The story takes us to Pioppi (Population 190), the tiny fishing village 2 hours south of Naples, officially recognised by UNESCO as the home of the Mediterranean Diet.

In the 1960s, this remote Italian village was an unlikely epicentre of global nutritional research. It was from here that the iconic American scientist Ancel Keys would live and work amongst local residents, laying the foundations for a modern interpretation of the traditional Mediterranean Diet.

No region – or era – has had a greater impact on global nutritional policies, but closer inspection reveals that much of the magic may have been lost in translation. 

The good news? We’re going back to find it.

The Mediterranean Diet has been utterly revered, but it’s foundations have never been challenged. Since the 1970s, medicine, nutrition and science have simply rolled over to bask in its glow.

Until now….

Half a century after the first scientists, medics and cardiologists visited Pioppi, Dr Malhotra returns to recover what his peers may have known, but ultimately left behind.

Where did the “diet” come from? Is the science robust? Why, in his later years, was Ancel Keys refused publication of a paper that questioned his earlier work on cholesterol?

Our journey takes us beyond food as we explore the prevalence – and importance – of movement, mindfulness and a sense of community amongst these wonderful people.

In a place where people forget to die, The Pioppi Protocol is a quest to uncover and translate the true longevity secrets of this beautiful Mediterranean region.

• Is the traditional siesta saving more lives than the olive oil?
• Are all wines created equally?
• Why do men outlive women?
• Does sunshine reduce stress?
• Is fasting a factor?

To support our research, we have delved into hundreds of scientific papers to prise apart the enormously complex Mediterranean puzzle of longevity.

Dr Malhotra is a heart specialist committed to preventative medicine. Under his guidance, “The Pioppi Protocol” will establish a clear blueprint for heart health – anywhere.

We’re asking you to help us make that happen.

We have met some remarkable people on our journey so far – from winemakers and cheesemakers, to farmers and aquaponics experts. But there is more to the Mediterranean – and this movie – than food.

As we hack into the forgotten secrets of longevity, you will love the shoe maker who hand makes bespoke leather movement shoes using methods dating back to the Renaissance period!

A Master Movement & Primal Lifestyle coach will explain the power of posture and the importance of all that walking the traditional Mediterranean people undertook on a daily basis.

Stress? We’ve got that covered too! Cutting edge, unpublished scientific research by experts in the field and the masters of movement.

As we continue to move forward we are joining the dots of food, movement and mindfulness as they relate to human health and longevity.

We have miles to go before we sleep (we’ll get to that too by the way) and to complete this mission for global health we need your support. It’s time for you to meet Team Pioppi and decide if you want to join or not……

We’re taking this party on the road to an urban setting to see if we can successfully export the secrets of the Mediterranean – anywhere!

Dr Aseem Malhotra is an Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at Frimley Park Hospital in London, England. 

A founding member of Action on Sugar, Aseem has been the central catalyst in igniting the debate around the harms of excess sugar consumption in the UK with his commentaries in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), mainstream media and visits to number 10 Downing Street.

He has also been prominent in challenging mainstream advice on the role of saturated fat in the development of cardiovascular disease. His myth busting commentary on saturated fat and heart disease in the BMJ (October 2013) became one of the most read medical journal articles in the world (>100,000 downloads by medics).

Aseem is a frequent expert commentator in print and broadcast media and he has written for a number of publications including the BMJ, The Guardian and Observer, BBC online, Huffington Post, The Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph.

In the US, Aseem’s recent front page article in a Sunday edition of the Washington Post generated an unprecedented level of online interest (> 1 million unique views within one week)

He co-ordinated the Too Much Medicine campaign by the BMJ and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) to highlight the risks of overuse of medical treatments and serves on the AoMRC Choosing Wisely steering group.

Aseem has appeared in the Health Service Journal’s list of top 50 BME pioneers for the past two years and has won a number of awards for his work to raise awareness of diet-related illness.

His recent appointment as a trustee to the prestigious Kings Fund, (an independent charity working to improve health and health care in England) was followed by inclusion in The Evening Standard’s Progress 1000: London’s most influential people 2015.

Antonio Morinelli is a chef based in Pioppi, Italy.

After 10 years in the US, Antonio returned to his place of birth to open “Suscettibile“, a flagship restaurant using only the finest local produce from the home of the Mediterranean Diet.

When we met Antonio on our first day in Pioppi, we made a friend for life. His family’s generosity, hospitality and food is simply beyond compare. We can’t wait to bring Antonio – and his food – to the big screen.

Donal O’Neill is a former international athlete and a passionate activist for better food and smarter exercise. His first movie project – the critically acclaimed Cereal Killers: Don’t Fear Fat (2013) – was nominated “one of the top 10 documentaries that could change the world.”

This time he’s out to finish the job.

Before the pro fat, anti sugar debates and movies like Fed Up took centre stage, Cereal Killers was a neat little movie ahead of its time. It has now been viewed by more than 2 million people worldwide and continues to change lives through its weight loss and improved metabolic health message.

Run on Fat, the sequel to Cereal Killers, featuring World Ironman Champion Sami Inkinen and Dr Stephen Phinney, released earlier this year to challenge the foundations of sports nutrition. If you run, bike or hike, it could knock a chunk of your PBs – and add years to your life.

Donal is an independent producer on a very big mission – to investigate, probe and challenge conventional health and performance principles through the forum of film. If the Mediterranean Diet is the holy grail of nutrition, The Pioppi Protocol is his biggest challenge yet.

Can Donal and the crusading Cardiologist Aseem successfully pool their experience, research and performance/medical expertise into a 21 day protocol for Whole Heart Health – anywhere?

Yes we can! And we’ve already started…

Now we need your help to scale the Film Pyramid.

We’re not really here to make a movie. We’re here to make a difference. And to do that effectively, our real goal is to get as far as possible into that magical marketing zone where the Pioppi Protocol can do what it says on the tin – we want to unleash Aseem and take this message to Downing Street, the White House and the world.

You can help us do that in 2 ways –

1. By pledging your support. And remember, it costs nothing to pledge – you only pay out if we make our target. We have a bunch of rewards to get through, so check em all out!

2. By sharing this campaign and generating awareness. We figure we need 3 million visits to this page to get us over the line.

THANK YOU!