Ep. 297: Jan Brown - From Toxic Diet Culture to Food Freedom

From a childhood steeped in toxic diet culture and years of yo-yo dieting, to finding peace and purpose through a plant-based lifestyle—today’s guest, Jan Brown, shares her powerful story of transformation.

It all started with a post in the PLANTSTRONG Community Facebook group. Jan wrote:

“I grew up with a mom who was always dieting. I ate everything diet and low calorie, and yet I was the biggest kid in my class. My weight kept climbing once I was out of school, and anxiety and depression took over. I was on a vicious cycle of binge eating and starvation. My last known weight was 320 pounds.”

That was more than 23 years ago.

Today, Jan is a thriving wife and mother who continues to embrace a plant-abundant lifestyle. In this episode, she opens up about the pivotal moments that changed everything—including a simple book and a heartfelt letter to Dr. McDougall—and how those signs led her to a life of strength, health, and freedom.

We dive into:

• Growing up in diet culture and breaking free from it
• The emotional toll of weight gain and disordered eating
• Finding freedom through whole food, plant-based eating
• Dealing with criticism and doubt from others
• Acceptance of her new body and celebrating accomplishments and finish lines
• What truly fuels Jan’s plant-strong life today - hint: it’s tattooed on her hand!

This is a story of healing, resilience, and what happens when you finally stop dieting—and start nourishing.

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