Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Brown.

Rachael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

Like many Americans, I’d been diagnosed with high cholesterol in my late 20s. In my mid-30’s my 5-year old nephew was diagnosed with cancer and his mom, who was in nursing school at the time, was asked by a professor if she’d looked at the role of nutrition in cancer. Through his diagnosis and their subsequent dietary changes, I discovered The China Study and started exploring the science of nutrition. After eating whole food, plant-based, no oil for just 17 days, my cholesterol dropped 50 points which lead me to want to learn more and to earn my plant-based nutrition certificate and food and sustainability certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and Cornell. This was the beginning of my family and I’s journey from the standard American diet (SAD) to a whole-food, plant-based, no-oil (WFPBNO) lifestyle. My kids were 6 and 8 when we made the switch. I wanted to help other families see it was not only possible, but doable to make the change, which is why I ultimately ended up writing For Fork’s Sake: A Quick Guide to Healing Yourself and the Planet Through a Plant-Based Diet.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

We probably made almost every mistake in the book! That’s what I wanted to save others from.

For instance, for a time we went really black and white and ate very strictly at home but away from home all bets were off. This led to my son eating 6 hotdogs and 12 cookies at a party! And he was in 4th grade. It took us a lot of trial and error to figure out what worked best.

I wanted to write a very easily digestible (pun intended) book on this subject Parents are busy and don’t have a lot of time to read, which is why I intentionally kept it short and sweet, with the basic ‘why’ and ‘how’ to get going. It’s basically the book I wish I would’ve had at the time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

These days there is a lot of information out there floating around as to what is the best ‘diet’. From doctors to social media influencers touting supplements, Paleo and Keto diets, to the ‘plant-based’ junk food options on grocery store shelves, it can be hard to decipher what is truth and what is marketing or a fad. As a nation we’re overweight and sick and it’s just getting worse.

I try to make what seems overwhelming as simple as possible for people, while showing the proven science behind the reason for making the switch. For Fork’s Sake gives actionable steps to take, in a 10-day format to get people going. I know it’s not easy ditching the SAD (standard American diet), which is why I give tips and tricks to try, especially when starting out.

People were asking for more guidance, so I also offer consulting for those who want a little more help making the transition, or getting ‘back on the wagon’ if they’ve tried this before unsuccessfully. You can book time with me on my website (www.forforkssakebook.com) and we can figure out what is getting in the way of you being successful, and what will help you reap all the benefits of this lifestyle.

I donate 50% of profits from the sale of my book to charity, and 1% of gross sales goes to 1% For the Planet. This really is my best attempt at helping others and helping the planet.

I’m especially proud that though I thought I was writing this book for young families, I’ve had people in their mid-80’s hear me speak, read my book, and get off their medications. I want people to know that our bodies are always healing themselves–we just need to learn how to get out of the way and stop feeding them junk. It’s miraculous what can happen when we do.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?

When we ditched the SAD (standard American diet) for HAPPY (Healthy and Plant-Powered, Yay!) 15 years ago, not many people knew what plant-based even meant. Now, that term is slapped on everything from snack foods to bottled water.

While there’s been growth in understanding for some, there has also been an explosion in manufacturers exploiting people wanting to get healthy. It’s now confusing for most people–should I eat an ultra-processed plant-based meat or cheese product or not? Is a Beyond or Impossible burger better or worse for me than a regular beef burger? Should I avoid almonds since they use a lot of water to grow?

Compounding that, most medical doctors only receive 1 to 5 hours of training in nutrition, so a lot of them are trained to deal with illnesses that are the result of poor diets, but not to treat the source of the problem (the diet itself). There’s growing awareness here, and some organizations such as Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are tackling this issue by trying to get this information into the curriculum and board exams of medical school.

With climate change we’re starting to see issues with crop yields, zoonotic diseases and weather which ultimately affect the prices and availability of certain foods. Whether it’s oranges, avocados or eggs, we’ll likely be seeing more and more disruption to our food system. The good news is eating whole food, plant-based, no oil saves you money and in a large part keeps you unaffected by changes in the global animal agriculture and industrial food system. Plus, by choosing to eat plants over animals you’ll be preventing and reversing our biggest killers (heart disease, cancer, stoke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://forforkssakebook.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forforkssakebook/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forforkssakebookcom/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-brown-7090b6251/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIMleczDqB6rP1o2KYIr8RA