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Smoky Sirloin Steak with Tomato Hummus

Diet and Exercise Really Does Matter!

C. Brown | February 1, 2020

Ryan Haynes


Diet and Exercise really DOES matter 
 

Northeast Team Beef member, Ryan Haynes Sr., knows first-hand how powerful your dietary choices are to positively or negatively impacting the health of your body.  In 2016, he received very sobering news from his health care providers that he had liver disease and chronic heart failure, and a year later, diabetes.  He wasn’t a candidate for a successful transplant surgery due to his poor health, so Ryan turned to changing his lifestyle for the better.  He started the long journey to improve his physical fitness by walking and ultimately, running.  Ryan also began improving his dietary choices. 

“After meeting with a nutritionist and doing some research, I learned that lean protein was the best fuel source for me.  That is when I started incorporating lean beef into my diet almost daily.  From there, not only did my (running) times drop but also my recovery periods to the point that I was running every day and twice a day a few times per week,” commented Ryan.  Through his lifestyle changes, Ryan was able to lose close to 50 pounds in one year.  He continues, “While there are plenty of sources of ready-to-go protein, none of them truly help to curve hunger like beef. The amount of protein in beef helps to fuel my workouts and speeds the recovery time better than any commercial nutritional supplement.”  

When asked what continues to motivate him to keep running, Ryan mentions, “The health benefits have been life changing.  At one point, I was taking 11 oral medications and an insulin injection every day.  Now, I am down to 3 pills and completely off insulin.”  

Another motivator for Ryan has been the connections he’s formed.  “Learning other people’s “why” and realizing that people have had similar journeys and forming bonds has just been icing on the cake,” he adds. 

When he’s not out running, Ryan enjoys honing his culinary skills, suburban gardening and spending time with his family. Ryan recently became a certified running coach by the Road Runners Club of America and will start to help others on their path to a healthier life. 

This month, Ryan was able to join four other Northeast Team Beef members at the 2020 Northeast Beef Advocacy Training held in Washington, D.C.  He and the other 16 participants enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the community of farmers and ranchers they represent.  Like many of his teammates, Ryan also earned his Masters of Beef Advocacy 2.0 Training Certificate.


Learn more about the 35 members of the Northeast Team Beef program, including Ryan by viewing the 

member library and our Stories of Strength page. 

Stay tuned to the Northeast Beef Promo Facebook and Instagram pages to catch up on how the Northeast region is actively seeking to promote beef. 

For more information, visit NEBPI.org or BeefBoard.org.