It’s ME! Hello. Hope you are all having a SEX ON LEGS day today! I am as I got the last of my mercury fillings out woo hoo. My dentist is a lovely holistic dentist in Greenock called Stewart. Here is his site if any of you are interested, I can highly recommend him. Anyway, enough teeth talking let’s get doon tae business with a lovely 11 question blogatron by the gorgeous and delectable Nina Dench.
I met Nina last September at a Karen Knowler event and honestly please believe me when I say Nina is officially the nicest person you’ll ever meet EVER! She has a sunshine personality and is so genuine and down to earth I want her to adopt me (sorry mum). If ever there’s a shiny example of a raw food lifestyle Nina is it. She’s just a fountain of LOVE in the shape of a girl 🙂 Ok time for me to shut the hell up…
1.How long have you been in to raw foods?
Approximately 20 years
2. How did you discover raw foods?
Puberty helped me discover raw foods! I had a few problems such as dramatic weight gain, enlarged ovaries, severe PMS. Doctors tested my thyroid and I was give body scans etc. In the end my doctor told me I’d only feel better once I’d had children! At 15 years old this left me feeling really down and really angry. I knew I had to help myself and so my journey began! I visited my local library and discovered Leslie Kenton’s ‘Raw Energy’.
3. What were some of the first benefits you noticed?
It felt like a ‘truth’ had been revealed. I felt grateful and lucky. I had so much energy and enthusiasm for life. Raw food for me is all about truth and nature. It’s a feeling of being allowed to be childlike in terms of having fun in life and being playful and not taking ourselves too seriously.
4. Were there any drawbacks? If so, what and how did you handle?
I lost too much weight and it scared me. I thought the only other ‘raw’ person in the world was Leslie Kenton. I had no one to turn to for advice. Now we know that this weight loss is a natural phase and the body rebalances itself after the initial shock of ‘real’ nutrition! Psychologically, lots of different emotions surfaced and I continued to question my new found ‘truth’. Today we are so very very lucky to have so many online ‘raw’ groups who can help and support each other. This support is a major component of staying raw and of making some beautiful life long frindships.
5. How did your family and friends react?
In 1990 North East England being vegetarian was a novelty, never mind being ‘raw’! Family and friends were polite but thought I must be anorexic and just a little bit crazy!
6. How did you handle reactions? any tips?
I was on my ‘soap box’ a lot in the early years! Over time I learnt not to argue. I spoke only to those who wanted to listen. I learnt to be kind to myself and others. People come to raw in their own time, when it’s their right time not yours!
7. What advice would you give people who are interested in raw foods on how to get started?
Invest in some raw recipe books. Go back to basics! You don’t need dehydrators, spiralizers etc. However, one piece of equipment that I use on a daily basis is my trusty ‘Vitamix’ blender. No other blender comes close to this little beauty! You don’t need loads of fancy concoctions even though they are lovely from time to time. Stick to rainbow salads with varied dressings. You don’t need durian and young coconuts although they are yummy. I love basic fruits like crunchy, juicy apples stored in the fridge. They taste delicious and act as a fantastic intestinal broom! I really like the ‘Light to Heavy’ philosophy. Try eating just fruit until noon to give your digestive system a rest. Eat salad for lunch and perhaps something a little heavier for dinner. Never ever be hard on yourself. If you’re not 100% raw then so what? Listen to your own body and do what works for you.
8. What is your number 1 raw tip?
Be kind to yourself and others. This works not just for raw but for every aspect of a healthier life. Eating raw food is just one way in which you can be kind to yourself.
9. What is your favourite raw food and why?
The favourite raw food question is really hard because it changes day to day depending on my mood and monthly cycle. At the moment I’m enjoying crunchy apples straight from the fridge. I really want some freeze dried durian at the moment but I’m finding it difficult to track down! I have fond memories of persimmon and cherimoya!
10. If you could be any raw food what would you be and why?
My husband thinks I’m a nut! I think I’d be a bit more fruity! Perhaps a tasty pear!
11. How do you see the raw movement in five years time?
Hopefully more mainstream. Raw food in every shop/cafe/restaurant. Raw on TV. Raw education in schools. Raw food in hospitals.
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LOVE it. Thank you Nina.
Nina will be joining Karen Knowler at her forthcoming ‘Weekend in the Raw’ event at the end of November demo-ing some gorgeous raw foods. More information here
Approximately 20 years
2. How did you discover raw foods?
Puberty helped me discover raw foods! I had a few problems such as dramatic weight gain, enlarged ovaries, severe PMS. Doctors tested my thyroid and I was give body scans etc. In the end my doctor told me I’d only feel better once I’d had children! At 15 years old this left me feeling really down and really angry. I knew I had to help myself and so my journey began! I visited my local library and discovered Leslie Kenton’s ‘Raw Energy’.
3. What were some of the first benefits you noticed?
It felt like a ‘truth’ had been revealed. I felt grateful and lucky. I had so much energy and enthusiasm for life. Raw food for me is all about truth and nature. It’s a feeling of being allowed to be childlike in terms of having fun in life and being playful and not taking ourselves too seriously.
4. Were there any drawbacks? If so, what and how did you handle?
I lost too much weight and it scared me. I thought the only other ‘raw’ person in the world was Leslie Kenton. I had no one to turn to for advice. Now we know that this weight loss is a natural phase and the body rebalances itself after the initial shock of ‘real’ nutrition! Psychologically, lots of different emotions surfaced and I continued to question my new found ‘truth’. Today we are so very very lucky to have so many online ‘raw’ groups who can help and support each other. This support is a major component of staying raw and of making some beautiful life long frindships.
5. How did your family and friends react?
In 1990 North East England being vegetarian was a novelty, never mind being ‘raw’! Family and friends were polite but thought I must be anorexic and just a little bit crazy!
6. How did you handle reactions? any tips?
I was on my ‘soap box’ a lot in the early years! Over time I learnt not to argue. I spoke only to those who wanted to listen. I learnt to be kind to myself and others. People come to raw in their own time, when it’s their right time not yours!
7. What advice would you give people who are interested in raw foods on how to get started?
Invest in some raw recipe books. Go back to basics! You don’t need dehydrators, spiralizers etc. However, one piece of equipment that I use on a daily basis is my trusty ‘Vitamix’ blender. No other blender comes close to this little beauty! You don’t need loads of fancy concoctions even though they are lovely from time to time. Stick to rainbow salads with varied dressings. You don’t need durian and young coconuts although they are yummy. I love basic fruits like crunchy, juicy apples stored in the fridge. They taste delicious and act as a fantastic intestinal broom! I really like the ‘Light to Heavy’ philosophy. Try eating just fruit until noon to give your digestive system a rest. Eat salad for lunch and perhaps something a little heavier for dinner. Never ever be hard on yourself. If you’re not 100% raw then so what? Listen to your own body and do what works for you.
8. What is your number 1 raw tip?
Be kind to yourself and others. This works not just for raw but for every aspect of a healthier life. Eating raw food is just one way in which you can be kind to yourself.
9. What is your favourite raw food and why?
The favourite raw food question is really hard because it changes day to day depending on my mood and monthly cycle. At the moment I’m enjoying crunchy apples straight from the fridge. I really want some freeze dried durian at the moment but I’m finding it difficult to track down! I have fond memories of persimmon and cherimoya!
My husband thinks I’m a nut! I think I’d be a bit more fruity! Perhaps a tasty pear!
11. How do you see the raw movement in five years time?
Hopefully more mainstream. Raw food in every shop/cafe/restaurant. Raw on TV. Raw education in schools. Raw food in hospitals.
Awesome or I’m sure you’d say Rawesome! This blog is the best and sweetest one yet!