I have had a great deal of help on my path to this healthy, nutrient-rich life, particularly from my
mentor Joel Fuhrman, M.D., a board-certified family physician and renowned researcher of high-
nutrient-density eating. It is hard to sum up the impact this man has had on me (and thousands of
others) by clearing the way for us to finally understand nutrition and the full potential of nutritional
excellence.
I have also been mentored by other leaders in the field of plant-based, nutrient-rich nutrition. There
is a reason why these men and women are recognized as leaders in plant-based nutrition, and as
leaders in nutrition overall. It is because a whole-food, plant-based, nutrient-rich diet is impossible
to refute. It makes sense on absolutely every level.
This is what I hope my story and this book will help you do better—to see healthy eating for what it
truly is and inspire you to make the switch from nutrient-poor to nutrient-rich food, so you can live
at or near your ideal weight during a longer, healthier, more pleasurable life.
Tracie Boyle
Most people can’t name the day their lives changed, but Tracie Boyle
can—it was May 17, 2008. That day, she and her friends attended a gala
for Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization. They had a
great time there and saw some of their favorite celebrities on the red
carpet, but that's not what made the day so extraordinary. Rather, it was
some information Tracie gleaned from a stranger she met, and a simple
gesture from a random gala attendee, that changed her life forever.A little history: Tracie began to gain weight when she was around 10
years old. She then continued to gain and lose weight throughout her teenage and adult years. In
high school, she had a great group of friends, participated in the high school band, starred in plays
and participated in other activities.
While her weight never prevented her from enjoying the high-school experience, it did prevent her
from stepping out of her comfort zone. It stopped her from taking chances and this continued after
she graduated. Throughout her 20s there were many things she wanted to do but didn’t because of
her weight. She felt trapped and says that it held her back from being who she knew she could and
wanted to be.
Over the years she tried a bunch of different weight loss-only methods, but none of them ever
worked long-term. Most of her family was overweight, so she began thinking that being overweight
was just part of her biology and that there wasn’t anything she could do about it.