If you have ever been on a fad or overly-restrictive diet, you’ll want to tune in for this interview. My guest today is Hollan Goewey, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, health advocate, and former restaurant owner who penned Divorce Your Diet to provide tools to finally break free from the toxic cycle of dieting. I ask her about the book, why diets are so alluring to many people, and more in this new interview.
Disclosure: In this empowering sponsored interview, Hallan Goewey shares invaluable insights on “divorcing” yo-yo diets and improving your relationship with food. I do not earn Affiliate income from these links.
Interview with Hollan Goewey
Hollan has been vegan for more than a decade and regularly creates new plant-based recipes. This well-known vegan influencer is based in Kauai, Hawaii, and she travels the world to cook for celebs and CEOs. She has been featured in top publications, including Veg News Magazine. She is a mom too, so she’s definitely busy! It’s an honor to have her here today. Let’s start the conversation by talking more about Hollan Goewey’s career in the food industry.
Can you please share a bit about your background as it relates to food and nutrition?
I attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu 25 years ago. I began using my culinary skills professionally when I embraced a vegan lifestyle, sharing my learnings and new cooking methods. I obtained a certificate in natural nutrition from the Global College of Natural Medicine, discovering a balanced approach to eating.
Why was it important to you to write Divorce Your Diet?
I wanted to write a book that encompassed all the information I thought was crucial in learning how to use food to find health.
Can you please explain the divorce analogy that you use in the book title? What does ‘divorce’ mean?
It means that most people are in a toxic relationship with ingredients, unknowingly, and they need to divorce the diet they’re on and reject anyone else’s idea of what they need. We rarely discuss the quality of ingredients, and I wanted to start a conversation on why it’s crucial.
What makes diets so harmful, generally, yet so alluring as well to many people?
We all want to be told what to do, hoping for a magic pill for health. It’s easier to follow someone else’s plan, but in the long term, diets don’t adapt to our evolving bodies. They make us conscious of what we consume initially, but sustained change requires ongoing adaptation.
Have you ever been on a diet?
I have been on a diet during my teen modeling years, using food to control my weight. I always sought improvement, trying various approaches. Eventually, I realized that eating high-quality ingredients of the foods I love led my body to find health.
It’s wonderful that you’re sharing what you’ve learned about dieting in the book. What is one food belief that you want to dispel, right here and now?
That vegan food is boring.
What does being vegan offer folks that they might not have considered yet?
In the book, I’m not asking anyone to go vegan but be more veganish. Looking at nature, plants are more plentiful than animals. Being more veganish provided me insights into health, weight control, and a feeling of empowerment with my diet. My energy levels soared, and I addressed diseases I thought were life sentences.
Wow. Can you tell us a bit more about what you suggest in Divorce Your Diet for good health as it relates to food?
In Divorce Your Diet, I advise people to eat more plants and fruit, switch to organic ingredients with fewer additives, and emphasize the importance of quality over quantity. We often discuss eating less but overlook the significance of food quality.
What else do you wish more adults understood about their bodies as it relates to food?
They are responsible for the food they feed their bodies; it shapes the relationship with their body and its health.
Who is Divorce Your Diet intended for? And what do you hope readers take away from it?
It is for anyone confused about their dietary choices. I hope it reaches a broad audience seeking health, guiding them to divorce restrictive diets while still enjoying their favorite foods in a healthier way.
Looking back, what is one of the life lessons you wanted to share in the book?
You are responsible for your health.
I’m curious, who inspires you?
I am inspired by anyone striving to feel better than where they’re at.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to be writing my fifth book, sharing how I transformed my life from challenges to success with food and self-development. I will still be in Kauai, possibly living somewhere else part-time, and traveling even more.
Get Your Copy of Divorce Your Diet today
Divorce Your Diet is available online on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or anywhere books are sold. Easily find it on Amazon by clicking the image above!
Hallan is also on social media — Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook (Hollan Hawaii), and TikTok (hollaninhawaii). Find out more about her at hollanhawaii.com
Thank you for being here, Hallan Goewey
I believe the body wants to heal, constantly working to bring you into health. We take many hits in modern society, and the only control you have is what you feed yourself. I hope my book sheds light on why our food system is broken. You can change it for a healthier relationship with yourself, divorcing that diet and living healthily ever after.
— Author Hallan Goewey
So much useful info here. Thank you for this post, Christy.
It’s great to get this feedback, Damyanti, and I know Hollan will appreciate it too!
Hi Christy, this sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing about this book.
Down with diets and YES to healthier approaches to eating, Robbie xxoo