Kathy Freston is an American author and promoter of

plant-based nutrition A plant-based diet is a Diet (nutrition), diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of plant products such ...

. Her books include ''The Lean'', ''Veganist'', ''Quantum Wellness'', ''Clean Protein'' and ''72 Reasons to Be Vegan''.

Biography

Early life

Freston grew up in

Doraville Doraville is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,623. History Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 18 ...

and later in

Dunwoody Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As a northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008 but its area establishment dates back to ...

, a suburb outside of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Her mother, Joan, and her father, Bill, worked together in a printing store they owned in Dunwoody; she has two younger brothers, Kevin and Jon. Freston started studying meditation in her spare time and began making her own guided meditation recordings. She said, "… I started creating tapes for friends and realized, "Hey, this is very useful to people". People "came to her for counselling," and so she became a meditation counsellor, helping people find relationships or create abundance, get pregnant, or deal with the disease. She helped Cyrinda Fox, ex-wife of Steven Tyler, find peace with her cancer diagnosis and became a minister long enough to preside over the wedding of Cyrinda Fox to her boyfriend while on her deathbed.

Career

Freston's book, ''The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss'', was named one of VegNews' "Top 12 Vegan Books of 2012." She has appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and across Winfrey's network relating to a

detox diet Detoxification (often shortened to detox and sometimes called body cleansing) is a type of alternative-medicine treatment which aims to rid the body of unspecified "toxins" – substances that proponents claim accumulate in the body over ...

. In January 2014, Freston launched a Change.org petition titled "It's Time for a Healthy, Meatless Option (Please!)" urging McDonald's to debut a vegetarian burger item. In November 2020, McDonald's announced they would be creating a plant-based platform called "McPlant" that could lead to a plant-based burger being available on menus at McDonald's in 2021. Freston supported of California's Prop 2, a ballot measure that – among other things – required that by January 1, 2015, egg-laying hens raised in California be able to stand up, lie down, turn around, and fully extend their wings. From 2011 to 2017, she occasionally published articles in the ''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

''. In 2021, Freston co-authored the book ''72 Reasons to Be Vegan'' with

Gene Stone Gene Stone (born October 6, 1951) is an American writer and editor known for his books on animal rights and plant-based food. Early life and editorial career Gene Stone grew up in the Westchester County suburb of Pelham, New York, the son of l ...

Awards

Freston was awarded "Person of the Year" by ''VegNews Magazine'' in 2011. Freston was awarded with the "Healthy Living Advocate Award" by Farm Sanctuary at the 25th Anniversary Farm Sanctuary gala in 2011. Last Chance for Animals (LCA) has honoured Freston with their "Vegan of the Year" award for 2016.

Personal life

Freston wed

Tom Freston Thomas E. Freston (born November 22, 1945) is an American media proprietor, businessman, and financier. Early life and education Freston grew up in Rowayton, Connecticut. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Michael's College and an MBA from ...

on April 18, 1998 in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. She was a stepmother to his two sons, Andrew and Gil. Kathy and Tom split their time between their New York and Los Angeles residences. They traveled widely, entertained regularly at their townhouse (which once belonged to Andy Warhol) and were frequently photographed at MTVN events and cultural galas. Freston was added to Vanity Fair's 2009 "International Best-Dressed List." They divorced in 2012 but remain friends.

Selected publications

*''72 Reasons to Be Vegan: Why Plant-Based. Why Now.'' (Workman Publishing Company, 2021) *''Clean Protein: The Revolution that Will Reshape Your Body, Boost Your Energy—and Save Our Planet'' (Hachette Books, 2018) *''The Book of Veganish: The Ultimate Guide to Easing into a Plant-Based, Cruelty-Free, Awesomely Delicious Way to Eat, with 70 Easy Recipes Anyone can Make: A Cookbook'' (Pam Krauss/Avery, 2016) *''The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss'' (Weinstein, 2012) * *''The Quantum Wellness Cleanse: A 21 Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Body, Mind, and Spirit'' (Weinstein, 2009) *''Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness'' (Weinstein, 2008) *''The One'' (Hyperion, 2006) *''Expect a Miracle'' (St. Martin's Press, 2003)

References

External links

*
Kathy Freston's Blog on The Huffington Post
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freston, Kathy Year of birth missing (living people) 1960s births Living people American cookbook writers American health and wellness writers American self-help writers American veganism activists Plant-based diet advocates People from North Carolina Vegan cookbook writers Women cookbook writers