Children

June 13, 2016

The Putnam Family and their PlantPure Group “Field of Greens”

Field Of Greens Group: http://www.plantpurepods.com/podsdirect/dubuque-ia-field-of-greens-group-1520024859/

Scott Putnam is leader of the “Field of Greens” PlantPure Pod in Dubuque, Iowa –  a takeoff on the “Field of Dreams” baseball field which is less than 20 miles down the road. After talking to Scott, it’s apparent he really does have big dreams. His story began over 20 years ago when his father passed away from cancer at the young age of 53, 10 days after Scott graduated from college. Twenty years later, Scott went through a similar experience with his wife’s father.  After his father-in-law’s death, he and his wife and family moved from China, where they were teaching, to his in-laws house to become full time caretakers for his mother-in-law.

After receiving another wake up call  – this time from his own doctor, Scott went on a personal quest to discover how other people prevent serious illness and achieve optimal health. In the process, he learned as much as he could about health, wellness, and weight loss, but soon found himself overwhelmed and confused by all the conflicting information.

One day his wife’s aunt and uncle brought a DVD to their house: Forks Over Knives. It was Scott’s “Aha” moment, and he knew that this film had the answer he was seeking.

“I asked myself one simple question:  how healthy do I want to be?”, Scott said.

Never having felt like a 10 out of 10 on the “healthy-scale” in his entire life, he set out to see if he could achieve that goal through whole food, plant-based eating. Luckily for Scott, his wife, Beth, agreed to join him on his journey. Together, they made a deep dive into the research of the film’s doctors, and learned about the undeniable connection between diet and health.  “Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Neal Barnard, and Dr. McDougall became our ‘Fantastic 4’ – superheroes changing the world!”

Scott and Beth experienced all the beneficial effects mentioned in the film. They felt full after eating – they had a new level of energy – and Scott was finally able to sleep well through the night. By the end of the first five months of full immersion into whole food, plant-based eating (coupled with a “light” exercise program), Scott lost 50 pounds. By the end of the next several months, he lost another 15 pounds and his cholesterol and blood pressure normalized.

In Scott’s words, “I now have a new way of eating without ‘dieting’ that I can depend on for the rest of my life. No more wondering about what the next new ‘wonder diet’ or amazing weight loss pill is going to be.”

As a family, they made the shift to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle and have never looked back. Next, he and Beth studied WFPB nutrition and received certificates through the Center of Nutrition Studies and eCornell University so that they could help others along a similar journey. Their 11-year-old daughter completed the coursework and received a certificate as well, making her the youngest to date! Dr. T. Colin Campbell predicts she will set the world on fire by helping other kids learn about nutrition and eating plant-based foods.

The Putnams are committed to spreading the word far and wide about all the amazing benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. They tirelessly educate others in their local community through wellness coaching, speaking in schools and at events. They extend their support further through electronic media, and are working on an online program. Scott says, “It’s exhilarating to be a support beacon for others on their journey. My vision is to do my part to heal a sick world where most are eating the way everyone else does, and slowly begin to change the norms and culture surrounding food.”

After seeing the movie PlantPure Nation, Scott felt compelled to create a local Pod group in his small city of Dubuque, Iowa (which is in the heart of meat and dairy country). Although they’ve only they’ve only had four meetings so far, the turnouts have been spectacular! It turns out that even in a community steeped in Midwestern traditions and cooking, many people are looking for answers. Although they still get the “alien look,” once in awhile, word about their group is spreading fast. They are connecting with local activists, community farm organizations, medical professionals, and many others doing great work to spread the word about eating more plants and less animals.

What does their group have planned? So far they’ve done small cooking demos and had a local chef come and talk about how to create amazing flavors with plant foods. In addition, they’ve been able to Skype in well-known pioneers in the field at their meetings. At the next meeting on April 22nd (Earth Day), their daughter Paige is planning to do a “Kids Pod” and she’ll be doing a cooking demo and talking about the importance of eating plant-based for ourselves, the animals, and the planet. Go Paige!

Scott’s parting thoughts are “There’s a real movement happening here, and once people learn about this and gain just a hint of awareness, their natural curiosity takes over. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. As Nelson Campbell said, ‘it’s a law of nature.’”

Visit Scott’s Website  and the Field of Greens pod site  to learn more about what this committed team is doing in Dubuque, Iowa.