September kick starts our 30 day juicing challenge. To add in one juice a day (or more if you like) for a day for a month. It really is that easy.

And if you haven't got a juicer (ask around - lots of people have one then store it in the back of a cupboard somewhere, check out second hand pages - or maybe treat yourself) you could always try out green smoothies for a month.

I've some recipes on my site (Nutrition/Recipes/Juices) and there's loads about now online and in books but what I love people to do is gain their confidence in making their own. Start simple - 2 or 3 ingredients and maybe add in a few once you've worked out what you like. We're all different too - what I like may not be what you like. I stopped at a street juicer the other day and asked for my favourite juice (of the moment, at that time... I'm now craving green juices!) - carrot, beetroot and orange. He suggested swapping the carrot for apple as thought it'd be too sharp. Both done loads of juicing, both like different things. Obviously. So don't take my word for any of it, play, adapt and discover for yourself.

And come join us in September for a juicy month :) Join the facebook page if you want to take part here.

Love and sunshine,

Em x

I've just got this on email from a friend, colleague and client and thought would share with you here as may be useful to someone.  Ann put on a great event two weeks ago and was joined by Rosa and Philip Hughes from Medical Thermal Imaging as well as Nina Joy. All of whom were a pleasure to listen to as well as being informative, approachable and relevant.  They do have another event provisionally marked in the diary for Saturday 11th October so if you're looking for ways to improve your health, preventative measures around cancer or just somewhere to get more information about living well, this could be the event for you.

I'm proud to say I referred Ann (as I have many people) to The China Study. I still think it's essential reading for anyone who eats or creates food for another person.

With love and light x

BOOKS:                                 TITLE                                                             AUTHOR

Nutrition:       

The China Study*                                T Colin Campbell PhD & Thomas M Campbell

The Rainbow Diet*                              Chris Woollams PhD

The Optimum Nutrition Bible              Dr Patrick Holford

Healthy Cook Books:          

The China Study Cookbook                Leanne Campbell PhD

Honestly Healthy                                 Natasha Corrett & Vicky Edgson

Raw Freedom                                     Saskia Fraser

Cancer:         

Everything You Need To Know To Help You Beat Cancer*               Chris Woollams PhD *

Oestrogen, The Killer in Our Midst*                                                    Chris Woollams PhD *          

Vital Signs for Cancer                                                                         Xandria Williams PhD*          

The New Medicine                                                                              Dr Patrick Kingsley*

Why We’re Still Dying to Know The Truth                                          Phillip Day*

The Adventures of a Cancer Maverick                                               Nina Morton-Brook*    

Mum’s Not Having Chemo                                                                  Laura Bond

How to Kill Cancer Cells                                                                     Natalie Mitchell

The Cancer Breakthrough                                                                  Steve Hickey PhD & Hilary Roberts

Vitamin C: The Real Story                                                                  Steve Hickey PhD & Andrew W Saul PhD

Your Life in Your Hands                                                                      Professor Jane Plant

The Cure For All Cancers                                                                   Hulda Clark PhD ND

Cancer Recovery Guide                                                                     Jonathon Chamberlain

The Cancer Directory                                                                                     Dr Rosie Daniel

Cancer Free                                                                                        Bill Henderson

The Only Answer to Cancer                                                               Dr Leonard Coldwell

A Wellness Guide for the Digital Age*                                                Kerry Crofton PhD

Psychological:          

The Journey                                                                Brandon Bays            

The Biology of Belief                                                   Bruce Lipton    PhD                

It’s The Thought That Counts                                     David R Hamilton PhD

How Your Mind Can Heal Body                                   David R Hamilton PhD

Molecules of Emotion                                                 Candace B Pert PhD

WEBSITES:

www.CancerActive.co.uk

www.YestoLife.org.uk

www.laura-bond.com

www.mstherapy.org.uk

www.reson8.uk.com  - Bioresonance

www.medscans.co.uk – Medical Thermal Imaging

www.julipa.com  - for comfy bras J

                       

Quality Supplements:

www.yourhealthbasket.co.uk  (use discount code AD21 for 7% discount on all orders)

www.drmercola.com

www.healthy.co.uk 

 

For Healthy Foods and Recipes Online:

www.uggfoods.com  - delicious healthy treat (wheat, gluten, dairy and sugar free!)

www.deliciouslyella.co.uk

www.thehealthychef.com

www.rawfreedom.co.uk

Two juicers. Half a kilo of carrots. One woman. One amazing camera assistant. What would the verdict be?

So... dropping the Hollywood voice over, and getting back to Fruity HQ realities :)
Btw did anyone else used to do the Hollywood voice over with the credits of films...? We used to love it. OK, really moving on this time.

I'd decided after my juicer broke to treat myself to a new machine and as I'm helping out a client at the moment thought I'd look to avoid aluminium, get the maximum out of the juice and have a less oxidised, slower juiced version.

All credit to the Philips to be fair - it's not been a bad machine to have - it's been a real workhorse, many times making 4-6 juices a day and used plentifully over the last 4-5 years.  It's reasonably priced, now a fair bit more than back when we got ours but I guess people have jumped onto the fact juicing is popular now.  It does use an aluminium mesh which I'd not thought about til recently when a friend questioned me on it. And does oxidise the juice more as is a much faster process, working as a centrifugal juicer, which means ideally you should drink it sooner as it's already exposed to the air and losing nutrients faster.

After a LOT of deliberation, and very nearly purchasing a Hurom masticating juicer, I (with the Hurom in the shopping cart online) I went off to look at the Kuvings Whole Fruit Juicer. Attracted as I was mainly to the size of the chute. It's important to me! I'm currently making 5 juices a day and make them in my 7-8.30am breakfast stretch whilst I'm getting up and ready for the day, making (vegan of course) pancakes or porridge for Isla, smoothies for another client, lunch for my daughter, breakfast for me and my lunch if I'm to be away from home that day.  Chopping a load of veg to get into the juicer is something I can really happily live without on a morning. So after reading reviews, asking around, I plumped for the Kuvings. And I'm so happy that I did! 

The subtle differences are big for me too. It's easier to take apart. Not totally sure if it's easier to clean (should have done a timed take apart and clean. Next time...) but it's definately not harder. It's smaller, or at least feels it although may just be the different shape. It's quieter. There is a handy tap on the chute. So if you're occasionally dopey like yours truly, there's a cut off tap for you!

The juice on the left is the Philips - the centrifugal juicer and the right is the shiny new Kuvings. The jugs are different sizes so it's not about the yield here but you can see the separation of juice and the froth due to the faster process.

The yield for the Kuvings is advertised as being up to 35% more than a centrifugal juicer. I'm not sure it's that much but it was more. This was pure carrots in my juice here. I have a feeling that softer fruits you may get even more too - the pulp is much drier than the pulp I used to get from the Philips.

A friend was around for dinner and was a great taster. She felt the Philips juice (on the left) was somehow creamier - maybe as a result of the froth on the top. The Kuvings she thought tasted fresher and liked the Kuvings one more. It's pulp-ier and for me this makes quite a refreshing juice. It's somehow more filling and there's something to chew on instead of being really easy to just swallow it down. And if you want less pulp then you just need to sieve.

On the whole - I think buy what you can best afford. If you've never juiced before, are the type of person who gathers gadgets then the gadgets gather dust then I'd probably not run out for a masticating juicer just yet. If you love your juicing and are looking to upgrade then I think the Kuvings is a great machine.

So lovely to be heard. So great to have people out there asking questions. And being heard at the same time.

Mum has been an absolute ambassador for eating out in her new vegan lifestyle and has been brilliant at requesting what places can do for her - either ringing ahead/visiting in advance or asking on the day. Each time she's been really pleased with the options and returned often to find that more is available.

Today's trip to the Wheatley Arms again reinforced that. And not only that, there were two dishes available on the menu (one to come without the parmesan) that were naturally vegan.

Service was fabulous - friendly, helpful and engaging. As for myself, eating raw (whilst I've been corrupted by a certain person recently into cooked vegan and enjoyed some great meals, I want to return to fully raw for a while and regain that fantastic energy that comes with eating raw and exercising well), they were brilliant.  I requested what I'd like - they checked out options and then provided a beautiful salad of leaves, sweet potato, courgette, pepper and sundried tomatoes.

I've learnt over time that dressings make a salad, and as salads become a big part of eating raw I've learnt to make dressings. Restaurant dressings don't often do much for me so I take my own and then REALLY enjoy the salad they've provided.

Today's (new to me - I've had it as a raw soup before with more cucumber in - 1:1 ratio) was my mango and cucumber dressing which was fresh, light and tasty. And went well with the great salad I was brought.

Yum. It was a quick dash home for #homeopathyhour - the twitter driven chat hour that I run on a Monday evening, then maybe it was that I'd been out and the meal was smaller (still a great size it's just my salads tend to be HUGE) than usual, I really fancied dessert.

Again another new to me - but worth sharing again - the cinnamon, vanilla pud.  Simple, easy to make and tasty. The way I like 'em.

So went another lovely Bank Holiday Monday afternoon and evening... Here's to a great week of eating well, exercising lots, laughter and love.

then give me a shout, come along tomorrow to my Valentine's Raw Chocolate Workshop at Studio Pilates in Ilkley.   It's running from 11am - 1pm and is only £20 per person.

We'll be making strawberries dipped in chocolate, raw chocolate hearts and some yummy goji and chocolate treats. And there'll be some to try and also enough to take some home for your loved one. Whether that be to treat yourself, your girl, your man (just don't give them to the dog!)...

Speaking of which I'm off to make some samples now!

Sending love to everyone,

Em x

I've written this blog several times, or at least started it, in my head and I'm struggling to get beyond 'No shit, Sherlock' to be honest. Unless you're going to blend up a load of lettuce, the chances are that you're going to have way more calories in your fruity green smoothie than in a coca cola.

A can of 'full fat' coke contains 140 calories according to Cron-o-meter. But not much in there that's going to be a benefit to your body. And possibly, if the information around using it to clean your toilet is correct, it may actively harm your body, stripping it of vital nutrients.

So what do you want out of your green smoothie? Me, I want a meal replacement for when I don't fancy chewing through a pile of fruit, for when I'm out at work, driving to appointments or the like. I don't want an additional 650 calorie drink during my day, extra to my meals. And if you want it as an additional drink then just make it smaller.

Today I ran 3.5 miles, cycled 9.5 miles then got back and had my green smoothie for my lunch. It was delicious, and I felt it wasn't inappropriately filled with chemicals. It was purely mango, 2 blood oranges, 2 large handfuls of spinach and 3 large bananas. Breakfast had been a beautifully hydrating piel de caso melon that I lustfully eyed up and got on our midnight shopping trip last night. 

I guess what I'm saying is yes, more calories. Definitely. But more goodness? Infinitely.

Go forth, drink green, move your body and be happy.

With love x

And if you want tips, guidance, ideas, inspiration then feel free to come along and join the Green Smoothie/Juice A Day facebook group. It's a group of lovely women - (so far no men - please feel free to be the first!), sharing their love for green juices and smoothies.

Which was a rather sweepingly bold (or so I thought) statement I overhead recently. Not surprisingly coming from someone who works for a company that appears to make a lot of their income from selling supplements.  Having had a year where the majority of my food intake has been fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds I would have to say that maybe this isn't quite true.  Yes, food quality may have decreased somewhat since the 1950s which did seem to be a large part of his argument, but no, for me, so far so good and whilst I do supplement with Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D, this wasn't quite what he was referring to.  But the good thing was that you could get yourself a shake that had everything you needed to kick start your day and get your system raring to go. And they even came in chocolate, strawberry, toffee apple or coffee flavours. Mmmmm. I think I'll stick to my fruity breakfast. That tastes like fruit for the simplest reason there is. Yup. It is fruit. What a revelation.

I also heard a lot about protein and how our body requires lots of protein to function properly. The main problem (aside obviously from the absolute lack of nutrients and need to substitute them with a chocolate flavoured mix of dehydrated, extracted vitamins and minerals in a non optimised format (I say that as struggle to believe that we can beat nature at her own game - where is the natural fibre in it please for starters?)) is that none of us have enough protein.  I'm aware this may be a contentious issue but even the World Health Organisation suggests that we require approximately 5% of our calorific intake to be from protein. Not a fact that the protein pushers would have us know.  A banana has around 5% of it's calorific value which is protein.  Milk, by which I mean the milk humans are designed to drink, breastmilk, has around 3% protein.  This is the time we are growing the most, that we need the most protein. Fully formed, grown ups, I don't believe that we need the 30% protein that many of us ingest on a daily basis.

Studies would suggest that maybe we don't, and that in some instances an excess of protein (in particular from animal sources) may be a negative thing for us, leading us down the track of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune illnesses and more. But back to the supplements, I think I'll take my chances, know what I'm getting (as much as you can these days!) in my actual food and leave the science fiction out of my diet for now.

With peace and acceptance that there's a million ways to do anything and nothing means my way is the 'right' one either!

Em x

PS I did want to say that should you have deficiences in a diet that I believe supplements can be great - however as a matter of course and on a daily basis my view is that we can gain the majority of what we need from a whole food plant based diet with no struggle. Sadly there is no sunshine. Yet. So we continue with the VitD through the winter...

I'm aware that really we can only ever speak for ourselves.  I find the idea of eating meat now repulsive. Someone would have to pay me a lot to put something that had lived and breathed on my fork and raise it to my mouth, to chew it and swallow. It would be like being on I'm a celebrity eating some form of inedible insect. And yet, two years ago I was eating it believing that I needed it (or at least, my growing child did).  So things change.

It struck me very recently that the process that an animal goes through from field to fork is simply barbaric. It's brought into the world to be sacrificed for someone who may not even appreciate that act. Who may joke about how it's really an evil mastermind, how it wants to sell drugs to your kids - really? No really?! If you're going to do it then at least respect it. But for me, I recognise that the amount of adrenaline, stress hormones and sheer energetic terror pumping through that animal as it faces it's inevitable fate - well that's something that I no longer want to be responsible for, let alone consume and allow to become part of my body.

So no surprises for my number one food that drains me! I'm staying firmly away from meat.

Fish likewise to be honest. It's experience of drowning in air, of panicking as it could no longer get what it needed to survive is again something I can live without. Aside from the radioactivity in the oceans, the mercury, the accumulation of heavy metals and the wiping out of the ocean due to farming and fishing methods. Just not all that appetising anymore!

Milk is another that once my eyes were opened - most significantly by The China Study but other texts along the way, just not all that tasty once you know the truth.

Salt is one that I'm battling my personal demons with - I love the taste of it but I know it's really not good for me and it really is all in my head. I'm fine without it - far less dehydrated, bouncier, lighter and possibly even happier!

And lastly for me - larger amounts of nuts and seeds or oils really ground me - without them I feel bouncier, lighter and more energetic.

So to the foods that boost me - I love my fruits - water rich fruits in a morning such as a melon or two. Loving my melons ;)

Greens - greens are sooooo good and I've had mornings (might have been when I realised I definitely was a crunchy mama) when I've thought 'I need the spirulina' - and felt better for it. Placebo or not. Feeling better is good for me!  I love my kale especially at the moment although we also go through lots of baby leaf spinach and in summer plenty of romaine lettuce too.

Tasty raw food dishes - it doesn't have to be boring! My favourite at the moment is a coconut curry with cauliflower (and kale sometimes) 'rice' or vegetable 'noodles'.  Love wraps using a romaine leaf, tomato based dishes, raw soups (mango and cucumber is my current absolute favourite).

So check out your boost and drain lists - see how you feel after certain foods and others - experiment and enjoy!

Oh and lastly, ice cream.  I love love love banana ice cream made from frozen bananas and blended. Nothing more.  Such a fabulous and healthy treat.  Speaking of which I think I'm off for the ice cream tub. Time to go do some studying. Bath. Ice cream. Lesson notes. Perfection.

It seems strange to think it's been a year. Seems like I've eaten this way for a long time, and other times feels like I'm still very much at the beginning of the journey.  I think perhaps we always are at the beginning of the journey. It's just a step at a time, and what went before is gone, what's to come is so far away it's only ever about this step.

I've been reflecting a little recently on the year and my experiences and thought I'd share a few...

I love eating raw. I love the way I feel when I totally engage in it and don't nick the odd leftovers off Isla's plate.  I can feel totally hungover if I have salty things or too much cooked food.

I totally absolutely love eating whole food plant based and completely feel right doing that.

I really don't like the term vegan. I don't think it describes much, I think it's so broad but narrowing at the same time and I think it has lots of attachment to it for lots of people. I eat whole food, plant based raw foods that enrich and support my body and mind.

It's all just a big experiment. One day I might listen to my body and feel totally great, another I might listen to my ego based mind that tells me I 'need' this or that - I might feel great or not the next day. It's OK. It's all just a big learning curve. Life.

It's just food. There's so much more to life than food. I think if food isn't doing you good then life can be hard but clean up the food and get out there enjoying life. I don't need to talk about it all the time. I am happy to, and to be honest can't talk about Eastenders or other soaps but there's lots more than just where the protein does or doesn't come from. That said, I am happy to engage and discuss it all on an intelligent level. I am totally disinterested in arguments that go along the lines of 'but animals like to be killed and eaten'. Tolerance has run a little low just there!

I love it - have I said that? I love I've explored new foods, that I actually love being in the kitchen, creating new dishes, sharing recipes and writing my raw food book.

I don't need people to agree with me to feel good. Which is probably a good job as I don't know many people who care to eat this way (but so appreciate my lovely friends who are happy to try things, taste stuff and play out raw from time to time).  I have some opinions that some people disagree with. This isn't about me, it's their stuff - they can think their stuff and I can think mine. And that's perfect. Whether that be around vaccination, co-sleeping, food, work, whatever - it's all good.

I love life and feel more connected to life, the universe around me and the magic that's out there all the time.

I think that's enough for now. I'm sure I've learnt much much more but now it's time to go play on the guitar.

With thanks and so much love for reading, commenting, liking and sharing my blog posts, recipes and website information,

Em x

Within a relatively short space of time, two posts had come to my attention highlighting the naked body.  One, a beautiful collection of images of yoga poses, done completely naked, and the other, a blog offering 5 reasons to get naked everyday.

For me, the most beautiful sentence in the blog, or at least the most thought provoking was:
'When was the last time you looked at your body in all its naked glory? I mean really looked at it. No squeaming at chubby thighs or grimacing at lanky arms. Just looking at, understanding, and accepting your body in all its perfectly imperfect brilliance'

How many of us think 'I'd like my body if...' I'm definitely not immune to it, although aspire often enough to elevating myself beyond this place. Elevating may be the wrong word - total acceptance of my body in all it's perfect imperfection is, I suppose what I'd like to aim for. And I have no doubt I'll get there. It's been a lifetime's work so far, and from a place of fairly intense food restriction to gain control in an uncontrollable part of my life story nearly 20 years ago, I've come a long way.

What saddens me though is how young this judgement starts. I hear my 7 year old tell me that 'friends' have told her she's fat and ugly. She's neither, but that's not really the issue here. What are we thinking that these gorgeous beings are calling each other these names? And, more importantly, how do we strengthen their inner knowledge that they too are, imperfectly perfect. People will, at various points, or at least may, knock our confidence in ourselves, in our bodies, in our beliefs. I just wasn't aware that the training starts so young.

For me, mindfulness comes in, self confidence in ourselves, taking time to get to know our bodies, accepting and giving thanks for the beauty that is within and without.  Not to be ashamed of our own bodies in front of our daughters and sons and to work on our own stuff with the hope of releasing them from a similar place.  I feel lucky I grew up in a house where we could all wander around in with nothing on (not that we often did - it wasn't quite that sort of house...) but there was no judgement - and still I fell into a self loathing trap of telling myself I was fat daily so I would have the resolve to restrict my food (and probably covered up more so no one was aware of my journey at that point).  Beating myself up to get results didn't lead to happiness - although I suppose it did lead to an unhealthy level of weight loss at the time. And so now I see the BBC news around obesity suggesting that they use terrorising tactics and light stigma to assist in our obesity crisis.

I don't doubt the crisis - I would call it a health crisis, an overabundance of processed food crisis, and probably a shocking lack of foresight in people who are in government handing out watered down information in the hope that people could achieve it instead of trusting our intelligence and giving real, true information crisis.

Damn I've done it again. My blog was about the beauty of the naked body and it's becoming a food rant. But hear me out, there's a point to it all. If we eat well, we feel well. If we feel good about ourselves we are inspired to eat well and look after ourselves. Making people feel bad - whether it be in the playground, in the workplace, in the consultation space or even just sat at home watching an advert doling out some 'light stigma' tactics is unlikely to lead to an enhanced sense of wellbeing and ambition to give our bodies life enhancing foods.

Let's learn to love. Ourselves, others, our bodies. Our glorious naked bodies which do so much for us and get so little thanks.  Today I stood in front of a mirror and thanked mine for being what it is. Doing what it does and helping me everyday.

So let's go naked now and again. Even if that's only naked, unprocessed food to start with. Imagine funding for subsidised fruits and vegetables (or even just buying more ourselves) and a campaign on TV for juicing, upping fruits and veggies, starting every meal with a large salad, increasing the greens, learning to love greens.  And ourselves. Loving us for being imperfectly perfect. Just the way we are.