Chasity Pritchett’s Let’s Fight Back Foundation offers a 12-week program using olive oil and Mediterranean eating to help people get off medication.
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A local business owner is using food, faith, and olive oil to help people combat chronic illness without relying on prescription medications.
Chasity Pritchett of Chesapeake said she founded the Emblem Olive Oil company to help people live healthier lives. Her olive oil is made from olives grown by a single-family farm in the U.S. and comes in several flavors. It’s available for purchase locally inside the Chrysler Museum of Art gift shop in Norfolk, which describes Emblem as “the only woman- and minority-owned company producing American-grown olive oil” on its website.
But each bottle represents something much bigger than just a potential sale for Pritchett; it’s a tool in the fight against diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
After learning how powerful olive oil can be for preventing or reversing some chronic illnesses, she founded the Let’s Fight Back Foundation. The organization offers a free, 12-week program built around the Mediterranean lifestyle, a simple, healthy way of living that’s based on how people eat, move and connect in places like Greece and Southern Italy.
Pritchett’s mission is to help people change the way they eat, reclaim their health and ultimately reduce their dependence on medication.
“Food is really the medicine,” Pritchett said. “We give these individuals meal plans, we give them free olive oil, and we really dive in in how to live a healthier lifestyle.”
She launched the program during the pandemic, initially with just about a dozen participants. Since then, more than 30 people have completed it, and some, she said, are no longer on medication.
One of Pritchett’s most powerful testimonials came from a woman who had reportedly been on insulin for over 20 years.
“The doctor was like, ‘What are you doing? Your numbers are looking amazing,'” Pritchett recalled. “And to this day, she is no longer on insulin medication.”
Participants virtually meet weekly for education, encouragement and recipe guidance. The program includes live cooking demos, guest speakers, including doctors and dentists, and even some scripture readings. Pritchett said the program is faith-based by design.
“I believe that you can’t change your lifestyle without prayer and without the power of God,” Pritchett said. “I incorporate not only the physical side, but the mental side.”
Pritchett, who became a certified olive oil sommelier earlier this year in London, said education is a major hurdle, especially in communities that are typically left out of wellness conversations.
“You’re able to trust me and really feel like… she, you know, looks like me,” she said. “A mother that loves cooking and like quick meals. So, people begin to gravitate towards just that.”
She also hopes to push back against misinformation about olive oil and help people understand the power of healthy fats in disease prevention.
Last year, Pritchett’s work expanded to a national partnership. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Emblem Olive Oil a $1.3 million contract to supply olive oil to Native American communities as part of a federal health initiative.
“I’m not playing. You know, I’m serious about what I do,” she said. “It’s all about what I do with this information.”
The Let’s Fight Back Foundation’s next 12-week course begins Sunday, August 10. Pritchett said menus and grocery lists for the first week will be sent to participants on August 7. Spots are still available to join the free program.
“There is still breath in your lungs. You know, you are still here on Earth for a purpose,” Pritchett said. “So, don’t get stuck in what you’re in right now, because you can always get out and come through on the other side.”
You can sign up now here.
Dining and Cooking