (three times to Utah, to train directly with the leaders and founders of Nature’s Way and Nature’s Herbs two of the largest herb companies; regular training with the leaders and founders of Herb Pharm and Gaia Herbs, two additional large herb companies; another company in Portland founded by a naturopathic doctor, Eclectic Institute, Ed Alstat, ND; and many other trainings). Additionally, I attended naturopathic medicine conventions, Natural Products Expo West and Natural Products Expo East conventions, and many other trainings, either on-site at the vendors’ companies, or on-site at Whole Foods Market’s stores, or at Whole Foods Market’s Southern CA Regional Office.

During nine years of full-time work with Whole Foods Market, I likely spoke with over 50,000 to 75,000 people (or more) one-on-one about nutrition, nutrition-based medicine, natural healthcare, alternative medicine, and their individual healthcare concerns, which provided another outstanding method for learning more about these topics.

And, in addition to all of the above training, I regularly spoke with the authors of the top books featured in the Whole Foods Market stores, who were very happy to have their books featured in WFM’s stores (and happy to share their research with me), and Whole Foods Market’s regional and corporate-level nutrition researchers to discuss their latest findings on nutrition topics and healthcare concerns. They (the authors and Whole Foods Market's top researchers and company leaders) had the best information available, at the time, on the rapidly emerging -- and now (28 years later) over 60x larger (62 billion/yr.) -- natural products, organic foods and natural healthcare/alternative medicine industries. (So, I made the correct choice.) And, I've been regularly studying the top books available within this industry (by naturopathic doctors, innovative medical doctors, innovative dietitians and other authors) since 1994, when I first began my work with Whole Foods Market, and more recently, during work with some of the top researchers, doctors and clinics in the U.S. and the world in the fields of nutrition-based medicine, natural healthcare and alternative medicine...one of whom is listed below.