Rip Esselstyn | |
|---|---|
 Esselstyn in June 2013 | |
| Born | (1963-02-16)February 16, 1963 (age 62) Upstate New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Health activist, food writer |
| Alma mater | University of Texas, Austin |
| Subject | Low-fat diets, whole-food diets, plant-based diets |
| Spouse | Jill Kolasinski |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Caldwell Esselstyn (father) Jane Esselstyn (sister) George Crile, Jr. (grandfather) George Washington Crile (great-grandfather) George Crile III (uncle) |
| Website | |
| plantstrong | |
Rip Esselstyn (born February 16, 1963) is an American health activist, food writer, and former firefighter andtriathlete. He is known as an advocate oflow-fat,whole-food,plant-based diet that excludes all animal products and processed foods.[1] He calls it a "plant strong" diet, a term he has trademarked.[2] He has appeared in two documentaries about plant-based nutrition:Forks Over Knives (2011) andThe Game Changers (2018). He is the author ofThe Engine 2 Diet (2009),My Beef With Meat (2013),Plant-Strong (2016), andThe Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet (2017). Rip is the founder and CEO of PLANTSTRONG,[3] a company focused on whole food, plant-based nutrition and combating the rise of ultra-processed foods.
Esselstyn was born inUpstate New York on February 16, 1963, the son of Ann and surgeonCaldwell Esselstyn. He was named afterRip Van Winkle. He is the grandson of surgeonGeorge Crile, Jr. and the great-grandson of surgeonGeorge Washington Crile. His father is a former Olympicrowing champion who was one of the early advocates of a whole-food, plant-based diet in the prevention and reversal of heart disease.[4] He has a sister named Jane and grew up inCleveland, Ohio.[5][6] He graduated from theMercersburg Academy in 1981 and attended theUniversity of Texas, Austin on a swimming scholarship from 1982 to 1986.[7] During that time, he became an All-American swimmer.[8] After college, he became atriathlete and competed for approximately ten years.[2] In 1997, he retired as a triathlete and turned his attention towards becoming a firefighter andemergency medical technician, joining Engine 2 of theAustin Fire Department.[5][9] He retired from firefighting to focus on becoming an advocate for plant-based nutrition.[10]
In 2019, Esselstyn rebranded his Engine 2 business as PLANTSTRONG, expanding into a line of whole-food, plant-based food products, meal planning services, and educational content. The company emphasizes simplicity, accessibility, and avoiding ultra-processed foods. As CEO, Esselstyn has positioned PLANTSTRONG as a voice in the fight against nutritional confusion, advocating for evidence-based, minimally processed diets.[11][12] He also hosts the PLANTSTRONG Podcast, where he interviews experts in nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and plant-based living.[13]
Whilst he grew up eating the standard American diet, Esselstyn switched to a whole-foods plant-based diet in 1987, cutting out meat, fish, eggs and dairy.[14] He was also inspired byDave Scott, who was a vegetarian.[7][15] Esselstyn describes his approach as "plant-strong" and has trademarked the term. He says he avoids the word "vegan" in case it discourages people, and believes that "plant strong" sounds healthier and more inclusive.[2]
In 2003, when a co-worker at the Engine 2 fire department discovered that hischolesterol was very high, Esselstyn encouraged the Engine 2 team to switch to a whole foods, plant-based diet to help their colleague. This experience eventually led him to writeThe Engine 2 Diet, which begins with a foreword byT. Colin Campbell, author ofThe China Study (2005).[10][16]The Engine 2 Diet appeared onThe New York Times Best Seller list[17][18] and was endorsed by Chicago MayorRahm Emanuel, who made a public appearance with Esselstyn in January 2013.[19] In 2010,Whole Foods Market includedThe Engine 2 Diet as a "Healthy Eating Partner".[20]
In 2013, Esselstyn released another book,My Beef With Meat.[21][22][23] It was aNew York Times best seller ("Advice, How-To, & Miscellaneous List") that reached the #1 spot for the week of June 2, 2013.[24]
Esselstyn appeared, along with his father and T. Colin Campbell, in the 2011 American documentary on whole foods, plant-based eating,Forks Over Knives. He later developed and starred in the follow-up documentary,Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn.[25][26]
Esselstyn is married to Jill Kolasinski, with whom he has three children.[5]
