What's It All About
Spending time in my Pretty Wild Kitchen with some pretty wild friends and some pretty wild thoughts… It is one of my favorite ways to spend time… Ideas that used to be considered “crazy” or “out there” or “pretty wild” take shape here. Ideas like how plant-based cooking is actually an art, and building community matters to our health, or that small, consistent lifestyle changes can bring life-altering benefits, are now proving to be mainstream and powerful.
This blog is the place we can meet to share recipes, test products, and explore the brighter side of health. Sometimes it will be wild and sometimes irreverent. No matter what, the goal is that what is put forth here will always make a healthy difference. YES!! Haha! Cut to a shot of the sun rising over green rolling hills!
My name is Meryl. I am a registered nurse. I have a Master’s Degree and a lot of experience in public health. With 35+ years in health care, my passion is making a difference with people who have even the slightest inclination to make a difference for themselves. So if you are here because you want to know more about how to take control of your health, increase your stamina and vitality, or deepen your sense of peace every day, I am glad to meet you! You are in the right place.
This blog is the outgrowth of 40+ years researching and studying and applying Western, Eastern, alternative, and complementary health practices. Specifically, I am interested in how what we consume (put into our minds and bodies) shows up as health or illness. And, kind of naturally, the opposite, too. That is, what happens when we stop consuming certain kinds of food or thinking of certain kinds of thoughts?
From my years as a nurse, I know that this is where we can really make a difference for ourselves and the rest of the planet. This is my personal mission. It is literally why I am here.
This website is about providing resources for empowerment to improve our health. It is a place to find recipes, ask questions, get answers, and create a supportive community. Pretty Wild Vegan also hosts plant-based cooking classes and get-togethers. So you may see some of that fun stuff, too!
I am so excited to launch this rocket! Are you ready for a pretty wild ride? No need for a seat belt here! Welcome aboard!
More About Me
I am a Master’s-Degreed registered nurse, integrative health coach, and whole-food, plant-based enthusiast. I enjoy testing healthy food products so others don't have to.
I have been whole-food, plant-based since I was 15 years old. I stopped eating the typical American diet because the price of meat jumped. The way I remember it, the soaring meat prices were making headlines, and my mom was complaining about not being able to put "3 square meals on the table every day." I decided to help her out by giving up meat. That started a lifelong passion for nutrition and health.
Fast forward to the present day. I am a good deal older and wiser, still eating whole foods, no animal products. I have no chronic illnesses, take no medications, and I haven't had a cold or flu in something like 15 years. I attribute my health to my diet, primarily.
Through close to 30 years as an RN, I have seen so many cases of people who could be healthier, who could at least give themselves the best chance at wellness, but they choose otherwise. I want the world to know we literally have a choice. I believe that every day, with every mouthful and with every breath, we can choose ease instead of disease. It is our choice. It is just that simple.