It’s no secret that Ella Woodward, aka Deliciously Ella is one of the leaders of the new generation wellness warriors. The success of her recipe App has spread globally like wild fire, her blog is read by celebrities, her first book isn’t out till next March, but pre-orders are going nuts, she has 220K fans on Instagram (220 THOUSAND!), she’s in every top UK media publication and did I mention that Ella is drop dead gorgeous? Probably didn’t even need to mention that part, but I met her for the first time over lunch at Tanya’s Cafe, no make-up, casual gear, she was effortlessly stunning in every way.

Meet our October’s Master of the Month…

DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY OF EATING AND DRINKING.

What I eat in a day changes all the time depending on what I’m doing but for breakfast I love porridge as its so cold at the moment! Recently I’ve been having a hot bowl of porridge with almond milk, sliced banana, fresh berries and almond butter – it’s so delicious! In the summer when it’s warmer I like having smoothies for breakfast though.

I find that lunch varies so much, I’m writing my second cookbook at the moment, which means I’m always recipe testing so lunch is nearly always different. If I’m not trying something new though I’ll have something like a quinoa bowl with mixed veggies or a marinated kale salad with avocado, homemade hummus and seeds.

For dinner I nearly always have something warm, I love warm dinners. At the moment I’m really into veggie curries and stews. I made an aubergine coconut thai curry last week, which im pretty obsessed with. I also love brown rice pasta with homemade pesto and sautéed green veggies.

WHAT (OR WHO INSPIRES YOU TO EAT WELL AND STAY HEALTHY?

I find that feeling awesome is the most inspiring thing to stay healthy! I love waking up every morning feeling energized, positive and happy and that feeling is too amazing to want to compromise on!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD AND HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?

I love having a positive relationship with food and don’t feel that there’s an area of the way I eat to feel is a weakness. I love dessert but it’s all made of awesome ingredients so I feel great enjoying it!

MY TOP TIP FOR:

Improving your diet is… eat more veggies and enjoy your food, it’s so important!

Staying healthy while travelling is… being prepared, I always travel with a mini travel blender so that I can make smoothies. Plus I bring snacks like trail mix and raw energy bites with me so that I always have something to eat.

Detoxing is… not something I totally believe it, I think life is about balance and we should aim to nurture our bodies everyday.

Immunising is… taking care of your self – sleeping well, exercising, meditating and eating nourishing food.

WHAT’S THE NICEST THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID TO YOU?

That I changed their life, it’s a pretty crazy thing to hear but its so humbling and inspiring to know that you’re truly helping people.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

As a happy and positive influence in the people I love’s life.

IF YOU GOT TO KEEP ONLY 3 OF YOUR BELONGINGS: 1 THING FROM YOUR KITCHEN, 1 THING FROM YOUR GARDEN AND 1 THING FROM YOUR BOOKSHELF- WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

From my kitchen I would take my kitchen shelves, they’re made of such beautiful wood and they’re filled with amazing glass jars that I’ve been collecting for years. I sadly don’t have a garden so I wouldn’t take anything from there, but from my house I’d take my photo albums as they’re full of awesome memories. Finally from my bookshelves I’d take the first copy of my book as it’s something that I’m really proud of.

IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY FOR 3 GUESTS (DEAD OR ALIVE)- WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE?

I’d invite Kris Carr as she inspired me to change my diet and eat plant based goodness; Jo Tastula, as she’s my favourite yoga teacher, I’ve been doing her online classes for years and they’ve inspired me so much and finally I would invite Gabrielle Bernstein, I love her books on self love so much and would love to meet her. I’d probably serve my aubergine thai curry since I’m so obsessed with it at the moment, plus a marinated kale salad with sweet potatos and some chili beetroot brownies with a coconut glaze!

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT LIFE IS BETTER RAW?

I love mixing raw food and cooked food. There’s so much goodness in raw food so I try to include it in every meal, often I eat fresh berries and bananas in my morning porridge. slices of avocado in my lunch and a kale salad with my dinner – so there’s some raw in everything! I find this gives me amazing energy as it’s such an influx of vitamins and minerals.

1 cup of medjool dates
3/4 of a cup of almonds
3/4 of a cup of walnuts or any other nut
2 tablespoons of chia seeds
2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of hemp protein powder
1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

-Start by placing the almonds, walnuts, ground flax seed and chia seeds in your food processor. Blend for 1 minute, until the a flour forms and the nuts have crumbled.

-Then add the remaining ingredients, pitting the dates before adding those. Blend for another minute until a stick dough forms.

-Use your hands to roll the mixture into little balls, place in a bowl and store in the fridge.

-Bite and enjoy! Just try not to eat them all at once!

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For more on Ella Woodward, visit www.DeliciouslyElla.com

To pre-order Deliciously Ella cookbook, go to Amazon for US orders here>> and for UK orders here>>

Did you miss me? I sure know that I’ve really missed you!

Today we are celebrating ONE glorious month since the opening of www.TanyasCafe.com and with things settling down and my team rocking the show, I’m officially back to writing you weekly updates. Boom!

To celebrate in true nutritional style, I’ve got some tips for improving a serious problem to so many of us- zee digestion.

Many continuously wonder why they are buying so many supplements but aren’t seeing any improvements. Or why they are eating the healthiest foods, only to end up frustrated because the chubster weight and the lousy energy are still there.

Think about this: if you are eating the greatest foods and supplements in the world, but your digestion is out of whack, you are not absorbing any minerals, so you are actually becoming mineral deficient. If all those supplements/ vitamins/ minerals don’t come out the other end whole (!!), they pile up inside of your gut and actually begin aggravating you- bloating, inflammation, yeast overgrowth, bad bacteria, parasites and acid overload are usually the first signs of a more serious disease. Clearly this is a biggie that needs your immediate attention.

HOW DO I TEST MY DIGESTION?

You’ve read the above, you nodded, you probably don’t need to be told that something is up with your digestion. Yet still a little proof wouldn’t hurt and could just be the motivation you need. Drink 125ml of freshly juiced beetroot and see if the colour of your stools changes. If it ain’t brown, but contains pink pigments, the beet’s nutrients didn’t get assimilated.

WHAT CAUSES A DIGESTION DISORDER?

To improve your digestion is to increase the level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Too much stress, alcohol, years of bad diet and overeating can really dry out the hydrochloric acid and when it isn’t present to break down all the foods that land on it, there’s nothing to dilute the calcium, zinc, iron, B vitamins etc etc and therefore there’s no way for them to be carried to the cells of your body that are longing for them.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF POOR DIGESTION?

Amongst hundreds, here are the most common: hair loss, adult acne, multiple food allergies, heartburn, iron deficiency, undigested food in your stools, bloating, constipation and yeast infections.

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY DIGESTION?

1. The 20/40 rule!

For my long time followers and those who’ve completed the Acid Alkaline Breakthrough, this is the one rule you’d remember me drilling harder than any others. Your body was designed to have everything it needs for good digestion, please don’t dilute the hydrochloric acid in your stomach with liquids when you are eating solids. Remember the 20/40 rule, which is about drinking liquids at least 20 mins before a meal and 40 minutes after a meal.

2. Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew.

Remember to chew. We take our god given skills for granted and more often than not, just gulp down the food and swallow it too fast. This stresses your whole system, because your stomach just wasn’t prepared for what was about to hit it and the food just sits there in one bit chunk aggravating your beautiful body, next is bloating, followed closely by heartburn. When you begin to chew, the brain registers this jaw moving action and sends signals to your stomach to start preparing. The stomach (it’s a muscle) begins pumping the hydrochloric acid and by the time your foods reaches it, there is enough there to break it down further fast.

3. Sip a little and often.

Rather than a lot and fast. Allow me to paint you a picture: you go for a run and get so thirsty that you rush to a water tap and almost choke on the buckets of water you never thought you’d see again. Your system gets flooded and flood can only mean one thing- panic. Your body goes into panic, but its instant reaction is to defend you and settle the panic, so it sets into action to get rid of anything which set it off in the first place. In this case, it’s the buckets of water, which it quickly rejects and gets you to pee almost immediately. With that, water wasn’t assimilated, so your cells never got a chance to become hydrated.

4. Eat fibre.

There is soluble and insoluble. We need both and the RDI is 30g, but we only consume about 7-12g, sometimes less. Cooked food has little to no fibre in it, but chia, flaxseeds, psyllium husks, apples, prunes, greens, sprouts, seeds, peas, oats, beans and veggies have plenty. Fibre is also negatively charged, while toxins, medications and excess sugars are positively charged, so fibre will absorb them and release them out of the body like nothing else.

5. No starchy foods with protein.

Digestion of each requires a different part of your digestive tract and when you overload the system with this serious food combination, it doesn’t like it and it’s not gonna play nice. Ask yourself which you’d like to have more- a starch (potato, pasta, root vegetables, rice) or a protein (beans, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds), then eat that on its own with plenty of raw salad greens. If you still want the other, give the first 40 minutes to digest, then enjoy the other one also with raw salad greens.

6. Eat fermented foods.

When your digestion is not 100%, eat foods that are pre-digested. Sauerkraut, kimchee, home pickles and kombucha are all examples of pre-digested foods, because they’ve gone through a fermentation process and were partially broken down. Better yet, make these yourself with additional probiotics to better your intestinal flora, boost pH levels and aid with the assimilation of nutrients.

I can hardly believe it, but the dream I’ve been busy building since for ever and working on tirelessly with the best team in the world for the last five months, has just been realised.

I have a cafe! With my own fricken name on it!!!

It’s been so full on that I don’t remember the last time I sat down or even slept for more than 5 hours, but today… today is different.

I finally got a chance to sit on our comfy cafe banquettes, looked around at all the beautiful natural walls full of living plants, observed the hardworking team happily chatting away and then overheard a customer on the phone:

‘I found the perfect new spot for us! Meet me in Chelsea, at Tanya’s.’Then suddenly, it sunk in.
This is the real deal.
These are real customers.
These are real people who really love raw food. My raw food!
These are real chefs who can make my recipes to my standards and perfect them to theirs.
These are real mixologists, who are as passionate about incredible cocktails as I am about quality, superfoods and life.
This is my new family. And they love coming to work and promoting the healthiest lifestyle ever.
This is my new home, my new office, my new happy place.

One day I will figure out how to put so much gratitude, joy and emotions into words, but for now I am happy sitting here breathing in what love created. 

It was built for you, so I invite you to do the same. If you are anywhere near London, stop by and say hello. We are open 7 days a week 7am-11pm (apart from Sunday and Monday when we close at 4pm). 

Our menu offers a variety of breakfast items, including rawtella un-toast and dehydrated fruit crepe, pour over coffee, cold-pressed juices, smoothies and liver flush shooters. Our lunch menu has an even bigger selection and includes multi-layered lasagne, detox salad, soft shell tacos with marinated oyster mushroom meat, pad thai and organic natural wine. Then come four- you can enjoy a shared platter of nachos or cheesecakes and chocolates, as well as our superfood cocktails made only with the top quality, vegan and organic spirits mixed with cold-pressed juices and superfoods.

Here’s more: www.TanyasCafe.com

I can’t wait to see you! Now we have a meeting spot 

With Love,

x Tanya

This year. This October. It is happening once more. Vilcabamba is calling!

Whether you are looking to recharge, cleanse your mind and spirit, renew your youthful glow, take your soul on an unforgettable adventure, breathe in the purest air, alkalise by marvelling at perfect nature, nourish your body with the most flavoursome and nutritious organic meals, learn how to prepare all the healthy raw foods or experience what the real Valley of Longevity is all about…

…there is no place on earth, like Vilcabamba to satisfy all of your senses and dreams.

This October, a carefully chosen group of people will get an opportunity to experience the ultimate Raw Food & Soul Adventures Retreat, once again. Read on for more details…

Every year I head out to the majestic Vilcabamba in Ecuador for my own personal retreat. And every year, you begged me to introduce it to you too. In 2013, we had an incredible group of 18 individuals thriving in the energy of such a magical place for our very first epic adventure. In 2014, I plan to make it even more special and intimate for your ultimate experience.

This incredible little village is entirely surrounded by mountains, it is known as the valley of longevity, the playground to the Inca and the capital of raw food. It runs on super charged living spring waters, provides the most healing organic produce, supplies exceptional air quality and has the potential to transform you forever. The vibrational frequencies of its sacred land are very high and not everybody is ready. If you feel drawn to experience a complete rejuvenation of your soul, body, mind and spirit, then I believe Vilcabamba has spoken to you. I know that it has spoken to me to invite you this year. I couldn’t be more honoured and thrilled for the opportunity.

Hi, I’m Tanya Maher, a wellness coach, chef, author, Reiki do Satori master healer, and a renowned raw food and detox expert. I was born in Russia, raised in New Zealand and now live in London, where I’m super lucky to have been hailed by various magazines as the UK’s leading wellness coach. I’m the founder of Better Raw, co-founder of Tanya’s Cafe in Chelsea, creator of Amazon’s #1 best selling DVD ‘Raw
Food 101’ and author of numerous eBooks, all available here on www.BetterRaw.com. This ‘Soul Adventures’ Retreat is my life’s work. I can’t wait to share the experience with you too.

Elena Alekseeva, my clever mama, has a decade of extensive experience with Reiki do Satori principles and a unique gift to heal. She is connected to the information consciousness of the Universe, which allows her to perform incredibly detailed and accurate readings for thousands of people around the world, who all discover her somehow without any advertising or a website. Elena specialises in correction of the body, spirit, soul and etheric bodies to help a person heal from any past life karma, negativities brought on by others and self-destruction.

Vladimir Alekseev, my amazing dad, is the Mr Fix-It and Make-It-Happen man. This retreat wouldn’t be possible without him and all his behind the scenes organising. You can be certain that you’re in good hands (with impressive Spanish!) when Vlad is around. Mum and dad made Vilcabamba their permanent home five years ago and together they organise a monthly sell-out raw living luncheon at their Restaurant ‘Sungate 11:11’.

Mona Heep is a gorgeous German, who currently lives in London, bringing inner peace to its many residents. Everyone who’s ever attended Mona’s classes fall in love with her energy and her sincere pleasure in helping you with movement, strength and injuries, while improving your overall physical and mental wellbeing. After beginning her practice several years ago, she quickly developed a passion, completing her teacher training, as well as a Masters degree focussing on food politics. Yoga enabled her to work with her thoughts constructively and achieve a level of acceptance and self compassion she wasn’t able to realise beforehand. Nevertheless, a big part of Mona’s interest in yoga also lies in the link to anatomy. Mona’s yoga classes focus very much on the essence of yoga, the relationship between movement and breath which calm the mind and the “mind stuff” that stops us from enjoying life to the fullest, cluttering our thoughts with the past, future and internal blocks that don’t serve us in the present moment.

El Descanso del Toro Hosteriais the village's most prestigious and luxury resort, which also happens to be authentically Ecuadorian, when it comes to nature, peace, creativity and beauty. I believe there is always a need for a little luxury in your life, however expect to be spending more time with the land, than in your room all day long and then retreat to your stunning nest for the evening. When you spend time at the resort, you will be treated to privacy, clean and spacious bedrooms, tasteful decor, your own bathroom, and outdoor lit up swimming pool, revitalising sauna, relaxing spa and the most stunning vast natural walks and gardens for resting, walking and bringing out  your inner Yogi. You'll be staying just a 5 minute stroll away from town square and a 10 minute stroll away from my parents' citrus garden where plentiful lunches will be held.

If you’ve followed me for some time, you already know my standards, you’ve probably made my recipes and perhaps even tasted my raw gourmet organic meals, elixirs and desserts. Now this is your opportunity to indulge guilt-free and thrive not only on some of my favourite dishes for a full week, but have them all prepared from local, fresh, organic and most nutrient dense ingredients available to us on the planet. As you cleanse your palette and your level of consciousness begins to lift, your taste buds won’t know what hit them. What’s more is that Elena, my super talented mum and creator of 'Sungate 11:11' Raw Living Restaurant will be preparing some of her most raved about activated meals for you to experience. I say ‘experience’, because we will guide you to get food working for you, your digestion and any physical or spiritual ailment you may have, as well as excite and satisfy all five of your senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. I’ll teach you how to prepare all the food and email you recipes to enjoy forever.

Every day as you slowly rise to bird song, you will have the opportunity to rejoice in Yoga. Mona has a true gift to glide through a group and help each individual appreciate Yoga for the immense pleasure, rather than a chore (if you’re in this space currently). You do not need to be flexible or experienced, we simply ask that you come open minded towards what movement and breathwork can do for your soul. If you are a long time Yogie, you will fall in love with Mona’s style and energy. And that’s only a start! Your days will be filled with nature walks, picturesque hikes and wild swimming.

By now you may have gathered that your week in Vilcabamba won’t be short of meditation. It is a big part of my family’s spiritual journey and we will introduce you to various techniques, so that you can choose what works best for you and feel inspired to include it in to your regular regime for many years to come. The Valley of Longevity is home to many gurus and healers, and I’ve invited some very special guests to treat you to their incredible talents.

I ran a survey of what may interest you the most in a destination retreat and from the hundreds of people who’ve responded, a trend was more than obvious. You are a nature loving spirit and you want all the mountain hiking, trail exploring, wild plant foraging, local veggie market visits, zip lining and water fall trips, which Vilcabamba has to offer. I promised you an opportunity to create your ideal
retreat, so we’re including all of the listed excursions to our week together. Get ready for the most adventurous fun, while you satisfy your inner child’s cravings for joy and freedom.

This is a retreat that requires investment in you. Anyone can visit Ecuador and enjoy its many resources at any time, but I insist that you are not here looking for a quick fix to your health concerns and that you apply only if you are truly willing to make the effort, are serious about getting involved and keep an open mind to new ideas. There is an application process, because it is very important to me that I choose the right group of individuals, not for me, but for you. If you are game, here’s what you need to know…

We have arranged a special rate for any additional nights that you may decide to stay. We recommend that you arrive on Saturday 25th October and spend two nights on your own, adjusting to Vilcabamba’s energies. The retreat will kick off at 4PM Monday 27th October and conclude at 11AM Monday 3rd November.

Your investment for a full week:

1. Own private deluxe room with en suite |£900 after 1st August | Early bird £791  
2. Shared double deluxe  room with en suite | £750 after 1st August | Early bird £651 
3. Shared twin deluxe room with en suite | £750 after 1st August | Early bird £651

*Pricing is in GBP and includes the following: (Please note the Ecuadorian currency is USD)

7 nights lush accommodation
(27, 28, 29, 30, 31 October and 1, 2 November)

7 x daily nutrient packed raw food breakfasts, including organic local fruits, chia porridge, detoxing juices, homegrown fresh leaf teas, crunchy granola clusters, creamy nut milks, rawtella spreads on raisin bread and coconut water.

7 x gourmet three course lunches, including multi layered lasagna, marinated and pesto stuffed mushrooms, creamy soups with onion bread, gazpacho with garden picked vegetables and fermented sauerkraut, sun burgers, energising snacks, decadent chocolate cakes and digestion aiding smoothies.

Please note that dinner is your free time to explore Vilcabamba’s cafes and restaurants, which all have raw food offerings on their menus. This is a key time for you to soak in the day’s activities and learnings, as well as digest the vitamin rich foods that you won’t try any where else. Many people prefer to skip dinner and meditate, rest, sauna or enjoy a pampering session, while others take the opportunity to order a cooked vegetarian meal, so not to experience detox symptoms on their holiday. Soul Adventures is very much about you.

8 x hours of raw food workshops

1 x 60 min relaxation massage
(more available at $30 per hr)

7 x 90 min invigorating and enlivening Yoga sessions

Gifts and surprises along the way

2 x 90min taxi transfers to and from Loja airport

(Please note that this is covered if you arrive no more than 2 days before your retreat and depart no more than 2 days after. Outside of these days the taxi is an additional $40 each way)

7 x daily meditation sessions

Local fees and adventure excursions

Numerous simple, yet life changing techniques

Hanging out and creating lifelong friendships

…as you can see- it’s everything except your flights to Loja, Ecuador!

*All rates are per person.

SPACES ARE VERY LIMITED AND YOUR APPLICATION MUST BE APPROVED IN ORDER TO JOIN US. IF YOU ARE READY FOR THE MOST LIFE ENRICHING WEEK IN THE SACRED VALLEY OF LONGEVITY, APPLY TODAY>>

Got more questions? Here are some answers>>

I am truly blown away by the amount of support and excitement coming my way at the news of Tanya’s raw food restaurant opening.

I’ve been filing away your beautiful words ‘for a raining day’, not even thinking about sharing them publicly, because… you know… it’s showing off, giving me a big head and inflating my ego.

And then I get THIS message (below) and it reminded me about why I do what I do. It reminded me that love and kind words MUST be shared. It reminded me that the ego is an illusion, just like ‘the norm’ and ‘the rules’ set by society.

So I choose love and love needs sharing. This message (from last year’s yoga teacher at my Ecuador Soul Adventures Retreat) warmed my whole heart and I am so so grateful…

Hey Tanya,

it’s been a while and I felt today was the perfect day to give you a shout out.
I want to thank you again for everything. For encouraging me to do IIN, I love it and I’m joining their book course on wed…
For radiating and always continuing to strive for the best and reaching higher and higher on your path, for being authentic, loving, kind and generous to the whole world and yourself!

You are one of my top 10 favourite women whom I have learnt a lot from and have grown from through your massive amount of influence and inspiration.

I want to congratulate you on your ever awesome upgraded life: husband, restaurant, WEBSITE!!!!! WOW!, offerings, sharings and your new look… darling you look stunning and it’s so you!

You’ve blossomed even more to be this most radiant shakti whom I respect, honour and admire.

I wish you a continuing endless abundant journey.
Way to go!
Love and joy
Doris

Speaking of IIN…

I’ve some BIG news for anyone keen to study nutrition, become a health coach or just get the super fancy certificate from the world’s largest nutrition school!

IIN are offering my friends up to $1,500 off of your tuition if you enrol before 4th July.
Register your name here and I’ll hook you up with more details on the program and your $1,500 scholarship.

And for all requesting the cafe update, it looks as though we are ahead of schedule and will be opening doors even before August!

I’ve been posting daily progress reports on our Facebook page, so do keep an eye on it for news as they happen. Here are a few snippets..

Hoarding boards going up:

Work behind the scenes:

The team behind the project, in meeting:

  More updates found here>