Dr. Terry Shintani, MD, JD, MPH
Physician · Nutritionist · Author · Community Advocate
Dr. Terry Shintani has spent over three decades doing something most doctors don’t — using food as medicine to help patients reverse chronic disease naturally.
As a physician, nutritionist, lawyer, and community health advocate, Dr. Shintani brings a rare combination of medical expertise and deep cultural wisdom to everything he does. His work is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: that the human body already knows how to heal — when given the right food, the right environment, and the right care.
A Career Built on Serving Communities
Dr. Shintani began his career serving Native Hawaiian and underserved communities in Hawaii — populations disproportionately affected by obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. What he discovered through years of clinical work became the foundation of his life’s mission: that traditional, whole-food plant-based diets could not only prevent chronic disease but reverse it.
One of his community health programs earned the highest national award from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services — a recognition of results that speak for themselves.
His work has been featured in Newsweek, CBS This Morning, CNN, and Dateline NBC, and since 1995 he has been recognized in the Encyclopedia Britannica. (click here to see the video)
In 2006, Dr. Shintani was formally designated a “Living Treasure of Hawaii” — one of the youngest individuals ever to receive this honor.
The Peace Diet
At the heart of Dr. Shintani’s work is the Peace Diet — a whole-food, plant-based nutrition program rooted in the traditional diets of Hawaii and Asia. Unlike calorie-counting programs or restrictive fad diets, the Peace Diet is built on abundance: eating foods that nourish the body, reduce inflammation, and support lasting health.
Patients on the Peace Diet have experienced remarkable results — reducing or eliminating the need for diabetes medication, losing weight naturally, lowering cholesterol, and reclaiming energy they thought was gone for good.
The Peace Diet is not just a diet. It is a return to the way human beings were meant to eat.
Academic & Leadership Roles
Dr. Shintani currently serves as Associate Chair of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine and holds the following positions:
- Chair, International Holistic Therapy Association
- President, Board of the Hawaii Center for Attitudinal Healing
- Chair, Advisory Board of the Gandhi International Institute for Peace
- Prior of the Knights (Hospitaller) of the Orthodox Order of St. John Russian Grand Priory, Priory of Hawaii
- Clergy, Elder’s Council of Traditional Hawaiian Healers
As a lawyer, Dr. Shintani authored landmark legislation that legalized Native Hawaiian healing practices — ensuring that these traditions could be preserved and practiced for generations to come.
A Vision for a Healthy and Peaceful World
Dr. Shintani’s vision extends beyond the clinic. He imagines a world where health improves so dramatically that the need for medication declines, healthcare costs fall, and people live longer, fuller lives. A world where spiritual health makes war unthinkable and every effort is directed toward protecting the environment and all living beings.
That vision is what drives every article, every patient visit, and every piece of content on this website.
Start Here
🌿 Learn about the Peace Diet → click here
📖 Explore Dr. Shintani’s books → click here
🎙️ Listen to the podcast → click here
📩 Join the community → click here