jo hodson 05/12/2014 jo hodson 05/12/2014

Ginger Pudding with gingerbread sauce!

It's already 5th December… Ahhhh, I have so many recipes I want to share in the run up to Christmas but getting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) has just not happened as much as I would have liked. But don't worry i'm back on it now!

I've been crazy busy behind the scenes getting all my final Wholeplus Christmas orders packaged and delivered to happy customers, as well writing the Real Food Source Christmas ebook AND gearing up for lots of new exciting things happening in the New Year.

I haven't even yet talked about my 'grain free' November, I will do that tomorrow... promise! Plus loads more news in relation to my own health that I wanted to fill you in on in the spirit of full honesty and because hopefully it will help some of you too.

...But for today I am excited to be featured on WellToDo London... London's richest weekly edit of health and wellness culture.

I created a ginger pudding with gingerbread sauce. It was inspired by this sticky toffee pudding recipe and this gingerbread sauce.

Perfect for the festive season and beyond!

Go and check out the full recipe on WellToDo London HERE!

Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus my FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus.

Day to day you can always find me hanging out in these places:

jo hodson 27/06/2014 jo hodson 27/06/2014

'Student Spotlight' Tropical Blueberry Green Smoothie

Not long to go now until the end of my course... this past week module 35 out of 40 was released! I can't believe how fast time has flown by!

We're soon coming to the end of my 'student spotlight' posts too. One more next week with something a little different for you... watch this space!

Today I introduce to you Jenny Christiansen, with a recipe and her interview to share. She says:

"This smoothie is fabulously smooth, bright and nutritious! It is even great for those who don’t like bananas. Enjoy this smoothie and power your morning with sustained energy and happiness. This is a very special recipe because I haven’t released it to the public yet! Exclusively for those reading Including Cake!"

Recipe: Tropical Blueberry Green smoothie

serves 3

Ingredients:

6 cups packed organic spinach
2 kale leaves
2 cups blueberries
2 cups papaya (organic)
½ cup macadamia nuts
4 brazil nuts
½ cup coconut milk
3 TBSP flax or chia seed
5 drops stevia

Method:

Simply blend until smooth

'Spotlight Interview'

1- What first drew you to study with IIN?

I randomly stumbled on IIN while career searching on line. I was immediately drawn to IIN because of its holistic approach. I love natural medicine and healing. I IIN also focuses on business and marketing, which I’m more grateful now than I was in the beginning of the program. Lastly, I love that this career of health coaching allows one to be vocationally independent and help endless of people.

2- How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

Before IIN I thought I was extremely healthy. Many people thought of me as a health freak. For much of my life I was vegan, vegetarian or raw. All those diets sound like the optimal diets for perfect health. However, I was miserable doing them. Life was SO hard and not balanced. For that time in my life I was being too restrictive. Extreme athletics and constant stress didn’t aid the situation. I was in a huge search for balance in food, exercise and career when enrolling in IIN. Now I’m happy to say my mindset has become much more balanced and this has helped me gain balance in my diet, exercise and a career path! I’m delighted to have been in this program.

3- What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

I help busy professionals and parents who battle with cravings, addictions, gut disorders, autoimmunity, weight loss, chronic fatigue and constant stress. Life just seems too hard. They want to upgrade their lives, find and love their optimal bodies, regain a rocking relationship with food and life and gain back their energy. These people want to live at their highest potential, be happy and be healthy.

4- Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what one thing would you wish to change about the world?

The correct mindset is a huge concept for people to gain. The mind is a powerful, more than we know, and when we have the correct mindset nothing can bring us down.

5- What would you choose for your 'final meal on earth’?

Of course I would choose my Tropical Blueberry Green Smoothie. Chocolate and a fresh coconut to top it off!

Share the love!

You can hang out with Jenny here:

Website: http://www.vibrantlifejourney.com/

Face book: https://www.facebook.com/vibrantlifejourney

I'd love you to join me in other places too!

Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus me FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can always find me in these places:

jo hodson 20/06/2014 jo hodson 20/06/2014

'Student Spotlight' Lemon Tartlettes

Wow... I can't believe that I'm already into the last quarter of the course! In a few weeks time I, along with my fellow student, will have graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition!

This week I am introducing Maite Wokock.

"My name is Maite and I have a passion: Living a healthy and happy life – with a sweet tooth. On my blog www.zitronenjette.com you'll find everything around that – from toxin-free cosmetics (that Zitronenjette makes herself!), to nourishing food and sugar-free sweets"

As a holistic health coach I help busy people, parents who feel like they have to juggle everything, to find their balance, have more energy and eat healthy while doing so. As a side effect you will find your ideal weight. I don’t believe in depriving yourself, I believe in nourishing your body and mind with the best you can. Decadently healthy. I also specialize in sugar-free eating and have designed the sugar-free program “the Sweet Life”. I'm now over 1,5 years sugar free and have to say that is has changed my life. I went from always tired and grumpy to a balanced mood and full of energy.

But I still have a sweet tooth. So I'm always looking for healthy sweets and I'm sharing with you one of my favourites.

Recipe: Lemon Tartlettes

Lemon Tartlets -raw, vegan, sugar free (adapted from detoxinista.com)

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup almonds or walnuts
1 TBSP melted coconut oil
1 TBSP rice malt syrup
½ tsp vanilla powder
pinch of sea salt

Top:

1 cup raw cashews
3 TBSP melted coconut oil
3 TBSP rice malt syrup
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla powder
pinch of sea salt

Method:

Grind the almonds or walnuts in a blender until they are finely ground. Add the rest of the ingredients for the crust and blend until a dough has formed.

Line a muffin tray with baking cups and press the crust dough into the cups. They make about 8-12 tartlets. Place into the freezer to set.

For the top, grind the cashews until they are almost a nut butter. Add the other ingredients for the filling and blend again.

Put the top dough onto the (now firm) crust and put back into the freezer to set. They keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

Enjoy!

'Spotlight Interview'

1- What first drew you to study with IIN?

After my first child was born I started to become more and more interested in nutrition. I stopped eating sugar shortly after my second child was born. And since sugar is everywhere I had to start making everything myself. I researched a lot on the web and noticed that all the blogs and books I enjoyed reading the most were written by IIN graduates.

I decided that I want to know more about nutrition and health and signed up!

2- How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

The past months have been a great journey! They have changed my mindset about so many things, personally and health-wise. I take better care of myself, have gotten rid of a couple of ailments and have an easier time to feed my family healthy stuff.

3- What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

I think that as health coaches we have so much to give to the world! I actually can't wait to share it. I really wish people would be more connected to their bodies and not treat them as something that is „malfunctioning“ or something that has to be „optimized“ in order to fulfill some kind of beauty ideal. This is something I would love to work on with my clients through food and lifestyle changes and just in general taking better care of themselves.

Also I'm writing a sugarfree program, which I will offer for my clients in Germany.

4- Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what one thing would you wish to change about the world?

Oh, so many things. Have everyone meditate first thing in the morning at work and school. Introduce nuitrition classes in school. Ban refined sugar from normal food. But just one thing: Pass a law that forbids factory farming everywhere in the world. I think that would actually set off a whole chain of changes in farming (animals and plants) and eventually in the way we eat.

5- What would you choose for your 'final meal on earth’?

Something Mexican. Sour cream, black beans and guacamole. Actually, avocado has to be in it no matter what. And since it's my final meal, I would maybe finish it with Reese's Peanut Butter cups, or the healthy version I make myself.

Share the Love!

You can hook up with Maite over at her blog (in German and English): www.zitronenjette.com and also on her facebook page: facebook.com/zitronenjettenatur

I'd love you to join me in other places too!

Why not sign up for emails in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can also find me in these places:

jo hodson 06/06/2014 jo hodson 06/06/2014

'Student Spotlight' Vegan Budwig Cream

It's Friday... time for another IIN Student Spotlight. My Friday feature to showcase the talents of my fellow students from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

This week I am introducing Alexine Thompson with a fabulous breakfast (or bressert!) recipe to share with you. She says:

This recipe is adapted from an existing recipe created by Dr. Budwig and re-adapted by Dr. Kousmine, who was a Swiss doctor that cured a lot patients from cancer and chronic illnesses through a whole food, alkaline diet. It is originally made with fat free Greek yogurt, but I adjusted it to make it vegan. On the picture, however, I am using honey, because I ran out of maple syrup, so that makes it “almost vegan”.

It is a delicious, refreshing and filling breakfast, that my husband makes every day for our kids. It is very complete as it containes healthy fats, protein, fiber, and alkalizing fruits.

Recipe: Vegan Budwig Cream

Ingredients:

2/3 cup coconut kefir
2tsp flaxseed oil
1 banana, or ½ banana and ½ grated apples
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp maple syrup (or honey), optional
2tsp (or more) whole cereals, freshly ground (alternate between buckwheat, millet, brown rice and gluten free oats)
1tsp (or more) of seeds and/or, alternating (or mixing) between flax, chia, sunflower, almonds, pumpkin, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, brazil nuts, etc… I usually grind the flax, but like to chew on the other ones.
A handful of seasonal fruits, preferably alkaline. I love to use berries, but you can use pineapple, peaches, more apples, pears, figs, pomegranate, kiwi, honeydew, etc…

Method:

Mix the oil with the kefir until you have a uniform cream. Add the mashed banana and grated apple, the lemon juice and the maple syrup. Mix together. Add the cereals and the seeds/nuts. In this picture, I added more seeds than the recipe calls for. You can also omit the grains if you are following a grain-free diet.

Lastly, add whichever fruits you like and enjoy for breakfast or mid-afternoon snack!

The beauty of this meal is that it is very versatile, as you can vary the fruits, grains and seeds on a daily basis and create endless combinations! The coconut kefir is full of healthy probiotics for healing the gut, the banana and lemon juice are very alkalizing, the flaxseed oil gives you plenty of anti-inflammatory omega 3, you get carbs and fiber from the whole grains for energy and the seeds and nuts are rich in healthy fats and protein. It’s a win-win!

'Spotlight Interview'

1- What first drew you to study with IIN?

While I have always been watching what I ate (since adolescence) because I wasn’t the naturally skinny girl, my focus on health vs. weight loss started when my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago. That is when I really started researching and learning about healthy living. I became the expert among my friends in terms of nutrition and finally decided to make it my job. When I stumbled upon IIN online, it just felt like the right fit.

2- How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

My life has changed drastically in the last year, but not just because of IIN. I have relocated with my family, from Los Angeles, California, to Switzerland, where I am originally from. I closed my practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist, started studying at IIN while seeing some therapy clients here and developing couples’ workshops, as well as teaching and supervising therapists in Emotion Focused Therapy. I feel like my life has diversified, and IIN has been a good grounding for me, to remember to take care of myself, eat healthy, pay attention to primary foods. I have also learned quite a bit about nutrition and health, to the point that I feel confident about being able to help others as a health coach.

3- What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

I would like to help raise awareness about the link between what we eat and how we feel, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am appalled at what kids are being fed these days, and the things people put into their bodies. I have experienced first hand the shift that can happen when you feed your body real foods, and would like to spread the message and help people make that shift in their own life.

4- Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what one thing would you wish to change about the world?

Only one thing? That’s a tough one! I don’t think I can limit myself like that. But in one sentence, I’d like to help people understand themselves and each other better, build community around them, grow their own garden and utilize local resources.

5- What would you choose for your 'final meal on earth’?

A salad! Definitely a salad! With lots of things in it, like avocado, figs, feta, pecans, purple onions and things like that.

Share The Love!

You can find Alexine via her website: eating4healing.com and also at her my blog: eatingforhealing.blogspot.com.

I'd love you to join me in other places too!

jo hodson 30/05/2014 jo hodson 30/05/2014

'Student Spotlight' Khichdi

Another Friday... another Integrative Nutrition 'student spotlight'. This week I am introducing Neha Tuli with a delicious traditiona Indian recipe. I love indian food and spices and would love to learn more about herbs and spices in general.

Neha is a busy mom of two, a beauty buyer in the big apple, a certified make-up artist and is currently training with IIN. She is passionate about helping women transform themselves from the inside-out and reach their optimum potential.

She says: "This is a really delicious and nutritious recipe that is #1 comfort food for me and a lot of my Indian friends and Family".

Recipe: Khichdi

Ingredients

1/2 cup Moong Dal (Lentils)
1/2 cup rice (you can use brown rice or white rice)
1 tspn oil of your choice.
1 pinch Asafoetida ( also known as Hing)
1 tspn Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
1 tspn Whole Cumin (Sabut Zeera)
1 tbspn chopped onion
1 tbspn chopped tomato
1 tspn Ghee (or sub coconut or olive oil to become vegan)
3/4 cup of raw vegetables (optional) of your choice. I like to add carrots, cauliflower and some green beans.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add 1 tspn oil. Once the oil is warm, add 1/2 tspn cumin seeds, and 1 pinch of asafoetida. Once the mixture starts spluttering, add the moong dal, rice and 21/2 cups of water. Then add 1 tspn turmeric powder & salt. Stir, cover with the lid of the pressure cooker and after one whistle, let it simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can use a regular pan but you will have to cook the mixture for a longer time till both the lentils, veggies and rice gets cooked and almost unified.

Once cooked, remove the pan/ cooker from the heat. Take a separate frying pan, and add 1 teaspoon ghee on medium heat. Once the ghee is warm, add 1 pinch asafoetida, 5-6 cumin seeds and once the mixture is cracking, add the tomatoes and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add this mixture to the main lentil & rice pot. Mix well.

Enjoy!!

'Spotlight Interview'

1- What first drew you to study with IIN?

The fact that they focus on 'primary' food and not just nutrition really resonated with me.

2- How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

I'm definitely more aware of what what foods nourish us and have made lots of changes to my whole family's way of eating by substituting regular salt with only sea salt and eating a lot more green vegetables.

3- What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

I hope to educate families in particular moms on how to add more nourishing foods to their diet, eat clean, eliminate processed foods and eat organic dairy and meat if they aren't vegan. Food is actually very simple, it's all the unhealthy processed food, fast food chains and the marketing that supports these products confuses and tempts people to eat this way.

4- Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what one thing would you wish to change about the world?

Go back to basics where there was no gmos, processed food and factory farming.

5- What would you choose for your 'final meal on earth’?

I love Indian food. I would choose a delicious naan (Indian bread), dal (lentils) and saag (spinach vegetable).

Share the Love

You can reach our and find Neha here: www.nehatuli.com.

I'd love you to join me in other places too!

jo hodson 23/05/2014 jo hodson 23/05/2014

'Student Spotlight' Super Chewy Seed Bars

Welcome to instalment no. 7 of the Students of IIN guest post feature... I hope you and enjoying the contributions so far?

The inspirational stories from my fellow students and their reasons for following this wellness path constantly amaze me and remind me be grateful for my own journey.

Today i'm featuring Holly Anderton who is sharing a simple energy packed no bake bar recipe that is exactly my kind of snack... thank you and over to you Holly!

Recipe: Chewy Super Seed Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups gluten-free extra-thick rolled oats 3/4 cup raw buckwheat groats, soaked
1/4 cup raw goji berries
1/4 cup raw shelled hemp seeds
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
2 tablespoons white chia seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/4 cup raw almond butter
1/3 cup organic brown rice syrup 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

Place the raw buckwheat groats in a small bowl and add filtered water to cover. Let stand for at least one hour, then drain and rinse thoroughly. Drain again and ensure that all liquid has been removed.

Line a 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, buckwheat groats, goji berries, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, chia seeds, cinnamon and sea salt.

In a small saucepan, stir together the brown rice syrup and almond butter over medium heat and cook until the mixture softens and bubbles slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture and stir until evenly coated.

Transfer to the prepared cake pan and spread evenly, using a pastry roller or the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the mixture completely. This will help the bars retain their shape once they’ve been removed from the pan.

Place in freezer until firm, about 10-15 minutes.

Lift the mixture out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or pizza roller, cut the mixture into six equal rows, and then cut the rows in half to form twelve equal bars.

Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator (or freezer if desired). Note: for a nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter instead

'Spotlight Interview'

1- What first drew you to study with IIN?

Several years ago, I lost my father very suddenly to pancreatic cancer. I loved him beyond words and his absence created a huge emptiness in my soul. I turned to running as a mechanism of dealing with my pain and sadness, and as the weeks passed and the miles grew, I slowly started to find my way. But it wasn’t until I discovered the trails in the mountains that surround my home that I finally began to find peace.

I fell in love with the comfort, protection, and solitude that running through nature provided, and gradually began running longer and longer distances. As my mileage grew, I discovered that I needed to learn how to better fuel my body in order to meet the demands I was placing on it.

I began reading everything I could find about running and nutrition, and I discovered that I just couldn’t get enough. The more I learned, the more I hungered for deeper knowledge. With each new change I made to my diet, I saw immediate improvements in both my performance and recovery. I had more energy and felt better than ever before, and I began to truly appreciate the direct link between nutrition and health. Further, I began to see with complete clarity the connection between diet and the disease which ultimately claimed my father’s life.

Desperate to improve the health and well-being of my immediate family, I began making changes at home. I developed a love of cooking and found great purpose and satisfaction in finding recipes that were both healthy and appetizing to my husband and two young sons. I joined a Community Supported Agriculture plan at a local farm and I began talking to our boys about where our food comes from and how we can make better choices. And I enrolled at IIN to deepen my knowledge in the area of nutrition and develop a coaching practice that would enable me to share that knowledge with other families and assist them in improving their health.

Losing my father was devastating. But it has helped me find my purpose: I want to spare others from the pain I went through. I want to help families THRIVE by showing them how to eat healthier so they can get more out of life. And I want to change the world, one family at a time.

2- How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

Since becoming a health coaching student, my family and I are healthier than we’ve ever been. And while I didn’t think it was possible, I’m more passionate than ever about nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle! I’ve gained an incredible amount of knowledge in this program and am having so much fun building my practice. I’m thrilled to be sharing my expertise and am finding the work I’m doing to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. This is, without a doubt, exactly what I was meant to do.

3- What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

My practice is focused on helping families thrive. Specifically, I am teaching busy moms how to prepare healthier snacks and meals for their families, streamline their weekly menu-planning and shopping trips, encourage their kids to be more adventurous eaters, and find more energy to tackle their busy days. I am loving my work and am so grateful for the opportunity to work one-on-one with my clients and be a part of their journey toward better health.

4- Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what one thing would you wish to change about the world?

If I could change just one thing, it would be to bring more awareness to exactly how dangerous processed foods are to our children’s health. It sickens me to know that our children are now facing a life expectancy which, for the first time in history, is shorter than that of their parents. I would love to see every family in the world to make a commitment to make the nutrition and lifestyle changes necessary to reverse this trend.

5- What would you choose for your 'final meal on earth’?

My final meal on earth would be more about the experience than the actual menu. I love to cook, so I’d begin by leisurely preparing a simple meal using fresh, whole, plant-based ingredients while enjoying a nice glass of wine. I’d then sit down and share the meal with those I love most, and enjoy a night filled with laughter and great conversation.

I do have a weakness for cookie dough, though, so I’d definitely have to end the evening with a spoonful (or two)!

Share the love!

You can connect with Holly on her website: www.hollyanderton.com

and her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/hollyanderton.health

I'd love you to join me in other places too!

jo hodson 25/04/2014 jo hodson 25/04/2014

'Student Spotlight' Grain free scones

Roll on to my 4th guest post from my fellow students at IIN. Today's post is from Katy Taylor. I love this recipe because gluten (and grain) free scones have always failed me... I always seem to resort to using spelt flour when making scones so I love the ingredient profile here. Maybe this will give you some ideas to experiment with too?

So now the only question that remains from me is what would you have with your scones, if anything at all... (for me it would be some cashew cream and maybe a little chia jam!)

Over to you Katy...

Recipe: Katy’s Grain-Free Scones

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup almond meal flour (Bob’s Red Mill works well)
¾ cup coconut meal (from straining coconut milk)* OR ½ cup apple pulp from juicing (other sweetish pulps may also work)
4 medjool dates, pitted
2 tsp chia + 5 tbs water (or 1 egg for non vegan)
1 tbs lemon juice (about ½ a small lemon)
¼ cup coconut oil
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp caraway seed or other spice of choice (½-1 tsp cardamom is nice; with apple pulp, ½ tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp nutmeg also works well)
1/3 to 1/2 cup currants or raisins

Method:

If using chia seeds, soak them in the water in a small bowl 5-10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In food processor, mix well: dates, eggs or soaked chia seeds, coconut oil, lemon juice until the dates are finely shredded, scraping down sides as needed.

Add coconut meal and mix well, scraping down the sides.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the currants and mix well.

Add currants and pulse quickly to combine.

Dough will be moist.

Using a spatula, form the dough into a ½-inch thick circle on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Cut into 8 pie pieces, and using a metal spatula, slide the pieces at least ½ inch apart so they bake evenly. Use your fingers to reshape them as necessary.

Bake at 325F for 30 minutes.

This recipe is inspired by Danielle Walker’s Currant Scones from her book Against All Grains

* My favorite coconut milk recipe here, but with only 2 dates:

'Spotlight' Interview:

1- What first drew you to study with IIN?

I have always been interested in natural health and cooking. I was lucky to grow up with a mom who was curious and exploratory in the kitchen, too! We were making tofu as a science experiment before it was being sold in most stores and before most people had ever heard of it! Mom was thrifty, too, so we grew a lot of food, and froze and canned food for the winter. I remember spending a lot of happy time in the kitchen with her.

I also got practice exploring different diets early on as I decided to become a vegetarian at age 15, which mom let me do, but I had to pass a test to make sure I knew how to combine my proteins first! Over my 25 years of vegetarianism, I spent time eating vegan, lacto-ovo, and including fish, and since then I’ve experimented with raw, paleo, grain-free, and more. I always love to learn new ways of cooking and eating!

2- How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

The most wonderful thing is that my “hobby” of cooking, fermenting, tincture-making, self care product-making, and gardening is allowed to be my passion! It’s like I gave myself permission to do what I most love—work with and learn about healthy food and cooking!

3- What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

I am leaving my part-time administrative job at the end of 2014 and plan to earn my living as a part-time Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, combining the spiritual counseling I already offer with coaching that includes food and wellness of all kinds. I want to support women who struggle with feeling fulfilled in their lives and want to nourish themselves naturally with healthy food and cooking, conscious lifestyle choices, and spiritual growth work.

4- Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what one thing would you wish to change about the world?

That we would all become super curious about our inner selves—how much the food we eat actually affects our bodies, how much the relationships we are involved in support us, how much the lifestyle we are choosing sustains us, and how the time we devote to our souls nourishes us. If we all became more interested in this, our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the world would heal.

5- What would you choose for your 'final meal on earth’?

Something really simple, clean, and nutritious—like seaweed miso soup, poached eggs on greens with homemade fermented veggies and bread, a huge, fresh-from-my-garden salad with fermented veggies, olive oil, avocado, red pepper, and pumpkin seeds. And most importantly, surrounded by my closest loved ones.

Share the Love:

You can foliow Katy Taylor through her website N ourishing Wholeness, her blog, and her Facebook page.

I'd love you to join me in other places too!

jo hodson 04/04/2014 jo hodson 04/04/2014

'Student Spotlight' Malty choc banana smoothie bowl

A few days ago I introduced my 'Student Spotlight' feature to showcase a selection of fellow students studying alongside me at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. There are so many amazing people each with stories to tell and such diverse reasons for choosing health to be their life mission.

Today and for the next 12 (or so) Friday's you will get a glimpse into their lives, what makes them tick ...oh, and not forgetting a favourite recipe!

First up Amy Fraser... over to you Amy!

"I am extremely passionate about helping women and their families to live healthy wholesome lives. I guide my clients through a holistic approach by looking at the whole picture including food, lifestyle and exercise, helping to navigate through the confusing maze of health and nutrition advice currently available.

I love my new career and the time spent with my clients helping them to incorporate more wholefoods, clean eats and exercise into their lifestyle.

I currently lives south of Sydney with my loving fiancé and 2 fur babies (Staffordshire terriers) Tahlee and Richter. My favourite form of exercise is an afternoon run with my man and 2 dogs through tracks in the beautiful surrounding bushland."

Recipe: Malty choc banana smoothie bowl

1 Frozen banana
2 Medjool dates
2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
1 Tablespoon Maca powder
1 Tablespoon Cacao powder
1 ½ Tablespoons of almond butter
400mls of Coconut water
Goji berries, cacao nibs, and chia seeds to serve (optional)

Place all ingredients except goji berries, extra chia seeds and cacao nibs into a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour into a bowl or large glass and top with goji berries, cacao nibs and chia seeds.

What a yummy way to start your day - enjoy, Amy xx

'Spotlight' Interview:

1. What first drew you to IIN?

I have always been interested in the health and wellness scene. As a teenager you would always find me curled up with a new book on the latest nutrition theory. I studied Reiki and fitness courses, enjoyed running, playing soccer and snowboarding.

After I left school I found it increasingly difficult to keep up a healthy lifestyle working in the corporate world and being a social butterfly. I became sick with depression, anxiety and adrenal fatigue among other things. However I found that when I ate clean (meaning I cut out all the processed junk food)and I found time to exercise, I felt such an improvement!

My friends were always asking me for advice on what to eat and I really enjoyed helping out. I decided I wanted to be able to do this on a large scale and help as many people as possible to live a healthier happier life. When I found IIN I realised that this was the course for me and signed up without hesitation as this would allow me to follow my dream to work in this industry.

2. How has your life changed since becoming a health coaching student?

Oh my... My life has changed in so many ways and all for the better! IIN has helped me to put my own health and wellness first and I have realised that if I don’t look after myself, I won’t be able to help anyone!

My biggest priority is eating well. I believe that no matter how much exercise you do, if you are not fueling your body with wholesome nutritious foods you are not going to achieve long term health. I believe you need to look at the whole picture and that exercising is not the only answer to health. My personal motto is “You wouldn’t put bad fuel in your car, so why would you put foods into your body that don’t nourish your body and mind.” Every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish yourself and IIN has helped me to cement this belief in my mind.

3. What do you hope to take away into the world and how do you plan to help others once you graduate?

I love that IIN has created a ripple effect of health and wellness around the world and my dream is to help as many people as possible to achieve the life that they want to live.

I hope to continue to spread the valuable information I have learnt during my studies and to have an impact on as many people’s lives as possible through my health coaching practice, workshops, kitchen reboot sessions and much much more.

4. Being a ‘wellness crusader’ what’s one thing you wish you could change about the world

I would love to see more public awareness via our media resources about the quality of the produce we consume. I believe that one of the most important things we can do for our health is buying organic clean produce free from pesticides, herbicides and preservatives. I would love for more information on this topic to become more widely available for everyone.

5. What would you choose as your final meal on earth?

My absolute favourite snack that I would happily call my last meal on earth is my homemade guacamole served with sweet potato chips baked with coconut oil and sumac. It is divine.

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You can follow Amy through her facebook page

On Instagram: @healthybellyhappymind

And via her website

I'd love you to join me in other places too!