“I believe in fitness in its entirety. The body is not the only thing that is important to great health, the individual has to be mentally prepared to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

As a well renowned fitness expert, John Lewis has spent over 2 decades in the health and fitness industry and played Division I College basketball. John is highly passionate about not only his own health and fitness, but that of others as well… Which are evident through his motivational messages either through his international public speaking engagements or simply through his social media outlets.

Today, John has taken his passion for health and is now directing his first feature length documentary focused on food and social justice. John has teamed up with the maker of the award winning “What The Health” to create their joint venture “Hungry for Justice”.

The film follows co-director John Lewis from his beginnings as an adopted child from a crack-addicted birth mother, growing up as an overweight kid in the violence of Ferguson, Missouri, to becoming a prominent health and wellness advocate promoting compassion.

Audiences journey with John as he crosses the country seeking answers to why Americans of Color suffer from disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease than their European American counterparts, while examining the intersections of food, disease, race, poverty, institutional racism and government corruption.

Through interviews with cultural influencers, doctors, researchers, politicians, attorneys, professional athletes, activists and experts in the field of food justice, John begins to unravel a story of collusion that has kept millions of US Americans sick, while the industries responsible make billions of dollars.

John has appeared in multiple television shows, music videos and fitness magazines such as Delux, Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Fitness, Fitness Rx, Exercise for Men, Vegan Health & Fitness, Thrive, Origin, Mantra, Planet Muscle, etc. as well as Maxim and Sports Illustrated. You can also see him featured in the P90X Television ads.

What inspired me to adopt a vegan lifestyle

“My mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and it really made me research the causes of the disease. During my research and discussions with the doctor I discovered that animal protein was not only related to colon cancer but so many other forms of cancer as well as a host of other diseases and ailments.”

Advice to make the switch to a plant-based diet

“Don’t be so hard on yourself! As perfect as we like to think we are, you will mess up. The key is not to beat yourself up about it. If you slip up and eat cheese at 11:59 make sure you are right back on the path at 12:00. Don’t waste time beating yourself up because of that mistake. Get right back on the path to a healthier lifestyle!”

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1977, John grew up in St. Louis, MO. At a young age of 13 John found himself at 315 pounds, but through hard work and dedication he lost the weight and excelled in football and basketball. He continued his streak of athletic excellence throughout his high school and college years in Mc Cluer Senior High in the heart of Ferguson, Mo. and Harris-Stowe State College respectively. Graduating with a Bachelors degree in marketing, he later went on to pursue his MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. John’s education in business coupled with his love for health and fitness gave him the ability to start his venture – Bad Ass Vegan – a health and nutrition company that strives to educate individuals on plant based nutrition. John’s love for his community brought forth the brainchild of “VeganSmart”, a plant based protein shake company with a foundation whose mission is to prevent obesity through education, physical activity and plant based nutrition.

John is also working on completing his first book in which he explains his remarkable journey in order to help others take control of their own health, happiness and life. Bad Ass Vegan has come out his it’s apparel line that will feature high quality, cruelty free clothing. Along with his gaming app company, John now is also stepping into a new realm in which he will be the co director/producer of the upcoming full length documentary “Hungry For Justice”… a film focused on food and social justice through the lens of  hip hop and urban culture,

Outside of health and fitness, John interests include public/motivational speaking around the world, reading, writing, brainstorming business ideas and most of all… helping others fulfill a healthy life.

VeganSmart Partner

BAV in alliance with VeganSmart

Veganism perfectly matches our ideals as a company. We quickly realized that a well balanced plant based diet was an intricate part of preventing the ailments and challenges that we saw affecting our friends and family. As a result, we partnered with John Lewis, a vegan athlete as well as category and industry expert, on a plant based diet to co-develop a product line, VeganSmart, based on his formula, specifications and ideals.

Interview

Favorite VeganSmart Flavors:
Chai, Chocolate and of course my very own creation Strawberry Shortcake!

Favorite Foods:
VeganSmart Pancakes!

Favorite Dessert:
Vegan Cheesecake!

Top Professional Accomplishments:
• Guest on the Hallmark Channel for the Home & Family show.
• Guest on The Daily Show on NBC.
• Chosen as Miami Herald “40 under40” innovative business owners.

Bragging Rights:
• Graduating with a Masters Degree.
• Working with John Salley.
• Having so many people tell me that I am motivation for them to go vegan… It motivates me to work even harder.

Fitness Tip:
Have fun with your journey! Just because it may not be the easiest thing to do it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the journey. Love life and it will love you back!