Our Team

Perfect Health Retreats are brought to you by:

Paul Jaminet, Ph.D. Author of Perfect Health Diet and a leading health and nutrition thinker, Paul came to the health field by a roundabout path. He started his career as an astrophysicist, became a software entrepreneur during the Internet boom, and then a strategic advisor to entrepreneurial companies. But a chronic illness, and eight years of research, led Paul and his wife to develop the diet and lifestyle interventions of the Perfect Health Diet. Thousands of readers have since experienced improved health from the Perfect Health Diet prescription. At the Perfect Health Retreat, Paul leads the science classes and health coaching.
Shou-Ching Jaminet, Ph.D. Co-author of Perfect Health Diet, Shou-Ching is a molecular biologist and cancer researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, and Director of BIDMC’s Multi-Gene Transcriptional Profiling Core. Shou-Ching’s love of food was born in her father’s extremely popular restaurant in Yeongwol, Korea, and she now fulfills her love of cooking by developing delicious recipes and meal plans for the Perfect Health Retreat and her next book, Perfect Health Cookbook. At the Perfect Health Retreat, Shou-Ching leads the cooking classes and directs meal planning.
Whitney Ross Gray Whitney Ross Gray has been controlling her Multiple Sclerosis with diet and lifestyle since 2010. She started her blog, nutrisclerosis.com, to keep track of the best resources for helping people adapt to an ancestral lifestyle. She has invested hundreds of hours in research and inspired countless men and women to use diet and lifestyle to control their disease. She has also transformed the lives of overweight adolescents during summer lifestyle boot camps. She can be heard on NPR as well as podcasts discussing the challenges and joys of living a life that challenges the modern food paradigm. Whitney is co-founder of the Perfect Health Retreat and handles the business side.
Laura Schoenfeld v2 Laura Schoenfeld RD earned her Masters in Public Health Nutrition (MPH) from The University of North Carolina in 2013, and passed her RD exam in February 2014. She blogs at www.ancestralizeme.com and is a strong believer in nourishing natural whole foods, prepared in delicious and enjoyable meals. At the Perfect Health Retreat, Laura assists Paul with health coaching.
chris gates Chris Gates has been a gourmet chef for over 20 years. With Cinema Catering, he cooked for stars such as Drew Barrymore, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, Martin Lawrence, and Freddy Prince Jr. As Chef De Cuisine at the Figure Eight Island Yacht Club, he worked with guest chefs including Iron Chef Michelle Bernstine and James Beard Award winners Chef Hubert Des Marais, Chef John Fleer, and Chef Mark Gallaudet of the American Club in Hong Kong. As a private chef, Chris has cooked for Steve Winwood, R.E.M., Carlos Santana, and Widespread Panic. Chris cooks from the heart with love for guests at Perfect Health Retreats, for clients of Low Country Catering, and is Executive Chef at Beach Shop and Grille on Topsail Island, North Carolina.
Sue Savery headshot Susan Savery of Savery Services is concierge of the Perfect Health Retreat. She is resident on-site throughout the retreat and available 24 hours a day to help guests with whatever they need.
Jae Chung Jae Chung is a regular trainer at the Perfect Health Retreat. In addition to leading movement classes, Jae performs one-on-one assessments of posture, gait, breathing, and mobility, and suggests retraining exercises. When not at the retreats, Jae is a strength and conditioning coach at IFAST in Indianapolis. Jae graduated from Indiana University with degrees in philosophy and French, and also studied music. The son of two professors, he has spent most of his adult life teaching or coaching, beginning with teaching violin as a teenager. Jae served in the Peace Corps as an English teacher. He has earned a black belt from the US Hapkido Federation and taught for a number of years in the Indiana University T’ai Chi Ch’uan club.
Court Wing head Court Wing has been training clients and students in fitness and the martial arts for over 20 years. He earned his CrossFit Level 1 trainer certificate in July ’04, becoming the NYC Metro area’s first certified CrossFit instructor; and is the Co-Founder & Co-Owner of CrossFit NYC, the world’s largest CrossFit affiliate. Prior to his CrossFit training, Court was active in the martial arts, earning his San-Dan (3rd degree black belt) in Ki-Aikido and served as a live-in apprentice (uchi-deshi) to US Chief Instructor Koichi Kashiwaya for five years. In August 2000, along with his teammate Scott Bohart, he won the Gold Medal in the Overall International Competitors Division at the International Taigi Competitiion in Toichigi, Japan. Court is a Z-Health Master Trainer and a Russian Kettlebell Challenge Trainer. Reviews of Court as a trainer may be found here and here. Court will be a special guest trainer at the October 2015 retreat.

The retreat benefits from occasional appearances by special guests and friends, such as:

Kamal Patel is a certified physical trainer, nutrition expert, and health researcher. He has published peer-reviewed articles on vitamin D, calcium, fructose, liver health, mindfulness meditation, nutrition in low income areas, and a variety of clinical research topics. Kamal has an MPH and MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and enjoys oldies music and funny animal pictures.
Russ Crandall Russ Crandall is a chef and food blogger at The Domestic Man and author of The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle. His food has been featured in People Magazine and The Huffington Post, and his blog was a finalist in the Saveur Best Food Blog 2013 awards.
Taylor Banford v2 Taylor Banford is an artist, athlete, and CrossFit-certified personal trainer. In her youth she competed in gymnastics, field hockey, softball, swimming, and diving; she majored in Fine Art at East Carolina University and makes fine jewelry; loves to cook; but her greatest passion is in the world of fitness. Taylor is an enthusiast for bodyweight exercises and outdoor playgrounds, and looks forward to helping Perfect Health Retreat participants learn simpler and easier ways to exercise.
danny briggs Danny Briggs is a Dr. Kelly Starrett certified mobility trainer, a CrossFit-certified trainer, and an Attitude Nation certified weightlifting trainer. A former gymnast and wrestler, Danny discovered his passion for helping others during his service in the military. Danny looks forward to helping Perfect Health Retreat guests improve their mobility.
Des Despina Diamantopoulos is a certified Renaissance exercise instructor and nutritional consultant based in Toronto, Ontario. After earning her BA in philosophy and her certification in Renaissance exercise, Despina became a partner and instructor at The Strength Room, where she has provided one-on-one personal exercise instruction and nutritional and health consultations since 2009. The facility promotes low-impact, high-intensity strength training, encouraging maximum muscular strength in a safe, controlled environment.

  1. Hi, I need to ask some very specific questions about circadian rhythms and sleeping in darkness. How do I do that?

    Thanks,

    Allan

  2. Where can i ask questions…?

    Maybe here: Why do you recommend eggs….given that they are high in omega 6 and low in omega 3….?

    • Hi Rory, they are high in nutrition as well. We only recommend 3, but you are right that they have enough omega-6 that you need to stringently limit other sources of omega-6.

      Best, Paul

  3. Hi Paul

    Ta for your reply….

    A clarification…when you say you only recommend 3 is that 3 eggs or omega 3….?

    And if it is 3 eggs….is that 3 eggs a week or 3 eggs a day…?

    The answer is probably in your book which i am currently reading….

  4. Wow!!! 3 eggs a day…Thats a lot!!!!

    Not sure that i will manage that…..

    I’m sure you are busy so ta very much for your replies….

    Will carry on reading the book…have just reached the point where you talk about the value of coconut oil…
    and may contact you again if i have any questions…

    All the Best,

    Rory

  5. Oh i have just looked in greater detail at the the PHD Website….

    And Eric does not seem to be one of the team at PHD….

    No offence but that makes me less likely to take the suggestion of 3 eggs per day at face value….

    Anyway i will keep reading the book…

    Rory

  6. Thanks Randy…will do……

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