About

Hi! I’m Megan Wells, a food photographer, foodie, and blogger living in Vacaville, California.

Meg is Well is my blog, where I’m striving to be well physically and mentally despite whatever challenges I face. Food, photography, and writing is how I deal with life’s struggles, mainly ulcerative colitis and living with a j-pouch.

I work to keep my love of food alive no matter what and I don’t think health, work, or a busy life should get in my way of enjoying all things delicious. And I don’t think it should get in your way either!

About Meg is Well

Here on Meg is Well, I focus on mostly healthy(-ish) comforting recipes that feature bold flavors. However, my sweet tooth is pretty big and it seems other people are the same because my desserts are often the most popular. But hey, life is about balance right?

I post a mix of slow and elaborate recipes and fast and easy. I really enjoy challenging myself (and by default, you) with more gourmet and made-from-scratch recipes. But we’re all busy and sometimes the last thing we want to do is be in the kitchen, so I try to mix in fast and easy meals as well.

I’m also a big fan of leftovers.

Living with Ulcerative Colitis and a J-Pouch

The other half of Meg is Well features blog posts that go into more detail about the struggles I’ve had over the years with my health.

Ulcerative colitis can be an extremely isolating disease. This blog started as a way for me to navigate my experience and to feel less isolated from the world around me. I also felt the need to add context to my story and shape people’s understanding.

Do You and Your Recipes Adhere to a Specific Diet?

No. I think one of the major misconceptions about this blog is that it follows a diet (SCD, Paleo, etc.).

I did start this blog while I was on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, so my older recipes do adhere to that. During the first couple years of my diagnoses, I experimented with diet, but ultimately, my body always found ways to reject food and go into very bad flares.

Spending so much time on extensive and intense diets that weren’t giving me results was not making me happy and was increasing the amount of isolation I felt.

Foodie With a J-Pouch

In May of 2016, I finally made the decision to have my entire colon removed. For three months I lived with a stoma. In August 2016, I had my ileostomy takedown surgery. After some very serious complications, I’m now fully recovered and living life with a j-pouch. I’ve been hospital free since October 2016!

You can follow the links below for more details about my experience or you can browse any of my Health Updates, Ulcerative Colitis Confessions, or Health Stories.

Healthline Cost of Care Interview

In November of 2018, I participated in a Cost of Care interview with Healthline that was extremely illuminating for myself. I usually see the cost of my care in parts but participating in the project helped me see the whole big (expensive) picture. You can check out that interview here.

Some Other Facts About Me…

I’m a military brat! My dad was in the Air Force so we moved around a lot. This most definitely contributed to my interest in trying new foods and flavor combinations.
I grew up wanting a dog so bad. But my dad always said no because we moved around too much. He surprised my sisters and I with our first dog, Shay, at his retirement ceremony. You can find me tripping over her in the kitchen on a daily basis.
My favorite drink is an Old Fashioned.
Hot yoga is my favorite physical activity (but not Bikram – I like to flow).
Hiking is great, but strangely I like it best when I’m alone.
I love to read but I have no self-control and will drop everything to finish a book. I’ve lost count of the times I stayed up reading until 3 in the morning.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or want to contact me, see my contact page!