Marie Kanagie-McAleese MD
We all want to be healthy and feel more fulfilled in life, but we are surrounded by so much confusion about what it means to be healthy. And how do we fit healthy choices into out busy and stressful lives? Can we really have any control over our health? 60% of adults in the US have at least one chronic health condition, and this number continues to grow. It’s easy to throw up our hands and accept the “inevitable” fate of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or another chronic disease. But I’m here to tell you that there is a way to take back control and experience wellness, and the solution is simpler than many people think!
My Story
As a pediatrician and mom of twins, I understand the struggle of balancing kids and career, and the daily worry about whether I’m making the right decisions for my family. I often felt overwhelmed and frequently resorted to packaged, processed foods to save time (and because I didn’t really know how to cook). We also utilized television as a method to both distract and de-stress. My medical training taught me how to manage illness, and the prevailing culture of medicine is that illness prevention equals health. But as I approached by 40th birthday I was overweight, out of shape, and exhausted, and watched as my parents developed a list of chronic illnesses. I then began on a personal journey of identifying my true path to wellness. It wasn’t until I discovered the simple power of lifestyle choices like plant-forward nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness, however, that I learned how to bring wellness and joy into my life. Don’t get me wrong- simple doesn’t always mean easy- but it is possible, and easier than you may think.
I am here to share my journey with you and provide guidance on how to integrate healthy choices like home cooking, eating more plants, movement, and mindfulness to feel more in control of your health and discover wellbeing and joy. Are you ready to take the first step toward wellness? You can do it, and I can show you how!
Dr. Marie Kanagie-McAleese is a board-certified pediatrician and has worked as a hospitalist with University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health since 2006. She discovered lifestyle medicine and the benefits of a plant-based diet in 2019, and decided to educate herself on the science of WFPB nutrition in order to empower others to take steps toward better health. Along the way, she also discovered culinary medicine and the joys of home cooking.
Dr. Marie became board certified in lifestyle medicine in 2021, and has completed certificates in Plant Based Nutrition via the Center for Nutrition Studies/eCornell, Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) coaching via Harvard University, and the Forks Over Knives/Rouxbe plant-based cooking course. She is excited to promote the work of PCRM as a Food for Life cooking class instructor and teach people just how easy it can be to prepare healthy, whole food, plant-based meals!
