Clover Conversations 03: McCauley Tawpash
On this month’s edition of Clover Conversations, I’m chatting with my inspiring friend, McCauley Tawpash. McCauley and I met in 2020 as we were dreaming up our brands with Blair Badenhop. I was blown away by McCauley’s creative eye, recipe development skills, photography—in short, she is incredibly talented. Oh, and she’s also the kindest human being. McCauley is a wellness chef, women’s holistic health coach and photographer. She shares about her journey into wellness, her PCOS diagnosis, working on a yacht as a chef and more! I hope you enjoy it x
McCauley, thank you so much for being here! For those who may not know, can you share a little about who you are and what you do?
I’m so happy to be a part of this, thanks so much for having me! My name is McCauley, I’m originally from upstate New York, but I'm currently living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’m a wellness-focused chef, women’s health coach, and photographer!
From our personal conversations, I know you have such an interesting story! Can you share how you became interested in wellness and what it means to you?
I became interested in wellness after facing my own health struggles about 10 years ago. I was doing all this research and trying to figure out how to heal myself. I started reading more about using food as medicine and it really sparked my interest. That's when I started cooking for myself and trying out all different types of health-supportive recipes. After a month or so, I really started to notice a profound shift in my energy levels, overall health, and wellbeing. Once I experienced that, there was really no turning back to my old lifestyle and eating habits. I was hooked on wellness for good!
At the age of 18, you were diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Can you walk us through what lead to that diagnosis and how you have worked to heal your body? What signs and symptoms did you have to alert you that something was not right?
I was a senior in high school and I started noticing something was off with my cycle. It was super irregular and I was experiencing other symptoms like depression and anxiety. My mom and I found a specialist (an endocrinologist) to work with. She ran some tests, and then told me I have PCOS. At first, I was so upset because she said PCOS is incurable and it was something I would have to manage for the rest of my life. I remember feeling so overwhelmed and scared! Thankfully, with the support of my family, I was able to make an actionable plan to start managing my symptoms by adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet. I removed all the processed foods from my diet and really focused on eating in a way that supported my body.
You have a background in holistic nutrition AND attended The Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. Can you share a little about this experience? It sounds so fun!
After I got diagnosed, I enrolled in a program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. After finishing that program I decided to enroll in culinary school at The Natural Gourmet Institute. Going to culinary school in NYC was honestly so much fun! If I could go back to that time and relive it I totally would! The Natural Gourmet Institute is all about using “ food as medicine” and using food as a tool to support your body. The classes covered everything from knife skills, plant-based nutrition, gluten-free baking, sauces, soups, etc. My favorite part of the whole experience was getting to sit down after a long day of cooking and getting to taste all the delicious foods haha! There was always so much leftover food that students were allowed to take home with them so I would always take some and pass it out to homeless people on my commute home. If I could go back to that time and experience it all again I totally would! It really was so much fun!
You've had so many cool job opportunities from food styling to cooking for private clients. And how can I forget: working as a chef on a yacht! What's been your favorite thus far?
It’s hard to pick a favorite because all of those job experiences were so different. Private chef work is fun because you get a lot of creative freedom to cook what you want, as long as it's something the client enjoys of course. Food styling was probably one of my favorite jobs because I got to work with a large team of creatives and it was just so cool to see the whole production process and create beautiful imagery. Working on yachts was super fun! I got to travel to Croatia and also the British Virgin Islands. It sounds a lot more glamorous than it really was though to be honest, haha! I'll just say, it's actually quite stressful cooking on a boat. The kitchen is a lot smaller than a regular kitchen in a house or restaurant. You have to be way more efficient when cooking on a boat… and you have to cook while trying to ward off seasickness. The first night I was cooking on a boat in Croatia, I was super seasick and had to make dinner for about 8 people. I so badly wanted to curl up in a ball in my bed (my bed on land, inside my home) but I couldn't. I was on a small yacht out at sea in a foreign country and had people waiting on me for dinner. I somehow managed to push through horrible nausea and pull it together but it definitely was not a fun experience. Thankfully I got my sea legs after a day or so at sea and the rest of the trip was much more enjoyable. It was an experience for sure!
We both advocate for eating more plants. How has eating a plant-forward diet helped in your healing journey and what are a few of your favorite plant-forward meals?
Ahh, Yesss! Eating a plant-forward diet has helped my healing journey immensely. I just feel so much better when I eat mostly plant-based. I do incorporate some animal protein in my diet today like good quality eggs and some seafood like wild-caught salmon and oysters. But, the majority of my diet is plant-based. Eating this way has definitely helped me balance my hormones as well as support my mood and energy. A few of my favorite plant-forward meals: Coconut yogurt bowls, I like to top them with granola, fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds! I love big salads with avocado, tempeh bacon, hemp seeds, and tahini lemon dressing! Chickpea salad is one of my favorite things to make! It’s so easy and versatile. I always try to eat seasonally and source ingredients locally as much as I can.
If you could describe your "non-negotiable" wellness practices, what would they be?
My number one non-negotiable is getting outside in nature! I’m so grateful to live in a place that makes it easy for me to go out into nature daily, which really helps me feel more grounded and just happier overall. My favorite thing about this practice is that it's totally free!
What is one wellness trend you think is over-rated?
One wellness trend I find overrated is fad diets. I just don’t think they are a long-term solution. I’ve found from my own experience, intuitive eating is a much more sustainable approach. I think it's so important to listen to your body and eat what makes you feel good.
I know we both love a good product. What's your current skincare and makeup regimen? What products are you loving lately?
I’m such a sucker for clean beauty and skincare products! I’ve been loving Cocokind products (I have pretty much all of them ha)! Some of my favorites are the Oil To Milk Cleanser, Vitamin C Serum, and Texture Smoothing Cream. Some other products I love are Everyday Oil, SUNTEGRITY- Impeccable Skin SPF, Herbivore Botanicals-Cloud Jelly, and Herbivore Botanicals-Prism 12% Exfoliating Serum! As far as make-up goes, I’m obsessed with ILIA! I use the True Skin Serum Foundation, Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint, Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment, Limitless Lash Mascara. I also love RMS Beauty Eye Polish.
Thanks so much for chatting with us today, McCauley! x
Thanks again for having me on Maddie! This was so much fun!