We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rachael Brown. Check out our conversation below.
Rachael, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
My 80-year old mother is 6-months out from an AFIB procedure that made things worse for her and is the primary caregiver for my dad who has Alzheimer’s. My mom had mentioned being too exhausted to cook (still) and admitted to eating mostly frozen meals. I booked a ticket (they’re two states away), rented a car, and went to see them for 4 days and cooked whole food, plant-based, no oil, high fiber meals that we all enjoyed and I froze in individual servings so they can just pull them out and reheat them for weeks to come.
I made some of their favorites like lasagna (this was mushroom, spinach and tofu ricotta lasagna). Enchiladas that were made from sweet potatoes, kale and black beans. Almond, oat and raisin breakfast cookies. Date ‘snickers’ bars for dessert. Nachos with cashew cheese, lemon chickpea orzo soup, cornbread, pumpkin chia pudding, oats with stewed plums and cacao nibs, potatoes with garlic and rosemary…
I was proud that I’m in a place in life that I have the freedom to book a ticket and take a trip last minute, and that I have the knowledge and skill to cook creatively–entirely with plants–that help heal and nourish the body and prevent disease.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the author of For Fork’s Sake: A Quick Guide to Healing Yourself and the Planet Through a Plant-Based Diet. I help people ditch the SAD (Standard American Diet) and get HAPPY (Healthy And Plant-Powered, Yay!). My book is easily digestible (pun intended), and shows people the quickest and easiest way to transform their health.
I wrote it out of personal experience, having watched my cholesterol drop 50 points in just 17 days of making the switch myself. I’ve seen so many people, even into their mid-80’s, get off medications, lower their blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and lose any unwanted weight all while enjoying delicious food. No drugs needed. No specialty grocery store needed. I help people understand that not only will they be getting their health back, they’ll also be saving money, saving lives and saving the planet as side benefits as well.
People asked for consulting, so I started doing that as well, which has been a real joy. It’s fun to be able to work with people one on one and help them identify what is tripping them up and provide ideas for easy changes that make big wins.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
In middle school physical education we did a unit on track. I’d been in ballet and dance since I was 3 years old since my toes pointed in and it was something doctors told my parents could help. At that point, I thought I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer.
Our teacher had us all line up and race different distances. In the sprints I beat all the girls. Then he lined us up mixed with boys and I beat most of them as well. He suggested I go out for track that spring, which I did. My dad had been a collegiate sprinter and basketball player, so it made sense.
It not only felt powerful to be able to win races (especially beating the boys), but it helped me realize a strength and power in myself that I hadn’t tapped into in all my years of dancing. It was different. I went on to play soccer for 4 years in high school, where my speed was a real asset, and ran track, even making it to state with a relay team one year.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I think the fear of not being enough has held me back most in my life. In a terrible game of compare and despair, I almost always assumed others were better than me. Better looking, smarter, more confident…I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I felt that I was lacking something.
Reading about imposter syndrome made complete sense to me. It described what I was feeling but hadn’t been able to articulate. Realizing I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, despite being highly educated and excelling in many things, made me want to move past it.
I unknowingly had believed a lot of lies about myself and others, and once I realized it I found a lot of freedom renouncing those lies and replacing them with the truth. It didn’t happen overnight. Some thought patterns have very well worn grooves in our brains. But, I found after some time that I was needing to remind myself less often, and really feeling different and able to think and behave as if I was enough, just as I am.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Becoming educated on the science behind nutrition has made me want to share the good news with everyone that their health is largely in their hands. Helping spread the truth and educate people so that they know what is actually good for their bodies is easy to want to do when you watch people reverse heart disease, rid themselves of cancer, get off insulin, and reverse effects from arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
We’re not taught the science behind what we eat. We’re told to eat more fruits and vegetables, but most people can’t exactly say why, or describe what happens in their body when they eat. Most people are unaware that processed meats (like sausage, bacon, lunch meats and hot dogs) are Group 1 carcinogens–meaning we know there is sufficient evidence to conclude that they cause cancer. Red meat is a Group 2, meaning it’s ‘probably’ carcinogenic to humans.
But there’s a lot of money in big agriculture. Our country subsidizes meat and cheese (which globally 65% of people can’t digest). It’s hard to be the only one not enjoying a steak or the fish at a business dinner. But when you learn about how those cows and fish are raised, and what eating them is doing to your body, you want to make changes.
And once you realize that your tastebuds have been hijacked by a food industry that has literally spent billions to create packaged foods hit a ‘bliss point’ that makes you want to overeat, you can make changes. And the changes are really not that hard! Our tastebuds literally regrow around every 2 weeks, so if you don’t eat hyper palatable foods and enjoy what nature gives us, you’ll soon find yourself amazed by how sweet fruit and red peppers taste and how delicious a black bean burger is.
When people learn they can save money and still eat their favorites (burgers, enchiladas, lasagna, fries), just with different ingredients, something magical happens. When they start to have more energy, get rid of acne, lose the pain in joints they’ve been dealing with for years, and sleep better, (just to name a few), it can feel like a miracle.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely. This is a blessing and curse that comes from being the oldest daughter and a perfectionist. When I was young I was told if I was going to do something, to do my best. Both my parents are high achievers and believed in working hard and doing your best at all times, even if no one was watching.
I took this too far and have had to learn that not everything needs to be my best work. It really hit me when my daughter, who was very young, wanted to help fold the laundry. She did a great job folding the towels and when I went to put them away I found myself refolding them again, going for perfection.
I’ve had to cultivate a writing practice that involves writing poorly, just to write, rather than letting the internal editor stop me before I even start. I now practice doing some things poorly, just to prove to myself that it doesn’t really matter.
When my kids were teenagers and having to decide how to make decisions on, say, choosing a level of class to take, or even which hike to do, I would ask them to consider what they would do if no one could ever find out they did it. This question has helped me to trust myself and do things I truly enjoy, not to just work hard for the praise of others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://forforkssakebook.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forforkssakebook/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-brown-7090b6251/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forforkssakebookcom/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIMleczDqB6rP1o2KYIr8RA
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
