It's cold, so so cold, the last thing you want to do is open the fridge where you keep your veges in fear of making the room that fraction cooler and the oven is already on, not to bake (ok maybe to bake, or to grill, roast, toast, heat, burn, anything), but to keep it wide open so you can stand next to it with a mug of hot chocolate and begin to warm up. This is the exact story I've already heard from two of my coaching clients this winter, pretty much to the tee. The two biggest struggles during the year of an aspiring raw foodist is Christmas day in the raw, followed by the rest of winter. I totally get it too, I've come back to London from a month in Ecuador, eating soft, creamy, juicy, sweet mangoes and papayas right off the tree or for 50cents a piece, just to find myself on a mission to relive the tropical joy and after exchanging £4 for a pack of two mangoes (that's a special deal), the next thing I'm having to do is bin them both, as not only were they rock hard, but completely spotty and brown on the inside without any flavour at all. Poor me. What went wrong there then? Firstly, I pretty much asked for it, looking for produce that is not locally grown and secondly I definitely asked for it, looking for produce that is out of season! There is a very good resource I often refer to for finding out what is IN season, what is at it's very best and why it is so important to eat seasonally. Check it out http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/ So even just looking at the list, already the options don't seem so limited after all, but the next challenge is how to keep yourself warm??... Start with putting on more clothes, I find that always helps :) Since, it's actually important to eat warming and comforting foods when it's cold, I wanted to show you how you can still eat healthy, immunising, raw food and achieve just that! In this little video I explain exactly how I manage it (and manage to not ever get sick- touch wood) in winter...

UPDATE: 'Nourished - Comforting Raw Foods For Winter' is out now! Check it out>>

Elliot and I filmed the vid on our latest skiing trip to Sestriere, which is part of the stunning Milky Way (Via Lattea) near Turin, Italy. Here are a few of the pics we managed to get during an hour of sun we saw after three days of heavy snow and poor visibility...

Energy balls, chia crackers and snacks packed for the trip

waking up to this every morning

Elliot on snowboard, me skiing

Chugs, Tim, Reece, Chris, Elliot, me, Ben, Nick

Going off piste

Looking for the next thrill. Chris, Tim, Reece

In powder. Ben and Elliot

Is that blue sky? Very excited me

Reece, me, Si

back of our Ski Jumping Hotel, Paralympics 2006

all our tracks

stunning views

just because

Tim, Nick, me

Already looking forward to next time!

 

Have you seen my eBook 'Nourished- Comforting Raw Foods For Winter' yet? Oh yessss, there is a whole book full of my top tips and recipes to keep you warm, happy and immunised when it's cold outside. Take a look>>

 

Does this sound like you?- You've been waiting and waiting for this magical year 2012, you've made huge plans, you couldn't wait for the clock to strike midnight to leave the past behind and you started off this year with so much excitement, such good intentions, resolutions and enthusiasm.

Does this also sound like you?- This is the week (in particular 9th January) is when eight out of ten people kick their plans and resolutions right out the door.

Possibly, possibly not. As the matter of fact- raw foodists, statistically don't tend to fall into that category, as already they've managed to successfully reach a totally new level by changing their diet and along with it, their lifestyle. And unless you are in 'I am at my last straw and have no choice' bucket, that my friends is not an easy task.


OK say, you are in the majority of the crowd who have given up on wiping the slate clean and starting all over. I can't say I blame you, life just takes over, right? Old habits are too hard to kick, no?

And we are back to - possibly, possibly not.

According to allabouthealth.org, six out of ten people admit to making the same resolutions for an average of four years. That a pretty icky fact- I mean haven't we learned? But then again there are the other four out of ten people, what about them? I like to believe that those are the guys and ladies in my coaching practice, taking the bull by the horns and then riding it to any one direction they choose, because with the right tools and strategies, there IS no room for excuses, which lead to failure.

One Goal Setting exercise in particular has shown up to be so fool-proof in my experience of working with high achievers, that I couldn't simply just keep it to myself. Does it seem fair to trade 15 minutes now to doing the exercise for the prize of your goal? I think so.

So why is this particular exercise so effective? I found that setting very specific, measurable, realistic and time based goals, knowing your big WHY, announcing publicly what you have planned, devoting much focus on the benefits and rewarding yourself along the way is the key to any successful outcome.

Print this worksheet and do it right away...


Let me guide you in answering the questions to set you up for success…

1. What is your goal?
Simply putting 'to lose weight" here won't cut it, you may as well quit right here. Not only is this goal very vague, it also contains a lot of negative connotation, that we associate with the word 'to lose'. Get specific! Make this goal measurable- how much weight exactly? Make it realistic- if you weigh 130lbs, losing 60lbs is not only ridiculous, it is horrendously unhealthy; on the other hand if you weigh 300lbs, it is very achievable and contains masses of health benefits. Make it time based- do you have an anniversary, performance, holiday, an exciting date coming up? So a really powerful 'statement' goal is going to sound something like this: "On 1st April 2012, I Joe Bloggs, am finally wearing my grey Levi's jeans, I weigh 180lbs and look and feel unbelievable". Doesn't that sound much more fun than just 'losing weight'?

2. Why is it important to achieve the goal?
Notice how I purposely make this question the very first after you state the goal. There is no way around this one, I cannot stress enough how important it is to know your big WHY. When I asked my client, a teacher at a high school, who wanted to gain more muscle why he wants to do that, his initial response was 'to look better'. I then asked why he wants to look better. He said, because when he does, it instantly makes him feel more sure of himself. I asked why he needs to be 'more sure of himself', his response was that it is when the children in his class will look up to him and respect his dietary and ethical decisions, and that when pupils look up to a teacher, they want to try harder at school, get better grades, look forward to his classes and succeed in life because of their teacher's influence. Do you see how much more likely he would be at succeeding his goal, knowing what a big part it plays in lives of others' too, rather than just 'look better'. Keep digging with this question, don't just stop at One WHY, keep asking why, why why.

3. When will you go public?
Announcing your goal to a family member, a friend or a colleague shows real commitment and you will be more likely to stick to your plan. Going public could also mean blogging about it, posting it on Facebook (even better on someone else's wall), putting it up on your vision board or even your fridge.

4. What are the benefits of achieving your goal?
Isn't this the whole point of having a goal in the first place- the benefits? Focus here on positive aspects, rather than negative. For example if you are planning a detox, rather than saying 'I would have finally completed something I've been putting off for 3 years', you should go for something more upbeat like 'I would enjoy amazing smooth and clear skin and be a real example to all of my friends". Focus on how much life would be better for you and those around you.

5. What will you do step by step?
This question may seem rather pointless at first, but I don't do anything for no reason. This is actually the one that is going to seal the deal for you. It is so so important to break up your goal into smaller more achievable blocks, because that is exactly what will keep you on track, motivated and devoted. Say you want to do a detox or a particular health kicking diet for 28 days, you may like to have 4 sub-goal categories and have each looking something like 'fit into my red dress', 'run non-stop for 45 minutes straight', 'have 2 days per week eating 100% raw'. Rewards can be anything that doesn't contradict your current plan, for example if your goal is based around decreasing the number of chocolate bars you eat, it's only common sense to NOT reward yourself with a box of chocolate, but instead make it be in line with your brand new healthier lifestyle- perhaps a new chopping board, a book, Raw Food 101 DVD (no pressure:)), or maybe a sauna or a massage.


You see, it is never too late to start over. It's all about HOW you do it. Do it properly from the beginning and you'll find you won't NEED to 'start over'. If you would like to do a 7-14 day cleanse with every recipe, tip and shopping list mapped out for you, even a choice of Budget or Luxury Detoxer plans, take a look at 'Purified- Your complete 7 Day Detox Program'

Quick question: are you a Better Raw fan on Facebook? How about Twitter? LinkedIn?

I post either some stupendously good Raw Food Tips or my favourite quotes there daily, so get following for regular inspirations!

I love this sort of stuff, it keeps me going and gets me really inspired! Hearing really good motivational quotations never gets old... so I'm devoting a whole post to some of my favourite updates over an entire year...

I just hope it's not too weird that I listed myself as the quoter once or twice, but then again so many of you did seem to 'like' those words on Facebook a fair bit.

Lots of love and inspiration flying your way,
xTanya

"Becoming healthy is a journey, not a destination"- Frank Ferendo

"The more you praise and celebrate life, the more there is in life to celebrate" -Oprah Winfrey

“Everything has perfect timing. There is no bad or wrong timing, if you are being slowed down or pulled back, it's because the timing isn't ideal. Just trust that it is always perfect.” –Tanya Alekseeva

"It is not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves"- Sir Edmund Hillary
 
"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark"- Helen Keller

“When you are in a state of gratitude, there is no room for negativity or fear.”

"If you eat real organic dark chocolate, you will cut your heart attack risk in half"-David Wolfe

‎"If a person is focused on illness then they are inadvertently attracting more illness to them. On the other hand, if a person focuses more on health than illness, then the law of attraction must obey and produce health."- Rhonda Byrne

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Maya Angelou

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers"- Harry S. Truman

“Hell on earth is at the end of your life to stand in front of a person that you could have been”- Andy Harrington

"When something you are hoping for is not meant to happen, worry does no good. When it IS meant to happen, worry is a complete waste of your time"- Dalai Lama [Worrying is the biggest waste of our energy and health]

"If you want to waste 2 hours, go on your computer for 5 minutes"

"When you know how to listen, everybody is the guru"- Anonymous on my sister's wall in Brooklyn!!!

“Raw food desserts are the getaway drug to healthy eating” –Kevin Gianni

I walked past 2 smokers today outside an office building and overheard their conversation...
Smoker #1: "Remember the days of smoking inside? Now look around, it's just you and I"
Smoker #2: "Yep we are a deing breed, we are")
...Just brilliant!!!

"All cure starts from within out, from the head down, and in reverse order as the symptoms have appeared" -Hering's Law of Cure

"How you do something is how you do everything”

What you eat can be just as important as what you don't. What thoughts you put in your head can be just as important as what you don't. What you say can be just as important as what you don't.- Tanya Alekseeva

"It doesn't make much sense at the beginning when things don't go according to your plan. In actual fact they ALWAYS go to plan. It is the plan of the universe and it is as supposed to be. It will make all the sense later but for now just trust that the plan is perfect"- Vladimir Alekseev

‎"When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied." -Herophilus



"Love people enough to tell them the truth. And respect them enough to know that they can handle it." — Iyanla Vanzant

"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters, one represents danger and the other represents opportunity"- John F. Kennedy

‎"The best is yet to come"- the voice of 2012

“Feliz Navidad everybody!! Remember it's not about your presents, it's about your presence...” – Tanya Alekseeva

"Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels"

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle"- Steve Jobs

"Never regret anything... because at the time, it was exactly what you wanted"

“Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are”

"The best students get the hardest tests" - Iyanla Vanzant

"Healthy people have the ability to juggle their busy schedules and workout at the same time. People who are unhealthy generally view things as one or the other" –Kevin Gianni

“Until you make peace with the past, you will continue to bleed and stain your life. Get right down to the hurt. Right down. As beneath hurt, that's where love is.” –Tanya Alekseeva

"Cancer can only mean 2 things: Can-surrender or Can-survive" -Joseph McClendon III

‘He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything’ -Arabian proverb

"Aging is not simply decay, it's accumulation of choices and consequences" -John Leonard

"If you're only willing to do what's easy, life will be hard. But if you're willing to do what's hard, life will be easy" -T. Harv Eker

“The normal experience of the body and its aging is a conditioned response (a habit of thinking and behavior). By changing your habits of thinking and behavior, you can change the experience of your body and its aging" -Deepak Chopra, M.D.

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

"You are NOT what you eat, you are what you digest and assimilate"- Tony Robbins

"In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present"
-Lao-tzu

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down" –Oprah Winfrey

“It is never too late, you are never too sick and you are never too old to start from scratch once again" -Bikram Choudhury

"An ounce of prevention is worth a lb of cure"- David Wolfe

"Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian" -Shari R. Barr [message here from my end is ‘get rid of all your expectations’]

“Want to be rich? Nature's gold is green!”

"Eat like you plan to live for ever, live like there's no tomorrow"- Tanya Alekseeva

“It’s not easy being grateful all the time. But it’s when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you” – Oprah Winfrey

"Illness is God's way of speaking to a person"- Anastasia [Are you listening?]

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts" -Winston Churchill

"Happiness isn't a state, it's a skill. It's the skill of knowing how to take what life throws your way and make the most of it" -Gary Null

"Sometimes the most important thing in an entire day is the rest we take between two deep breaths" -Etty Hillesum

"Studies have shown that people with animals in their home are less lonely, more relaxed and less prone to heart and circulatory problems"

"Be not afraid of taking tiny steps, be afraid of standing still" - Chinese proverb

“Before you talk, listen
Before you react, think
Before you spend, earn
Before you criticise, wait
Before you pray, forgive
Before you quit, try”
-Ernest Hemingway

"When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied" -Herophilus

"What spirit is so empty & blind, that it cannot recognise the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe & the skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed?"-Michelangelo

“You bring what you think and thank about”

"Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize or appreciate until they have been depleted" -Denis Waitley

"If the whole world followed you, would you be pleased where you took it?" -Neale D Walsh

"It is better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness" -Satish Kumar

“Food fads come & go, but the latest dining trend is actually the oldest: eating food raw” USA today

"At the end of your life only one question remains- did I do everything I could with all I’ve been given?" – Dr John Demartini

“To find out how much you love your body...take a look in your fridge & pantry” –Tanya Alekseeva

"Laughter is inner jogging" -Norman Cousins

“The food you eat can either be the safest & most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison” Anne Wigmore

"Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, you are probably right"- Henry T. Ford

"If I hadn't believed it, then I wouldn't have seen it" -Oscar Wilde

"Studies have shown that -historically, throughout the world - the people who live longest are primarily vegetarians” -Hippocrates institute


Still want more?...  Here are My Life Lessons from 2011 and also my Magic Etiquette when feeling crappy.