Success stories are some of our most loved articles, which isn’t surprising. There is nothing more motivating than hearing from others who faced daunting health challenges, transformed their lifestyles, and emerged healthier and happier than ever. In 2020, we continued to hear from people who have lost weight, reversed diabetes, lowered their cholesterol, and improved their health in countless other ways by adopting the whole-food, plant-based way of eating. The following are some of the most shared stories published this year. Prepare to be inspired by these plant-based champs—their joie de vivre is catching.

If you transformed your health with a plant-based diet, we’d love to hear about it!

We’ve Lost 195 Pounds Combined Since Going Plant-Based

Getting your partner to go along with a new way of life isn’t always easy. Stephen and Sonia Steinbach share how together they shook long-held mistaken beliefs about food, and what helped keep them on track, day by day.

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A Plant-Based Diet Cut My LDL Cholesterol in Half

The road to success is often rife with setbacks. When John Brown became fed up with being overweight, he remembered how good he’d felt on a whole-food, plant-based diet once before—and this time, he resolved not to see it as just a diet but a way of life.

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From Sedentary Asthma Sufferer to Long-Distance Runner on a Plant-Based Diet

Wanting to be a good role model for her daughter was exactly the motivation Jane Elizabeth needed to get her health on track. “Fitness saved me in so many ways, and I would not have been able to get fit without changing my eating habits,” says Jane, who hasn’t had an asthma flare-up since making the switch.

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Recovering from Liver Disease on a Plant-Based Diet

With life-threatening alcohol-induced liver disease, Aaron Calder had lost hope. But inspired by the Forks Over Knives documentary and other films, he decided to try a WFPB diet. Read about his remarkable transformation.

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I've Normalized Sky-High Triglycerides and Begun Reversing Kidney Disease in Just 12 Weeks

People are often shocked by how fast the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet can manifest. In Brian Devon’s case, it took just three months for soaring triglycerides to normalize and rapidly advancing kidney disease to turn around.

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I Cut My Weight in Half on a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet

When Andrea Sereda first ventured into the vegan lifestyle, it didn’t go well: She gained 30 pounds! Her life-altering transformation started when she learned the difference between a vegan diet and a WFPB diet.

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I Went Vegan After Cardiac Arrest Nearly Killed Me

Having a cardiac arrest next to an emergency medical services team was the first stroke of luck for Ken MacLeod; the next, was when a friend visited him in hospital, loaded with with plant-based literature. He left hospital and switched immediately to the low-fat style of veganism he’d read about.

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I Went Plant-Based to Avoid Needing Statins. The Results Have Been Incredible

Advised by her doctor to take cholesterol-lowering drugs, Mary Snyder did some research and decided to try a whole-food, plant-based diet first. She felt so good after just one week, she made the change permanent.

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From Couch Potato to Avid Cyclist: My Plant-Based Transformation

Changing your diet can be challenging even from the comfort of your own kitchen; David Gwyn managed to do so while traveling the world. The key to his success? Getting support, including a personal trainer and the FOK online cooking course.

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Migraines Held Me Back for Decades, Until I Went Plant-Based

Crippled with migraines from the age of nine, Leila Dehghan was shocked to see how a WFPB diet turned her life on its head, for the better. When people suggest the diet is extreme, she tells them, “No food … is worth sacrificing my life and my dreams for.”

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Faced with Gastric Bypass Surgery, I Tried a Plant-Based Diet Instead

When Brian Rodgers was told he needed gastric bypass surgery to overcome obesity and numerous serious health issues, he resolved to stay alive by making lifestyle changes instead.

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Older man in an orange sweater with a hand on his heart and a hand on his belly, breathing deeply
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