Our Most-Shared Plant-Based Success Stories of 2024: Transforming Health, One Meal at a Time

As 2024 comes to a close, we’re looking back at the incredible whole-food, plant-based success stories that we had the privilege of publishing this year. These firsthand testimonials showcase how real people have reclaimed their health—and their lives—through the transformative power of plants, from reversing life-threatening heart disease and managing autoimmune symptoms to shedding hundreds of pounds and regaining energy.

Whether you're just starting your plant-based journey or looking for renewed motivation, these inspiring success stories offer proof that change is possible at any stage. To start your 2025 on an inspired note, here are our most-shared stories of 2024.

Karlynn McCarrell was following a low-carb, ketogenic diet in an attempt to lose weight, when mysterious shoulder pain landed him in the ER. There the doctors uncovered a major arterial blockage. While recovering from a stent placement, McCarrell started investigating the links between nutrition and disease and came across Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell J. Esselstyn Jr., M.D., which made the case for adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet for optimal heart health. “I was determined to change my life forever, to never end up back in the hospital bed because of poor nutrition,” McCarrell writes. As soon as he got home from the hospital, he cleaned out his kitchen and resolved to go whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) for a month. At his 30-day follow-up, the cardiologist was floored. “Not only had I lost a significant amount of weight but my blood pressure had normalized, and all my blood lipid profile numbers had significantly improved.” Read more.

At 33 years old, Chelsey Williams was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic autoimmune condition that causes painful swelling and irritation in the lining of the digestive tract. In 2020, doctors removed an extremely damaged section of her small intestine, and Williams was hopeful this would offer some relief. “I expected to feel 100% better, but I didn’t,” she writes. At that point, she was frustrated enough to try anything. She’d read about the health benefits of plant-based diets, so she decided to cut out meat for Lent. She felt so much lighter that she went all in on a whole-food, plant-based diet. “Within a year of going WFPB, I was able to discontinue all medications, and I felt better than I had in 10 years.” Read more.

John Riley’s career as a truck driver meant that he often ended up eating fast food and gas-station snacks, and he struggled with excess weight. Eventually, Riley was diagnosed with sleep apnea—a condition impacting an estimated 30 million Americans. In January 2022, he and his girlfriend, Mary, decided to give a WFPB diet a try, and Riley began preparing meals at home. “I came to enjoy cooking,” Riley writes. Eight months later, he’d lost 30 pounds. He’s kept the weight off since then—and that’s not all. “My doctor has significantly reduced the dosage of my blood pressure and cholesterol medications, and I no longer need a CPAP machine!” Read more.

In December 2021, Patricia Spratt was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Imaging of her liver revealed severe fibrosis/cirrhosis. Her doctor told her that if she didn’t change her diet and sedentary lifestyle, she would be a candidate for a liver transplant within three to six years. Afterward, her stepdaughter recommended she watch the documentary Forks Over Knives. “So I did—three times,” Spratt writes. After that, she immediately went vegan. “My focus was on repairing and keeping my liver healthy. I was pleasantly surprised when, a few weeks into my new diet, I found myself losing weight.” Read more.

For two decades, Ana Maria Leis and her husband, Jay, struggled to get a handle on Jay’s Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, despite following their doctor’s recommendation to avoid carbs and load up on animal protein. Some of the low-carb diets that they tried helped with weight loss, but none helped with Jay’s lab numbers, and eventually, Ana Maria developed Type 2 diabetes, as well. In 2023, having hit rock bottom with her health, Ana Maria reached out to her sister, a lifestyle medicine physician, who explained to them how they could reverse Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure by adopting a WFPB diet. “Prior to this, we didn’t realize reversal was an option,” Ana Maria writes. With her sister’s guidance, the couple made the switch. A year later, they’ve experienced a dramatic turnaround. “Our A1Cs are in the healthy range, as is Jay’s blood pressure and cholesterol,” Ana Maria writes. “We both feel so much better, inside and out.” Read more.

Growing up in the South, Shaquila Germany’s diet was heavy in fried and processed foods. In her 20s, she was diagnosed with lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, acid reflux, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis. Chronic pain, anxiety, and sky-high blood pressure forced her to stop working and drop out of school at just 25 years old. In 2018, Germany decided to make a change. She began transitioning to a WFPB diet, eliminating animal products and processed foods, step by step. “Today … I feel more energized than ever, and I’m able to manage my chronic pain well enough that I can work out and do yoga,” Germany writes. Her weight loss now totals 90 pounds, and she no longer struggles with gastrointestinal issues. “Since adopting this lifestyle, I’m doing so much better mentally, physically, and spiritually.” Read more.

For years, Rainer Lucks battled cardiovascular disease. Despite following his doctor’s advice to eat lean meats and take cholesterol-lowering statins, Lucks’ condition worsened, and he required more drastic interventions—first a triple bypass, then four stents. He suffered from back pain due to angina. In 2016, he was diagnosed with a fatty liver, leaving him frustrated with his health and the medical system. A turning point came five years ago, when his sister-in-law told him about a WFPB diet. After looking into the research for himself, Lucks committed to a low-fat, plant-based lifestyle. “Within two weeks of adopting this lifestyle, I started noticing subtle changes,” Lucks writes. Over time, his blood pressure normalized, he shed 25 pounds, and his cholesterol returned to a healthy range, without statins. Now nearly 70, Lucks hikes hills weekly, no longer suffers from angina, and has restored his liver health. “I’m so grateful I made this lifestyle change.” Read more.

Jennifer Diamond’s health struggles began when she was just 4 years old, with chronic inflammation and allergies that would plague her for decades, requiring numerous treatments and surgeries. By adulthood, she faced an overwhelming list of conditions: sinus infections, growths and cysts, Hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, and small fiber neuropathy, which left her bedridden for over a year. Despite a bleak prognosis, Diamond refused to give up. Last year, inspired by the work of plant-based doctors such as Michael Greger, M.D., and Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., M.D., Diamond adopted a WFPB lifestyle, additionally cutting out flour and added sugar and salt. “Within a few weeks of going WFPB, my mobility began to return, and the uncomfortable neuropathy sensations gradually began to fade,” Diamond writes. Today, she is cured of sinus issues, and her hypothyroidism medication has been reduced for the first time in more than 30 years. “Life, to me, is no longer about mere survival but about healing, thriving, and savoring every precious moment,” she writes. Read more.

For years, naturopathic doctor Daniel Chong, N.D., believed that the low-carb, high-fat paleo diet was optimal for human health. But as he shifted his focus to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, he came across the work of Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., M.D., and was shocked how Esselstyn helped patients dramatically improve their heart health using virtually the opposite approach—a whole-food, plant-based diet, high in healthy carbs and low in fat. Chong decided to put the diet to the test himself. “I noticed more of a lightness to my physical and mental state, more energy, and less stiffness upon waking,” Chong recalls. Chong’s labwork also showed decreases in inflammation and cholesterol. “Seeing those numbers convinced me to commit to this 180-degree turn in my personal life and medical practice.” Read more.

In December 2017, mysterious symptoms began bogging down Karen Roy: fatigue, severe joint pain, and intense brain fog. After seeing numerous doctors, Roy was diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis, a rare autoimmune disease impacting the bile ducts and wreaking havoc on the liver. Her symptoms worsened over the next two years, severely diminishing her quality of life. “I made multiple trips to the ER,” Roy recalls. Hitting rock bottom, Roy decided to make a major lifestyle change. “I finally came to my senses and jumped headfirst into a whole-food, plant-based diet.” Read more.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.