A couple of weeks ago I got a strong longing to cleanse. 

Sometimes I cleanse because I want to give my digestion a break, other times I want to shake off some holiday weight, but all the time I cleanse because only this sudden influx of nutrients (and simultaneous avoidance of indulgences) is what gives my immune system a strengthening boost, clears up my skin and makes me feel light and energised.

Detoxing is something I do periodically anyway, but each time it can look somewhat different depending on the time of year, my work load and my mood. 

These are the cleanse plans I normally alternate between:

1. 24 hours on 100% raw food once per week for a month
2. Seven days of 100% raw food cleansing
3. 24 hour juice cleanse to give my digestion a mini break
4. Three day alkaline cleanse, where I literally follow the cleanse protocol we used to offer at Tanya’s Cafe
5. 21 days of 500-750ml celery juice for breakfast
6. 28 days being 100% sugar free, including alcohol free
7. Intermittent fasting for as long as my system enjoys it

This time I was so fed up of my protruding belly and weird lockdown weight, that I was prepared to do a juice cleanse for as long as needed to feel like me again. 

What I wasn’t prepared to do however was not to join my family for dinner and let my children see their mama 'on a diet'.

So, with the limited supply of ingredients in our small beach town of Pauanui, our planned trip to Auckland and all the socialising that was to be had there, equipped with my Big Why on doing the cleanse plus knowing what I wasn’t willing to compromise, here is what I decided on:

• 9 days
• Warm water (no lemon, no tea) first thing in the morning
• A brisk beach walk and lunges, daily
• 500ml-750ml pure celery juice for breakfast (around 10 or 11am)
• 500ml-750ml celery/beet/apple/carrot/ginger juice for lunch (around 2pm)
• A small dinner with the rest of the family (between 5 and 6pm)
• Lots of herbal teas throughout
• Definitely no snacking, no sugar, no wine, no overwhelming workload in the diary
• A wellness book while I cleansed to keep me inspired. This time is was The Fast Diet by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer

And inspired I remained! Just look at this amazing quote from the book:

“The entire time you’re eating, your insulin levels are elevated and your body is stuck in fat storing mode. Only after a few hours of fasting is your body able to turn off the fat storing and turn on the fat burning mechanisms. So if you are continually nibbling, your body will just continue storing fat, resulting in obesity and liver damage.”

What did each day look like?

This was my morning. Every morning. To get a 500ml (1 pint or 2 cups) glass of celery juice in the UK, I'd have to juice 1.5 bunches of celery from Waitrose or Ocado. There was just such a demand for organic celery (all thanks to the Medical Medium!:)) that it couldn't grow fast enough and was far too thin. Here in NZ, one bunch yields 1 litre (2 pints or 4 cups) of juice!

These are literally the exact ingredients and amounts I used for my lunch-time juice. It's always best to drink the juice immediately after making it, so that the nutrients aren't oxidised away, but the opportunity cost of time spent juicing and cleaning up for me won over the small percentage of nutrients lost, so I prepared my lunch time juice right after the morning one and left it waiting for me in an airtight bottle.

Dinner is the only thing that varied from day to day, but usually looked something like these Mexican burritos from the 'Family Meals' section of the Nurtured eBooks series. It wasn't always gluten-free either, but I did stick to dairy-free, because dairy showed up as a sensitivity in my food intolerance test I've done at LMS Wellness.

So how did it go, you ask?

• I lost 2kg (4.5lbs)
• I lost the weight in the first two days and no more. One week after cleanse ended, I kept it off
• Lost a whole inch (2.5cm) from my waistline 
• Got a rare sighting of some long lost abs
• Day 5 was the hardest and at lunch I gave in to a large helping of vegan sushi which I was making for kids’ pre-school Matariki Night (Māori New Year) and had some chocolate at the event with everyone
• Staying off wine wasn’t a problem
• The hardest time of day was getting past breakfast while I made warm cinnamon porridge for the kids
• The second hardest time of day was around 3pm when I usually have tea with  something sweet
• What kept me going was the promise of a warm dinner each day
• What I wish I could’ve done instead was to juice in the mornings and evening but have solids at lunch (it’s always better to go light at dinner and have your main meal in the middle of day for optimal digestion, but that wasn’t an option - for me anyway - with a young family)  

You’re keen to cleanse too, but not 100% on the difference between juice and smoothie…

Differences Juicer and Blender (Source:examinedexistence.com)

Juices vs Smoothies. Juicer vs Blender. What is the difference? This question is so popular, I wrote a separate post here:  tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/smoothies-vs-juices-what-is-the-difference?

You want to juice too, but what juicer to buy?

Choosing a juicer with all the choices out there can feel like a minefield, especially if you've never juiced before!

Do you go for the cheaper centrifugal juicer and is the more expensive cold-press juicer really better?

But better how? - better to use or better for the juice quality and therefore nutrient density?

And once you settle on a cold-press variety, where to here?.. do you go for the masticating, triturating or a hydraulic press?

Not to worry, I have you covered...

Download my Juicer Buying Guide now>>

If you've followed me for some time or done my Acid Alkaline Breakthrough program, you may remember just how many juicers I've tested and experimented with in the past (I'm up to 14 and counting). 

You may also recall that every single time, I kept coming back to the Green Star Elite. It was always the quietest, it was always very straight forward to assemble and to clean, the pulp came out super dry and there was very little of it (in other words - there was A LOT of juice!), and maybe it's just me but I always felt that my green juice or celery juice always tasted much more pure and refreshing made in a Green Star. This was the only machine I decided to feature in my book, The Uncook Book.

If you too decide to go for my beloved Green Star Elite, the good people at Inspired Health are offering my subscribers a MASSIVE 25% saving on their machines! Use this code at check out:

BETTERRAW

Take a look at the Green Star Elite range now>> 

As you guys know - in January this year my big girl turned 3 and her baby brother was born, within the same week.

I spent a couple of months in baby haven bliss, elated that breastfeeding was working out this time, focusing on consuming all the calories so the milk keeps flowing, running on love and adrenalin, getting out as much as possible to see what I can accomplish as a mama of 2, not resting when I should’ve been resting, not taking such great care of myself with all focus redirected to the kids and feeling guilt-overload when I’d go beyond the basic grooming, like spending ‘unnecessary’ time to straighten my hair.

Then three months of this sleepless-restless- guilt-packed buildup started to take its toll. 

My placenta pills ran out. 

My hair began falling out like I’ve never experienced before.

The postpartum night sweats seemed to be getting worse.

The daily headaches were debilitating.

My energy was almost non-existent.

My mood swings became irrational.

The snacking got out of control.

The constant reaching for quick sugars was exhausting.

The sugar cravings were uncontrollable.

I couldn’t exercise due to excruciating pain in my joints.

I was so so unbelievably tired.

And despite what everyone told me about the weight loss when breastfeeding, it didn’t seem to apply to me. I was slimmer 2 weeks after birth, than 2 months after. 

Then the weight gain accelerated. 

The bloating became frequent. And painful.

I developed a gut.

The day my baby boy turned 7 month was the last day of our breastfeeding journey and [interestingly] the first day of my returned period since getting pregnant.

It was also the day I decided to make a drastic change and to devote all focus to MY personal wellbeing.

I wanted to see the best in the industry and because I kept a close eye on LMS (London Medi Spa), who are Tanya’s deli’s neighbours within My Chelsea Hotel, over the many months they were building their state-of-the-art wellness department, I had no doubt they were the right fit.

That’s when I saw the LMS Wellness team and the journey to #TanyasMegaWellness began.

If you’re interested in regular updates, what tests I’m getting, how my body is changing, what results are starting to happen, etc etc - follow @tanyasliving on IG and FB or catch up on previous updates by searching the #TanyasMegaWellness hashtag.

Here’s everything I’ve done so far:

1. Followed the LMS gut healing protocol for 28 days - followed Valentina's (their star nutritionist) recipe plan, was off dairy, gluten and eggs (that was the easiest bit for me:)), while taking medical-grade probiotics, digestive enzymes, GI Revive formula with L-Glutamine and Veg Meal 16g protein breakfast shake.
2. Got my blood work done via LMS for the most comprehensive test available on the planet (every thyroid test is there, so is every hormone test, ultra comprehensive cholesterol measurements, even presence of female tumours!). 
3. Had a jaw dropping consultation with a functional medicine doc, Dr Mark Menolascino, to help me interpret the test results. Discovered I had adrenal fatigue, a gene mutation giving me high cholesterol no matter the diet, low Vitamin D, low Vitamin B12 and a lot of Candida!
4. Got the highest grade supplements prescribed to me that are specific to my blood test results.
5. Got back on the alkaline train to rid of the yeast. Apparently the presence of Candida is very normal for a new mother, but since I FELT far from normal, I’ve started consuming lots of chlorophyll-rich foods again- green ‘Alkaliser’ juice from my own deli, green smoothies with fresh aloe vera gel (even when on holiday in France) and adding Superfoodies green juice powder to my water. Plus the prescribed Nystatin to properly eliminate the candida. 
6. Committed to intermittent fasting, where I don’t eat anything past 5pm. I still consume the same amount of calories in a 24 hour period so I never feel deprived, but giving my digestion a proper break for 16 hours straight has given my entire system the rest it’s been seeking (in turn rewarding me with energy).
7. Started to exercise minimum of 2 times per week. I purchased Tracy Anderson’s 90 Day Metamorphosis Omnicentric program, which is 30 mins of dance cardio and 30 mins of muscular structure exercises I can do at home. The muscular structure videos are updated every 10 days, but whenever I feel bored of the dance routine, I go for a run instead.
8. LMS’s IV drips! Hands down the most effective and efficient way to deliver nutrients to your cells fast. So far, I’ve done this twice. First time was a cocktail range for my birthday (4th Sept)- Energy, Mood and Detox Infusions in one (a combo of Magnesium, Calcium, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin C, B12, B Complex, B5, B6), plus Glutathione - the most powerful antioxidant. Second time when I was feeling under the weather and got a surge of Amino Acids, Antioxidants and B Vitamins, all while giving a talk at a NZBWN Wellness Event!
9. Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber. You sit/rest/meditate/yoga in a very cool chamber while breathing in 95% pure oxygen. I took this session at LMS right after my birthday IV drip infusion to help accelerate the delivery of all that goodness into my cells and felt BEYOND. WOW.
10. A monthly 3D scan of my body. It’s a machine that takes 3000 pictures of you and reports on your posture, fat mass, lean mass, body shape rating, comprehensive measurements and the basal metabolic rate (the amount of energy your body is burning while at rest).
11. Registered for the IIN Nutrition Course again, so I can immerse myself entirely in all things wellness. I’m loving all the lectures and the mind blowing new findings even more than 6/7 years ago!
12. Sleeeeeeeep. Though I’m not sleeping all that much more, I am however staying in Lake’s room at the weekends now for quality uninterrupted sleep twice weekly. OMG. I don’t know why it took Elliot and I 8 whole months to think of this!

Here are some screen shots from my IG stories where I've been showing you what supplements I've been taking over the past six weeks:

I’m only 1.5 months in, but already feel transformed, like I have a new lease on life!

The weight hasn’t changed (even went up slightly), but my body fat is less and muscle mass is more.

No more bloat.

Almost no more gut.

No more joint pain.

No more sugar cravings or snacking.

No more hair loss.

No more mood swings.

My energy is back! And I’m feeling so good again!!!

I still have the results of my genetic test to study and to report to you and am yet to do a stool test, plus try Cryotherapy and complete the full course of Nystatin, Adrenal Support supplements as well as all the other supplements and now that I have more energy, I want to run more too!

So watch this space for updates.

And watch the videos on @tanyasliving IGTV plus IG stories- I get pretty raw and real there!

Do you have any questions or would you like me to connect you with the ‘by invitation only’ LMS Wellness team? 

Let me know in the comments! 

Always happy to spread the healthy vibes, especially now that I have my energy back to do so :))

xTanya

P.S. Keep an eye out on your inbox too, as very soon I’ll be opening doors to a handful of new clients for my Wellness Coaching consultations. Sign up to my newsletter here if you're not on the list >>

This dessert featured on my 'How to Eat for Beautiful Skin' workshop last month and since so many of you wrote me about this class, I decided to share one of the recipes as well as some key info, here for everyone :)

In class we learned about where to begin in order to improve your skin's elasticity, heal acne, smooth out bumps and blemishes, avoid flareups, bring out your natural glow and even how to visibly minimise some of those wrinkles...

The first step always begins in your gut.

Healing your gut is a massive subject and may involve quite a different journey for most individuals, but the root of the cause is nearly always the same. And it's to do with your digestion.

If you're not able to break down certain foods, if your system is quite blocked up, if you don't cleanse often, don't fast for long enough (think late dinner and big breakfast), don't get enough fibre or water, if you mix starches and proteins (think mac'n cheese, chicken and rice, baked potatoes with cream), if you have food sensitivities (80% of people don't realise they do!), if you get sleepy or sluggish after meals, etc etc etc... it's very likely that your body is trying hard to communicate that your digestion is not in order either through pain, like bloating and belly aches or visually by displaying signs all over your skin. 

In my classes, we always focus on good digestion and this pie recipe very much falls into the easily digestive category. 

KEY TAKEAWAY: If it's easily digestible, it's good for your skin!

How is this recipe different to other raw recipes?

1. The base is not made out of dry nuts, it's all seeds. Nuts require soaking to remove the enzyme inhibitors and make them gentler on our tummies, but the cake would fall apart if we were to use soaked nuts. Seeds are easily digestible without the soaking step.

2. The cream has nuts (cashews) which have been soaked and rinsed.

3. Dried fruit and nuts combo falls under the Food Combination To Avoid when you're improving your digestion. With one exception- prunes. Usually a base contains some sort of nut or seed or coconut concoction and then on top of that there are also cashews in the cream. Nuts galore. Then for the base to stick together- dates and raisins are used a lot. They are of course an incredible snack to eat on their own as they provide fibre and slow releasing sugars for long lasting energy, but sadly when mixed with nuts- they confuse the system and can make you feel bloated. Prunes contain sorbitol which is a natural laxative, so they actually support the natural stages of digestion, help break down what ever food they are taken with (also helping you to assimilate its nutrients) and promote swift movement through your gut, which is all about the satisfying elimination.

4. The cake contains lots of blueberries, cacao powder and additional maqui berry powder, which are all super high in antioxidants. Eating foods rich in these free-radical-fighting-substances will strengthen your immune system and protect your cells. Key to healthy skin.

5. The coconut oil, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds contain healing essential fats, that work for your digestion like water works for a long and winding water slide. Without the water, it would take a long time to get down the slide, you'd stick to the sides, work way harder than you should and you won't enjoy the ride. Most fat is not even stored as fat, so it's time we start counting nutrients instead of calories.

At last, the recipe...

BERRY & CHOCOLATE PIE FOR GLOWING SKIN

For the crust

200g prunes

75g sunflower seeds

75g hemp seeds

55g cacao powder

½ teaspoon Himalayan salt

For the filling

300g blueberries

150g cashews, soaked overnight

105g extra virgin coconut oil, melted

50g maple syrup

1 tablespoon maqui berry powder (I buy this one)

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt

-Place all the crust ingredients into a food processor with an S blade. Process till sticky.

-Transfer the mixture into a pie dish (make sure the base is removable) and press with your fingers and fists till it lines the entire dish and its sides.

-Place all the filling ingredients into a blender, making sure the blueberries are at room temperature, otherwise the coconut oil will harden.

-Blend using a tamper rod, till creamy.

-Pour inside the crust and distribute evenly along the surface.

-Transfer to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.

For upcoming workshop updates, sign up to our emails here>> and keep an eye on this page>>

If you've been reading my posts for some time now, you might recall a one all about how awful my skin used to be.

The truth is, it wasn't just awful, it was repulsive.

After the stress that my body underwent during a car crash, the inflammation that nearly cost me my pancreas and the amount of morphone that was pumped into my veins, my entire back broke out in hideous unsightly acne.

Over the next few years, I discovered healing via raw foods, Chinese herbs, homeopathic remedies, meditation, juicing, liver flushes, breathing techniques, fasting and more.

The effect of each was clearly visible in my eyes, my hair, nails, the skin on my face and neck, my energy levels and my overall attitude.

But the acne on my back wasn't budging.

I learned to live with it to the point that I'd often pull out of a beach outings, take a sick day over school swimming events, wear long sleeved tops during scorching summer days and choose the sports that I played according to how well my back will be covered up.

I hid my back for TWELVE whole years.

It wasn't till I started sprouting in a very unique way (keep reading), that I began to see changes. Dramatic changes.

Not just sprouting seeds till you see a little tail, not sprouting wheatgrass (my body could never take wheatgrass EVER), but growing proper green shoots in trays over a bed of soil. 

Aaaaaaand something else (the 'unique' bit)....

I soaked these seeds in the same water that I would soak my feet!

Sounds a bit gross, so let me explain. 

I got this wild idea after reading the book 'Anastasia' (read her take on gardening for healing via below link).

The fact that our toxins contain all the information about us really resonated with me. It made perfect sense when I read that if you were to pass on this information to a seed, that it would grow for you as if it was your very own doctor, offering the exact nutrients you needed to heal whatever pain or illness via its fruits.

I also knew that we perspire a lot via our feet, so it made sense for me to soak my feet (free from nail varnish or creams) in a bucket of hot water. Now this water was equipped with all the information about me, my organs and my cells, through the sweat/toxins that were released.

I then let the water cool and only after doing so, I added dry peas and unhulled sunflower seeds to this water.

I then sprinkled the seeds over a bed of soil and continued to water them with this same water until green shoots began to appear. After this (Day 3 approx), I would simply water with purified water or water infused with a little spirulina or chlorella powder. 

When the shoots were ready to harvest, I would juice or blend them up into a smoothie. They were super yummy to eat on their own too, but I was juicing lots at the time and needed all the greens I could gather.

I have to be honest, I began doing this not to heal the acne on my back (I gave up on that long ago) but because I was getting really into sprouting and was genuinely enjoying watching my indoor garden flourishing.

At the same time, I felt called to do a little experiment.

There was no doubt, that there was still a fair amount of healing that my body and the whole crash-disrupted digestive system needed to experience. I also knew that Elliot was super healthy, energetic, fit and enjoyed a strong immune, digestive and metabolic system.

So, I had both of us soak our feet in separate buckets, doing our own sprouting with pea shoots, in our own trays, watering at the same time with our own water, in the same room, under the same conditions.

Over the course of 3 weeks, my sprouts were evidently taller than his. Literally by at least 3 whole centimetres taller on Day 12!!

It was as if we were seeing a real green medicine cabinet sprouting before our eyes and mine required just that much more prescribed goodness in order to heal.

I didn't even really notice the changes to my back, the whiteheads drying out, the bulged bumps disappearing or the acne scars on my back flattening, until I saw that during the second month of this experiment- Elliot's and my sprouts started to grow at the same rate.

On Day 12, they were now the same height.

It was then that I ran my hands across my back and felt nearly smooth skin for the first time in many many years.

Nothing short of a miracle!

Nature is a miracle.

If you'd like to have a go at sprouting pea or sunflower shoots, take a look at my step-by-step guide, here>> 

Remember that it's is only a step to healing your skin though. During this key process, it is also extremely important to know which food combinations are like a pimple feeder so you can avoid those, how stress can contribute to ageing and what simple breathing techniques you can do to infuse the life back into your skin even on your busiest days and of course which key ingredients are vital for keeping your skin smooth and radiant.

I will be dishing out all of those important tips and teaching you beautiful recipes in a workshop called 'How to Eat for Beautiful Skin'.

The workshop is happening THIS Sunday 20th May 11:30am- 2pmat Tanya's in My Chelsea.

To book your space, head here: https://tanyasliving.com/collections/workshops-and-events/products/how-to-eat-for-beautiful-skin-sunday-13th-may

It's only £45pp, which doesn't even get you a facial cream these days, let alone the miracle cure. Scrumptious tasters are included and everyone that attends will get 25% off the entire shop on the day.

I really hope you can make it!

Last month, my sweet little sis-in-law and I did a 1 Day Juice Cleanse, I posted everything Live in Instagram stories and couldn't believe the response!

So many of you wrote telling me how keen you are to do the same at home, asking for exact recipes and any other helpful tips I could spare.

So, I've typed out your recipes, your plan and your shopping list, I've included a few bits and pieces I thought would be most important to do before, during and after a mini detox, and even uploaded a compilation of those stories from IG in one handy video below...

Enjoy!

[If the video doesn't show up for you, watch it on YourTube here: https://youtu.be/Bm54366zsak]