After a near-death experience that landed him in hospital, chef Seamus Mullen transformed his diet and is now bringing elevated healthy cuisine to the masses with his new venture Whirlybird + Greens.

Rewind to a decade ago and Seamus Mullen was 70 pounds overweight, regularly indulging on fried food, pizza, and desserts.

After suffering from chronic autoimmune conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, these days the James Beard Award-nominated chef weighs in at a healthy 195 pounds after completely transforming his diet and sticking to a Paleo-inspired lifestyle.

Irish American Vermont native Mullen may be known to some as a collaborator of Gwyneth Paltrow. Mullen regularly cooks up wholesome meals in the Goop lab with the high priestess of health and wellness herself.

His latest project, Whirlybird + Greens located in the Gotham West Market, is a health-focused concept restaurant with offerings like pasture-raised chicken, kale bowls, cauliflower rice, and sweet potatoes cooked in coconut oil.

“If you’re really committed to taking care of yourself, you can feel better, you can improve your health,” the 43-year-old told The New York Post.

Mullen opened up about his wake up call, what he described as a “near-death experience.”

The chef collapsed in the kitchen and was rushed to hospital where he was found to have 36 blood clots throughout his body.

This experience was the catalyst he needed for change. Now he bikes 180 miles per week and doesn’t find himself tempted by his former vices.

“I can sit in a room surrounded by potato chips and boxes of pizza and feel no magnetic pull to eat them, because I know how bad I’ll feel when I do,” he said.

His lifestyle shift has also transcended his businesses. At his tapas bars, he has eliminated refined sugars and inflammatory oils and uses meat with no hormones or GMOs.

“In general, the dishes have gone from being carb-heavy dishes to much more vegetable-centric dishes,” Mullen said. “We’ve really cleaned things up.”