Success Stories
-
Success StoriesSee articleI Put High Cholesterol and Severe Arthritis Behind Me on a Plant-Based Diet
I’ve always loved exercise, but after I began having meniscus tears in my knees that required surgery, I didn’t exercise much, if at all. My orthopedic surgeon told me that both knees were full of arthritis and that there was nothing I could do about it. Then, in December 2017, at a long-overdue physical exam, […] -
Success StoriesSee articlePost–Liver Transplant, I’m Running Marathons and Climbing Mountains on a Plant-Based Diet
Sixteen years of poor lifestyle choices had left my life in ruins. My marriage had dissolved. My connection to friends and family members had been almost completely severed. I had bounced between jobs for a few years. My health was getting worse by the day. The root of it all: alcohol and poor diet. I […] -
Success StoriesSee articleA Carb-Centric Diet Helped Me Recover from Type 2 Diabetes
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2021. Scroll to the end for an inspiring 2025 update from Amy! Diabetes has plagued my family for generations. I have early childhood memories of my grandma eating chocolate cake and saying, “I’ll just increase my insulin.” So, when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age […] -
Success StoriesSee articleHow Changing My Diet Healed My Gut and Made Me a Better Doctor
I grew up on a standard American diet. I was raised to eat lots of meat and dairy (which I thought I needed for calcium and protein) and a single serving of vegetables and fruits every day. I believed that one apple a day would keep the doctor away. In 2010, I was diagnosed with […] -
Success StoriesSee articleHospitalized with Ulcerative Colitis, I Turned to a Plant-Based Diet to Help Heal Myself
In 2012, I was teaching English in Japan when one day I found myself having to make a lot of urgent bathroom trips. I figured that I must have some kind of food poisoning, so I just let it go for a few days. Then I noticed blood in my stool. I also started to […] -
Success StoriesSee articleI Suffered a Widowmaker Heart Attack at 45. Today I’m Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet
I’ve lived in Texas my whole life, raised by parents who liked to fry stuff. I played high school football and ate like a lineman, with a diet of gravy and chicken-fried steaks and anything else I could dip in gravy. After graduating high school in 1992, my weight became a constant battle. At 6’1”, […] -
Success StoriesSee articleFrom Obese Vegetarian to Fitter Than Ever on a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
I’ve struggled with weight for most of my life. I was the big kid who got teased on the playground and then the big adult who got called names behind his back and to his face. Food was my emotional escape, and I formed a toxic relationship with eating. I’d binge eat in secret and […] -
Success StoriesSee articleOn a Plant-Based Diet, I’m Finally Finding Relief from Severe Eczema
I first went whole-food, plant-based in mid-2018, because a few friends had adopted the diet and seemed to have way more energy and be healthier in general, both physically and emotionally. I found it easy to make the transition. But then I got engaged and wrapped up in the demands of preparing for a wedding, […] -
Success StoriesSee articleA Plant-Based Diet Freed Me After Decades of Digestive Distress and Gastrointestinal Issues
I’ve been plagued by gastrointestinal issues since infancy. As a child I went through extensive allergy testing and discovered I had a multitude of food allergies, including soy, tree nuts, peanuts, and shellfish. Avoiding my dietary allergens offered minimal gastrointestinal improvement. I figured I’d just need to live with the pain forever. Bogged Down by […] -
Success StoriesSee articleI Dropped 100 Pounds in One Year by Ditching Animal Products, Processed Foods
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2021. Scroll to the end for an inspiring 2025 update from Dave on how his health and life have continued to improve. I’ve been big for most of my life. I wasn’t an obese child, but I was tall and overweight, and I knew I stood out. […] -
Success StoriesSee articleFlourishing as a Family on a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
My dad is a physician, and we kept fairly healthy habits at home growing up. In high school, I was an athlete and straight-A student. But once I got to college, my healthy lifestyle was derailed. I started living off fast food, beef jerky, and instant noodles. I stayed out late partying and slept in […]
HEALTHY EATING SHOULDN'T BE A HASSLE
Discover over 500 whole-food, plant-based recipes from 50 leading chefs, updated weekly.