Jimmy Peña Named as First Advisory Board Member to The Daniel Plan

Peña joins expert panel for Saddleback Church’s worldwide faith-and-fitness initiative Lake Forest, Calif., July 3, 2012 – Jimmy Peña has been named as the first member of the advisory board for The Daniel Plan, Pastor Rick Warren’s worldwide faith-and-fitness initiative that helped 15,000 members in 190 countries lose over 260,000 pounds in 2011 alone.

“We’re excited to have Jimmy as the first member of our advisory board,” says Dee Eastman, Director of The Daniel Plan. ”He has an essence of how faith is integral to making lasting lifestyle changes. The strength of his background in the fitness industry is amazing but we were drawn to his heart. You can’t train that.”

Peña began PrayFit (www.prayfit.com) as a blog in 2008 and has since grown the brand to include a book (“PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days” – Regal Books), two DVDs (“PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge,” “PrayFit 33-Day Body Toning System” – Lionsgate Entertainment) and a list of endorsers that includes producer/actor Tyler Perry, entertainer LL Cool J, TV host Mario Lopez, elite ultramarathoner Josh Cox and Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.

“When I got the call from Dee, I couldn’t believe my ears. I am so honored and humbled to be a resource to her and the entire Daniel Plan team.”

The Daniel Plan was the brainchild of Pastor Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” in January 2011 as the first of seven “Decade of Destiny” initiatives at Saddleback Church, a Southern California-based church that serves over 20,000 congregants on a weekly basis. The idea came to him on a day when he had baptized over 800 people – Pastor Warren realized he, like his flock, was overweight and that the issue needed to be addressed.

Peña is the first member of the Advisory Board team that Eastman will be filling with like-minded, highly-qualified nutritionists, doctors and health and wellness experts. The first Daniel Plan effort was a year-long program by a team that included Drs. Mark Hyman, Daniel Amen and Mehmet Oz. The success of The Daniel Plan has captured the attention of CNN, ABC News and other major news outlets. Recently, it was the subject of a feature in TIME Magazine.

“We want to build a robust advisory board that will consist of people that can partner together to really improve health across the nation,” Eastman adds. “I want an amazing dream team of wellness professionals and Jimmy is the first member of that team.”

Peña will collaborate with Eastman and her staff on further curriculum development, additional resources and an enhanced online experience for Daniel Plan users in addition to speaking engagements and seminars.

>> For additional information about The Daniel Plan, visit www.danielplan.com, like it on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thedanielplan) or follow it on Twitter (@thedanielplan).