Episode 2: John Mendoza, Comedian, Actor has a Stroke at Age 66 & Discovers the Power of Food

Welcome to Health Interrupted with Celebrity Personal Trainer Gina Lombardi and Former Miss America Laura Kaeppeler. Our guest on this episode is Comedian/Actor John Mendoza. He’s hilarious, he’s a friend and seasoned comedian who has performed thousands of standup shows on all major comedy stages around the world. He’s graced the big and small screens with his memorable roles in shows such as The Big Bang Theory, Men Behaving Badly, Two and A Half Men, and his own series, The Second Half. He has performed on The Tonight Show a whopping 20 TIMES with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno. He’s also performed on The David Letterman Show, Late Night with Craig Ferguson and he had his own TV movie called John Mendoza: Over Easy. He comes to us today to tell us about how treating his body badly for so many years caught up with him and nearly killed him, how he changed his ways and is now an inspiration to those around him. 00:1:50 Our Sponsor for today’s episode is Lomolique. The first-ever facial BB anti-aging oil. Go to www.healthinterruptedpodcast.com to learn more about Lomolique 00:3:21 Gina & Laura talk about teaching your children how to eat when they are young and how food makes them feel. 00:5:45 Gina introduces John to his first zoom call. 00:09:08 John reveals that his health interruption was a stroke and it first started coming on in Atlantic City while working on the Fourth of July. 00:9:49 John and Howie Mandel play Leap Frog in the airport while John is having heart attack symptoms. 00:13:07 John admits having FOFO fear of FINDING out. 00:15:37 John tells a funny story about his ex-wife while having a stroke and in the emergency room. It's on a nerve so they can't do anything to it. 00:18:56 John discusses how he changed his eating behavior on Thanksgiving mid-way through dinner and became a vegetarian. 00:20:54 John dives into watching videos on plant-based eating by Dr. Michael Greger 00:22:22 John heads to Costco to buy huge bags of frozen vegetables, frozen fruit & oatmeal and was his diet for a year. 00:22:32 Hosts & John discuss how the pandemic has made people unhealthy. 00:22:56 John talks about starting a walking program on his own. Getting up every morning, walking 5 miles then coming home and having oatmeal and berries. 00:23:56 John reveals the reward of it all. 00:23:59 When his son got depressed about 3/4 through the pandemic and he got him starting to eat lentils, potatoes, rice and salads and he started feeling better again. 00:24:15 Gina discusses the power of food and how you eat certain foods, it makes you feel a certain way. 00:25:11 Today's sponsor is On & On Frankincense Hand and Body Wash. Go to www.healthinterruptedpodcast.com to learn more 00:29:44 Penn and Teller canceled on The David Letterman Show and John takes their spot high on pot. 00:33:46 John realizes that when he lied to his son about his smoking, something was wrong. 00:38:44 John explains how being a vegetarian is cheap. It costs him $3 a day. 00:46:53 John fat shames his friend 00:47:46 John gives everybody quick tips on fitness, nutrition, mental/spiritual and BEAUTY! John’s Nutrition tip: Start small. Start easy and give up the foods that make you sick. Eat Lentils and don’t worry about the gas. John’s Fitness tip: WALK. Do 11,000 steps a day walking and use an Apple iWatch John’s Beauty tip: Don’t buy deodorant, you don’t need it during quarantine and you’ll save $7.00/year John’s Mental/Spiritual tip: Just chill. Meditate. 00:59:11 -Hi, my name is John Mendoza and I have been pleasantly interrupted. Connect with John Mendoza: Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnpmendoza Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmendoza6516/ Connect with the Hosts of Health Interrupted: Instagram: Gina Lombardi https://www.instagram.com/coachlombardi Laura Kaeppeler https://www.instagram.com/kaeppelerlaura Or go to www.healthinterruptedpodcast.com for more information