Jill Keb (Vegan Gal) & Team
A personal passion for over 22 years
Jill Keb has embraced a vegetarian since 1998. After receiving her B.S. in psychology, Keb became a certified food educator through the Food Studies Institute in N. Y. In 2005, Keb wrote and produced an eighty minute DVD; Change Your Food, Change Your Life and launched this website VeganGal.com.
In 2008 Jill became a Food For Life Instructor with PCRM. A Washington D.C. non-for-profit, The Physician’s Committee serves up life-changing classes on over 56 topics including; Weight-Loss, prevention of Cancer, Heart Disease and Diabetes all over the world. www.PCRM.org.
For many years Jill’s Walk On The Beach (WOTB) weekend Retreats in South Haven, Michigan have been life-changing, hands on, intimate events for hundreds of Wowed guests. After the decision at 32 to eschew animals products, recipe development has been a JOY. Seasonings (and taste bud adjustments) are the key to tasty food, and there is such excitement to explore in the vast, expansive world of plant foods!
Happily married to Greg, Jill also enjoys being a ‘Guma’ to her munchkin Samantha and actively appreciates opportunities to bond with her 3 adult children. Faith, (Healthy) Food, People and then everything else, is how she strives to prioritize her life.
Kathy Taylor
A Food & Faith Solution is part of my journey…
Kathy Taylor served as Director of HR and Vice President of The Facts Media for 28 years. Her journey to a healthy vegan diet and a whole food, plant-based lifestyle started after attending Jill’s Lunch and Learn series for company employees in 2002, followed by reading Food for Life, by Dr. Neal Barnard and viewing Jill’s DVD video Change Your Food, Change Your Life.
Jill and Kathy enjoyed many years working together and sharing lunches before teaming up to serve and support others on a personal health journey. We are excited to join together to offer small group, casual, hands-on cooking retreats with a mission to provide the information and support to those who desire to live healthier and more vibrant lives, making the journey a little easier along the way.
Kathy enjoys cooking nutrient dense, delicious meals for her husband and two teenagers, because this powerful contribution to the health of her family is an expression of love. Currently, she also serves on the board of Generation Distinct, a non-profit that equips young leaders to discover the wrong they were born to make right and live a life that truly matters.
Peter Mierwinski, CPA
Instagram: @peterthechicagovegan
– From counting beans to cooking beans
As an IL Certified Public Accountant (CPA), I spent 25 years serving local and global financial services companies in various management roles that included audit, human resources, and corporate accounting. I recently left the corporate world and the long days of “counting beans” as a Corporate Controller under high pressure to “cooking beans” in a pressure cooker! My new journey in life is focused on helping others see how easy and economical it is to prepare healthy, delicious plant-based meals to promote healthy living!
Following the guiding principles of Dr. John McDougall, I consider myself a starchivore, primarily eating a diet comprised of starches, with the addition of green and yellow vegetables and fruits. Adopting this plan allowed me to quickly reverse my own chronic medical conditions in just a few short months. As a result of my personal experience, I am eager to share this message with others through my role as a community cooking coach, chef, mentor and consultant, focused on plant-based meal preparation and informative presentations.
I also serve on the Boards of several local and national non-profit organizations including: Community Harvest Educational Foundation, The Vegan Museum, Plant Based Nutrition Movement and
Anthropocene Alliance.
I am fluent in Polish and live in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.
Evelyn Kissinger, MS, RDN
- Change Your Body One Bite at a Time
Evelyn Kissinger, MS, RDN is a lifestyle consultant, registered dietitian, international speaker, author and teacher. Her passion is to help people reach and maintain their lifestyle goals for vibrant health.
Evelyn is a consultant and specializes in creating wellness programs for individuals, groups, and corporations. She is currently an instructor in nutrition and wellness at Andrews University.
Evelyn lives in St. Joseph, MI with her husband, Peter. They have four adult children and 9 grandchildren.