When I first got into learning about raw food, Elliot and I were planning our move to London. We just spent months giving away everything we owned -downsizing to one suitcase each (plus a surfboard)- but my wishlist of purchases upon our UK arrival was growing by the minute. This list had every book and DVD I ever came across that had anything to do with my newly formed obsession for green smoothies and superhuman wellness. One of the DVDs on my list was called Food Matters.

When I finally got to watch Food Matters, I discovered James Colquhoun (pro. col-hoon) and his now wife Laurentine ten Bosch, the nutritional consultants, interviewers and producers of this film. Aside from James being from Aussie (the part of the world we were coming from) and Laurentine being from Europe (the part of the world we were making the move to), it was their very reason for producing the film that won me over.

It was family. More specifically James’s dad, who was beyond unwell and heavily medicated, and the only way he was going to get better was by implementing the advice of top nutritionists and alternative medicine doctors from around the world. If it meant for James to travel the globe looking for these experts to interview and then bring back the footage for his dad to watch, then that is exactly what he’d do.

The story has a very happy ending for his family (more like a beginning), but the actual film also enjoyed much success over the years. There’s the mega well known and loved website www.FoodMatters.com and even a new film www.HungryForChange.com. Food Matters has nearly 1 million fans on Facebook and the website has seen 11 million visitors since 2008.

Meet our July’s Master of the Month…

DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY OF EATING AND DRINKING.

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

My family. We all support each other to eat healthy since we helped my dad get well.

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

Gluten. Buckwheat.

MY TOP TIP FOR…

…improving your diet is: easy when you’re mind is in the right place. Keep it simple. Don’t stress. Focus on adding in good food and not taking out bad food. Drink green juice.

…staying healthy while travelling is: a fun and exciting challenge! It’s like playing a game where you have to pack the right foods to take with you or secretly survey all the food options available and make fun and silly calculations in your head about which is the healthiest!!!

…detoxing is: one of the best things you can do a few times a year. Get out in nature. Be barefoot. Have as much of your entire body as possible see the sun. Drink green juice. Drink lots of water. Rest. Meditate. Read a good book. Forgive yourself. Take long baths.

…immunising is: done through good food, good bacteria and a powerful mindset and not through a needle.

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

Your story and films have inspired me to study nutrition and help more people in need of this lifesaving information.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

As someone who together with a group of nutrition superhero’s from around the world like yourself and those in our films, helped pave the way for an era where processed and nutrient depleted foods became a thing of the past.

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?

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

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT LIFE IS BETTER RAW?

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Our Master of The Month shares his favourite raw food recipe (direct from Food Matters The Recipe Book)…

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For more on James Colquhoun, visit www.FoodMatters.com or www.HungryForChange.com

Today I learned about the sad sad news of losing our Polly.

The fire and ambition in her soul was almost comparable to the size of her kind heart. Polly Noble was an inspiration to so many around the world via her blog, Instagram/Twitter/Facebook posts, her book, eBooks, online courses and magazine articles. I know that she lived, worked and fought till the very end, but perhaps Heaven was looking for a magical angel and there’s truly no one like Polly.

Her struggling, surviving, thriving, fighting and struggling with cancer again and again has been a roller coaster for some years now, but she never gave up. There wasn’t a therapy that she didn’t explore, whether it was as mainstream as chemo or as alternative as John of God in Brazil. What this brave girl went through would make any of our worries seem insignificant, but she never rubbed it in and powered on, making us watch her in total awe and feel like we can do absolutely anything.

I am shaking as I type this, not even sure why I’m posting news that are this raw and sorrowful, but I’m being guided right now and I have a feeling it’s by Polly herself.

Actually I know it is.

I know that she’d want her family to know how much all the insane laughter helped her stay sane.

I know that she’d want her friends to know how their support was the greatest gift in this short life.

I know that she’d want her followers to know that it was their kind comments that gave her strength to carry on.

And I know that she’d want me to share this below conversation we had over text just after my and Elliot’s engagement party last year.

I know this, because she recently told me just how much that text meant to her and how encouraging words can keep your spirit alive, even when your body won’t keep up. She also mentioned about how much more power hurtful words have, which sometimes override any other beliefs. This really struck a cord with me.

So let Polly’s wisdom serve us all as a reminder to be kind with our words, no matter if they are aimed at a close family member, a colleague, a stranger or anonymously on social media.

Thank you for helping me write this, my friend. Love you always.

When I first landed on UK soil five years ago and began to quiz every person and search engine on what the raw food scene was like here, there was one name everyone seemed to be familiar with.

The name was Karen Knowler.

Then I discovered about the ‘International Raw Food Day’ which happens every year on July 11th and the founder of it was none other than Karen Knowler. Then I began subscribing to ‘Get Fresh!’ Magazine, which instantly became my favourite read and found that its creator and former editor was also Karen!

I quickly learned about the amazing work Karen is doing locally and overseas and it became clear as to why she’s been hailed as ‘The World’s Premier Raw Food Coach’.  It has been a pleasure to interview this smart, powerful, gorgeous and ‘real’ woman.

Meet our March’s Master of the Month…

Describe your typical day of eating and drinking.

As with a lot of raw foodies, almost every day is different for me. My “Eater Type” profile is Focused and Intuitive, so on one hand I like to plan for results and be organised in that way, but on the other I like to go with the flow! As you can imagine, this doesn’t always make for a straightforward time of it, but I do enjoy the contrast. That being said, I tend to start my day with a juice or smoothie, usually green, sometimes using a protein powder, or occasionally, if I have them, a young coconut smoothie, made from blending the flesh with the water. Always divine! For lunch, I tend to eat something quick and easy because I work from home and cater for myself with limited time. So lunch might be a fairly heavy smoothie if I had a juice earlier, some crudités with a dip if I’m not super-hungry, or a quick and easy salad, mixed with some beans or seeds for calories and protein. At night, I may eat out or make dinner at home. Because I have more time at night, and I’m also catering for my son, I tend to get more elaborate with my final meal of the day and so spend quality time creating a dinner I can get really excited about! While this changes from season to season, at this time of year it’s generally going to be a big juicy salad with plenty of leaves, tomatoes, red bell pepper, some red onion, beetroot, cooked asparagus and whatever else I choose to add – fat or protein. If I fancy something sweet later, which I often tend to do, then a bit of raw chocolate, something fruity and frozen, or a sweet kind of smoothie will normally hit the spot.

What (or who) inspires you to eat well and stay healthy?

Originally, my biggest inspiration was Susie Miller who founded The Fresh Network. I was 20 years old when I discovered raw food, and very soon after, I discovered Susie. To me she was the pinnacle of what great health is all about, especially because of being raw. Over the years, and as I’ve got older and have become a raw food aficionado myself, I’m now most moved by what I observe in my own body and energy levels as I try new ways of eating and exercising and basically “doing life”.

"I use my body as my guru, and make changes accordingly. If I want more information then I’ll go out and get it."

If I had to name a person… I think the person who inspires me the most around health who’s still alive on the planet today would have to be… (this is hard, by the way!)… I’d pick Tonya Zavasta as my most inspiring raw food female and Brian Clement as my most inspiring male. Both are legends in their own right. Amazing individuals, truly.

What is your biggest weakness when it comes to food and how do you deal with that?

I’m actually very proud that I successfully addressed any perceived weaknesses around food many years ago. I never overeat, only eat when I’m hungry, I rarely eat for emotion, and...

"I don’t EVER feel “bad” about what I ate, no matter what it is, because I make a conscious decision about whatever it is before I eat it."

I’m incredibly kind to myself around food, because self-love is vital. I learned that the hard way! Way too many people beat themselves up about what they eat, it’s heart-wrenching. I used to be incredibly hard on myself when I was younger about what I ate, and it only made things worse.

"Self-criticism or criticism of others is incredibly destructive - far worse than eating a slice of bread!"

 

So while I don’t feel that I have any debilitating weaknesses around food and eating, I definitely do receive lessons. And I learn them! And sometimes I have to learn them more than once – as we all do. And that’s okay.

Some people might consider the fact that I eat some cooked foods and other things that they might not expect to be a weakness, but I don’t see it that way. It’s a choice that I make and I do so consciously. I did 5½ years at 100% raw vegan and I loved it, but I don’t see it as sustainable for someone who lives my kind of life, and it’s not a goal for me anyway. As with all of us, this is my personal food journey, it’s ever evolving, and I take full responsibility for it. Most importantly I love it and enjoy it! And I keep learning. I truly feel free.

My top tip for:

Improving your diet is… adding green juice, daily.

Staying healthy while travelling is… a time to get really back to basics. Keep it fresh and simple, don’t use gadgets – you’ll feel so much better for it.

Detoxing is… a natural part of getting cleaner, and something to proactively pursue whenever you feel like your body needs a spring clean further down the line.

Immunising is... not my cup of tea, but I respect that everyone has an opinion on it and those opinions are generally pretty strong.

What's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?

Hmm, good question! Of course, “I love you, mummy” or “You’re the best mummy in the world” is very hard to beat! But if we’re talking about my work…
Over the years it has, of course, always been lovely to hear great feedback or to hear how something I’ve said or written has changed someone’s life. None of us can hear enough of that! However, I think that the thing which sticks in my mind the most is a written testimonial on Facebook from a young woman who used my “Go Raw for a Day!” eBook to learn how to eat raw food 2-3 years ago. She shared how, for the first time in many years, she was finally able to sleep well at night and get into her car and drive without crying from pain because of eating raw for just over 24 hours. She had been diagnosed with cancer twice by age 32, and her life was a constant source of pain – literally. She was constantly taking pills for pain relief. To hear how my eBook had assisted in removing that pain from her body, heart and life was definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever heard. I actually think about her and her amazing story almost every day. I’m so glad she came back to share it with me, because most people don’t.

How would you like to be remembered?

First and foremost, as a good person. A person who lived with authenticity, the best of intentions, plenty of spirit and heart – because it’s true! Also, of course, as a wonderful mother. Being a parent is the most important job in the world and I take it very seriously every single day. If I can’t do that job right, then there’s something very wrong. Parenting comes before anything else for me.
Professionally, on one level, as someone who really impacted the modern health scene in positive and long lasting ways that enriched millions of lives. I feel good about what I have achieved so far in this field, training others is now part of that, and yet I know there is so much further to go. I also know that my work is beyond “just” raw food. Health is about so much more than what we eat. I know my work will continue to evolve, although raw food will never be out of my life or out of my heart. Eating raw is part of who I am.

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?

Kitchen = fridge – it’s amazing how much we rely on it. While I have a lot of great raw gadgets, I wouldn’t rate them higher than my fridge, I am still a fresh food + knife-and-chopping-board kind of gal!

Garden = my Buddha statue. Every time I look at him, all becomes well in the world, and I see him every morning as soon as I step out of my front door.

Bookshelf = This one is hard! I’m going to cheat a bit and say my Kindle as there are so many books I love that are sitting on there, but it’s still one thing! ;)

If you could host a dinner party for 3 guests (dead or alive)- who would they be and what would you serve?

Cheryl Cole + Tonya Zavasta + David Cameron (current British Prime Minister)
I would serve them the most gorgeous looking, delicious and satiating raw food menu I could possibly create that left them feeling excited, impressed and gorgeously fresh and happy – eager to find out more.

Why these three? Because Tonya would inspire Cheryl and David with her personal story, incredible wisdom and timeless beauty, and Cheryl and David specifically because they have massive worldwide influence in very different ways. There’s no end as to what could happen if all three of them were in a room together eating raw (especially with me in the mix to assist with the process!!).

Why do you believe that life is Better Raw?

Life is better raw because eating raw enlivens the body and connects you to your spirit like nothing else on earth – not even meditation.

"Eating raw truly runs deep – it’s beyond profound and 100% experiential. It’s transformation from the cellular level out."

And when you are connected to your Self - your soul - in this amazing, powerful and liberating way, you too (just like your food!) become a force of nature. You become a force of nature that not only has the power to change your own life in incredible and amazing ways and to know what it is to touch upon your full potential, but also to have a hugely positive impact on your loved ones, community and even the entire planet. For me, “better” is a massive understatement!

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Our Master of The Month shares her favourite raw food recipe...

 

SWEET 'N' SUCCULENT KALE AND AVOCADO SALAD

Serves 2

This is kale like you’ve never imagined it. This meal is delicious, filling and extremely nutritious – one of the best ways to get healthy greens and fats into your body in a way that feels good and looks good too. This is one of the most popular recipes at all of my classes, and the great thing is, all you need to make it is a good sharp knife!

INGREDIENTS
8 generous handfuls of green curly kale
Sprinkle of Celtic sea salt OR Himalayan crystal salt
1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 ripe avocado
2 large tomatoes OR a handful of cherry or baby plum tomatoes

OPTIONAL: 2 spring onions
OPTIONAL: 8 sundried tomatoes in oil
DRESSING: Squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Chop the kale up into tiny pieces measuring roughly 1-2cm square and put into a bowl.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil plus a small sprinkling of your chosen salt to the kale and massage well into the leaves until they are glistening and look succulent. If they need more oil, add accordingly.
3. Chop up 1 avocado into small pieces, add to the kale and massage in well, coating the leaves. It is fine to leave pieces of avocado sitting amongst the leaves as well as coating them.
4. Chop tomatoes into small pieces and add to bowl. Similarly, finely slice the optional spring onions and sundried tomatoes – both of which I personally love.
5. Mix all ingredients well by hand – a very tactile and delicious experience! Make sure that all ingredients are spread evenly throughout the bowl.
6. Sprinkle with some fresh lemon juice and serve as is or pile high on to a plate and garnish with tomatoes or olives.

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For more on Karen Knowler and to score some amazing freebies, including her famous ‘Go raw for a day’ guide, visit www.TheRawFoodCoach.com

When I first started blogging (I’m literally talking: my second blog post ever), and before I even knew that there was such a thing as internet etiquette and before I understood that it’s always a good idea to ask the original author about publishing their recipe online, I posted this>>

Luckily for me, Russell James didn’t mind, because he is cool like that. And the ‘cool’ bit, I happen to know for a fact, since we got to hang out on the coolest road-trip to the coolest place on the coolest day in history. Check out Russell’s post about our Stonehenge visit for Winter Solstice 21.12.12 and our 11:11 meditation, here>>

Apart from his cool, witty, fun and sweet character, Russell James also happens to be one of my biggest inspirations in the culinary world of raw. He is super creative and passionate about his insane food and you can see that radiating in all of his photos. It’s one thing to produce a stunning picture, but something else when it comes to producing an amazing recipe. Russ does it all! His ingredient combinations are flawless  and if there was ever a dude to make raw food sexy- he is your man.

Meet our February’s Master of the Month…

Describe your typical day of eating and drinking.

What (or who) inspires you to eat well and stay healthy?

The way I feel on a daily basis inspires me to be healthy.  Having energy and a passion for life, and for living a life that's not the norm really drives me.  I also love the vibrancy and the simplicity of raw foods; I love that we can thrive so much on plants!  It just seems to make so much sense.  Our time on this planet is so short, why wouldn't I want to live with as much energy and vibrancy as I can.

What is your biggest weakness when it comes to food and how do you deal with that?

Dates!  I know they're not good for my teeth, but when there's an open pack of medjools around, you know, the really soft ones, I just cant' stop myself.  I've read it's good to swish water around your mouth after something sweet and sticky, so I do that and hope it helps.  I visit the dentist very regularly and everything looks good, so I guess I'm not doing too bad.

My top tip for:

Improving your diet is... Start learning about new foods.  There's so many options out there, that if you genuinely find a few new foods and recipes that excite you, there'll be no stopping you.  Motivation is temporary, so if you have the motivation to change things, that'll only last so long.  Use that motivation to take some cooking classes and get some new recipes under your belt.  If you're going to raw food classes, you'll meet other people that are into their health too, which really helps.  To become a healthy person, you need to do things that healthy people do.  That means not just what you do in your kitchen, but exercise and social stuff.  The good news is that in the process, you'll meet some amazing people that will keep you going.

Staying healthy while travelling is... It's all about the preparation.  Car journeys are easy in terms of being able to take what you want.  Generally lots of water and some dehydrated things with a dip are great.  The longest car journey I did was a road trip from Austin, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona.  It was 16 hours of driving, so I wanted to stay alert.  I filled a cool box with a load of ice and just had liquids all the way.

Detoxing is... Breathe!  Did you know that 70% of the toxins that leave your body do so through your breath?  Deep belly breathing is so important for the detoxification of your system, and has so many other benefits too.

Immunising is... You know, this is such an emotive issue.  People get really passionate about it on both sides of the argument.  I always get negative comments and arguments start between people, whenever I post something on Facebook about the dangers of immunisation, which really surprised me.  I think my best tip for this is to get educated.

What's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?

I had a lovely email from a 70 year old lady last week, about her being so happy with learning new recipes, she said I have added years to her life.  That genuinely choked me up, because it really brought me close to why I do this.  Not just adding years to someone's life, but to make a difference in the quality of life that a person has.

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone with integrity that followed my passion, lead by example and did it all with a smile on my face.

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?

If you could host a dinner party for 3 guests (dead or alive)- who would they be and what would you serve?

I'd make it boys' night and would invite Bruce Lee, Russell Brand and Bill Hicks.  I'd want to have lots of flowing conversation, and for that I think I'd serve food that can be passed around.  Lots of really amazing tree nut cheeses, with fruit chutney, balsamic vinegar, pear crisps and crackers - they can all be experienced really nicely in a shared environment, and almost always really blow people's minds as to what's possible.  I wonder what Bruce Lee would think about raw food.  Bill Hicks was known as being really unhealthy and smoked a lot.  I'd loved to have added years to his life - we lost someone with so much more to give when he died.

Why do you believe that life is Better Raw?

It'a all about the vibrancy!  What you eat reflects the life you have, I'm sure of that.  Who wouldn't want a vibrant life?

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Our Master of The Month shares his favourite raw food recipe...

 

SMOKY MAPLE SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Serves 2

This is a quick and hearty recipe that you’ll especially love if you like spicy foods with lots of flavour. I haven’t made the spice in this recipe too intense, but if you’re like me and want to increase the chili powder or add some cayenne powder, go ahead and do so!

Of course the chipotle chili will not only add to the heat, but will give you a beautiful smokiness to the dish.

If you really want to go all-out and replace the oils in this recipe with a smoked oil, you’ll create an incredible flavour that will make this an absolute staple.

2 little gem lettuce or similar, dressed in a little lime juice and olive or avocado oil
1/4 cup hemp seed

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 4 to 8 hours
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not the ones in oil), soaked for 1 hour or so
1/2 cup fresh baby tomatoes, halved
1 chipotle chili, soaked for several hours until soft
1 tbsp dark miso
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
2 soft dates, chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tsp garlic powder
1 chili with the seeds removed and then finely diced
3 spring onions (green onions), diced
1 small handful fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

In a food processor, grind all the ingredients together, so they are broken down but still a little chunky.

Tear up your lettuce, toss in the oil and lemon juice and place in a bowl, ready for this seed mixture to go on top.

This is a great dish to serve to guys if they think they’re not going to enjoy raw food. It’s really filling and hearty and can be made even more so with the addition of some avocado.

WANT A REAL TREAT?

Of course you do!

So here’s an incredible quesco fresco dressing to tip you over the edge. . .

QUESO FRESCO DRESSING

1 cup cashews, soaked for 20 minutes
1/2 a red pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic
1 green chili
1 shallot
2 tbsp coriander (cilantro)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt

This is nice and simple and will make a beautiful dressing for a salad on its own, or as a sauce to top this dish with. Just blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and that’s it!

This will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HAVE A DEHYDRATOR?

If you make smoky maple sunflower seed mixture into balls and dehydrate them, you can make this into quite a spectacular wrap!

Here’s what to do. . .

Make the sunflower seed mixture using the recipe above, but instead of serving it as it is, form into small balls and dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 8 to 12 hours.

To make the wrap itself. . .

3 cups peeled courgette (zucchini)
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup leek
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Blend all the ingredients using a high-speed blender, until they’re smooth. You’ll then be able to spread them out into 2 wraps approximately 22 cm (9 inches) across on a non-stick dehydrator sheet.

Dehydrate them for 6 to 8 hours removing them from the non-stick sheet and finishing on the mesh dehydrator sheet for the last 30 minutes or so.

Build the final wraps using lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, the dehydrated smoky maple balls, queso dressing, microgreens if you have them, and chopped spring onions. Wrap or just roll into a cylinder and enjoy eating!

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Oh! And I loved those Thai Nori Rolls so much (see first paragraph), that I ended up buying Russell James’s Thai recipe eBook and every single other eBook he’s ever produced and a home study guide too! Yep, a fan and proud.

For more on Russell James and his work, visit www.TheRawChef.com