Five Minutes With… A Raw Food Revolutionary
Tanya Maher, 31, runs Tanya’s Cafe in Chelsea and is author of The Uncook Book. We sat down for five minutes to find out why raw food is the way forward…
Q: So, how did you get into the raw food revolution?
A: It was really through my parents who started eating raw food back in 2008 after reading raw food expert Victoria Boutenko‘s books. When I saw how well, happy and energised they were, I felt like I wanted a piece of it too. So I began making green juices for breakfast and noticed how satisfied and full of energy I was until long past my usual lunchtime. Once I saw the benefits, I began incorporating more and more raw food into my diet.
Q: How does raw food make you feel?
A: For one thing, the flavours are great and the food is so much more satisfying. Raw food makes you eat more slowly and consciously. Since going raw, I have a lot more energy. My skin is better, I need to sleep less and my eyes are brighter. I am convinced I am getting the best of every nutrient I need and during my recent pregnancy, I didn’t have any strange cravings at all and didn’t put on any weight.
Q: What does a raw food beginner need in their kit?
A: You don’t need lots of fancy kit if you want to try out raw eating for the first time. The best investment is a really sharp knife and then you need a blender for making spreads, juices and soups and a food processor for making energy balls and veggie burger patties as well as for chopping raw vegetables.
Q: What’s a good gateway into raw food eating?
A: A good gateway to raw food is a dessert. Try something like my squashed berry and white chocolate cheesecake as a way to see just how delicious raw food can be.
Q: What do you eat on an average day?
A: I start off with hot water and then some raw chocolate and peppermint tea. At lunch I’ll have a Caesar salad and then snack on raw chocolate or granola or salad straight from the fridge. In the evenings, my husband Elliott has time with our daughter while I cook – we have big bowls of grains and seeds with vegetables. I love broccolini and my home made sauerkraut. I don’t eat any meat at all and will only occasionally have wild Alaskan salmon.
Q: How do you juggle motherhood with running your cafe?
A: My daughter Lake was born in January and I’m back at work already. Lake actually loves the café and because she was there so much when she was inside me, she finds the hum and buzz of the café and the blenders really soothing. We joke that it’s her happy place!
- The Uncook Book by Tanya Maher is published by Hayhouse and costs £16.99
