Paul Sarmiento

Fabulous People: Dr. Paul Sarmiento

Dr. Paul Sarmiento’s resume is impressive, to say the least: physician, double board-certified in Family and Obesity Medicine, founder of Flywheel Weight Loss and Wellness and co-founder of The Food Doctors Healthy Meal Prep and Delivery Service. Here, Dr. Sarmiento reveals his local inspiration behind The Food Doctors and which famous brain he got to hold (seriously!). Learn about Dr. Paul Sarmiento…

Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

First job: Neuropsychiatry lab at McMaster University. I was a high school kid who carried brains from the basement up to the lab. Sounds crazy, but I had the chance to hold Albert Einsteinā€™s brain. 

Favorite AZ restaurant: Pita Jungle, one of the few fresh, healthy food options founded in Arizona. In fact, Pita Jungle was part of the inspiration behind The Food Doctors because eating there always made me think, this is so close to what could really help people get healthier. If onlyā€¦ And so the idea for The Food Doctors was born. 

Person who has impacted your life the most and why: My kids share this distinction of impacting my life the most. If impact is defined as the force of impression of one thing on another then they have met that criteria in such a short span of time. They are the driving force behind recent changes in my life, the constant challenge to be better and not to settle for anything less than making dreams come true. But mostly theyā€™ve impacted my sleep more than medical training, residency and starting multiple new businesses.

Your biggest accomplishment in your eyes and why: Launching The Food Doctors. I want to help my patients get healthy and stay healthy, and food is the most powerful way to do that. But in our current food environment, eating healthy can be hard. I wanted to make it easy, so it would work. We have developed truly healthy food that tastes good and shows up on your porch (on ice and in an insulated box). Whatever becomes of our project, it is the first step in showing people how good we can feel and how healthy we can get when we eat fresh, high quality, unprocessed foods.

The biggest obstacle you’ve overcome: Comfort. It is easy to get comfortable in a routine or a career. To actively change trajectory is uncomfortable, but when it feels right you just have to get it done.

Someone who inspires you and why: A now-retired physician who was my mentor for several years would always say, ā€œWhatā€™s the problem? You just gotta manage it.ā€ As a physician, he always did things right, and as a leader, he always did the right things. Even in his retirement, he helps the homeless and teaches those less fortunate.

Favorite quote: ā€œSimple is more important than sizzle. Process is more important than performance. Crafting is more important than creating. Extraordinary things come from doing ordinary things over and over and over and over again.ā€ ā€“Kobe Bryant

Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Be present. Be observant. Do the dayā€™s work well and remember that beyond the disease, there is a person who needs your help.

What makes someone fabulous: Resilience makes someone fabulousā€”the ability to pursue a goal or objective or an idea and see it through no matter the ups or downs or wayward turns. And glitter.

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