I thought ‘Raw’ meant it’s not cooked?

“I thought ‘raw’ meant it’s not cooked?”

These were my favourite words in an interview I did last week at BBC Radio Cornwall with David White.

I arrived at the station with my Raw Chocolate Brownies and ‘Pasta’ and pesto and waited for my interview.

We started the interview and David announces that he’s going to try the Chocolate Brownies on air. This always makes me slightly nervous. But I just reminded myself how good they taste.

But (once again) the thought crossed my mind that perhaps they taste good to me because I don’t eat traditional brownies, with butter and sugar etc, and perhaps I loved them because I couldn’t really remember how they tasted.

So I was chatting to the listeners, explaining what ingredients were in the brownies and how the recipe is pretty much guilt free, when I was distracted by David’s face…

It started with a good look and then looked confused… Oh no perhaps he didn’t like them?

SO I ask him on air.

‘Is that a good face or a bad face?’

To which he responded ‘I thought raw meant it’s not cooked?’

I was puzzled and just responded ‘You’re right. Raw means uncooked and unprocessed.’

‘But these brownies…’

And then I understood the puzzled face.

It wasn’t a look of not liking the chocolate brownies. He liked them so much he couldn’t believe that they were ‘raw’/'healthy/unprocessed. He had assumed they were ‘real’

Result!

This started a discussion on how the label ‘raw’ or ‘vegan’ or ‘healthy’ or ‘free from’ can often leave people thinking that something must be boring or lacking in taste and texture.

However this regular guy who loved his lamb dinners, was surprised at just how good this raw vegan chocolate brownie was.

That’s just what I believe should be true of a healthy and supportive diet. It shouldn’t be about lack, feelings of deprivation or missing out. It should be satisfying on all levels. It should be about taste, fulfilment and abundance.

If you want to experiment with recipes that tick these boxes make sure you grab yourself a copy of my free gift to you:

Explore the Raw Food Shine – 7 simple and delicious raw food recipes to start you on your journey to health and happiness…

… and not a salad in sight!

To receive your free gift click here

Reach for the Stars

Well, another year is very nearly over! I hope it was amazing for you!

This final week of the year has always been my favourite time to reflect, take the time to feel grateful, and spend some time setting my intentions for the coming year and let’s face it 2012 is going to be incredible!  So, I’m going to encourage you to take some time to do the same.

Will you reach for the stars?
This time of year people love to set New Year’s resolutions – perhaps you will be one of them?

However New Year’s resolutions may not be for you and I generally break mine before January is out! So this year I’m setting intentions instead.

I have two intentions that I’m going to share with you and I hope they inspire you to get you thinking about yours too.

This year my theme is one of Stepping Up and Connection and what better way to both ‘step up’ and ‘connect’ than to start with food! So here are my intentions:

1. Once a week I am going to spend a day either on a water or juice feast.
   This will not only benefit my body and give it a well deserved rest, but also bring me clarity and it’s beneficial to the planet too as I will be literally consuming less!
2. I am going to make a more conscious effort to eat seasonal produce– so look out for seasonal recipes that will be making the most out of the most delicious produce when it’s at its absolute peak – again benefiting me and the environment.
   What will your intention(s) be?

If you find yourself with a spare 5 minutes, just allow your mind to wander and take the opportunity to consider what you might like to achieve during 2012. I would love to hear what you are hoping to achieve.

Happiness is your Birth Right

“Happiness is your birth right”

These were the closing words from Mumtaz Hussain on Redshift Radio’s Health and Well being show last Friday.

I had joined Mumtaz in the studio at 2pm for her show. I had of course heard the show before and knew how  inspiring Mumtaz and the show were, or I wouldn’t have gone to the studio, but I wasn’t prepared for such an amazing 2 hours.

But I guess that is the thing with conversations, you just never know where they are going to take you…

We started the show by talking about raw foods, why I love raw foods and how easy it is to incorporate them into your daily life. I even shared my favourite green smoothie recipe, although I do have to add that the very phrase ‘green smoothie’ was meet with an initial look of horror ha ha

However the conversation quickly turned to inspiration and a connection to source.

There were several other guests who joined the phone by telephone and there was definitely a theme of Stepping Up and following your heart, even in the face of adversity or criticism from others.

The one thing that was agreed by all guests was that often people know what they want to do, they know what they feel called to do, but that it’s not easy to do this and often put it off until tomorrow.

It can be hard to step out or up, to stand strong and declare all that you believe to be true. It can be hard to stay true to your core beliefs. It can actually be harder still to find these core beliefs.

Our every day choices will either make it easier for us to tap into our deepest sense of self and live a life of authenticity, however these same choices can move us further away from these aspects and we can distract ourselves with drama.

The four ways that I think we can support or distract ourselves are through our:

1. Expression
2. Environment
3. Food
4. Friendships

So whilst many of you know me for my work with food, those of you who I work with on a 121 basis know that the work I do is based on supporting you to step up and SHINE as the amazing person that you were born to be….. If you would like to learn more please click here to learn more about how I can support you  become the bigger, fuller version of the woman that you were designed to be.

A Very (Physically) Painful Lesson

This weekend I’ve had a painful reminder of how fragile we are.

I’m 33 years old and I’m lucky enough never to have had to spend any time in hospital. My health has been fabulous and I haven’t even had a filling (touch wood).

But this weekend that nearly changed…
I was carrying a box and a large bag (being in too much of a rush to carry them seperatly) stepped out of a door – failed to see the raised threshold strip and the fact that it was a sharp step down. Needless to say I went flying and collapsed in a heap with very intense pain in my ankle.

Not liking to be the centre of attention or being anything but independent, people rushed over to me and the conversation went like this:
Lovely Lady: ‘Are you OK’
Me: ‘Yes thanks’ (inside screaming OUCH!)
Lovely Lady: ‘Are you sure, do you want a hand?’
Me: ‘No really I’m fine’ (OUCH, OUCH, OUCH – How am I going to get up…)
Lovely Lady helps me up and I grab for my box and bag with a brave face (probably not very convincing as she takes the bag from me).
Lovely Lady: ‘You’re not fine you’re limping badly’
Me: ‘I’ll be fine’ (hobbling with as much dignity as I can to the sanctuary of my car).

I phone my husband who offers to come and pick me up – I test my ankle, which now has an attractive egg size lump on the side and state firmly that I am quite capable of getting myself home…

I get home limp to the freezer to the relief of some ice.

The next day I wake up and cannot put any weight on my foot and think I may have to visit A&E. In fact I crawl to the bathroom on my knees as my ankle is that bad.

After an hour I decided it is feeling better (still walking in a peculiar fashion – much to the amusement of the household) – but happy that I don’t have to go to the hospital.

I then take myself off and practice some kinesiology on myself, wondering why I hadn’t done this the night before… I realise that I have tended to use kinesiology on myself for energetic work, favouring this over the physical. After my session my ankle feels much better, it’s still delicate but I know it’s on the mend both physically and energetically.

This whole episode reminded me of four very important things that I take for granted way too much:

1. Our bodies are so precious and although they are amazing they still need looking after with care and attention
2. Accept help when it is offered, we do not have to be independent or self sufficient all of  the time
3. Take time to appreciate our own skills and gifts and use them when appropriate
4. The body is just as important as our spirit

Reconnect to your Truth

To become the full expression of who we are we must remove the distorted image we have of ourselves as being apart from nature.  

 We are nature.   

We live in a world surrounded with toxicity and distractions in all forms, once we begin to remove these and see through the façade things become clearer and our truth is revealed.

As we increase the amount of fresh, whole, live food in our diets we begin to remove the distractions and toxicity and move into a life that is more in harmony with nature; supporting us to discover our unique brilliance and step into our Shine.

The beauty of trees

Ever since I can remember I have loved trees. I think they are fabulous they are everything in one…

They provide food, and shelter, they keep our air clean, they can be used to make all kinds of useful things, but the reason I love them most is because they are just so beautiful. They come in all shapes, sizes and colours and they never seem to give up.

You can chop off a branch, or even cut down most of the tree and it will continue to grow. You can cover its roots with tarmac or concrete and it will keep growing and fight its way through these man made creations… 

A tree knows its job is to be a tree and is content to be just that!

Lessons from a Tree
So what can you learn from a tree?
 
Even the tiny acorn becomes the mighty oak
If you were a tiny acorn and you looked up at the mighty oak – would you believe that one day you too would be as strong and connected to your sense of purpose and become a magnificent oak too?
 
Perhaps if like the acorn you were given the right soil, nutrients and support this sense of connection would be true for you too?

Be brave
If our tiny acorn stayed above ground in the environment that it knew and where it felt safe it would never reach its full potential; it would remain a tiny acorn and have no chance of becoming a mighty oak in its own right.
 
Sometimes you must be brave and bury yourself deep into the unknown of the dark soil so that you can take root and grow to your full potential.
 
Take your time
I once was lucky enough to visit a stunning 1000 year old yew tree in a quiet church yard, it had taken 1000 years for the yew to get where it was. I don’t suppose it had tried to rush ahead or grow faster than was natural. It had taken 1000 to grow as strong as it had become and to get its infrastructure in place to support itself.
 
If it had tried to rush it may have developed spindly branches and become weak and brittle. Strength and support take time to get right so try not to force these things or you may be disappointed with the results.

Have purpose and passion
A tree knows it is a tree; it does not try to be anything else. It is part of the natural cycle of life and embraces this fact. It even shares its fruit with the earth so that this cycle may continue.
 
How do you think you and your life could benefit if you were confident in your purpose and passion?

Lessons from an adventure on foot

I’ve always been an adventurer at heart and love taking on new challenges. So when a friend suggested that we take on the challenge of walking from one side of England to the other, known as the Coast to Coast walk, I thought it sounded like a great idea!

And it was; I walked up mountains, through peat bogs, along flat fields and through forests. I walked from one sea to another, along rivers and past lakes, and the weather… well there was lots!

It was an truly an amazing experience. The reason it was an amazing experience was because I had all the equipment and support that I needed and I had sought out the advice of those who had done the trip before me. I had the right tools to complete the journey, with the most important being a map!

Well actually I only had part of the map; the relevant part of the map for the route I was taking. One day the weather was particularly miserable, the rain was hammering down and the ground was extra boggy, so I thought I would deviate from the map and take what I assumed would be a short cut. Unfortunately my ‘new route’ wasn’t marked on the map that I had and I decided not to ask for help and guess what I got even more lost. In fact this ‘short cut’ ended up not helping at all because I ended up having to go back the way I had come and pick up the tried and tested route that I had been trying to avoid.

That night I was extra tired and I had not enjoyed the days walk as I had been too annoyed to appreciate it and had ended up spending another two hours trudging through the rain that I had been trying to avoid!!

So even when you have the right tools, sometimes ‘going it alone’ will not bring you the results that you want as often you are too close to the situation to see clearly…

For the rest of my adventure I stayed to the route (and map) and had a fantastic journey with time to meet others along the way, making it a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.

What has been your memorable adventure?

You are not separate from nature

You are not separate from nature – You are nature

It has been easy to forget that we are nature as we have been brought up in a world where science and religion have seperated  matter, spirit, body and soul.

Science denies the soul and religion will have your soul separate from the body and the spirit as regarded as ‘above’ the every day world.

We are taught separation in all aspects of our lives. Body from spirit and ourselves from nature.

However when you think about it you can begin to remember that we are connected to all things, this is particularly easy to see when you think about nature. Consider the following:

• How do you feel when you are in a forest or other unspoiled and natural area?
• How do you feel when you are in a built up environment with little fresh air or natural light?
• How do you feel when you eat fresh food full of life and vitality (raw and living foods)?
• How do you feel when you have eaten processed and refined foods?

 

Do you find that you can live enclosed and on processed food for so long, but after a while you begin to lose touch with your deeper self, your soul? You may start to experience lower frequency emotions and feelings and parts of yourself start to become dull or numb.

However when you stay in touch with nature, and eat lots of raw and living foods, you feel fully alive and in tune with your surroundings. You start to experience higher frequency feelings and emotions and become much more sensitive to all around you. Synchronicities become part of your life.

We must once again learn how to tap into our inner self and listen to our inner wisdom. We must take responsibility and listen to and trust our bodies and not seek ‘truth’ from external sources.

Coaching Challenge:

Keep a diary of how the foods you eat and the situations and people that you have in your life affect your emotions and feelings. Are there any patterns?

1. Do situations or people have you reaching for particular foods?
2. Do these foods numb, stimulate or heighten your senses and awareness?
3. Do particular people or situations support you or limit your natural abilities and potential?
4. Do different environments bring out different qualities  in yourself?

Rediscovering you!

When was the last time you did exactly what you loved?

I’m not talking about:

• What you think you should have done
• What you thought other people wanted you to do
• or What other people wanted you to do

But what you really wanted to do.

Would  you even know what it is that you would like to do – the things that set your passion and purpose alight?

If you had to pause to think about your answer, you may want to make some time rediscover yourself and your passion, to do this set aside some time to think about the following:

• Your values
• The activities that you love doing
• The people that inspire you

When you look at your answers are there some common themes?

Do these themes show up in different areas of your life or do you suppress them?

Remember you are FABULOUS! – And what makes you fabulous is that there is only one of you. You have unique gifts, talents and skills that make you different from other people and whilst you may share similarities with others, no one can do the things the way in which you can!

So instead of trying to blend in, live the lives of others or trying to look like others, or worse still trying to be what others think you should be, make the time to rediscover yourself and rediscover the Real you!!

Increase the Happiness in your life

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, it may alight upon you – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Many people want happiness but it can often get confused with pleasure. Happiness comes from within and pleasure comes from external sources.

Steps to increase the happiness in your life:.

• You Choose
  The way we speak about the good and bad events in our lives will increase our set level of happiness
• Be Grateful
  One of the simplest ways to transform a negative is to focus on the rest of the positive in your life
• Discover your Purpose
  Finding a job and pursuing activities that use  your talents can lead to greater satisfaction
• Be Kind
  Acts of Kindness can actually be extremely beneficial for the one performing the act – that’s you!
• Enjoy the Present
  Focus on the present, not yesterday or tomorrow, you only have one now so make the most of it
• Value Yourself
  Actually make the time for yourself and the activities that you enjoy
• Take Action
  If you do nothing you will get no closer to the happiness you desire

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain