Firstly... THIS comment:

"Tanya Maher's cake was incredible- the first non beetroot tasting beetroot red velvet cake I've ever had - and want to make."

- Anna Mendonca after my demo at The Wellbeing Now Seminar

Secondly... THIS picture:

There's a very happy baby boy inside getting so many benefits from all the beetroot I've been feeding him... But seriously, how is THAT bump only 7 months? 

Thirdly... THESE benefits:

(Screenshot taken from @earthyandy post on Instagram. So perfectly timed as we're both pregnant and I was just starting to wonder why I'm enjoying beets so much lately)

Finally... Why are you still here reading and not making this beauty?

Oh and you do remember that THEEE SALE ends at 23:59 GMT tonight, right? Equipment, books, superfoods and supplements- up to 65% off!>>

RAW RED VELVET CAKE

For the red cake

3 cups almond meal (left from making milk out of 4-5 cups soaked almonds)*

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp  beetroot juice (from about 2 beets)**

8 medjool dates, de-stoned or 16 soft pitted dates

4 tbsp xylitol

3 tbsp cacao powder

½ vanilla pod, seeds only

½ tsp Himalayan salt

For the icing

2 cups cashews, soaked overnight

3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp xylitol

juice of 1 lemon (4 tbsp)

½ vanilla pod, seeds only

For the optional decorations

goji berries

mulberries

edible flowers

*The prepared almond milk will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge and actually is an amazing accompaniment to this cake. Otherwise make superfood shakes or freeze in ice cube trays to use in smoothies later. I make my almond milk blending 1 cup soaked nuts + 2.5 or 3 cups water + 3 pitted dates + pinch salt, then straining.

**If you don’t have a juicer, use a blender. Blend up the beetroot and strain the juice through a nut bag/ cheese cloth. I blend approx. 3 small beets with 1/3 cups water.

-For the icing, firstly scrape out the seeds from a whole vanilla pod. To do so, slice the pod in half lengthwise, then use a teaspoon to literally scrape all the seeds out until the inside of the pod is dry.

-Blend all the icing ingredients till creamy. Transfer to the fridge while making the cake. (Be sure not to leave it there to solidify fully, we just want to cool it to a spreadable consistency).

-Process all the red cake ingredients in a food processor with an S blade.

-Now for the tricky/fun part: divide the red cake mixture into three equal parts, take one part and distribute it along the bottom of a 7 inch cake tin with a removable base (wrap the base in cling film), firmly pressing it down with your hand or a soft spatula. The trick here is not to spread a layer of icing and then add another layer of cake, as it will all turn into one big mess when you try and make a firm smooth layer of the cake again… so…

-Carefully remove the layer of cake with the base and flip it over onto a clean serving plate. Remove the metal base, then the cling film. Spread a layer of icing on top. Repeat this process of creating the red cake layer two more times, each time carefully removing it out of the cake tin, placing on top of the frosting layer and icing it again.

-When all three layers of red cake and icing are structured into a cake, use the remainder of the frosting to cover the sides of your cake, until the red colour is no longer peeking through.

-Decorate with berries / dried fruit of your choice.

-Place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours to set, then slice with a sharp knife, wiping it clean with a paper towel in-between.

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] 

If your digestion isn’t in order, the chances are you also experience at least two of these symptoms:

-Bloating

-Tiredness

-Heart burn or indigestion

-Food allergies

-Nausea

-Skin breakouts

-Skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, acne or psoriasis 

-Weight gains

-Constipation or loose stools

-Flatulence or belching

-Parasites or Candida

-Weak nails and hair

Poor digestion is awful and sadly unless something is done about it, it may only get worse with time.

Have you ever said...

“I used to be able to eat anything” or 

“I never had to exercise to stay in shape” or

“My baby weight never went away” or

“My digestion is not what it used to be”?

[Personally, I’m guilty of all the above, especially when I have the below reference taken circa 2013.]

If you want something done about this digestion of yours (btw it’s not the same as metabolism- you can eliminate quickly and stay slim but it still doesn’t mean that you’re making the most out of your food and assimilating the goodness), the first thing you must do is begin eating consciously.

Easier said than done? 

Nope, it’s very very easy to do. Continue reading for my top tip that works every single time and is actually fun...

But first I’d like to paint you a picture of what happens when you DON’T eat consciously.

I bet there’s been a time that you’ve taken your sandwich to your desk and swallowed it so fast, you weren’t sure if you even tasted it, let alone felt any satisfaction. 

You certainly were a bit annoyed at yourself for spending money on yet another lunch you don’t remember eating. 

I mean- how did it disappear from your plate? Wait, maybe someone played a trick on you and you haven’t even taken a bite! Mmmm maybe not.

Suddenly you feel bloated. Dissatisfied, irritated and bloated. Awesome combo.

What actually happened when you swallowed that sandwich is that it got dumped into your stomach without any warning, without the host having a chance to get the space ready for it, in fact it squashed the host unconscious, confused the whole digestive system so it stopped operating altogether. Your body’s alarm went off to send signals of there being something wrong and the only way it knew to communicate that was by making you bloat.

You didn’t respond to those cries so it gave you a headache.

You blocked out the headache with a painkiller so it gave you visible red patches on your neck and breakouts on your chin.

You covered them up with concealer so it gave you extra love handles you couldn’t cover up.

You told yourself that next time you’ll just skip lunch to which you immediately felt an inflammation response.

Now your joints hurt.

WTF? Surely that’s got nothing to do with a sandwich!

And why do you feel so tired when food is supposed to give you energy?

Now let’s rewind for a moment and try that again...

You unwrap your sandwich, feeling good within yourself that you got up to go out and buy it, feeling proud that you got at least a little movement into your day.

You start to breathe deeper with that thought of gratitude.

In turn you begin to relax and even get a whiff of the deliciousness you’re about to enjoy.

You begin to salivate.

You take a small bite and you chew chew chew.

Your brain then sends the message to your stomach (the host) that food is coming so it starts to tidy up and pump out the welcoming mat (hydrochloride acid).

The food slides down with joy, lands not in a dry sad desert but a fun pool of digestive juices.

It breaks down effortlessly, without the need for your body to spend any more precious energy, so you feel like you have lots of energy to actually do some work.

Minerals, nutrients and vitamins then spark into fireworks that go straight to the cells which need them most, while the remains take a different route towards easy elimination.

No arguments, no confusion, no need for setting off any alarms, everyone knows their role and they get on with doing their thing so you can get on with doing your thing.

So next time you’d like scene #2 instead, next time you’d prefer to feel alive, energised, relaxed, bloat free and happy within yourself for eating consciously, try this tip:

Imagine that while you’re eating that sandwich, a hidden camera is projecting your every move onto a National News channel! Your face is on everyone’s screen for millions to watch you eat. 

The Royal family watch the news too, you know :)

P.S. I touch on the topic of digestion and often discuss it in depth at every single one of my workshops. You can bet that I'll be covering this topic in the next classes 'Easy raw lunches that kids will love' and 'How to eat for beautiful skin'. All classes can be booked via this link: https://tanyasliving.com/collections/workshops-and-events