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

The first time I’ve encountered food cravings wasn’t when I was pregnant (didn’t crave a thing during pregnancy) but a few years prior to that when I was exploring the raw food lifestyle for the first time.

I was loving making all sorts of classic dishes out of plants and without cooking, yet all I could think of was Kinder Eggs.

Not even kidding.

I’ve never even had that many in the past, yet the cravings weren’t just for commercial processed chocolate, they were pretty specific.

I began to explore raw chocolate making then (it was almost 10 years ago now! Whoa), I was loving discovering what is possible with pure cacao but the very specific craving remained.

I then went on to learn everything about the Cacao fruit and all its mega powers to discover that often when us women are at a particular time of the month, we lose magnesium and our body naturally asks for chocolate because it knows that cacao contains loads of this mineral.

I figured, that’s it, I just need to eat lots of raw chocolate, my magnesium levels will replenish themselves and my cravings will go away.

It didn’t quite work out like that.

I still thought about those Kinder Eggs and it was driving me insane.

During that time of transitioning to a more plant based diet, by default I was cleansing and becoming more in tune with my body.

I began asking my body: ‘what do you need?’ rather than ‘what do you feel like?’.

It was during one of these moments that my body urged me to think on exactly why I may be craving those silky milky treats, because the answer was contained within.

I really had to close my eyes and visualise what exactly it was that raw chocolate couldn’t deliver.

It was obviously, not just the magnesium and antioxidant-rich chocolate itself or I would’ve been the happiest girl in the world crunching on cacao nibs. Plus I was already getting plenty of magnesium from leafy greens and antioxidants from berries.

Was it the sweetness? Nope, because if it was then I’d be satisfied simply by swallowing a tablespoon of white sugar.

The answer was clear. I longed for the creaminess, the milkiness, the fattiness, the dairyness!

I longed for fats.

Interestingly, although my cravings were that specific, eating Kinder didn’t seem to make me want it less.

Turns out that my body was trying to tell me that it needed lots of cold pressed essential fats and fatty acids, but the only way it knew to communicate this was pointing out the very thing that contained lots of fats, albeit the wrong kind.

It’s not like my body was ever going to get me salivating for a cup full of fish oil or a can of sardines, so it communicated the only way it knew how...

It kept reminding me of those creamy little buggers, creamy, creamy, fatty, fatty, till the message hit home.

I bought all kinds of seed oils, oil blends, extra virgin varieties and cold pressed extracts, then began blending them into my smoothies and shakes, desserts and salad dressings.

Soon after that, my cravings for Kinder Surprise went away. Forever!

Now I know that simply dreaming about a certain food doesn’t mean that you’ll be completely satisfied as soon as you give in to it. Certainly not long term.

I know to really think about that food and to really dissect what’s inside.

There lies the answer of what minerals and nutrients my own body may be missing. And that there is always a solution to how this deficiency may be restored.

At times, I may crave bread...

I know now that it is when I am boarding on a chromium or nitrogen deficiency.

If these cravings keep reappearing, I simply up my intake of cinnamon, grapes and sweet potato for chromium or greens, grains and legumes for nitrogen.

Other times I may long for cheese...

And I don’t mean ‘oh there’s cheese in front of me, I kinda fancy some’, I mean I reeeeeally want cheese so much that I’m willing to change out of my pj’s, at 9 o’clock at night, and walk for 20 minutes each way to the supermarket for cheeeeese.

That’s a pretty clear call for a top up on essential fatty acids and calcium.

I would go for more omega 3’s (EPA and DHA), tahini, broccoli and kale, then just like a miracle- not one more thought about cheese for months.

Those are the most common cravings that I’m sure you too experience from time to time.

I also get emails about more bizarre cravings like crunching ice or being too snacky or dreaming of alcohol.

These’s also cravings for coffee, fizzy drinks, burned foods, salty foods, popcorn, red meat, crisps and so many more.

And guess what- they ALL mean something.

And we will discuss them in depth at this Sunday’s workshop ‘What your cravings are telling you’.

More importantly, I will teach you how to make the most satisfying raw food delicacies such as a Butterscotch Marble Triple Choc Cake, Creamy Mylk-shake, Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms and a yummy Cheezy Dip, and we will enjoy them all in class.

11:30am-2pm Sunday 11th March...

Can’t think of a better way to spend Mother’s Day than doing what I love the most.

I hope you will join me, as now there are only a few tickets left.

Book here:

Read more

Tuesday was incredible.

I got to hang out with some of the key players in the industry, dine with them, share ideas with them and hear about their research into the future of wellness. Not only that, I had the privilege to close the Food & Drink Innovation Network’s (FDIN) event with my own presentation.

All while London was getting painted white out of our windows. Soooo beautiful! 

Then, as though my immune system was holding out until the minute I finished speaking… suddenly I lost my voice, my head filled with cold, my throat flared up and my entire body started to ache. 

Having managed to avoid being this ill for many years now, I basically forgot what to do and went to bed as soon as Lake went down.

I woke up on Wednesday with the same conjunctivitis that she’s been fighting for the last few days. Plus everything I felt the day before was intensified three fold. Not. Ideal.

I went through the cupboards and gathered whatever I felt like my compromised immune system might benefit from, that would be comforting at the same time.

I made this below latte in a blender. Then I made it again. And two more times throughout the day. Today, on Thursday, I woke up kinda back to normal.

That’s some speedy healing if you ask me, so a remedy recipe to bookmark for sure!

Cold & Flu Remedy in a Latte

• 1 inch ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons Manuka honey
• 1 tablespoon almond butter (or tahini)
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon beetroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1 cup hot/boiling water

-Blend everything and enjoy, while reminding your cells that they well and good and have a divine right to heal quickly and thrive.

IMPORTANT

There’s not a whole lot of Vitamin C in this latte and it’s something MAJOR for a cold, so I ended up eating lots of broccoli in my meals (way more Vitamin C in broccoli than lemons, would you believe?). Better yet, squeeze lemon all over your broc- tasty, zesty and vital. If it’s a serious cold, you might want to get serious about Vitamin C and get yourself some Camu Camu Berry Powder.

TURMERIC

Turmeric is the anti-inflammatory ruling, antioxidant buzzing superstar of them all.  And it’s all thanks to curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, that we aren’t only limited to using this herb for healing and fighting disease, but also for strengthening our immune system, extending our life span, improving our skin, and becoming happier people. (Buy it here)

BLACK PEPPER

Peppercorns may have its health benefits but in this recipe, it plays more than a crucial role. The curcumin content of turmeric is actually only approx 3% by weight. To get the dosage required for healing you’ll need at least 1 gram of curcumin per day, which is basically 5 tablespoons of curry powder in a meal. Good luck with that. To top it off, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream, so make that 10 tablespoons. Or don’t!… mix a little ground black pepper (it contains piperine) with turmeric, and the absorption is enhanced by 2000%. Suddenly a 7 gram tablespoon of turmeric, that would’ve otherwise only contained 0.21 grams of curcumic becomes equivalent to 4 grams in absorbable terms. Pass the pepper please! (Buy it here)

GINGER

Ginger is pretty much an antibacterial, antiviral, flu fighting, toxin releasing, mucus preventing, digestion strengthening, immunity boosting Ninja Warrior of dreams! No way was I to leave it out of my magical cold & flu remedy. (Buy it here)

BEETROOT

Beets’ latest and biggest claim to fame is  for their oxygen giving properties to especially key to athletes and those looking to boost their stamina. It’s all in the nitrates converting into nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide improves blood flow which is also important when you’re healing, detoxing and fighting inflammation. (Buy it here)

CINNAMON

I reckon God must’ve been in a good mood when he thought of giving one of his trees a bark so aromatic, so flavourful and so easy to grind up into powder that it would be added to some of the tastiest dishes, drinks and desserts in many cultures. It’s incredible for regulating blood sugar levels. Just think - cinnamon roll. Ok stop thinking about cinnamon rolls now, because this herb ranks #1 for its protective antioxidant levels and ability to fight infections and viruses. It’s a natural anti-biotic, anti-microbial and anti-viral agent, so don’t be shy with it. (Buy it here)

MANUKA HONEY

The higher the Active NPA or MGO rating of manuka honey is, the more anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal are its properties. If anyone has head my story, you might recall that honey contributed greatly to my healing at 14 years old. I was in hospital with a broken back and inflamed pancreas, while a catheter burst and spread infection through my bladder. No-one prescribed the honey to me, but my body intuitively craved it and I’m so happy I listened. Big big fan of Manuka right here. Oh and it’s native to my beloved NZ! (Buy it here)

More on turmeric: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#section2

More on ginger: https://homeremediesforlife.com/ginger-for-flu/

More on beetroot: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx

More on cinnamon: https://draxe.com/health-benefits-cinnamon/

More on Manuka honey: https://draxe.com/manuka-honey-benefits-uses/

 P.S. What do you crave? Doooo you crave anything at all? How often do you crave something and is it usually at a certain time of day, during a particular time of year or dependent on where you are in the world? My next class is all about cravings but I'll be putting it all into an article soon as well, so please leave your comments below, if you'd like me to cover something in it. 

Looking for the perfect gift this Love Day 2018  but struggling for it to tick all the boxes?

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Refined sugar free
• Organic
• Crazy beautiful
• Stupidly indulgent
• Actually healthy
• Really really delicious
• Delivered all across the UK

Not only have we just sorted you out, we've handmade every single little treat. All for the love of it! (Also, it tastes way better that way)

Go straight to the online store>> or shop below:

Notes on delivery:

FREE pick-up option is available. Please come to Tanya's at My Chelsea (SW3 3QX) on the evening of Tuesday 13th or any time on Wednesday14th.

London residents - You can order whole cakes too! (Please see this map to check if your area is covered by our delivery partners). If your order includes a cake, the entire order will be delivered on Wednesday 14th. If your order has no cake, it will be posted by 1st class Royal Mail with the rest on Monday 12th.

UK residents - Please place your order by 10am Monday 12th if you'd like us to mail it that day. We can't guarantee your delivery on or before Wednesday 14th if an order is placed after 10am Monday. Your order will be sent via 1st class Royal Mail and needs to go straight into the fridge as soon as it arrives.