Missouri

I have been a supporter of Forks over Knives and The Plantrician Project for the past two years. I have a Certification in Clinical Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Foundation through eCornell University. As a practicing pediatrician I have witnessed the obesity epidemic growing over the past 38 years and feel strongly that we can control this, as well as the “adult” diseases of heart disease and diabetes through the widespread use of whole food, plant-based nutrition for our population.

I am a plant-based Registered Dietitian passionate about local, sustainable agriculture and creating healthy, vibrant meals based on seasonality.

Caryn adopted a plant based diet in response to tragedy; in 2008, cancer took her father at an early age and ten weeks later, tried to take her. In response to her diagnosis, she searched for an answer and found one in the growing body of literature supporting a whole food, plant based diet to bolster our natural immune system. Adopting a vegan diet herself and beating cancer, she sought to share her knowledge to help others. In 2011, Caryn studied in Washington, DC, under the direction of Neal Barnard MD in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Food For Life program, becoming a certified instructor. Bringing this knowledge home, she teaches immune boosting, plant based cooking classes at the Cancer Support Center of St. Louis for the benefit of others who are, like her, battling cancer. Caryn went on to form STLVegGirl, LLC, St. Louis’ first fully plant based entity providing cooking instruction, personal cheffing, and catering services, regularly appears in plant based cooking segments on local television morning shows and teaches cooking classes at Dierbergs’ Markets and the Kitchen Conservtory. Earning her spurs as a personal chef through the Wellness Forum’s Plant Based Certified Personal Chef Program, she has entered the Corporate Wellness world, teaching the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) as a Lifestyle Medicine Institute Certified Program Facilitator and is in the process of earning a Plant Based Professional Culinary Certificate through the Rouxbe Cooking School.