Thank you guys so much for all the support and words of encouragement after I posted my original update all about my wellness journey post birth. 

 

You might remember that I began this journey almost 6 months ago now, 1 week before my 35th birthday, 7 months after baby #2 and 223 days of sleep deprivation and adrenal fatigue later, when I felt at my very worst.

 

What I didn’t mention is that when my birthday rolled around, I was struck with the most simple yet profound message that would stay with me every single day since...

 

I was inside the LMS hyperbaric oxygen chamber, breathing in 95% pure oxygen (there’s only 21% oxygen in the air we’re breathing now!) to help all the goodness in my IV drip absorb effectively into all of my cells, when I noticed a book.

 

 

 

This book was called ‘ikigai’ (loosely translated as ‘your reason to jump out of bed every morning’.)

 

I flicked to the summary points of ‘the Japanese secret to a long and happy life’ and there it was... the message that affected me to the very core... the words which have played over in my mind every day for the past 6 months:

 

“Get in shape for your next birthday”.

 

 

 

It wasn’t that I needed to see this message to eat better or go to the gym.

 

It wasn’t that I needed extra motivation.

 

It wasn’t that I read it on my birthday and liked the coincidental surprise.

 

It was that for the first time ever, I understood that lasting change needs time;

 

...that Metamorphosis doesn’t happen overnight. It doesn’t even happen in a month. 

 

...that sculpting a body is a process. A gentle, steady, loving, careful process.

 

I understood that if I want something enough, I must commit not 2 or 4 or 8 weeks to something on an intensive basis, I must commit a year and take small DAILY steps.

 

It may seem basic to you, but for someone that [before babies and never since] only needed to go for a run in order to immediately produce calf muscles or skip only one meal to be rewarded with a flat stomach, this message was a revelation!

 

 

“Get in shape for your next birthday”.

 

The message consumed me.

 

My patience grew roots. 

 

My appreciation for the human body amplified.

 

I felt inspired like never before.

 

It felt as if I was solving a puzzle for 35 years and it was finally in front of me - whole, completed, solved, accomplished. 

 

I finally got it!

 

 

 

“Get in shape for your next birthday”.

 

It is the exact message which comes to mind now each time I look in the mirror, about to drown in the disappointment of my results. 

 

I am reminded that these things take time. 

 

I remember to be kinder to myself. 

 

I feel motivated to carry on.

 

I fill with gratitude and appreciation for my health, energy, determination, patience, gift of time and privilege to be (and to feel) alive!

 

I continue to make healthy choices (something no one regrets ever!) and I actually enjoy myself in the process.

 

I enjoy the cold/hot/cold showers.

 

I enjoy the hourly alarms I set up for myself, like the 12:22pm ‘my posture is amazing’ reminder or the 3:33pm alarm called ‘the universe rewards my actions’.

 

I enjoy the workouts in my living room and feel an energy rush when I break a sweat! I wish I could find more time than just twice weekly, but still feel grateful that because I only do them twice weekly, I am skipping with excitement to get cracking when the wait is over!

 

 

 

I enjoy my daily 500ml pint glass of pure celery juice. Actually, I’m addicted now! And the benefits from the first time I did my 21 days of it in December were so obvious to everyone, now Elliot joined me on round 2! More on my experience with it in another newsletter, but if you already know that you want to join me on my round 3 starting end of March, then register your interest here:   mailchi.mp/tanyasliving/celeryjuice

 

I enjoy being woken up early by my babies and getting started with my day without a snooze button.

 

But best (and weirdest) of all however is that I enjoy cleaning now. 

 

All sorts of cleaning! Deep cleaning, decluttering, sorting, folding, ironing, floor scrubbing, dish washing, dusting, wiping, polishing, vacuuming, soaking, you name it - I relish in it, even washing out the rubbish bin is a joy! 

 

And you know why?....

 

When the whole “Get in shape for your next birthday” invaded my consciousness, I immediately became disinterested in anything to do with the couch and looked for ways to move my body any chance I got.

 

I wanted this exercise to be good for my body, as well as my home and my brain, so I (once again) enrolled myself into IIN, the online nutrition school, downloaded lectures and started listening to them while I cleaned. 

 

Holy. Wow. 

 

Everything is so much more interesting the second time around! 

 

 

Maybe it’s because the wellness information has really evolved since I took the course 7 years ago.

 

Maybe the doctors and gurus delivering this info are even more awe-inspiring now. 

 

Maybe my own mindset has shifted, because now I’m not merely listening to lectures for a certificate, I’m absorbing them for my and my family’s wellbeing and longevity.

 

I’m surrendering to the universe and accepting (with gratitude) my divine right to feel fricken amazing!

 

When wellness information travels through my ears, it absorbs into my brain tissues, my nerves, organs, every cell of my body and out to my aura.

 

I transform into a beacon of wellness and I literally feel everything within me (including my choices, cravings, energy levels and even stubborn fat cells) shifting in order to get me to my “Get in shape for your next birthday” intention.

 

The power of the wellness information within the IIN curriculum goes far beyond helping you become an incredible health coach. 

 

It literally changes you forever.

 

And honestly, I often avoid sending emails or publishing blog posts, in fear of coming across as too ‘salesy’, so I just keep quiet. 

 

BUT I genuinely believe that this course is magical, powerful and addictively interesting... and now that the price of tuition is going up from 1st March, I know I’d regret not giving you the heads up!

 

So even if a portion of you was once interested in studying wellness for a year (only 5 hours per week!), perhaps this is your sign to go for it?

 

 

Here’s what my friends at IIN say:

 

“On March 1, 2020, our tuition will increase from $5,995 to $6,795 for the Health Coach Training Program. While most schools regularly increase their tuition as they update their curriculum, we have not increased tuition in years. Since 2013, we have honored our commitment to keeping tuition costs down to allow as many people as possible to receive our life-changing education.”

 

So in order to avoid this US $800 price increase AND still receive $1,500 off the current/old price, call one of these numbers to enrol before Sunday 1st March!

 

(877) 733-1628 from US

+1 (212) 730-5433 from outside of US

 

Remember to mention my name (Tanya Maher) so you get all saving. 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------

IIN is the world's largest nutrition school with over 130,000 graduates around the globe.

You don't need to quit your job or change your whole life to do the course. Your life will change on its own and in the most magical ways and all you'll be doing is listening to eye-popping lectures a couple of hours per week.

It's the only course I recommend. Here is how it works>>

Now is the perfect time to enrol as tuition is increasing from 1 March 2020!!! 

Right now you can avoid the USD $800 price increase and still save $1500 on THE OLD PRICE by mentioning my name (Tanya Maher).

If you're ready to join or would like more info before tuition costs increase, call my friends at IIN on (877) 733-1628 from US or +1 (212) 730-5433 from outside of US and be sure to mention my name (Tanya Maher) to get your tuition savings and bonuses. 

I discovered raw food not because I had a plethora of illnesses and this was my last resort. There was nothing wrong with me…

 

I was fit, my body was in top shape, I never had to worry about what I ate, my parents were knowledgeable in alternative therapies, I had an awesome job in property, I was young, popular, invincible – I was healthy.

 

Or so I thought.

 

Looking back at my life now, I can only picture a young girl living in complete denial.

 

I often ate a tub of ice cream or an entire block of chocolate instead of lunch and dinner, because I figured I should choose one to avoid overeating.

 

I partied ‘til dawn in clouds of second-hand smoke and thought of it as the best form of exercise.

 

I thought sleep was overrated.

 

My whole back was covered in repulsive acne, but who cares because I couldn’t see behind me and at the beach, it was easy to just sunbathe lying on it.

 

I would often get knife-piercing pain in my stomach, but I was the best long-distance runner I knew, so it didn’t matter.

 

I didn’t like my own reflection, but I could always grin or pull faces in photos to disguise what I thought was too round a face and too big a nose.

 

I would be bedridden whenever the seasons changed, but so was everyone else, so there is nothing wrong.

 

I even thought that a reflexologist who told me to change my diet immediately to save myself from emerging diabetes was mad because, surely, diabetes was only for people who were overweight?

 

And while others would turn to binging when it came to work- or relationship-related stress, I considered myself lucky for losing interest in eating when I was stressed, because I starved and got slimmer.

 

It took me a long time to unlearn these stories I’d been telling myself. It took me even longer to realise how well I’d mastered blocking out what needed attention, because of how well I’d blocked out one particular major event in my life…

 

The year 1999 was one to remember.

 

I survived my second year as a teenager, my second year in high school was almost over, my Russian accent had begun to sound more Kiwi (believe me, a foreign accent is a big deal when you’re an immigrant at school) and, for the first time, I was allowed to go away with my best friend for our joint birthday celebrations.

 

It was a rainy day, the road was long and winding, but it didn’t matter because I was with my bestie, we had lollies, hip-hop music to sing along to and the whole back of the car to ourselves.

 

Nothing was going to stop us from laughing and dancing, not even a safety belt that straps you tightly to your seat. We both pulled our seatbelts over our shoulders and under our arms, so we were secured only around our waists.

 

The next thing I remember is seeing a four-wheel drive head on, an unimaginable strike of sharp pain in my abdomen, followed by our car quickly filling with smoke and the struggle to open a jammed door, because I couldn’t possibly stay in a car that might blow up like in the movies.

 

I still have no idea whether it was five minutes or five hours between the car accident and being rushed to Auckland City Hospital by helicopters, although I do remember how fast the emergency crew chopped open my favourite checked blue trousers.

 

And amidst the uncontrollable pain through my stomach to my back, the haunting repetition of ambulance crew voices shouting something about a fractured spine, I still managed to wish that I was wearing better underwear.

 

Everyone in both vehicles survived the crash, but no one walked away injury free…

 

I broke my back and had to wear a full-body brace for four months. I still have a metal plate and screws joining my lower spine. My stomach was so badly bruised and swollen from the seatbelt (which also saved my life) that doctors proposed to remove my pancreas.

 

To make this hospital stay even more memorable, a catheter burst inside me, spreading an infection through my bladder, all while I was being pumped with an intense dose of morphine, to which my body reacted with intense hives.

 

My mum and dad went through so much stress and my entire focus turned to recovery, just to see these two favourite faces laughing again.

 

I tried hard to be a good girl and eat the mashed potatoes, ice cream and jelly they provided as hospital food, but my body would not keep them in. I remember being so angry at it for spewing up anything that went in.

 

My weight declined, as did all interest in food, until I couldn’t tolerate the thought of it.

 

Meanwhile, doctors were still waiting on my parents’ decision on whether or not to remove my pancreas.

 

Knowing that it was a key gland for proper digestion and hormone regulation, my wise family were determined to keep it intact.

 

We wanted to learn how to help my body to heal, but no one even knew about Google then, and raw food books certainly weren’t known of in the library, so we did what came naturally in the moment of despair- we used intuition.

 

Mum and dad asked me to imagine different foods and name those that didn’t immediately make me feel nauseous.

 

There were so many foods I craved, I was literally starving, but the only ones I could entertain of actually keeping in were peppermint tea, high-factor manuka honey and liquidised vegetables.

 

How clever our bodies are. Even in the most vulnerable state they know exactly what they need to survive.

 

I know now that my body, being so inflamed and sensitive, asked specifically for peppermint tea for its soothing properties, manuka honey for its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal protection from hospital bugs, and raw carrot juice for its antioxidants, nutrients and enzymes, to support my healing pancreas.

 

My body knew that raw foods have the power to heal, it knew exactly which foods had the right nutrition for this healing and it was because of raw foods that I got to keep my pancreas – although I didn’t even realise it at the time.

 

Fast forward 10 years and it was, again, mum and dad who inspired me to tap onto that intuition and discover a calling within me so deep, it would bring positive meaning to all unfortunate past events. They read raw food expert Victoria Boutenko’s books and literally changed their entire diet overnight.

 

They got rid of the microwave, espresso machine and all the food in their pantry. They filled clear kitchen benches with alien equipment, the refrigerator with so much colour it looked like a kaleidoscope, and started dehydrating flax crackers as if they were stocking up for 21 December 2012.

 

It was awesome to see them so enthusiastic about a diet, but it’s not like I was about to start doing the same. After all, as you’ve heard, there was nothing ‘wrong’ with me.

 

It was also around this time that my husband, Elliot, and I started dating, and I was more interested in showing off my cooking repertoire than rolling energy balls.

 

But my curiosity was already ignited.

 

I watched my parents shed weight, start to look younger, glow from within, sleep less and do more exciting things with their days, all with an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm. I had to get my hands on that book!

 

It was when I read ‘Green for Life’ and the collection of testimonials from people who had reversed all manner of illnesses (from diabetes, heart conditions, obesity, asthma, chronic fatigue and cancer) with raw food that I made an important connection – that I had also healed my body, all those years ago, with raw food.

 

 

It occurred to me that if we can heal disease with raw food, surely we can prevent it too. Now we’re talking!

 

What I read in Boutenko’s book made sense – as soon as you apply heat to foods, they shrivel up, vitamins and minerals diminish, antioxidants and proteins are halved and enzymes vital for digestion die entirely. Our bodies then spend all their efforts on digesting the mineral-depleted foods and leave us with little energy for anything else.

 

What didn’t make sense is why so few people knew about the raw power of plants.

 

And in this I found my calling.

 

I immediately began making green smoothies for our breakfast. I loved to cook and experiment with foods, so was in no hurry to change our meals, but my taste buds began to long for more greens throughout the day.

 

Without even thinking about it, I reached for a salad instead of a sandwich at lunchtime and filled half our dinner plates with fresh raw vegetables.

 

I thought I had really lost it the day I salivated over spinach at a supermarket and came home without commercial chocolate.

 

I was loving the new flavours our fresh diet had to offer, as well as all the benefits I detected- increased energy, focus and intuition, glowing skin and sparkling eyes, healing acne, and strong hair and nails. Most of all, I loved how much fun I was having in the kitchen.

 

With so much attention paid to feeling awesome, it wasn’t until later that I realised how my painful stomach cramps never returned, my headaches had diminished, my teeth stopped getting cavities, and how flu and colds became a thing of the past.

 

I knew I couldn’t keep all of this to myself, so as soon as we moved to London, I went knocking on yoga centre and restaurant doors offering to run lunchtime classes, got kitted up with equipment, started blogging recipes, selling green smoothies and raw chocolate at market stalls, joined raw food networking groups and attended any health-related workshop I could find.

 

I began coaching clients. This allowed me to witness the countless benefits of raw foods among athletes, expectant mothers, young professionals and the newly retired.

 

Yet, I wanted to go deeper.

 

My intention was never to transform the world’s diet to eating all raw, I simply wanted to raise awareness of the benefit of eating plants and my mission became helping people to experience the incredible vitality I was thriving with.

 

I really wanted for everyone to feel in control of their own energy and health again.

 

I really really wanted to help others tap into that time of youth when they felt invincible, free and full of joy. I wanted them to know how possible it is to feel like that all the time!

 

I longed for people to break free from the hypnosis that the traditional medicine, dairy industry and government bodies put us under.

 

I dreamed of a world where people didn’t have to suffer and where they believed that vibrant health was their birth-right.

 

So badly I wished for people to feel ALIVE again.

 

I knew that all of this was pretty BIG and that I couldn’t do it on my own. The thing is I didn’t know where to begin either. So, I did what I knew works - I sat my butt down on a meditation cushion and literally asked to be shown the way.

 

What happened right after- changed everything.

 

I opened myself up for possibilities and asked for a clear sign. By the time I heard of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition from three different people in the week right after my meditation, I knew it was the sign I couldn’t ignore.

 

I was still paying off my student loan for the Bachelor of Property so wasn’t into the idea of getting into more debt. But, all signs pointed towards going for it, so I borrowed from my parents and enrolled on the year-long journey of online education.

 

I thought I was just signing up to qualify as a Holistic Health Coach and be a better counsellor to my current clients, so they can experience everything I dreamed up for them, but I got so much more.

 

The same year that I was getting my mind blown from all the powerful realisations and my neck muscles exercised from all the nodding, while listening to lectures on my iPhone, was the year some pretty wonderful things were happening in the background..

 

I remained open for miracles and then after five years together, Elliot proposed.

 

I remained open for miracles and met with my dream publisher, who would later publish my book.

 

I remained open for miracles and began coaching a dream client, with whom I would soon open my café.

 

I remained open for miracles and became IIN’s chosen ambassador, which meant that I had the power to offer my readers some amazing discounts to this life-changing course, getting more and more people to spread the ripple effect.

 

Suddenly my big dream didn’t seem so far-fetched.

 

The thing is- I didn’t have to work hard to ‘remain open’. The beauty of the program is that on top of teaching you how to be the best coach to your clients and especially to yourself, it teaches you about nutrition, bio-individuality and how some diets work for some and why not for others, but more importantly, it teaches you how to manifest.

 

The entire course is designed to help you be the healthiest person you know and to live your very best life. Guiding you to remain open for miracles and manifest dreams into reality is very much on the agenda!

 

So, if you even for a second thought that this course might-be-just-ever-so-slightly-a-tiny-bit interesting, I invite you to do the following:

 

1. Register your name and email below or here so I can forward you a FREE sample class and a FREE copy of my eBook ‘One Day Raw- a Beginner’s Guide to Living Foods’.
2. Add 2PM EST / 7PM GMT Friday 20^thApril to your calendar and watch me LIVE as I visit the IIN offices in New York! (I’ll send you a direct link to this FB Live on the day)
3. Remain open for miracles.

 

And, if you feel this is YOUR sign to do the course and you are ready to register for the next class beginning 7^th MAY, then here’s what you’ll get as a BONUS for registering:

 

1. A 25% discount or an interest-free payment plan.
2. A FREE copy of my eBook ‘Purified-Your Complete 7 Day Detox Program’.
3. A parcel in the mail containing my book ‘The Uncook Book- The Essential Guide to a Raw Food Lifestyle’, and a collection of Tanya’s dehydrated snacks- BBQ Spiced Activated Nuts, Detox Dust Activated Seeds, Cheezy Kale Chips, Coconut Chips and Coconut Jerky.

 

To qualify for all the bonuses, call my friends at IIN on (877) 733-1628 for US or +1 (212) 730-5433 for International and be sure to mention my name (Tanya Maher). Ask them if you can start on May 7^th and I’ll be in touch with the rest!

 

 

Wow that wasn’t a long post at all. Haha.

 

Love you!

xTanya

Joshua Rosenthal is my amazing teacher from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a pioneer and visionary in holistic health and wellness. He holds a Master’s of Science in Education and has over 30 years of experience in health and wellness including creation of the concept of Health Coach.

Long before the benefits of proper nutrition and lifestyle were mainstream, Joshua's fascination with personal growth and development led him to experiment with simple changes to his own diet and lifestyle. Through this process, he realised that food changes everything. He knew that if he could spread this message, he would make the world a healthier and happier place. With this mission in mind, Joshua founded the Institute for Integrative Nutrition 25 years ago. IIN started with a small group of students in a rented kitchen in New York City and has grown into an online global phenomenon with over 60,000 students and graduates from over 120 countries. His vision and leadership have empowered people to reach their personal and professional goals, and continue to exponentially improve the landscape of the health and wellness industry around the world.

That's a pretty big deal and I couldn't be more excited to be getting to know him on a more personal level through our interview.

Meet our November's Master of the Month...

DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY OF EATING AND DRINKING.

What I eat really depends on how I feel and what season of the year it is. Over time, I’ve learned to really listen and tune in with what my body is craving.  In the morning though, I always start my day with a big glass of water with lemon and a green juice or smoothie.  The next time I’m hungry, I’ll sit down to a big raw kale salad and dinner is usually another plant based dish.  I work pretty much all day long because I’m very involved with each department at IIN.  It’s important to me that they feel supported, so I’m lucky that my partner, Alex is an absolutely amazing cook.  I take breaks so we can eat every meal together.

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

Alex, my family, and Integrative Nutrition – its mission, our students, and graduates.  I want to stay healthy so I can be the best version of myself in every aspect of my life.

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

I love chocolate, but I don’t consider it a weakness.  When you start considering foods as weaknesses it creates a dependency on utilizing them as a crutch or reward.  Just like we teach bio-individuality in our program, in my book no food is “good” or “bad”, it’s all about learning what works for you and how to treat yourself when your body is truly craving it.

MY TOP TIP FOR:

Improving your diet is… learn how to understand where your cravings are coming from, it’s usually because something else is missing in your life.

Staying healthy while travelling is… really important, but it’s also important to enjoy what other cultures have to offer. I always look to eat what is fresh and local.

Detoxing is… A food that feels detoxifying to me may feel toxic to someone else.

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

That IIN’s Health Coach Training Program changed their life and the lives of their families and communities.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

As someone who had an impact on the world and helped others.

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: Juicer. Alex and I love our morning juices!

Garden: the kale, there are so many nutrients that have positive effects on my mind, body, and soul, I could never give it up.

Bookshelf: my book, Integrative Nutrition Feed your Hunger for Health & Happiness, it’s just something 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?

To be honest, the best dinner party I can imagine would have all of the people I love most in my life.  When I’m around those people is when I feel most fulfilled, happy, and content.  There’s nothing quite like it.  Alex and I would serve a table of food cooked with love – everything from raw salads with veggies from the garden to grass fed meat bought at the local farm and whole ancient grains.  I would want to make sure there was something for everyone!

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT LIFE IS BETTER RAW (OR WITH MORE PLANTS IN YOUR DIET)?

I believe that moving towards a more plant based diet can make people more balanced and vibrant. I tend to eat a primarily plant based diet. However, it’s important for people to keep bio-individuality in mind.  What works for me and what works for you may not work for someone else.  I recommend experimenting with different types of protein and various foods to see how you feel and fulfill your dietary needs based on what you learn and understand that what your body needs day to day can change, and that’s okay!

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Our Master of The Month shares his favourite recipe…

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH PESTO
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 2

3 large zucchini/ courgette

2 bunches basil

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp sea salt, or to taste

Black pepper, to taste

 

· Wash, pat dry, and trim zucchini ends. Create noodles using a spiralizer tool.

· Option: Sauté your “noodles” in olive oil over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

· Wash and dry basil and add to blender with pine nuts, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.

· Blend until smooth, adding more olive oil and/or water as needed.

· Toss zucchini noodles with pesto

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For more on Joshua, his book, the IIN health coach program and to sample a free class, go here>>