Melissa Mondala, MD
Success Stories

How 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…

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Two photos side by side showing a young man before and after he adopted a plant-based diet for ulcerative colitis: On the left, in a hospital bed; on the right, at the finish line of a competitive athletic event, wearing a shirt that says vegan
Success Stories

Hospitalized 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…

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Side by side photo shows a man before and after a heart attack inspired him to adopt a plant-based diet. On the left, he is heavier; on the right, he is thinner and smiling
Success Stories

I 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…

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Two photos side by side of a young man before and after transitioning from junk-food vegetarian to whole-food vegan, demonstrating a 200-pound weight loss
Success Stories

From 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…

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Two photos show woman's hand before and after adopting a plant-based diet. In the before photo, the hand has a rash. In the after photo, the skin is clear.
Success Stories

On 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…

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Brianna Eckler - Young woman who has improved her gastrointestinal health and digestive issues with a plant-based diet
Success Stories

A 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…

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Success Stories

I Dropped 100 Pounds in One Year by Ditching Animal Products, Processed Foods

I’ve been big for most of my life. I wasn’t an obese child, but I was tall and overweight, and I knew…

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A young couple sit on a picnic blanket with their toddler between them, all smiling. Fruit including pineapple and coconut is spread out on the picnic blanket before them.
Success Stories

Flourishing 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…

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Annie Green - Two photos side by side showing a woman before and after adopting a plant-based diet, having lost weight and boosted her energy, overcoming anemia
Success Stories

From Prediabetic, Asthmatic, and Anemic to Positively Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet

For decades, I struggled with a range of health issues. In middle school, I was diagnosed with asthma. At college, where I…

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Success Stories

As a Rheumatologist, I’ve Helped My Patients and Myself with a Plant-Based Diet

Growing up, I ate a standard American diet. Fast food, French fries, steak, and pizza were the norm for me. When I…

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Carrie and Steve shown before and after adopting a plant-based diet
Success Stories

Getting Healthier Together on a Plant-Based Diet

Last year, my husband and I reached a turning point in our health. After several years of gradual weight gain, our BMIs…

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