Rip Esselstyn

Rip Esselstyn
Esselstyn in June 2013
Born (1963-02-16) February 16, 1963
Upstate New York, U.S.
OccupationHealth activist, food writer
Alma materUniversity of Texas, Austin
SubjectLow-fat diets, whole-food diets, plant-based diets
SpouseJill Kolasinski
Children3
RelativesCaldwell Esselstyn (father)
Jane Esselstyn (sister)
George Crile, Jr. (grandfather)
George Washington Crile (great-grandfather)
George Crile III (uncle)
Website
plantstrong.com

Rip Esselstyn (born February 16, 1963) is an American health activist, food writer, and former firefighter and triathlete. He is known as an advocate of low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet that excludes all animal products and processed foods. He calls it a "plant strong" diet, a term he has trademarked. He has appeared in two documentaries about plant-based nutrition: Forks Over Knives (2011) and The Game Changers (2018). He is the author of The Engine 2 Diet (2009), My Beef With Meat (2013), Plant-Strong (2016), and The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet (2017). Rip is the founder and CEO of PLANTSTRONG, a company focused on whole food, plant-based nutrition and combating the rise of ultra-processed foods.