Helping people eat their way to good health – SHIRU MACHARIA

Shiru Macharia is not a foreign name to those in the healthy eating circles. Her blog – My Planted Kitchen – has gained traction over the last one year making her a household name in the healthy living space.

Shiru is an inspiration to many through her weight loss journey and healthy eating lifestyle. “What I actually do on My Planted Kitchen is what I live; it’s not something that I can separate myself from,” she shares.

My Planted Kitchen was born out of a challenge. “I had taken my daughter to the clinic when she was six months old and I decided to weigh myself and to my surprise, I was 108kgs. This was a wake up call for me and I decided to challenge myself that by the time I was turning 30 the following year in 2017, I would have lost 30kgs,” she reveals.

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She began the journey by exploring healthy eating habits. Her research led her to realise that it was easy to give excuses as to why she overindulged in some foods and she sought to change that. Good thing is, she loved cooking and it was exciting to try out the new, healthy recipes.

So what does healthy eating entail? “I mostly eat plants, that is, fresh vegetables and fruits. I also do whole grain, nuts and seeds and try as much as possible to keep away from gluten, GMO and processed foods. To keep the costs low, I eat what’s in season,” the mother of two explains.

When she started her weight loss journey, she decided to share her story through her blog to help her stay accountable to the process. It was from this that she began to receive overwhelming responses from other women who were struggling with weight issues as well.

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Prior to changing her eating habits, Shiru constantly suffered from backaches, fatigue, anxiety and depression. It occurred to her that they were connected to poor eating habits as health starts in the gut.

“Beside the desire to lose weight, I turned to healthy eating for healing. Sharing this lifestyle with others became a huge deal for me as it inspired me to stay true to myself as well as encourage others to take up healthy eating,” she says.

By the time Shiru was turning 30, she had not only lost the 30kgs purely through healthy eating, but also built a community on healthy eating through her blog.

Going professional…

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In 2016, she registered to an online culinary school in Canada that equipped, trained and mentored her, making her a Certified Culinary Nutritionist. She gained a better understanding on healthy living giving her an authoritative voice as people sought advice from her.

My Planted Kitchen has grown immensely since its inception in August 2017.  It has ceased being just a blog and has morphed into a fully-fledged business. “I coach and help people to have healthier eating habits as well as helping companies, schools and restaurants in recipe creation for their employees and customers. I also offer cooking classes and workshops where I teach how to shop, prepare and cook delicious healthy dishes,” she reveals.

Her greatest challenge in this process has been changing the mindset of people who associate healthy eating with the rich in society. “I want everyone to see that they can make healthy meals with what they have in their kitchens,” she adds.

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Just like many other businesses that are capital intensive, Shiru faces the same challenge as well but admits that partnering with other women has aided her a lot. “There is power when women come together,” she offers.

As the year begins, My Planted Kitchen will be hosting their first online challenge of the year – the ‘Kick the sugar habit’ 21 day challenge – among many more to come as the year unfolds. This, she hopes, will encourage even more people to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

To get in touch email [email protected] or visit website www.myplantedkitchen.com