Hello and Welcome to Downshiftology!
I’m Lisa, a bestselling cookbook author, real food lover, meal prep fanatic, massive wanderluster, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. I’m a big advocate of self-care and taking life “down a notch” (i.e. downshifting) – while chasing adventures halfway across the globe! Because it’s all about balance.
Downshiftology is my online home where you’ll find wholesome recipes, kitchen advice and cooking tutorials. You may even notice a theme of minimalism, in food and in life, woven throughout. My hope is that you’ll be inspired to whip up healthy meals, excited to get back to basics, and happy to embrace a life that’s a little more simple and far more vibrant.
My Story
I started Downshiftology in 2014 after I left my former corporate career in a blaze of burnout. Previously, I was an executive for healthcare companies (cancer research, diagnostic imaging and molecular diagnostics) and my days consisted of long hours, high stress and poor eating, usually while running between meetings. Wellness was not a priority and I sure didn’t understand balance. I was your quintessential, “type A” corporate workaholic.
A few years before that I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases – celiac, hashimoto’s, psoriasis and endometriosis – one diagnosis virtually after the next.
Eventually, I realized my work and lifestyle were affecting my health, so I opted for a “life do-over” and quit my job. After several months off, the dots finally connected and I learned how to really nourish my body – through food and lifestyle.
Inspired by personal blogs I’d read online, I created Downshiftology to share my healthy recipes, globetrotting travel posts, and lessons learned in the kitchen. And somewhere along the way I stumbled onto YouTube.
Today, I’m passionate about life restarts and helping others make positive food and lifestyle changes – at any age. With delicious, wholesome, gluten-free recipes along with inspiring travel and lifestyle posts, I’m happy to show you that simple is not boring and food restrictions are not life restrictions.
Where to Start?
If you’re new to Downshiftology, here are some great places to start:
- Read more about my Philosophy and FAQ’s.
- Check out the Recipes page where you can sort recipes by category, dietary type and even ingredient. We work hard to develop and test recipes that are foolproof!
- Learn how to Meal Prep and save time in the kitchen. These are some of my most popular videos! Plus, I wrote an entire cookbook about Healthy Meal Prep (it’s a national bestseller!).
- Start with Healthy Basics. It’s amazing how learning a few simple recipes, like homemade almond butter, mayonnaise, cashew milk, chia pudding, cauliflower rice, hummus, poached eggs, ghee and zucchini noodles can transform your cooking.
What’s Next? Join the Community!
Thank you for taking the time to read through my story. I’m so happy you’re here…and I’d love to get to know you!
- Come say hello on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Twitter.
- Subscribe to my YouTube channel for the latest videos and tutorials.
- Get free recipes delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing to weekly emails
- And lastly, join our private Facebook group to chat with Downshifters around the world (we have a lot of fun).
xo,
Features
As Downshiftology has grown, it’s been featured in numerous media including Good Morning America, KTLA-5, Chowhound, Shape, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, TheKitchn, Tubefilter, Fitness Magazine, Well + Good, Elle and Huffington Post, among others. My cookbook was also selected as a finalist for a prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) award.
I’ve been a speaker and panelist at food industry conferences, such as Tastemaker and TECHmunch. And I was recognized as a Top 100 Responsible Health and Wellness Influencer and finalist in the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ 2020 awards.
Between the website and YouTube channel, Downshiftology now receives more than 120 million views a year (which is still mind-boggling to me). But I’m incredibly grateful, especially to my Downshifters who come back week after week to make my recipes.
Fun Facts
- Education: I received my bachelors of science in International Business from Pepperdine University. And my MBA from the University of Southern California.
- Born: I was born in Auckland, New Zealand (but grew up in SoCal from the age of 2). I got my American Citizenship in 2014, so now I’m a dual citizen.
- Travel: I’ve lived in 4 countries and traveled 41 countries, including all 7 continents (my trip to Antarctica was phenomenal!). I was also an advisor to the United Nations out of grad school and lived in Kabul, Afghanistan for a year. Travel is my happy place.
- Favorite Colors: White and beige
- Biggest Fear: Public speaking
- Favorite Ingredients: Eggs, avocado and spinach.
- Most Made Recipe: Breakfast scrambles (I love egg recipes). It’s the best way to clean out fresh produce from your fridge!
- Favorite Dessert: Paleo Chocolate Cake (and over 1000 commenters agree with me).
Downshiftology® is a registered trademark of Lisa Bryan.
