Hi, I’m Christin McKamey

wellness blogger & recipe creator

Hi! I’m Christin McKamey, and I’m passionate about a whole foods plant-based lifestyle. I truly LOVE helping others learn healthy habits and I want to help YOU discover delicious plant-based recipes, unique ways of cooking, and give you the tips and tools to feel better from the inside out!

Throughout my life, I’ve transitioned from fast food/meat-eater to part-time vegetarian to dedicated vegan to…well, who I am now. I’ve had an unhealthy relationship with food for a good majority of my life- from being completely careless to utterly obsessed, But finally, I’ve settled on a good balance in-between: an intentional focus on health, but still a realistic one where I’m not feeling guilty every time I have dessert.

My primary focus is on whole food, plant-based nutrition, doing exercises I truly enjoy, and taking care of my body so I have the energy to do the things I love the most. I hope to inspire and help you to do the same.

I have a Plant-Based Nutrition certification from e-Cornell, and a certification from the Forks Over Knives Rouxbe Cooking School. I have also participated in Vegan Fusion training. I LOVE learning and I’m constantly updating and perfecting my skills in the kitchen. =)

My Kitchen Philosophy

I believe in balanced eating, and a strong focus on healthy, plant-based and whole foods.

My Top Tips to Better Health

-Cook with fresh ingredients as much as possible. Grow your own, or buy from trusted supermarkets or farmer’s markets. Start with food in its simplest, most natural form. Avoid pesticides, preservatives, and ingredients with names you can’t pronounce.

-Cook at home as much as possible. Knowing exactly what’s going into your food is key. The more I cook at home, the more I can effectively manage my weight and overall health. I always cook double the recipe so I have enough for a healthy lunch the next day. And I get it- most of us don’t get in the kitchen enough to prepare food from scratch. But the more you do it, the better you’ll get. It might even be faster than the time it takes to call in an order and drive to get takeout. =)

-Don’t feel guilty for indulging once in awhile. If you restrict yourself from a piece of cheesecake, odds are you will eventually cave and eat the whole thing. Moderation is key. And over time, your body will tell you what it wants and doesn’t want and you’ll train your body to want to eat healthier. Believe it or not, your taste buds will change over time, and you’ll actually start to crave salads and other healthy foods.

–Get moving! Food is a big part of being healthy, but it’s not everything. Exercise can be one of the best ways to feel good about yourself, get more energy and boost your mood. I could write an entire book about the benefits of exercise. Aim to do some type of exercise (even if it’s just walking) every day.

-Drink a lot of water! Say farewell to pop (or soda) and other sugary drinks. People tend to think that drinks don’t count when it comes to sugar and calories, but they do! And they can be detrimental to your long term health. If you have a choice, choose water or tea.

-Sneak vegetables in whenever you can. I won’t make anything for dinner without trying to add in some sort of veggie. Add asparagus in your quinoa, cauliflower in your mashed potatoes, zucchini on your pizza, etc.

-Focus on making small choices throughout the day. Order a tall Starbucks latte instead of a venti. Order that sandwich without the mayo. Drink a water instead of a soda. Split a meal at a restaurant with your spouse. The bottom line- be intentional about your health. It’s all about changing your mindset so you are always focusing on health, one small step at a time.

Diet & Body Image

I don’t believe in dieting. In order to stay your desired body weight and feel healthy, there needs to be a mental shift and an overall lifestyle change.

Sometimes I may mention a “whole foods, plant based diet“, since this is a common way to describe this type of eating. So I may say the word diet, but what I really mean is lifestyle. Diets commonly fail because they are short-term focused. A lifestyle shift and change of attitude creates healthy lifelong habits.

I’ve spent a lot of my life feeling guilty about every “bad” thing I ate, as if I was losing control of my life, one bite at a time. The more I focused on maintaining a ‘perfect diet’, the more I let myself down, and over and over again, I would feel guilty or bad about myself. It took me many years (decades really), and a lot of research and life experience to finally get to a good place.

I believe that everyone is on a different journey to health and that’s ok. And sometimes as you learn more, that may change and that’s ok too.

''Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.'' -Maya Angelou Click To Tweet

My focus is on learning as much as I can, and doing my best and helping others to do their best. So I hope you’ll look around, find healthy recipes and overall, get inspired to take action with a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle!

herbsspices

Want more ideas? Check out my post 10 Health and Wellness Habits to Help Structure Your Life.

Sign up to receive my Plant Based Quick Start Guide, which includes a list of my staple ingredients found in my kitchen, as well as other helpful tips for a healthy, plant based diet.

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My story

1998

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

I ate a Burger King Chicken Sandwich multiple times a week. I had no idea what healthy food was, and promptly gained 30 pounds.
1999

FED UP WITH THE WEIGHT GAIN

I started working out and eating (what I thought was) healthy i.e. Nutrigrain bars, Lean Cuisines and starving myself. Still, I lost the 30 pounds and vowed to never gain weight again. But I was sick ALL the time. And I went to the gym constantly but hated it.
2003

MOVED TO HAWAII

I joined a gym and often went twice a day to keep my weight under control. My drink of (poor) choice was Diet Coke (3-4 cans a day).
2004

EXPERIMENTING IN THE KITCHEN

I was introduced to herbs and spices by a friend of mine. I watched and started experimenting in the kitchen. I also started salsa dancing and playing volleyball, realizing there were other ways to work out than just going to the gym and running on yet another treadmill.
2007

DESIRE TO MAKE A CHANGE

This was a rough year, and I struggled with food and control. I started to really think about what I was doing to my body (and mind) and wanted to make a change.
2008

GETTING CREATIVE

I moved back to Michigan with no job during the economic crisis, and had one of the most stressful years of my life. I slept on a mattress on my brother’s living room floor, and in exchange for a place to stay, I told him I would make him dinner every night. I started experimenting with cooking and found that I liked to be creative and create my own recipes.
2009

HYDRATION IS KEY

I started cooking more and more frequently in my tiny apartment kitchen. I met my husband and cooked him dinner most nights. He told me I had a gift for cooking but I didn’t believe it at the time. I also gave up Diet Coke, which caused a 4-day migraine, and started drinking water every day.
2010

GOING VEGGIE

I read the book “The China Study” and watched the documentary “Forks over Knives” and it completely changed my thinking about food and nutrition. I started incorporating more and more vegetarian/vegan food into my diet. I stopped feeling that I had to have meat for my meal to be “complete”.
2011

BLOGGING + PHOTOGRAPHY

I started a blog to keep some of my recipes online. I realized I loved it and wanted to do more. I transitioned my skills as a photographer/videographer to food photography.
2012

RECIPE EDITOR

After a friend saw my recipes, I was contacted to be the Recipe Editor of a local Michigan magazine. I’m still doing that job to this day and love it!
2013

PLANT-BASED DIET

I researched and learned as much as I could about plant-based diets, and changed my lifestyle even more. I became more and more creative in the kitchen.
2014

THE BEGINNINGS OF VEGGIECHICK.COM

I started the official site veggiechick.com. I put my heart and soul into learning everything I could about blogging and plant-based nutrition and I’ve been working hard at it ever since.
the present

I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been. I joined an all-girl fitness gym with fun workout classes (which I absolutely love) and I’m still salsa dancing pretty regularly. I very rarely get sick, and I have way more energy.

It took me a long time to finally listen to my body and I’m so glad I did. Nothing’s better than enjoying life, nourishing your body and having fun while doing it.

More about me

I grew up in a small, adorable town in Michigan with a wonderful family. I’m the oldest of 5 and my parents are still happily married.

I lived in Hawaii for 6 years, then moved back to Michigan and met my husband. In 2011, we got married in Hawaii and we still go back all the time. It’s my favorite place in the world.

And I could never forget my sweet little cat, Chloe. =)

The three of us live in Michigan in a happening suburban area near Detroit, closely located to a Trader Joe’s (my fave) and Whole Foods (another fave). I grew up in the country so it’s hard to be surrounded by so many houses, but I do love the convenience of having so many stores and farmer’s markets close by. It’s a food blogger’s dream come true!

Thanks for visiting! Please reach out if you have questions or comments.