I never would have imagined that when I began cooking for people at a retreat farm in Pennsylvania 14 years ago that I would end up starting my own personal chef business and cooking for families for the next 13 years. While there have been ups and downs in my business, I’m happy to say it’s been a great run! And I’m still here, cooking for people locally in Baltimore, Owings Mills and as far as Washington DC as a personal chef. Over the years I have made a lot of different kinds of dishes and I’ve learned something new each time I’ve been asked to branch out of my comfort zone. I’m a self-taught chef after all and in my perspective, trying new things always makes life more interesting!

I think it’s true, however, that every chef has a favorite kind of food to make. I get asked this often and sometimes I don’t know what to say; my food preferences have changed dramatically over the years and I also enjoy making a lot different kinds of food. Over the past year though, I’ve begun to realize that my favorite kinds of food to make are vegan plant-based meals. I have always loved making creative vegan dishes out of vegetables and legumes, and dairy alternatives using nuts and seeds. These things usually take more time because there is more chopping and prep involved but I love doing it.

About a year and a half ago I started following the Medical Medium protocol, which is a plant-based healing diet that is mostly vegan. This was a huge change for me after following various meat-based, starch-free vegetable and fruit –free diets over the years in hopes they would help heal my digestive and other physical issues.  I never thought I would be vegan (I honestly didn’t think I would survive without meat protein) however, it was clear to me that something needed to change because I no longer had a real appetite for food.

The Medical Medium protocol is not so strict that you can’t eat meat on occasion, but over the many months of eating mostly fruits and vegetables, I simply have lost my desire to eat it. I am enjoying some fish every now and then so I can’t say I’m a complete vegan (plus I love honey!)  But other than that, I haven’t eaten meat for quite a while.  So while I still prepare meals containing meat for personal chef clients and my son, I have to be honest that I am less thrilled about making it now that I’ve begun a love affair with vegan plant-based and often raw meals.

I once thought that eating too many raw veggies would give me digestive problems and eating too many fruits (or any fruit for that matter) would raise my blood sugar and cause havoc in my body.  But the opposite has proven to be true. My digestion continues to heal and my blood sugar is more stable than it’s been in years.  I still need to eat regularly but I can now go on an errand without feeling like I need to bring something to eat in case I have a blood sugar crash.

My healing has not only occurred on the physical level; I have also found that my anxiety and PTSD issues have also drastically improved as well as my sleep (insomnia has not been my friend for many years). Because of the shifts in my health, I now have a sense of freedom in my life that I simply didn’t feel before, and it’s only getting better!

So while I still prepare meals containing meat for personal chef clients and my son, I have to be honest that I am less thrilled about making it now that I’ve begun a love affair with vegan plant-based and often raw meals. I once thought that eating too many raw veggies would give me digestive problems and eating too many fruits (or any fruit for that matter) would raise my blood sugar and cause havoc in my body.  

But the opposite has proven to be true. My digestion continues to heal and my blood sugar is more stable than it’s been in years.  I still need to eat regularly but I can now go on an errand without feeling like I need to bring something to eat in case I have a blood sugar crash.

My healing has not only occurred on the physical level; I have also found that my anxiety and PTSD issues have also drastically improved as well as my sleep (insomnia has not been my friend for many years). Because of the shifts in my health, I now have a sense of freedom in my life that I simply didn’t feel before, and it’s only getting better!

I know that the kind of diet I follow is not for everyone. And I am leaving out a big part of the diet which includes drinking celery juice every morning and taking specific herbs and supplements to aid the body in healing. Even if it’s not for everyone, I know it has helped and healed countless people. And I also believe that people are missing out on many of the amazing healing qualities of fruit because it has become trendy in the diet world to think that it causes inflammation, blood sugar imbalances and other physical issues.

As a personal chef who loves making vegan food and plant-based meals, I am not necessarily in the position to recommend diets to my clients because I am not a nutritionist. I also want to respect their right to follow the kind of diet that works for them.  At the same time, I want to begin to gear my business towards working with clients who want to eat plant-based and vegan personal chef meals because that is where my heart is right now.

Thirteen years ago I came up with the name “Heart of Cooking” for my business for a reason: I loved cooking and preparing meals for people, and I believed that when I stayed with my intention “to bring joy, creativity and inspiration and love to what I do,” my clients would feel these qualities in the food they enjoy.

I want to continue to carry on this intention by cooking and preparing more meals that make me happy: plant-based, vegetarian or vegan dishes. For, I truly believe that when we are in line with our heart’s truth and desires, our lives can transform in ways we didn’t expect.

Are you thinking about having a personal chef cook for you?
In celebration of my 13th anniversary as a personal chef, I’m offering $25 off your first cook day. Simply mention this blog post when you contact me.

I hope you have a wonderful day!