My name is Kathy Carmichael. I'm a retired high school English teacher, vegan enthusiast, and blogger. I started my vegan lifestyle in 1995 but faltered with the criticism of doctors and friends, maintaining a vegetarian diet until 2009.
My husband, Paul, and I changed our lifestyle 14 years ago after watching Food Inc., which launched our new lives together, as well as our plan to live a long and happy life disease-free.
I genuinely believe what we eat and how we live determines our health and future.
Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 14, my mother struggled throughout her childhood and adulthood. Although cautioned about bearing children, my mom ignored her doctor’s warnings and had my sister and me. Despite being ill for most of my childhood, she desperately tried to fight to regain her life.
My father traveled often for his job; however, my grandmother raised my sister and me because of my mother's illness.
When I turned 10, my mother suffered paralysis on one side of her body and lost her sight. Now bedridden and unable to care for herself or my sister and me, my grandmother moved into our house to help. We feared she would die, and although I hate to admit it, I avoided visiting my mother's bedroom.
Throughout her battle with MS, my mom also learned about her hypoglycemia. Simultaneously, a friend of my mother's introduced her to Dr. John McDougall, a physician who believed in food as medicine.
In a last-ditch effort to regain her life, my mother started the McDougall program, adopting an oil-free, plant-based diet.
As a former smoker and social drinker, my mother adapted to a new lifestyle. Her health not only improved, but she also regained her sight, as well as, her ability to walk.
I watched my mother, once paralyzed and blind, earn a Bachelor's and Master’s Degree from Wayne State University and pursue a successful career as a social worker at Children’s Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
Since becoming vegan, her Multiple Sclerosis has been in remission, transforming her into the active 80-year-old woman she is today. She is my miracle!
I'm the sole author of Kathy's Vegan Kitchen! If you want to work with me, submit a form on my Work With Me page!
