We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dave Rolls a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

At age 40, (my 40,000 mile check up) I went to the doctor for my annual physical. I am 5’10” and at the appointment I weighed in at 262 pounds. My blood pressure was really high, sending me straight to the ER was discussed, and then they pricked my finger for the first time ever. My sugar was at 350 – I had no idea what that even meant. I was told I had Type 2 Diabetes (Isn’t that something old people get?) and I was really sick (I didn’t feel sick.) and that I was probably going to go blind (I was a professional photographer), lose a limb, and probably die young (I couldn’t die, I had a young family to support). Then they took my blood pressure again.

​The result of that appointment began a 17-year journey of medication, misinformation, and consistent increases in my A1C levels. I took my meds, ate what I thought was a decent diet – except for when I got frustrated and felt defeated by my new health issues, then I ate all the BBQ I could get my hands on, usually washing it down with a yummy beer. Year after year the doctors would congratulate me for taking my meds, add a new med to the mix to “get your numbers down” and tell me to eat right and come back in 6 months. At age 57 I went in for my annual physical and though I had maintained weight loss of more than 60 pounds over the course of 17 years, and I regularly hike, take walks, lift weights, etc., I was told my sugar was out of control and I had six months to get it under control or I was getting an Insulin pump. I was not given a plan for “getting my sugar down”, just the threat of a pump and another diabetes medication to add to the mix of 6 pills and an injection I was already taking. I had had enough.

In the fall of 2022, I decided to see if there was a different way of eating, moving, and living that would end the frustrating cycle of finger pricks, pills, and high sugar. It was a drastic move that led me away from the six-month cycle of doctor visits where I always felt frustrated and like I wasn’t doing enough, and toward a different way of looking at food and movement, alternative medicine practices – like acupuncture and massage, and listening to how my body feels. I also went back to school to learn more about food and become a Chef, continued my studies in the areas of plant based recipe modification, vegan foods, allergens, and specializing in nutrient-rich foods for health. The CHef4Health,com website will detail this journey. I am not a doctor, but I have the plan that worked for me, and I want to share with you how I use food for health – it is my greatest wish that it will help you too, because we are all a work in progress.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

At Chef4Health, I pride myself in being able to modify just about any animal protein dish into a delicious low calorie, low sodium, highly nutritious meal with all the savory sauces that they deserve, most of which can be made gluten free and dairy free. Letting you make the choice like comparing beef tacos to TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein) tacos as side by dishes, usually the TVP wins. We have many personalized services available, One on one consultation, In home cooking classes, Custom menu and meal preparation, “Sous Chef” parties with you and your group cooking side by side with me to create your meal. It’s so much fun. Grocery shopping guidance along side you to make better choices navigating nutritional labels.
we are here to help you navigate a healthy lifestyle through whole plant based foods.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In September of 2022 my a1c blood glucose level was 10.5 and my doctor was going to gift me an insulin pump for the holidays if I didn’t figure it out. For 16 years, I was religiously taking over 7 different medications for my metabolic syndrome issues. At that point I decided to see if there was a different way of eating, moving, and living that would end the frustrating cycle of finger pricks, pills, high cholesterol, hypertension, triglycerides and high sugar. I found an 3 week elimination diet Holistic Health Association in Frederick, which lets your body figure out what’s causing the issues. The first week you eliminate all of the inflammatory foods like, Caffeine, Sodas, Alcohol, Dairy, Nuts, seeds, gluten, and eat a vegetarian menu. In that first week, my blood sugar fell drastically. Second week is Vegan week, eliminating all animal products as well as the same ones from the first week. My sugar had dropped again to now be lower than I had seen in 16 years!! So I kept eating vegan for 6 months and my A1c dropped to a 7,, not perfect, My metabolic symptoms had all dropped into safe ranges. And that was really hard but totally worth it! It was a drastic move that led me away from the six-month cycle of doctor visits where I always felt frustrated and like I wasn’t doing enough, and toward a different way of looking at food and movement, alternative medicine practices – like , whole food plant based foods, acupuncture and massage, and listening to how my body feels. Being mindful of what I put in my body, tasting and enjoying my food, not just eating because it was dinner time.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn eating the Standard American Diet or S.A.D. which is saturated in Salt, Oil and Sugar which cause 80% of chronic diseases according to NIH Medical library. We are marketed to at a very young age, “you deserve a break today” and “Have it your way” and have easily assessable foods that are not the best choices but we have to get to soccer practice. We are the richest nation in the world and have the most chronic illness,

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chef4health.com
• Instagram: chef4health
• Facebook: chef4health
• Linkedin: dave (chilidave) rolls
• Other: https://worldfoodchampionships.com/talent/profile/our-competitors/8453/dave-rolls

Image Credits
Dave Rolls Chef4Health