Daily Inspiration: Meet Meghan McGee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan McGee

Hi Meghan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Right around the age of 15 I started experiencing health issues like gut pain and bloating, acne, joint and muscle pain, brain fog and the list goes on. Once I got to college, I could not concentrate in my classes, my brain fog was at its worst, and I was not recovering from exercise. I always had an interest in health from playing sports growing up so that is what I studied in college. I majored in Health and Wellness Promotion and learned about nutrition, exercise science, and health behavior change. As my health further started to decline, I began to look for answers. I started with conventional doctors and they continually told me everything was fine. Once I graduated college, looking for answers became my full time job. After many doctors appointments and no answers, I turned to functional medicine. I heard about it through a health coach training program I was going through at the time. They took a completely different approach to my symptoms and identified so many root causes of why I felt the way I did at 21 years old. I worked with them for over a year and they uncovered so many things, it was incredible. I completely changed my diet and began eating very high-quality foods to heal and nourish my body. I struggled with the lifestyle changes and mindset shifts, but looking back now it was the greatest gift.

During that time, I struggled with my relationship with food. I was recommended so many restrictive diets that were supposed to keep inflammation down but the stress of it was worse than the inflammation was (I later realized). The mental struggle of being 21 and not being able to eat anything at a party or have the energy to go out was debilitating for me. I missed out on a lot of connection and community and at some point I just chose to stay at home when I got an invite to go out. The turning point for me was at a family Christmas party where I had brought my own Tupperware container because I was literally afraid to eat what was being served. It was such an unhealthy mindset. I remember thinking, ‘I could make really high-quality food taste delicious and share it with everyone. Everyone can have a spot at the table.’ This became my mission.

Over time, I started reintroducing foods back into my diet because what I was doing was unsustainable. As I got more confident in the kitchen with the foods I was making for myself, I started making it for my family. Their health completely changed so that was a super cool ripple effect of my health journey. With all the new knowledge I had learned along my health journey, I wanted to go to school to learn even more. I found the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Arvada, CO through a Google search. I knew I had to go there. They had a Nutrition Therapy Master program as well as a Natural Food Chef program. Both resonated with me and I ultimately chose to pursue the Natural Food Chef program. My health had gotten much better and I was healthy enough to move to Arvada and go to school. The program completely changed my life in so many ways. It gave me a great foundation to feel confident in any kitchen I was in. I met incredible people with similar values, which is what I longed for. It was the best 15 weeks of my life. I wasn’t sure what my “niche” would be; it changed throughout the program. I trusted that I would find it though.

After graduating, I struggled to find jobs because I wasn’t clear on who I wanted to serve. I tried many different things from personal cheffing to dinner parties to meal prepping, and ultimately found a passion in teaching others how to cook. I moved back home to Colorado Springs from Denver and felt more grounded in the mountains. I was able to start a new chapter in the place I grew up with a different perspective. I got a job at a Functional Medicine clinic because I wanted to support others going through similar struggles I had experienced. I also started teaching cooking classes at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in a contract position. Juggling two jobs was really hard though. My whole life I always knew that I wanted to be a “pioneer” and business owner in something I was passionate about. I come from a family of entrepreneurs so living outside of society’s standards for a career felt normal to me. During that time, I felt like the cooking classes took a back seat to my full-time job and I struggled with that. Teaching others how to cook in a way that supports the planet, the ingredients, while also nourishing the body is something I became so passionate about. I wondered how I could find the balance I was looking for. After 8 months of both jobs, I hit a crossroad. I could not sustain this lifestyle anymore. I wasn’t someone that was a “hustler” or someone who could work 50+ hours a week. That kind of lifestyle was not for me. That voice inside became so loud that I could not ignore it any longer. It kept telling me I needed to do something different, to go against the grain, to jump out into the unknown. I had to slow down and make that choice, otherwise I would have missed out on so many cool opportunities. It was a huge moment of trust for me and I am so proud of myself for taking that leap. I ended up moving to a part-time position at the Functional Medicine clinic, and increased my teaching hours at UCCS, which completely changed everything. I started thriving. I had the space to know where I wanted to go next. I had a huge realization that this is how I operate. I am not a 9-5 gal and that is ok!

I gave myself grace, which was so huge for me. During that time of transition, I read Alice Waters’ book called We are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto. It completely changed everything. It changed the way I thought about food and food education and it inspired the foundation of my business – slow food. That is what I always wanted to teach my future clients, I just didn’t have words for it until I read her book. Connecting with our food, the people around us and the earth can be life-changing in healing chronic illness, stress, overworking, overcommitting, and so many more things we all struggle with in our culture. I believe that being intentional in our lives helps provide balance in the day-to-day. I help people gain clarity in their lives around what truly matters by peeling back the layers of our busy, “fast-food” culture. I help people connect with themselves, their food, and their lives more intentionally through slowing down.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been a challenging road. There were many times I felt like I was on an island all by myself wondering what I was doing wrong. Why didn’t I fit in? It’s been tough to go against the grain of our modern culture. Being an entrepreneur is hard, too, especially being a people-pleaser. It’s easy to get caught up in impostor syndrome but in those moments I had to look at myself in the mirror and start trusting that the path I was on was exactly where I needed to be.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I teach community cooking classes at UCCS and 1 on 1 or in group settings with private clients in their homes. Slow food is my focus, which means I teach clients how to be intentional with where to source ingredients from, how to choose seasonal ingredients, how to enjoy the cooking process, and how to bring their life back into balance. I’ve heard so many people say, “I don’t cook,” or “Eating healthy is so expensive.” I love working with people like this because we can really dive into their lifestyle and values. Through slow food and slow cooking, I teach people how to slow down and savor the moments that truly matter to them. As Alice Waters quotes in her book, “How we eat is how we live.” These words have been a northern light for me to help serve my clients in the best way that I can.

I am proud of the fact that I listened to my heart and pursued something off the beaten path. It fully aligns with my values and I have seen real change come from my clients by helping them connect with their food. It’s amazing what happens when we see a carrot pulled out of the earth – something shifts for us. I just spent time at a farm with my good friend and she had never seen a carrot pulled out of the ground before. She was stunned at how beautiful the process was; the carrot was delicious and she felt so much more connected to it. There is so much power in knowing where our food comes from.

When identifying my niche I realized that my work does not target one specific population. This slow food mindset applies to all of us no matter what age. I think it’s really neat that this idea can impact so many walks of life. Our lives are so busy we barely have time for the people we love, let alone ourselves. People don’t have dinner with their family anymore and so many meals are eaten on the go. Through slow food, I help clients bring more balance into their lives so that they can make more time for themselves and what they value. We have meaningful conversations while we cook together, we create new friendships and build community. These connections are missing in our modern-day culture and I am passionate about building community through food. At the end of so many of my cooking classes, people who were strangers before class will spend an extra hour after class just chatting. I think that is so cool! These are the moments we are missing in our lives and my mission is to bring back these “old-fashioned” practices with slow food.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Trust the process. The process can seem so hard at times. All the struggles you are going through have purpose. The hardest things you go through often are the ones we end up being the most grateful for. I would not be doing what I am today without my experiences. I would not be able to serve others in the way I do without those experiences.

There will always be people who don’t like your content or message. If you hide your gifts and passions, people who you could have served are missing out. Trust yourself and what you have to offer and go for it. If that voice inside continues to get louder and louder, follow it! It is leading you somewhere for a reason.

I also recommend asking for help. It doesn’t matter if you only have one person to lean on in your journey; you have one person to lean on! In the darkest days of my journey, I had people to lean on. It’s easy to get caught up in the future and what that will look like. Stay the course and lean on those who love you for support. Take it one day at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.megsnourishedkitchen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megsnourishedkitchen/

Image Credits
Danny McGee
Nicole Mack