The Power of Testimonials

Many people know about the abundant amount of clinical, experimental and observational evidence that points to a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet as the best way to prevent and treat our most common chronic diseases.  However, no matter how much people are convinced by the evidence, they are highly unlikely to make dietary changes significant enough to have much of an impact on their health.

Success Stories

The Forks Over Knives web site is loaded with resources that are helpful to anyone who is contemplating making the transition to a WFPB diet.  The site contains many success stories that are so amazing that I think it’s likely that some people have used these stories as an impetus to move from contemplation to action.

A recent Forks Over Knives success story really got my attention. 

It’s the story of Otis Price. 

Otis’s Story

Otis shares that he was diagnosed 14 years ago with morbid obesity. At 326 lbs, Otis states “You remember every single insult. Your life becomes limited. You don’t fly. You don’t shop for clothes in a regular store. Your face feels like it’s going to explode every time you put on your shoes.  You never sit in a booth at a restaurant. You avoid mirrors and your reflection in storefront windows. You try every fad diet and gimmick to lose weight and nothing works, so you give up.”

Forks Over Knives (The Movie) to the Rescue?

Otis knew for some time that WFPB was “the best possible way to eat for healing”.  Over the years he watched the Forks Over Knives movie several times and was inspired to try WFPB after each viewing, but he admits he never made a serious commitment.  As wonderful as the movie is, it did not compel Otis to make the changes he needed to make.

Newfound Motivation

Otis needed a kick in the pants to do what he needed to do.  He was provided newfound motivation with the following three wonderful diagnoses:

• Cirrhosis of the Liver
• Esophageal Varices (enlarged veins in the esophagus)
• Multiple Gastric Ulcers

He was told by his doctor that there was no cure for his cirrhosis because his liver had too much scarring.  The best he could hope for would be to slow the progression of the disease until he needed a liver transplant.  He was told the esophageal varices could burst at any moment and that he had a 50/50 chance of choking to death on his own blood if he didn’t get to a hospital in time.  He decided to fully adopt a WFPB diet, and with the encouragement of a doctor who specializes in holistic treatments for cirrhosis, he has transformed his health and life.

What Otis Accomplished in One Year

• Lost 66 lbs
• Cirrhosis completely reversed
• Gastric ulcers gone (in three months)
• Esophageal Varices are very faint (no longer a threat)
• He no longer has Prediabetes and Hypertension
• Completed two half marathons

An Important Takeaway

Otis always had the intelligence and conscientiousness to successfully switch to a WFPB diet.  It wasn’t until he was given a horrible diagnosis with a bad prognosis that he was motivated to fully adopt a WFPB diet.

Otis was lucky to have found a doctor who specialized in helping patients reverse cirrhosis more holistically.  This doctor actually encouraged him to stay on track with his WFPB diet. Sadly, most doctors would have been indifferent towards Otis’s dietary choice. Most would just say “you need to lose weight”.

I hope Otis’s story will motivate some people to make a life-changing switch to a WFPB diet. 

Stay Healthy and Strong!