I know how amazing and vibrant food can make you feel. But I did not always know this. Growing up in a typical working class British family food had one main purpose – to stop hunger. The solution to that problem had neither time nor money on its side – both were in short supply. Food had to be cheap, quick and filling. My folks, like many people, trusted the food companies and supermarkets to sell them food that was healthy. They didn’t question what was on the shelves and what it did to your body. Pain and ailments were something the doctor, not your diet, solved.
Searing stomach pain, an aching back and low mood were a constant in my first 30 years of life. This was something the doctors couldn’t solve. IBS is an elusive and mysterious problem, certainly elusive to the tablets and powders prescribed which did zero to help alleviate the condition. When I came to a particularly traumatic time in my life I could not endure this physical pain alongside the emotional pain that my ‘divine event’ had thrust upon me. I had reached my limit.
I researched possible dietary causes and in one fell swoop eliminated caffeine, sugar and grains. Slowly I reintroduced them and discovered a high intolerance to most grains. Since that time I have been on a journey to discover exactly how amazing food could make me feel. My reasoning was this – if it had the ability to make me feel sick and tired and emotional it could also do the opposite and make me feel energised and positive and vibrant.
The choice to be vegan and to consume only animal-free food and products is a beautiful compassionate thing. 21 years ago the realities of farming were made clear to me, making veganism the logical lifestyle for me and my beliefs. Compassion for others is the right thing to do, but that compassion should also be given to our own selves and our own bodies. Compassion is not a finite resource. No. It grows. It blooms and blossoms. From the compassion you create, more and more compassion is created within you.
The food that I create supports my hectic work schedule, often 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. I’m not complaining – I love my life and my work. I know that in order for me to be pushing vegan food forward, promoting veganism and creating always more and more recipes, content and connections I need a healthy diet to support that. There is no brain/body divide. What you put into your mouth affects your mind. The gut and emotions are firmly linked.
Knowledge of nutrition is increasing each year but many people are confused by conflicting statements in the media. We need to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we can choose the food which will power our bodies enabling us to live epic lives. The information is out there but it isn’t served to you on a plate (pun intended). You have to spend time searching, investigating, reading, learning who to trust and who not to trust. I promise you it will be worth it. This process has enabled me to eat pain-free and to have a vitality I never thought possible.
The recipes I share are entirely compassionate for animals, for the planet and for you.