ABOUT LIFESTYLE MEDICINE DENVER

OUR VISION

Lifestyle Medicine Denver was created to inspire and empower individuals to prevent, treat, and reverse many chronic illnesses, while ultimately increasing  health, vitality, and joy.  We empower clients to create and maintain long-term lifestyle changes that enhance overall quality of life. We do this by honoring clients unique bio-individuality and supporting clients in mobilizing internal strengths and external resources to achieve self-determined health and wellness goals.

ALAN ZIZMOR

I started my professional journey in the food industry, gaining valuable experiences and lessons along the way. After obtaining my BS in Food Systems Management from Syracuse University, I further honed my skills at the French Culinary Institute (now known as the Institute of Culinary Education) in Soho, NYC. One success was Little Sadie, a raw bar and lounge on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It quickly became a popular spot, with long lines and frequent sightings of athletes and celebrities. Later, I moved to Colorado and introduced the "Create Your Own Salad" concept to Denver with the opening of (212) Salad & Sandwich Co. in 2002. This venture received great acclaim, winning "Best Salad" in 5280's annual Top of the Town issue in 2003. In 2012, I ventured into the foothills of Denver and opened Hideaway Kitchen + Bar in Genesee. Our menu was centered around comfort food without ethnic boundaries, with a service style that I call "table cloth service without the table cloth." Our specialty drink menu, featuring infused liquors, was a hit, with the Curious George (banana-infused Jameson) being a particular favorite among customers. However, not every venture is a success, and I also had a failing concept  with True Health Vending. We produced our own line of cold-pressed juices, salads, protein boxes, and other snacks for our own vending machines in the Denver/Boulder area. Unfortunately, the business did not thrive, and it eventually closed due to the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic. Despite this failure, I gained valuable insights and lessons along the way. One positive outcome of my experience with True Health was the opportunity to conduct nutritional analysis for all the items we offered. This sparked a new passion and set the foundation for my next career path. 

For me, my life transformation is a deeply personal journey. I started using cannabis during my late teenage years, not for the stereotypical reasons, but because it helped slow down my racing thoughts and allowed me to focus more clearly. At the time, I didn't fully understand why I relied on cannabis, but I also couldn't seem to stop. It wasn't until the age of 39 that I was finally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and I realized that I had been self-medicating all those years. Clearly,  I wasn't an addict, but rather someone trying to cope with an undiagnosed condition. At one point, I was taking 60mg of Adderall daily. However, today I am proud to say that I no longer use it at all. Through mindfulness practices, aligning with my ultradian rhythms, and living a healthy lifestyle, I went from being unable to sit still to being able to read full research papers for up to 90 minutes without interruption. If I can make this transformation, so can you!

In the spring of 2021, I took a significant step in my journey by applying and being accepted into the University of Maryland's School of Pharmacy MS program, specializing in Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics. I am proud to be part of the third graduating class of the first Masters of Science program in the United States. I obviously gained a profound understanding of cannabis and its various cannabinoids. However, the area that  I gained the most knowledge in was the intricate and complex ways in which our bodies function and how different symptoms work in symmetry with one another to support our overall health and well-being. I continued my education by enrolling in Lifestyle Medicine courses through Harvard Medical School and the Health Coach Training Program at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and am currently taking the NBHWC certification course  also through IIN.  These courses taught me that our bodies possess an incredible ability to heal themselves when we remove the factors that contribute to disease and  by implementing positive lifestyle changes, we can prevent, manage, and even reverse chronic illnesses. Over the past three years, I have undergone a transformative journey in mind, body, and spirit, and now my dedication lies in empowering others to embark on their own transformative journeys.

In my free time, I enjoy snowboarding, hiking, golfing, mindfulness meditation, healthy cooking and wine. I am a life long Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Colts/Ravens fan, as well as live music shows. I joke that I received my BS in the Grateful Dead and my MS in Phish and Widespread Panic amassing almost 500 shows through the years. However, my greatest joy comes from my 20-year-old daughter, Rachel. We share an incredibly close bond, which I am immensely proud of. I truly  learn from her every day.

If you have read this far, thank you! I am truly humbled and honored to be a part of your transformative journey. 

Let’s go to work!

-Alan