Hello, plant-strong pineapples. Welcome to another episode of Snackables, where we dish and chew on all things plants.

I have a special guest for you today. Her name is Carrie Barrett, and Carrie actually hails from Ohio, just like I do.

And we fortuitously met for the first time back in 2009. 2009. 2009. And where was it and why was it?

Okay, first of all, can I just say hello my cruciferous cousins. It feels so good to be able to say that because I hear it all the time.

But I have actually lived in Austin for about 24 years, but I am originally from Ohio, like you and your family, I'm from Columbus, and moved to the great state of Texas and haven't left.

So here's a little bit of the backstory of how we met. I was not a fit girl growing up. I grew up in Ohio, so it was very standard midwestern diet.

I'm one of five kids. I had four older brothers, so I was the runt. I was the only girl. And so we just had a lot of families, just a family of convenience.

And meals of convenience because everyone was being shuttled everywhere. So I did not grow up on a healthy plant-based diet, needless to say.

I moved to Austin in 1998 and was sort of at my high point and weight, low point and self-esteem. And I was in a great job. I worked in radio and I was quote-unquote, live in the life, but I was miserable, just miserable my own skin.

And so I decided that I was going to start running. I wanted to join a running group. And so I joined a great group called Austin Fit. And in 2002, so this is why I'm backing up a little bit. It took me a while, but in 2002, I ran my first marathon.

So I'm actually celebrating my 20th anniversary of running marathons because the Austin Marathon was just this past weekend.

Was that first marathon in Austin? It was.

Yeah, so it was something I never thought that I could do. And which leads me to this progression into plant-based living because I never dreamed that I could do this either.

And in 2008, 2009, by that point, I was way deep into running. I was doing triathlons. I had actually done one full iron man at the time. And I went and got my, I had my annual blood panel done and my cholesterol was over 300.

And so my general practitioner said, at the time, late 2008, he said, have you ever thought of becoming more vegetarian? And I'm like, no, no, I'm an athlete.

That's crazy pants.

Yeah, that's just that's ridiculous. I do iron man's. I need my iron, which means I need my meat. You know, that was that was the connection and didn't think anything of it from that point.

But spring 2009, I see this book come out and it's written by this Austin firefighter.

Really? Tell me more.

Let me see. This gentleman who used to be a professional triathlete.

And that has a total of cholesterol below 150.

I'll let you know if I ever get there.

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