…Not that she will ever be forgotten, but today is Polly Noble’s birthday and I just returned from Ecuador where I spent a beautiful week with her entire family.

Two years ago she invited me to her birthday party, but I was with my parents, sister and her husband (who was also born on 11/11) in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Last year, when she was celebrating on 11/11, I was again in Ecuador at this time running my annual Raw Food & Soul Adventures retreat. This time, Polly exclaimed “That’s it! NEXT year, I’m coming with you!”

She’s a powerful little one…

Indeed this year she came with us. She may not have been there in her body, but she was absolutely there, she even brought with her every single person she loved more than anything in the world- her mum, dad, brother, sister, their other halves and her 7 months old nephew, who Polly got to meet and enjoy just before she passed.

One night at the retreat, I couldn’t get to sleep, so I stayed up preparing for the next day’s activities and making energy balls for everyone, when Polly showed up. I’ve never had this experience before, so it was as odd for me as it may sound to you right now.

We had the most real conversation and for a brief hour, I felt like I had my friend back. She told me about how proud she was of her dad eating raw food, drinking green juice and trying yoga. She told me how impressed she was with her beloved mummy, who hasn’t been further than Germany for her fear of flying, but is now in South America, doing all the things Polly loved to do. She told me to look through at specific photos I took of her sister and her boyfriend and point out to them the condor and the butterfly next to them, as that’s how she showed up to photobomb them. She couldn’t find the words to express how proud it made her to see her perfect brother, now being the perfect father. And if she had another opportunity to choose a brother, that couldn’t be her own, she’d want it to be her precious nephew Freddie. And if she had another opportunity to choose a mother, that couldn’t be her own, she’d want it to be her sister-in-law Michelle. She promised that if she came back, it had to be to her own family and asked me to tell them not to worry, because she would return as the healthiest version of herself.

AT THE TOP OF VILCABAMBA AND POLLY THE BUTTERFLY AS PER ABOVE.

Can you imagine me then having to tell this to her family the following day? I probably lost 3kgs of weigh bawling my eyes out with Polly that night, then 3kgs more telling my own parents in the morning. Yet she chose me as a messenger, so I got the strength from above. From Polly herself, no doubt.

On the last night of the retreat, when everyone showed up wearing white for our closing cacao ceremony (more like a cleansing ceremony, because white represents purity, release and starting over), Polly shows up again. This time she came to my mum and asked for her help in cleansing her soul so she can leave this plane and get ready for a new life. She was always impatient, but the thought of returning to her family sooner than later turned her into a joyful hopeful kid again and even though my mum has never met Polly in person, she saw her as an excited little girl, doing swirls and cartwheels, giggling while saying that she’s ready to ascend as soon as possible.

The time and place were an auspicious combo of synchronicities, as the most unique draw about my parents’ land is that it happens to have an ascension portal and this very day in Ecuador happens to be the day of all souls (or remembrance day).

It was of course entirely optional for others to attend this special good-bye ceremony for Polly, but as the team that everyone has become over the retreat, no one even blinked an eye at the decision and even got to connect and release their own family and friends who have recently passed.

The experience was equally as beautiful and uplifting as it was overwhelming, overpowering and… hot! My Lord we got hot. Now this was a time of day when Vilcabamba becomes chilly, having a rainforest type climate, so we are usually cosied up inside over a hot cup of tea, but not during what we got up to! The presence of our loved ones was indisputable.

We then went on to celebrate by eating high-vibration raw chocolate, drinking hot almond cacao lattes and playing African drums on our large outdoor balcony, from which all you can see is the moon in the sky and the fireflies in the distant trees.

Just moments after 8pm when we were winding down anyway, we got a confirmation of how much light work we really did produce…

The gate bell began  ringing persistently and looking at the time, we enjoyed a joke about this being the cops. It was mainly a joke because partying to techno music goes on nearly every night in Vilcabamba until the roosters start to crow, but here we were away on our own private land and getting asked to stop being naturally happy without being under influence (or even music for that matter) at a time when many families haven’t even started eating their dinner. We still don’t know whether any of the far away neighbours complained but the dark forces work in various ways to disrupt such intense and pure light.

And with that, I recall a wonderful quote our birthday girl once posted on her social media:

“DON’T LET SOMEONE DIM YOUR LIGHT, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT’S SHINING IN THEIR EYES.”

Shine on friends.

Love you,

Tanya

P.S. Here is the tribute I wrote to Polly in a recent Get Fresh! Magazine. Just click the image to enlarge it. x

It’s no secret that Ella Woodward, aka Deliciously Ella is one of the leaders of the new generation wellness warriors. The success of her recipe App has spread globally like wild fire, her blog is read by celebrities, her first book isn’t out till next March, but pre-orders are going nuts, she has 220K fans on Instagram (220 THOUSAND!), she’s in every top UK media publication and did I mention that Ella is drop dead gorgeous? Probably didn’t even need to mention that part, but I met her for the first time over lunch at Tanya’s Cafe, no make-up, casual gear, she was effortlessly stunning in every way.

Meet our October’s Master of the Month…

DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY OF EATING AND DRINKING.

What I eat in a day changes all the time depending on what I’m doing but for breakfast I love porridge as its so cold at the moment! Recently I’ve been having a hot bowl of porridge with almond milk, sliced banana, fresh berries and almond butter – it’s so delicious! In the summer when it’s warmer I like having smoothies for breakfast though.

I find that lunch varies so much, I’m writing my second cookbook at the moment, which means I’m always recipe testing so lunch is nearly always different. If I’m not trying something new though I’ll have something like a quinoa bowl with mixed veggies or a marinated kale salad with avocado, homemade hummus and seeds.

For dinner I nearly always have something warm, I love warm dinners. At the moment I’m really into veggie curries and stews. I made an aubergine coconut thai curry last week, which im pretty obsessed with. I also love brown rice pasta with homemade pesto and sautéed green veggies.

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

I find that feeling awesome is the most inspiring thing to stay healthy! I love waking up every morning feeling energized, positive and happy and that feeling is too amazing to want to compromise on!

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

I love having a positive relationship with food and don’t feel that there’s an area of the way I eat to feel is a weakness. I love dessert but it’s all made of awesome ingredients so I feel great enjoying it!

MY TOP TIP FOR:

Improving your diet is… eat more veggies and enjoy your food, it’s so important!

Staying healthy while travelling is… being prepared, I always travel with a mini travel blender so that I can make smoothies. Plus I bring snacks like trail mix and raw energy bites with me so that I always have something to eat.

Detoxing is… not something I totally believe it, I think life is about balance and we should aim to nurture our bodies everyday.

Immunising is… taking care of your self – sleeping well, exercising, meditating and eating nourishing food.

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

That I changed their life, it’s a pretty crazy thing to hear but its so humbling and inspiring to know that you’re truly helping people.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

As a happy and positive influence in the people I love’s life.

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?

From my kitchen I would take my kitchen shelves, they’re made of such beautiful wood and they’re filled with amazing glass jars that I’ve been collecting for years. I sadly don’t have a garden so I wouldn’t take anything from there, but from my house I’d take my photo albums as they’re full of awesome memories. Finally from my bookshelves I’d take the first copy of my book as it’s something that 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?

I’d invite Kris Carr as she inspired me to change my diet and eat plant based goodness; Jo Tastula, as she’s my favourite yoga teacher, I’ve been doing her online classes for years and they’ve inspired me so much and finally I would invite Gabrielle Bernstein, I love her books on self love so much and would love to meet her. I’d probably serve my aubergine thai curry since I’m so obsessed with it at the moment, plus a marinated kale salad with sweet potatos and some chili beetroot brownies with a coconut glaze!

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT LIFE IS BETTER RAW?

I love mixing raw food and cooked food. There’s so much goodness in raw food so I try to include it in every meal, often I eat fresh berries and bananas in my morning porridge. slices of avocado in my lunch and a kale salad with my dinner – so there’s some raw in everything! I find this gives me amazing energy as it’s such an influx of vitamins and minerals.

1 cup of medjool dates
3/4 of a cup of almonds
3/4 of a cup of walnuts or any other nut
2 tablespoons of chia seeds
2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of hemp protein powder
1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

-Start by placing the almonds, walnuts, ground flax seed and chia seeds in your food processor. Blend for 1 minute, until the a flour forms and the nuts have crumbled.

-Then add the remaining ingredients, pitting the dates before adding those. Blend for another minute until a stick dough forms.

-Use your hands to roll the mixture into little balls, place in a bowl and store in the fridge.

-Bite and enjoy! Just try not to eat them all at once!

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For more on Ella Woodward, visit www.DeliciouslyElla.com

To pre-order Deliciously Ella cookbook, go to Amazon for US orders here>> and for UK orders here>>

While I’m packing my bags to this year’s Soul Adventures Retreat in Ecuador, I’m planning something that I’ve missed more than anything while running a super busy and growing raw food cafe. I’m going to hold my first workshop in months!

Tanya’s Cafe have partnered up with the incredible Lalani & Co, a family run tea company founded out of a love of single-batch teas. We both believe that organic is best, that desserts can be delicious and healthy at the same time, that tea and cake were meant for each other and that more people are ought to know how to make raw delicacies and pair them with earth’s most precious leaves.

Come to Tanya’s Café this Wednesday 8th October to learn:

-What sweeteners and ingredients are available in a raw food diet.

-How to produce natural colourings. -Simple rules for gorgeous presentation.

-What teas are an ideal match for what desserts.

-The craft of making the most decadent matcha marble cheesecake, superfood brownies and a cream cheese frosting carrot cake.

-Indulge in guilt-free sweets together with carefully paired teas, while you learn the making of each.

WHERE |  Tanya’s Café, myhotel Chelsea, 35 Ixworth Place, SW3 3QX, London

WHEN |  Wednesday 8th October 3pm-5pm

FEE |  £45pp, includes all ingredients, desserts, teas and take away materials. As a bonus- if you’d like to stay on- you can enjoy any of our Superfood Cocktails at 50% off!

Spaces are limited to 15 only, so book via PayPal below or call www.TanyasCafe.com on 0207 225 7538.

Update:

 

SOLD OUT

It’s that time of the year again! Someone asked me if I’ll carry on having a percentage off sale equivalent to my age even when I’m 100 and my answer was Abso-fricken-lutely. The best part about having a birthday is that I get to share the celebrations with you, so I can’t wait till I can give all of my products away at 100% off!!! For now though, I’m enjoying turning a perfect, happy, wholesome 30. It’s also still a decent enough number to have other companies contributing to my/our celebrations and this year I couldn’t believe my luck when all the below brands offered to get involved at a discount so rare to them! Scroll down to see all the amazing products on offer and stock up… You have 30 hours  Sent from Barcelona, with love, big wishes and overwhelming gratitude, xTanya   GOODIES  AVAILABLE: 
Purified- Your complete 7 day detox program | eBook This eBook is a step-by-step detox guide with 2 different menu plans- 1 for the luxury detoxer and 1 for the budget detoxer. Every breakfast, lunch & dinner recipe is designed with a busy individual in mind, taking only upto 30 minutes to prepare. Comes complete with shopping lists. Enter coupon code Tanya30 at checkout and save 30%. Take me there>>

Seduced- Raw chocolate recipes to get very excited for | eBook It’s all in the title really. This eBook contains 22 gorgeous & simple raw chocolate recipes, including raspberry jam centres, marzipan cigars & chocolate coated strawberries. There is even a superfoods glossary & none of the chocolate making requires any special equipment. Enter coupon code Tanya30 at checkout and save 30%. Take me there>> Festive- The best raw food Christmas recipes | eBook This eBook contains the most flavour rich, luxury recipes that are not only incredible for the Christmas & Holiday seasons, but any time of the year. You will find 30 recipes with stunning photography. Everything is as always absolutely free from gluten, dairy, non-cultured soya and wheat, but definitely not the taste! Enter coupon code Tanya30 at checkout and save 30%. Take me there>> Nourished- Comforting raw foods for winter | eBook This stunning full colour eBook contains 39 of my most carefully selected recipes to feel warm, comforted and nourished during winter & beyond. Get a whole heap of extra tips on staying healthy & immunised in the cold, as well as a guide to seasonal local produce. Enter coupon code Tanya30 at checkout and save 30%. Take me there>>

Did you miss me? I sure know that I’ve really missed you!

Today we are celebrating ONE glorious month since the opening of www.TanyasCafe.com and with things settling down and my team rocking the show, I’m officially back to writing you weekly updates. Boom!

To celebrate in true nutritional style, I’ve got some tips for improving a serious problem to so many of us- zee digestion.

Many continuously wonder why they are buying so many supplements but aren’t seeing any improvements. Or why they are eating the healthiest foods, only to end up frustrated because the chubster weight and the lousy energy are still there.

Think about this: if you are eating the greatest foods and supplements in the world, but your digestion is out of whack, you are not absorbing any minerals, so you are actually becoming mineral deficient. If all those supplements/ vitamins/ minerals don’t come out the other end whole (!!), they pile up inside of your gut and actually begin aggravating you- bloating, inflammation, yeast overgrowth, bad bacteria, parasites and acid overload are usually the first signs of a more serious disease. Clearly this is a biggie that needs your immediate attention.

HOW DO I TEST MY DIGESTION?

You’ve read the above, you nodded, you probably don’t need to be told that something is up with your digestion. Yet still a little proof wouldn’t hurt and could just be the motivation you need. Drink 125ml of freshly juiced beetroot and see if the colour of your stools changes. If it ain’t brown, but contains pink pigments, the beet’s nutrients didn’t get assimilated.

WHAT CAUSES A DIGESTION DISORDER?

To improve your digestion is to increase the level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Too much stress, alcohol, years of bad diet and overeating can really dry out the hydrochloric acid and when it isn’t present to break down all the foods that land on it, there’s nothing to dilute the calcium, zinc, iron, B vitamins etc etc and therefore there’s no way for them to be carried to the cells of your body that are longing for them.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF POOR DIGESTION?

Amongst hundreds, here are the most common: hair loss, adult acne, multiple food allergies, heartburn, iron deficiency, undigested food in your stools, bloating, constipation and yeast infections.

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY DIGESTION?

1. The 20/40 rule!

For my long time followers and those who’ve completed the Acid Alkaline Breakthrough, this is the one rule you’d remember me drilling harder than any others. Your body was designed to have everything it needs for good digestion, please don’t dilute the hydrochloric acid in your stomach with liquids when you are eating solids. Remember the 20/40 rule, which is about drinking liquids at least 20 mins before a meal and 40 minutes after a meal.

2. Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew.

Remember to chew. We take our god given skills for granted and more often than not, just gulp down the food and swallow it too fast. This stresses your whole system, because your stomach just wasn’t prepared for what was about to hit it and the food just sits there in one bit chunk aggravating your beautiful body, next is bloating, followed closely by heartburn. When you begin to chew, the brain registers this jaw moving action and sends signals to your stomach to start preparing. The stomach (it’s a muscle) begins pumping the hydrochloric acid and by the time your foods reaches it, there is enough there to break it down further fast.

3. Sip a little and often.

Rather than a lot and fast. Allow me to paint you a picture: you go for a run and get so thirsty that you rush to a water tap and almost choke on the buckets of water you never thought you’d see again. Your system gets flooded and flood can only mean one thing- panic. Your body goes into panic, but its instant reaction is to defend you and settle the panic, so it sets into action to get rid of anything which set it off in the first place. In this case, it’s the buckets of water, which it quickly rejects and gets you to pee almost immediately. With that, water wasn’t assimilated, so your cells never got a chance to become hydrated.

4. Eat fibre.

There is soluble and insoluble. We need both and the RDI is 30g, but we only consume about 7-12g, sometimes less. Cooked food has little to no fibre in it, but chia, flaxseeds, psyllium husks, apples, prunes, greens, sprouts, seeds, peas, oats, beans and veggies have plenty. Fibre is also negatively charged, while toxins, medications and excess sugars are positively charged, so fibre will absorb them and release them out of the body like nothing else.

5. No starchy foods with protein.

Digestion of each requires a different part of your digestive tract and when you overload the system with this serious food combination, it doesn’t like it and it’s not gonna play nice. Ask yourself which you’d like to have more- a starch (potato, pasta, root vegetables, rice) or a protein (beans, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds), then eat that on its own with plenty of raw salad greens. If you still want the other, give the first 40 minutes to digest, then enjoy the other one also with raw salad greens.

6. Eat fermented foods.

When your digestion is not 100%, eat foods that are pre-digested. Sauerkraut, kimchee, home pickles and kombucha are all examples of pre-digested foods, because they’ve gone through a fermentation process and were partially broken down. Better yet, make these yourself with additional probiotics to better your intestinal flora, boost pH levels and aid with the assimilation of nutrients.

There’s plenty to chew on there for ya. Happy digesting! :)