Dr. James L. Chestnut has been studying human wellness and prevention for over 30 years. He holds a Bachelor of Physical Education degree, a Master of Science degree in exercise physiology with a specialization in neuromuscular adaptation, is a Doctor of Chiropractic, and holds a post-graduate Certification in Wellness Lifestyle. Dr. Chestnut is also the author of ‘Live Right for Your Species Type’, which, along with his previous books, is considered the gold standard evidence-based argument for lifestyle intervention. Dr. Chestnut lectures at venues worldwide including colleges and professional conferences regarding lifestyle as the evidence-based foundation of wellness and prevention and 21st Century healthcare reform. Dr. Chestnut also holds an “O” visa from the United States which recognizes him as one of the world’s leading authorities on evidence-based lifestyle intervention for wellness and prevention. Dr. Chestnut’s efforts have touched many thousands within the natural healthcare community, and through this, millions of patients worldwide.
Dr. Chestnut holds the positions of Honorary Consultant and is on the Clinical Advisory Panel to the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, is chair of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) Council on Wellness Lifestyle Science and is a member of the ICA Committee on Chiropractic Postgraduate Education. In addition, Dr. Chestnut is the developer, lead instructor, and author of the four textbooks for the ICA Wellness Lifestyle Certification Program, the first accredited post-graduate evidence-based wellness lifestyle certification program in history. Dr. Chestnut is also the developer of the Innate Lifestyle Program and is the founder of Innate Choice Wellness Nutrition Inc. and the Innate Choice ‘Essential Nutrient System’.
Dr. Chestnut’s work to scientifically validate the paradigm of wellness and prevention and the role of lifestyle is revolutionary. He has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles and has also published five books. His first book, The 14 Foundational Premises for the Scientific and Philosophical Validation of the Chiropractic Wellness Paradigm was recognized with an award of distinction from the International Chiropractic Association (ICA) as a significant contribution to the scientific literature validating chiropractic and is now being used as a textbook in chiropractic colleges. Another of his books, Innate Physical Fitness and Spinal Hygiene, won Dr. Chestnut the honor of being named the Researcher of the Year for the International Chiropractors Association in 2006.
Dr. Chestnut wrote the texts for the Wellness Lifestyle Certification Program he developed. The Innate Diet, Innate Physical Fitness, and The Innate State of Mind have set the standard for evidence-based lifestyle intervention based on the human genetic requirements regarding nutrition, exercise and energy expenditure, belief systems, thoughts and emotions, and social interaction. Dr. Chestnut bases all his work on the scientific evidence regarding the human lifestyle requirements for the genetic expression of health and the prevention of chronic illness. His revolutionary but brilliantly simple concept of Eat Well - Move Well - Think Well® as the lifestyle foundations of health and wellness have not only defined what evidence-based wellness and prevention lifestyle practice is, they have made it practical for both patients and clinicians.
Dr. Chestnut received numerous academic scholarships and awards during his undergraduate and postgraduate programs and has the distinction of being the only graduate student to ever be granted the use of the magnetic resonance imagery lab at the hospital in Victoria, British Columbia. He has taught, and guest lectured at universities, chiropractic colleges, and medical schools, presented research at physiology, education, chiropractic, health insurance, and lifestyle conferences, conducted corporate and community lifestyle workshops, read and critiqued thousands of articles, and published in basic science and chiropractic journals. In 2009, Dr. Chestnut was awarded the Parker Seminars Chiropractor of the Year award. In 2007, Dr. Chestnut won the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) Chiropractic Educator of the Year Award.
Dr. Chestnut is internationally known and recognized for his achievements as a founding pioneer in the area of lifestyle as the foundation of wellness and prevention and as one of the most prominent practitioners and lecturers in that field. As such, he is regularly asked to lecture around the world as a keynote speaker and leading expert in this field which he has helped to define and create. Dr. Chestnut has greatly contributed to, and positively impacted, both the chiropractic profession and healthcare in general through his series of books and numerous published articles, as well as through his excellence as a lecturer and clinician.