Changing your diet can change your life; Seamus Mullen knows that intimately. In 2012, a near-death experience forced him to rethink how he lived.
The award-winning chef, restaurateur, and avid cyclist made a name for himself cooking through kitchens in Spain, San Francisco, and New York, where he opened his first restaurant in 2006. But the job’s long, grueling hours, plus a lifestyle of partying and unhealthy food, took a toll on his body.
In 2007, Mullen was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The autoimmune disease caused severe chronic pain in his joints, which were so swollen that each morning he couldn’t tie his shoes. He was placed on a cocktail of medications that never fully alleviated the pain—but weakened his resistance to infections, resulting in frequent trips to the hospital. After bacterial meningitis landed him in the ICU with a 106°F fever, he knew something had to change.
Under the guidance of functional medicine doctor Frank Lipman, he overhauled his lifestyle, from improving his exercise and sleep to incorporating meditation and managing his mindset. Most crucially, he transformed his diet, cutting refined sugars, simple carbs, and other inflammatory foods and replacing them with plenty of gut-friendly vegetables and healthy fats.
Within a year, the symptoms of his “incurable” illness disappeared.
Now, Mullen is a two-time cookbook author and passionate advocate for the healing power of food, and he inspires others to take control of their own health.
Here, he shares his wellness routines, tips on staying motivated, and a favorite simple, summer-ready recipe.
My ideal morning routine looks like this: wake up, two to five minutes of breathwork and meditation, three-minute cold plunge at 40°F, two minutes of qigong and dragon breath to warm up, 40 push-ups, and a cup of coffee. In reality, it’s usually two of these things, but I try to get in as much as I can.
