Over the past few days, many of you have seen the news that Forks Over Knives is winding down operations. Like a lot of people in our community, I have been sitting with that information and reflecting on what it has meant to me personally.

Fourteen years ago, I was given an opportunity that changed the trajectory of my career. I was asked to write The Forks Over Knives Cookbook. At the time, I was already cooking and teaching, but that book put my work in front of a much larger audience than I ever could have reached on my own. It opened doors. It led to invitations to teach, to speak, to write more books, and to connect with people all over the country who were hungry for a different way of eating and living.

When the book landed on the New York Times Bestseller list and stayed there for months, it was both thrilling and humbling. More than anything, it confirmed that this way of cooking and living mattered to people. It showed that whole food, plant-based cooking was not a fringe idea. It was becoming part of the mainstream conversation.

I will always be grateful for that opportunity and for the team that trusted me with it.

At the same time, the closing of a company is a reminder that movements are bigger than any single organization. The work continues because people continue to cook, to learn, to share meals, and to take care of their health and the health of their families. That has always been the heart of this movement, and it still is.

Personally, the experience taught me something lasting: opportunities often arrive quietly, and when they do, we have to be ready to step into them. Writing that cookbook pushed me to grow as a cook, as a teacher, and as a professional. It gave me confidence that my voice and my work had value.

Today, I feel mostly gratitude. Gratitude for the readers who cooked from those recipes. Gratitude for the students who showed up to classes. Gratitude for the chance to be part of something that helped move this conversation forward.

And I feel energized about what comes next. The work is still here. The kitchen is still open. There are still recipes to write, skills to share, and conversations to have.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me.

PS. I currently work for The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. It is an entirely different organization than Forks Over Knives, and it is not going anywhere.