I met Kevin at Farms 2 Forks, and the first thing I noticed about him (other than his charming and friendly demeanor) was his glow.
Anyway, Kevin and I quickly became friends and when he told his story to the crowd at the farm later that day, I was moved to tears. "You really are an inspiration!" I told him as we hugged and parted.
The next day, Kevin emailed a picture of me we took together and I quickly asked if I could share his story. Thankfully, he agreed.
HH: Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I'm Kevin Brower from Babylon, Long Island. For years, my doctor wanted me to lose weight to get off some of my medications. Blood pressure, heart meds (also to help the BP), water pills, cholesterol, and stomach acid meds.
HH: My goodness, that's a lot of medication. What brought you to a plant-based diet?
A friend who was on Dr.Oz turned me on to Forks Over Knives and Engine 2. I found Happy Herbivore (Lindsay) while searching for help. I loved her YouTube videos, which were a great help. Her books are also awesome too.
HH: Now for the big money question — Did you experience any positive benefits from going plant-based?
I lost 90 lbs. and was taken off all my meds. I have also cured my hiatal hernia. FOK, E2 and HH have helped me change my life for the better and I'm staying a whole food plant-based vegan for the rest of my life :-)
HH: One thing I noticed and kept pointing out to everyone else at the farm was how beautiful Kevin's complexion is. He has a glow about him and color in his skin that just screams, "I'm healthy!" Anyway, a few days after Kevin and I met (and became Facebook friends), one of my friends commented on my complexion. Asking my secret. I told her it was my low-fat, no oil, whole foods plant-based diet... that when you put good in, glow comes out. Of course, Kevin, my new buddy, liked my comment... and then had a similar experience. Kevin, tell everyone about that.
You must be right :-) I'm a custodian for the school district where I went to K-12 :-) We had our yearly opening day assembly yesterday. I saw someone I've known for 20 years. She said I had a GLOW about me :-) Our superintendent of schools asked me about it too :-) I told him about Forks Over Knives :-) I hope he checks it out :-) I'm hoping he'll see how much better the kids should eat :-) Crossing my fingers :-)HH: What are some of your favorite plant-based recipes?
My favorite HH dishes are the easy macaroni and cheese, black bean burgers, Hawaiian chickpea teriyaki w/homemade pineapple, mango and red onion salsa, and the cheater pad Thai. For dessert, the chocolate mug cake, black bean brownies, and single-serve brownies are to die for :-)
My favorite Engine 2 recipes are Rip's big bowl, macaroni and not cheese, raise the roof sweet potato vegetable lasagna, and homemade mighty muffins. I also love Jeff Novick's bean burgers and longevity soup :-)
I think I've also eaten more fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts in the last 15 months than I have in the last 52 years :-)
HH: Have your remarkable results inspired others in your life to make a change? Who inspires you?
I can't believe how many people I've inspired to at least try to eat more healthy :-) One friend has lost 10 lbs. in just 3 weeks since I've seen her last :-) I've also noticed I'm always in a better mood and I sing to the radio more than I used to :-) Work and play is a lot less strenuous also :-)
I've also been inspired by Rich Roll to do a century (100 miles) on my bicycle in the fall :-)
You are awesome and don't you forget it!!!!! Lindsay, tell your parents they are awesome too!!!! :-)
