My Secret (can't live without) Recipe:   

Carly's Chocolate & Walnut Cake Bread.

Warning: You're going to love this.... its a cross between a bread and a cake. It is more of a sweet treat. Fresh from the oven it reminds me of a Chocolate croissant.

                                               Bread is fresh from oven, chocolate is melting and I have
                                                                indulged in a dollop of organic butter on top.  Oh and
                                                               Ive use my best vintage tea set to add to the luxury.



Ok, I felt too mean not sharing this with all my friends. Yes I am talking directly to you - Rosie, Becca, Jen, Jo, Steph, Helen and many more. Without sounding too arrogant it is quite simply delish! Living on a gluten, grain and sugar free healthy (paleo based) diet this is a staple for me. I am someone who needs snacks. Three main meals just don't cut it. I eat constantly. I am a grazer. I needed a quick, easy treat that I could pack up and take anywhere which would be tasty and satisfying.

And Voila! :-)

I am not even sure how I created this delight because I have to admit that most grain free breads are complicated! And usually result in total disappointment. Let me say that I have no great skills in the kitchen either. I like things to be quick and easy with minimal ingredients. They must taste good and I don't even really care if they look good ;-)

I tend to mess about in the kitchen. Mix and match recipes and throw in my own adjustments. Hence my treats may vary in consistency but this one has never gone wrong. 

So, dont worry about being too exact. I rarely use measurements although I've tried to create one for you to follow below. I also use a tin bread loaf pan which is probably roughly about 8 by 4 inches.  Try any pan (round or rectangle) but this does make a difference to the outcome in terms of size and how much it rises. But thankfully, they all taste GOOD.

Ingredients required:
1 jar of Cashew nut butter (organic)
1 teaspoon Honey (organic, raw)
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder (gluten free)
3 Eggs
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar (optional)
3/4 tablespoons of water (optional - just bulks it out)
large handful broken Dark chocolate chips (as desired)
Handful broken organic Walnuts (as desired)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract (organic)

Instructions:
In a food processor (or feel free to use some elbow grease and do by hand) blend the Nut butter, Eggs, Baking Powder, AVC and Vanilla extract.

Add in the Chocolate chips and Walnuts and stir.

Add in a little water. Liquid can be fairly runny.

Add some baking paper to your tin and pour the mix in.

Put in pre-heated oven at 175 degree celsius for approx 30 mins. Keep a watch on this as ovens vary. Mine takes 5 mins longer at times but sometimes less.*

Thats it!  So Simple.

The prep takes me under 5 minutes. Literally. No washing up other than the processor/bowl and a spoon. Keep the bread wrapped in the baking paper and transfer to a tin once cooled. I keep mine in the fridge for up to a week. Although to be fair it NEVER lasts that long!

Enjoy & Eat Brightly

C xxx

P.S - Let me know what you think in the comments below if you can. I think you have to sign in as "anonymous" in order to be able to leave a comment but then sign your name so I know who you are. 

*I think these breads have a mind of their own ;-)

Riding the Waves

We all crave peace. We love those moments where we feel totally ‘at one’ and at ease. We breathe deep, stretch widely, and let out a contented ‘sigh’. Lovely. 

Why cant all moments be like this?

Realistically, often our emotions are the exact opposite and its hard to know how to deal with them especially when they build up over time and you reach ‘explosion’ point (either internally or externally) and ‘Zen’ becomes a laughable term. EEK!

I recently came across some advise about dealing with that ‘wave’ which can rise magnificently and powerfully in a spilt second when someone or something annoys you. Similarly, this would also apply to anxiety or any type of DISTRESS.... Like a match to a flame it brightly ignites in a split second, often overwhelmingly or shockingly so! It takes you by surprise and you (or I) fall in that time old honored fashion of riding it, and fueling it further with words and thoughts.

We can so easily go on an internal justifiable rant of why we are ‘upset/irritated’ and why we are ‘right’!  But, (annoyingly) I can no longer seem to ignore that uncomfortable niggly feeling which accompanies it. That ‘niggle’ makes me rant further, wanting more and more self justification. Argh, self-perpeptuating circle anyone?

“I am right to be upset because.....” 

(Blah, blah, blah.)

“They shouldn’t have said that to me...”

(Blah, blah, blah.)

Eventually the wave passes and all I feel is guilt and a good measure of unease and self depreciation. Sound familiar? ..... The doubt creeps in.... 

“Maybe I was wrong after all.....”

(Blah, blah, blah.)

That kind of thing. Wow, it takes up a lot of energy and time!

The advise I came across was fascinating but like much of what I read, I can appreciate the wisdom and the truth in my serene moments, but it doesn't always practically hit home in the more challenging times.

Heres how this was different for me, and maybe it can be for you too;

When perhaps a loved one upsets you and that wave hits you, try to ‘FEEL’ it and “WATCH’ it. 

Become it almost. 

Experience the power of the EMOTION that you are feeling. And here’s the key - recognise that it is the EMOTION you experience which is so painful, and not necessarily the words or the argument itself. They are just the trigger. Acknowledge that this emotion is your own crazy creation.

Literally remove yourself from the force of the words, the intent, the argument and fully comprehend and understand that you are not reacting to those, but that you are objecting to the FEELING (the wave) that has exploded within you. The catalyst has created a un-proportional monster. 

Stand back and go inside and stay with it. It’s not nice. You want to run. It feels like a tidal wave, a tsunami! Its more than just uncomfortable! The powerful urge is to let the voices in your head take over. To let them win and be on your side. To let the storm rage.

DONT!

Try with all your might to let these thoughts and voices dissolve.  Like wisps of angry grey air that gradually disappear. Stay present with that terrible emotion, those endless crashing dark waves.

And do you know what happens?....

The waves start to diminish and then they stop. Literally like a storm in the ocean they suddenly burn themselves out and peace is simply and calmly restored. Most often the initial trigger suddenly seems unimportant and irrelevant. You can deal with it or choose to just let it go. But at this point you are only dealing with the issue in hand, rather than a swell of unrelated emotional baggage which you have subconsciously been holding onto.

I experienced this and I cannot tell you how powerful it is. Once the waves had passed and the emotion had gone, the response to the catalyst itself was trivial. And laughable. Really! And it all took about 2 minutes from start to end! :-)

Realising that I was reacting to emotion rather than words was incredible. In that instant I knew I had a choice. I always have a choice. The old proverb is true; Word’s really don’t hurt you. And certainly not as much as you hurt yourself. Feeding the waves just fuels their anger. And above all it still leaves you uneasy once the passion has dissipated. Watching the waves and feeling them simply dissolves them.  

I’ll leave you with another old proverb: 'Practice is said to make perfect!' ;-)

C xxx

P.S I need to remind myself constantly of all that I learn and I definitely don’t always follow all my advice. I wish!... In fact I write in order to remind myself to practice and grow. .... It can be hard work and Im only human ;-)

Get in the healing mode.....

I've heard this phrase a lot...

“You need to be in healing mode”

It makes sense on the surface but even though I understand the principles and the concept, I have never fully appreciated (until recently) both the fundamental importance of it and exactly quite how to achieve it on a continuous level.

Firstly, lets look at what we mean when we say this. A healing mode is about the body being in a position to naturally heal itself and to live in harmony and joy. To heal not just from serious illness but also from everyday stresses which weaken and bring down our immune system making us vulnerable. Eventually we may reach a point where although we are functioning we are continually run down, exhausted and low. For others it may get much more serious. It took a lot to get to this point and it will take a lot to change it.

We turn to pills and potions as our first resort. What else is there? A quick fix in order to carry on and sustain our ongoing and busy routines. We don’t want to hear the LOUD and CLEAR message that out body is desperately trying to convey. We ignore it. 

We mostly don’t like the message. We definitely don’t like the solution. It isn’t always possible for us to rest, heal and change our lives so what can we do?

As much as there is understandable difficultly and therefore resistance, there does often come a point where change must be initiated, even on a small level, before it becomes an inevitable necessity and not a choice.

Many of us practice stress relief which is fabulous. Practices like yoga and meditation to ground us are wonderful, although often it is the only within this space/class/time-frame that we allow this healing state to occur. Afterwards we are straight back into the buzzy-ness. Right? 

You may feel that you constantly have this ‘rushy’ feeling where you can’t quite calm down inside. This is the nervous system constantly revved up. Whilst the nervous system is running on speed no healing can occur! Eek.

It is not even always about doing less. It is just about the state in which you do it. Checking in with yourself and actively switching off the internal buzz.

The body is capable of incredible healing. There have been many extraordinary examples of spontaneous remission from deadly diseases which no-one can explain. From research there are combined factors involved. One common discovery seems to be that, for the body to activate its innate powerful healing mechanism it HAS TO BE IN HEALING MODE.

The nervous system has to be calm. Constantly. Or as constant as possible. And steps must be taken repetitively to reach this state until like a muscle, a memory is formed and it becomes effortless.

It is important to really tune in and recognise this feeling. To feel it and stop it. Correct breathing is fundamental for this shift to occur. We all think that ‘breathing’ is easy right? We are surviving so therefore we are breathing? But most of us are not doing it correctly and this makes ALL the difference.

Take a moment to see...

Lay down quietly and look at your chest. I bet it is moving? I bet your stomach area is still? This is over-breathing. We need slow steady breaths where the chest does not move at all and all the movement is much lower down.

Try this....

Put one hand on your chest and one on your lower stomach. Breathe into the hand on your stomach slowly and rhythmically until you get a steady up and down flow. The chest hand should not move at all.  This is correct breathing. This will calm the nervous system down and allow healing to occur.

It is incredible and surprising to suggest that we need to actively ‘try’ to get into what should be our natural state. Its not easy. Even as I write this blog I am aware that the focus and interest of writing has taken me away from breathing correctly. I can feel the racy-ness and am jittery inside. I am aware of this and (as much as I want to resist) I need to make the choice to stop for a few moments, do the breathing exercise, get back into healing mode, and then continue from that place. It will take continual practice and awareness and effort.

The thing is that I do believe in miracles, and the body is a miraculous thing. It does have the power to heal on many levels if we continually give it everything it needs. You cannot do one aspect without the other though. You cannot eat healthy food but function in a stressful state and still be fully healthy and vibrant.

Its an all or nothing approach.

Give it your all :-)  

C xx

Oh to be Inspired:

Inspiration is a truly amazing thing. It ranks really high up there! It provides us with the idea, the push, the oomph to create lives we love. It is the force that can propel us forward and guide our direction.

We all need a bit of guidance, advise or inspiration to get us started and to keep us going. Sometimes we get so caught up in the daily grind that we forget to look for, or follow our purpose. 

Forget to pursue our ultimate goals. 

Forget to follow the path of happiness.

Forget to play.

Then, out of the blue, a cosmic jolt of inspiration can spin our world. It can remind us and reconnect us to our desires. It could be a magazine article on ‘planting your own herbs’ or ‘ways to start a business’. It could be a piece of art or photography. Whatever the form of media there is always ‘something’ which evokes a response in our hearts. Something which gets our brains stirring, our voices active, our hearts singing. We come alive. This is your passion. This is your joy. This is your purpose.

“What do you talk about most?”

“What do you read for pleasure?”

“What forums and blogs do you subscribe to?”

Inspiration is a tool for me. It is as important to me as my daily meditation practice and the food in my fridge. I actively seek it as a way to stay on track and remain positive and happy. I make it an activity in itself. I search and immerse myself in blogs and articles on things that inspire me - nutrition, healing, yoga, happiness. 

If I feel unproductive, blue, or stagnant I tap into my ‘inspiration box’. I listen, and I read, and I connect with other incredible people who are on similar journeys and who genuinely inspire me. They give me ideas. They motivate me. They reignite the flame. I feel a buzz.

.......And the shift is dramatic. To tune into my hopes and dreams, my passions (even if they are not always clear cut) is incredibly powerful. It shifts my whole perception and ‘energy’ state.

Our whole health is a balanced connection between Mind, Body and Soul and I believe that our ‘energy’ or ‘aura’ is fundamental to this triangle. Energy shifts are not necessarily related to physical energy. I can be feeling very tired and still create a soulful ‘shift’. You just need to find the BUZZ!

Seek inspiration as your starting point. Read books you love, watch programs on your favourite topic areas, get that sewing machine out. At first you may not see the point but as you continually and deliberately connect to your passion a shift will take place. Your energy will realign. See it as a practice you must devote time to.

Find your Inspiration. 

See what comes from it.

C xx

That January Healing....

As someone who has a LOT of healing to do I have increasingly been working towards consuming ONLY nourishing foods and products. My thinking behind this is that, if we are truly what we eat, and if food is in fact our medicine, then I personally need as much of the ‘good stuff’ as possible. If ‘bad stuff’ causes immflamation (which lead to a host of disease states) or simply gives the body no benefit then why waste my time with it?

I guess the obviously answer as to why we eat the chocolates, the crisps and the cakes (are you drooling yet?!) is that they TASTE GOOD! They make us FEEL GOOD. We just like them ok?! 

And, actually if you are super healthy then please go ahead and apply the 80/20 rule. A little is not going to kill you. However, know for sure, that temporary sugar high will ALWAYS have a come-down :-(

The main thing to accept and appreciate is that food is what we function, survive and thrive on.

Take a moment to fully appreciate this.

Food is the primary fuel for our amazing bodies and minds. It helps us live, work and play. It aids in creating babies and being happy. It really is the forefront of everything. I wonder if you would take your beloved Mini Cooper and fill her up with the wrong petrol type and expect her to be fine? Probably not. You’d probably anticipate a host of problems and repercussions? There would be damage done which would take a lot of repair.

Surely our bodies deserve more love and TLC than a car? Yet we seem to be ok with abuse of it. To be fair, I think that we have understandably simply forgotten what the point of food is and the choices bombarding us get so confusing. Eating isn’t just about pleasure and instant gratification. A quick fix when you feel blue. Mindless consumption to ease the boredom. It is EVERYTHING. We cannot exist without food (and water) and while we can ‘get by’ on rubbish diets we will inevitably get problems (of some kind) at some point. 

Imagine instead feeling fabulous every day! I want that! We were born to experience that.

Change takes time and nowadays I try to make conscious food choices at every meal.. I don’t want to eat anything which my body will react to, or will need to work hard to digest. I want fuel which gives my cells energy and vitality. I want as much goodness as possible. In truth I crave all the help I can get. I know that the majority of us don’t need to be so extreme but it does get you thinking about your choices?

If you want to start somewhere and this all seems overwhelming, the best advise would be to ‘just add in more goodness’. Don’t think any further than just increasing your fruit, salad and vegetable intake, swapping your margarine for real butter (yes you NEED fat to function!), and munching on nuts and seeds. Without thinking about it you will start to simply have less room for the ‘bad stuff’ and slowly your habits will change. This is a good start. *

Please ditch the ‘diet’ foods too. They are full of sugar, additives and GM products. Much like the caterpiller becomes the butterfly, a healthy, vibrant and attractive person will emerge from eating whole, real foods. You will lose weight too (if you desire.)

If in doubt ask yourself whether the food in question has either ‘come from an animal, been picked from the ground, or grown on a tree?'' If it has thats great! If it hasn’t it probably isn’t going to be doing any nourishing any time soon.

Today, we live such busy lives that the philosophy of eating has completely changed. But  sometimes ‘the way your grandmother did it’ really is the best advise :-)

It may seem more time consuming at first but it honestly can be very simple and easy. Just take it step by step. If you need help find a Food coach. Or contact me!

Real food can help you live a truly Bright life.  It can give you the potential to be everything you were born to be. And we could all use a little help :-)

C xx

*Im itching to mention the merits of chicken broth and chia seeds but its probably too soon right?! haha. Next time!