I am a registered dietitian, wife, mother, grandmother, and passionate lover of learning. I became a registered dietitian in 1983, adopted a plant-predominant diet in 1976, and a plant-exclusive diet in 1989. My work over the past three decades has focussed on ensuring that everyone who wishes to be plant-based can succeed brilliantly. I believe that when people adopt a plant-based diet, we all win – humans, other animals, and our precious planet.
My career began as a public health nutritionist, and I continued as a clinical nutrition specialist, nutrition consultant, and academic nutrition instructor. I became the lead dietitian in a diabetes research project in Majuro, Marshall Islands, and continue to assist in health initiatives in that country. I was also involved in a Lifestyle Medicine Demonstration in Lithuania. I am a past chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and sit on the board of many plant-based health organizations.
I have had the privilege of writing a dozen vegetarian and vegan nutrition classics with close to a million copies in print, in 14 languages. In addition to Nourish (Shah and Davis, 2020), my most recent works include Kick Diabetes Essentials (Davis, 2019), The Kick Diabetes Cookbook (Davis and Melina, 2018), Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition (Davis and Melina, 2014), Becoming Vegan: Express Edition (Davis and Melina, 2013), and Becoming Raw (2010). Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive and Express Editions have received several book awards, and also received a star rating by the American Library Association as the “go-to books” on plant-based nutrition. I have also co-authored several peer-reviewed articles published in medical and nutrition journals.
I have had the immense honor of being a featured speaker at medical and nutrition conferences in over 20 countries on 5 continents. In 2007, I was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame.
My personal life is filled with family, fitness, and nature. I love birds, wildflowers, and flowing streams, and to me, a perfect day is being in nature with the people I love. I have two grown children and two grandchildren. My personal and professional life goals are one in the same – to make this world a kinder, more compassionate place.
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