Whole Health

Whole Health motivated Army Veteran Chris Daming to shape up, and it's rubbed off on his whole family – including his son.

For St. Louis Veteran Chris Daming, the first step toward change started as a search for what he called “a shortcut.”

In spring 2025, feeling heavy and low on energy, Daming messaged VA to ask about a weight-loss medication. Instead, he was referred to Dr. Monu Khanna at VA St. Louis Health Care System at Jefferson Barracks, a decision he now calls transformative for himself and his family. Dr. Khanna encouraged Daming to try something more holistic: VA Whole Health.

A load off the mind — and body

At his heaviest, Daming reached 213 pounds. When he started his Whole Health journey, he hovered around 185 to 190 and felt stuck.

“I had zero motivation to do anything with my business,” he recalled. He described spending the first hours of his workday reading articles online, eating poorly, and drifting through a years-long fog. His two sons often ate mac and cheese and granola bars without much in the way of well-rounded nutrition, and the evenings blurred together over too much wine for Daming.

That changed after he connected with Dr. Khanna and health and wellness coach Pete Trapani.

Rather than handing him a single diet, Whole Health helped Daming understand how his choices fit together: how pairing carbohydrates with protein, fiber, and healthy fats could steady his energy, and how sleep, gut health, and movement all connected.

“After a few classes, things really started to click,” he said.

He rebuilt his mornings around a protein- and fiber-rich breakfast and stretched his overnight fast a little longer each day. When he admitted he didn't enjoy exercise, Dr. Khanna suggested he wear a weighted rucksack while gardening outside. He tried it, and it stuck.

The results, he said, have been dramatic: improved blood work numbers and, recently, his goal weight of 165 pounds, the same as on his wedding day.

Daming is keeping healthy habits all in the family.

Food for thought, family-style

The change rippled through his family. Meals that once centered on mac and cheese now feature more protein and vegetables, and his young sons have started talking about building their muscles. Even his 90-year-old grandmother has cut back on carbs.

Daming, who reconnected with his faith around the time of his referral, said the clinic arrived at a pivotal moment. He and his wife are now expecting their third son.

“I was at a low point in my life,” he said. “Now I’m at least tied for the happiest I've ever been in my life.”

He hopes other Veterans get the same chance. “This clinic is exactly what Veterans need. Every Veteran in the country should have access to it.”

Learn about how Whole Health has helped other Veterans like Daming experience life to the fullest.