I've never really thought much about being a Vegan.  I think its incredibly honourable for any person to be one though.  I have been vegetarian on and off but I've found that every time I have been my lifestyle has lead to me to have health problems which has always brought me back to eating meat.  This honestly makes me sad as a true lover of animals I go on and off being able to stomach eating them.    

But this year with everyone going Veganary mad it has pulled up some really interesting articles and foods on social media which has made me think again whether I should give it another go.  

Since having my third child, yet again I have been forced through breastfeeding to go completely dairy and egg free, essentially vegan but whilst eating meat.  So its been a while since I've had a decent lump of real cheese or a pudding for that matter.  So having denied myself for so long I began to look into some vegan food to make my life happier and I have to say that I'm bloody delighted!  

With a Pizza issue that I found really difficult to eat, and I tried every kinda milk cheese that I could, thinking I could feed it to my child, I found that nothing would work, she was not happy at all.  Until I found at some Vegan cheese on Ocardo.  This has changed PIZZA AND MY LIFE!!!  It tastes like a mild cheddar which I was surprised at but I'm really pleased.  Not only that but I can also give my baby a decent piece of pizza considering that she really likes it, and now it has some cheese on it.  

(I know I've added a photo of said cheese on this blog, this is not an ad, this is my own personal experience as Editor of this magazine and a person in this universe.  This stuff is good.  Thumbs up.)  

But the thing that really kicked me in the heart was a video I found on Facebook one evening last week.  This guy makes a bloody good point and its shaken my world.  I'm going to be honest, I'm finding it really hard to eat any meat at the moment.  I actually feel sick.

I'm not sure that I'll be turning full Vegan any time soon regardless, but the last year I have cut back on the amount of meat that I'm eating for the environment mainly if I'm honest.  Its not always a meat free monday but theres more than day in the week where I don't eat it, and I'm actively always looking for new ways to ingest protein and iron rich foods.  I will admit that this video has given me a big push to eat even less meat, and so far so good. This is weighing heavy on my mind.  So much so that more veggie and vegan recipes will be filling the magazines from now on and if anyone really loves to cook simple vegetarian or vegan recipes and would love to be in our magazine please get in touch Id love to hear from you.  

I hope you watch this video and it give you some vegan food for thought. 
​Thank you. 

Its been a long time since I wrote a blog as I've been pregnant and having a baby, but seen as its her first birthday today it seems fitting to tell you my thoughts on this New Year New Me stuff.  
​
I'lll be honest, I don't get it.  Just because everyone goes completely nuts stuffing themselves at Christmas and getting completely wasted on New Years Eve which I honestly say 'Enjoy!' to I don't see why we have to all rush out and change immediately.  And does this all really work?

I don't think it does.  
​
This last year has been very hard for me personally.  I know that breastfeeding my child is supposed to make me loose all the weight that I have gained through pregnancy, but I'm afraid that my body just isn't made that way so I carry every last bit of weight till I stop feeding.  So really I still look pregnant, which I find PANTS!!!  And although I've just had my third child I still find this really difficult to cope with.  Not because I feel pressured or feel I need to get 'summer ready', but I don't look like myself and feel that it sure would be nice to not have to wear those maternity jeans still. 

This might all seem very personal and not exactly food related.  But I feel that I need to give something back to all those mums that work their asses off and their asses just grow bigger!  One day is as good as the next to either loose it or say 'what the hell I need a latte today and no one is going to stop me!'

Personally I'm going to work in bite size steps to not just loose it but to feel more like my old self again, or at least like who is looking back at me in the mirror.  When I'm ready I'll cut out that nasty sugar.  I've already started to, but with lack of sleep going cold turkey just doesn't work.  
Also I'll be getting those all important walks in as much as I can do a week, to get those steps we all need up, then we will see.  When I'm ready some running and yoga.  I think as you get older you realise what you can bare to do when you have that golden time to yourself and those are my two and they make me feel really good.  

​But you know what lets see.  ​
I honestly think that you need to be ready to make changes to your life and no first day of the year is going to make me have a better nights sleep or entice me to cut out the carbs, or whatever.  
But every day I will try my best to make healthy food decisions to nourish my body and mind and baby.  What more can I do?  Honestly I'm so sleep deprived I've no idea.  

Beer Photo credit belongs to Jon Moore.  Our amazing Beer writer, so check him out in our current issue of Cibare.  

What have we been up to?  Well other than of course just getting our summer issue up and away, we are off to print for the first time!  And quite simply we can't wait to see our lovely magazine in our hands and off into your hands too!
This week is the last week if you know of any great business would like to share our adventure and come into print with us with a cool advert in our mash potato pages!  So get in touch asap!  We are just printing off a sample magazine to wet your appetites for not only this awesome magazine in full online and free, but for our FULL ISSUE coming this July!! Ready for you to run off on holiday with or read in your garden and enjoy the fruits of London with us.  
So don't forget to pick up a Cibare on Friday April 15th in these stations in London when you get to work in the morning!

HOLBON
TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD
OXFORD CIRCUS
CHARING CROSS/ EMBANKMENT
WESTMINSTER 
ST JAMES PARK
WATERLOO
LAMBETH NORTH
SOUWARK
LONDON BRIDGE
CANADA WATER
Don't forget to pick up a copy on the morning of Friday 15th April!!

It is Valentine's Day and what better way to celebrate a day devoted to love than by eating pudding! Yes I know I could make something myself or go to a bakery and enjoy a freshly made something of other but who's got time for that. I'm relaxing at home enjoying one of these, and boy are they good!!

If I'm going to break my 'diet' I promised myself just the one thing and something I love. These are small and just lovely for that something sweet you will want today. So I don't feel too guilty for having one of these with my love. Although I think the kids are liking the chocolate one alittle too much! Good thing the lemon is my all time favourite. So seen as it all about Balance don't worry about having something naught now and again. Sometimes it's actually worth it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

So as you all know I've been trying to juggle a food magazine with an eating clean lifestyle and so far its been totally manageable.  But with Valentines Day coming up, I'll be honest I really want some chocolate.  I know, after all this time do I really want to throw it all away just for one ridiculous day?  Not really no, but it turns out that I don't have to.  I've been on the hunt for some really good and healthy chocolate and I found Sweet Virtues on Instagram!

The chocolate thins that you see above are white tea and peppermint flavour and they are delicious!!  AND HAVE NO DIRTY SUGAR IN THEM!!!  They do quite a few lovely flavours of healthy chocolates that taste wonderful (especially to those of you that like some dark chocolate), and they come in these beautiful boxes so that you can give them away as gifts or just keep them in your bag to look pretty.  

The great thing about them is that they are all about nutrition through the use of superfoods!  All of their chocolate is adding health to your diet not taking it away like your average chocolate bar, so actually you are doing yourself a favour by enjoying them.  So I'm adding to my health and wellbeing by eating great chocolate and I'm not sure you can get much better than that really. 

They don't just make the thins, Sweet Virtues make truffles!  As you can see if I'm going to open the box I'm going to eat one too.  They are stunningly bitter on the outside and creamy delights in the middle and as you can see full of Omegas, Magnesium and Ginseng too.  
So take a look at these amazing chocolates as well as their range of chocolate spreads too, to not only make your Valentines or any day special but every  other day too without breaking the lifestyle you want to keep up.  

Sweet Virtues.  Nip to their website to find the closest stockist neat you or run to your local Planet Organic or Wholefoods too.  It will be worth it!

So I've finally finished the Liver Cleanse and I feel great!
Everyone has told me that I look great, my skin as well and I'm for the most part bright and breezy too!
I've had the odd day where I've been exhausted but that is my own fault to be fair, I've not eaten properly so that's bound to happen, but otherwise I'm feeling fabulous.  

Only thing is that I've finished on a particular day of the month (if you know what I mean ladies) and I've got to admit, bloody hell its been hard!!!  Having been invited to a friends baby shower and presented with one of the most amazing cakes I had to sit and watch as everyone devoured this cream filled creation.  I will admit that I took some home to have the next day when the cleanse was over but having gone a month without sugar or naughty things I just couldn't do it.  

As you can see it everyone had quite a lot!  I did not!

Also being around loads of people eating food that I can't has been difficult.  I ordered a super salad somewhere whilst out knowing that it had brown rice in it, ( not paleo but I was starving and didn't have much choice), but it came with white rice!  So I had to control myself and stop eating!  So in that way the cleanse was really hard but I can still say that I'm pleased that I did it and how I feel was worth it.  

So I've made some decisions.  Unless its for work as I do have to taste things and eat certain foods every now and again of course, I'm actually sticking with this life style as promised.  I'm sure it won't last forever but this is the plan, and I'm feeling really positive.  From starting the weekend in a royal strop I'm ending it on a high.  Well at least I'm going to give it jolly good try.  

But if you find me eating a sandwich in 6 months don't judge me too much!  I've realised that whilst devising yourself certain simple every day foods that so many people take for granted I've found that in all honesty my favourite food isn't some elaborately made meal, its actually bread and rice.  How odd is that.  Oh well.  Till next time!

 Well what a week!
So I've done one week of my liver cleanse and I feel just fine.  I'm taking a two glasses of Chorophyll a day and a hand full of these herbs and vits 15 minutes before my every meal, and I have to eat clean! NO CHEATS!  I think that the fact that I've gone paleo now has made this so much easier.  

I'm not really craving anything sweet which is great, but I guess I've already done two weeks without it before I started the cleanse anyway, (that was a good plan!).  Only thing is that the last day or so all I can think about is cheese and bread!  The thought of a lovely toasted sandwich sounds like the most amazing thing on the planet!

I am though really enjoying how light I'm feeling.  I've not lost loads of weight but not eating crap is making me feel amazing.  I have lost some weight although I'm in no rush but the fact that I feel so good is where I want to be.  

I'm enjoying my food too!  Breakfast is a killer but everything else is perfect.  I love my salads and a nice bit of meat or fish is perfect.  So I just need to work on my breakfasts,  

My favourite thing with this time of the year, is that its perfect for soups!!!  And I can eat them anywhere and they are, as long as they are made fresh, totally paleo and totally clean and healthy!  So happy to be making these at home and how amazing to be really able to eat out!  Changed my life a bit too as that was the one thing I've been finding really hard!  Having to only eat part of a meal or not eat at all has been excruciating!

So the plan for this week is to keep going with the cleanse but work on some smoothies and shakes for breakfast so that I can keep my brain strong as I feel a bit tired sometimes.  Fair enough I think if I don't eat anything.  But the cleanse will be done at the end of the week, so although I still won't cheat when I'm done, I'm looking forward to feeling even better!
See you next week for an update.  

So we are on week two of this lovely change of diet scenery and I'm doing really well.  I'm not craving anything sweet that the odd banana can't fix.  But I am admittedly getting tired a little more maybe, but that's either because its freezing or because I'm bored of eating the same food so I'm eating less.  

I've realised that I'm still feeling the comfort of being able to just eat bread whenever I wanted to which would give me a really good carb boost but I can't do that any more and I've not found a replacement food that is helping me.  So yes I've been getting tired and in all honestly a lot more hungry!  But I'm ignoring it sometimes which is not good.   I was so tired yesterday that I had a potato!!! Shock Horror! Now Paleo seems to be hazy over the potato thing as a couple of years ago it was a no no but now some people do eat some, so I'm not sure.  But it did help me get an energy boost for a while in all honestly and its not a grain so I'm letting it slide.    

I'm not having any caffeine at all now as I'm about to embark on a Liver cleanse along with a friend which sounded like the net step for me so I figured why not.  Now, I have to be VERY clean eating for this but I can have potatoes and brown rice if I need it as it doesn't produce sugar in your gut, so if I'm feeling pants I know I can eat these carbs if I need to to help me feel better, Even if this is really a not part of my Paleo diet, but I need to live my life too so I will see have to see how I feel and play it my ear.  I'm interested as to how this is going to work and how I'm going to feel as I've never done this kind of thing before.  I have had a major detox before but not with things pushing the crap out of me,  possibly literally!  Well we shall see.  

But with all this happening I've decided this week is the week where I dust off my juicer that I love so much and get making some scrummy green juices and the odd smoothy and I've got my coconut water and almond milk at the ready for all kinds of filling drinks that I can enjoy.  Not sure why its taken me this long to get my finger out with these things but I guess when you are just so used to working away, it can be easy to forget to look after yourself as much as you need to too.  

Hoping that you are all still off the wagon or at least doing what you need or want to, to feel better about you.  

New Year New Me?  Corny isn't it!  I know but the reason why I haven't blogged much lately as the end of last year was not only completely mental I've been going through a difficult time with my health which has lead me to feel that in all honestly its time to go back to my old ways of eating cleaner food! 

Now we all love a slice of cake and I'm no different trust me, but its difficult to say no to it when you are feeling crappy and to be honest really wanted it so I had it.  
But now I don't want it.  In fact I'm literally happier with a bowl of salad right now so I'm letting my body tell me what I need and if salad it is then salad I will have.  And I can tell you that after only a week I'm feeling so much better within myself.  

I'm going for what most would call a Paleo diet, (which basically means no grains, no dairy and no processed food, oh and not forgetting NO SUGAR).  Well I use the word 'diet' but I'm not using it in the sense of, 'oh I'll eat like this for a while and loose weight', I'm using it in the sense that I need to change my life style completely to look after my health, and my 'diet' is what I eat.  

Now yes I have had this life style before and I went back to my sugary ways, but I also started to get colds and coughs a lot and I honestly believe that if you put crap in your body then its going to get a lot easier to feel crap too!  Yes its hard to upkeep this lifestyle all of the time, but its time for a clear out to say the least so I've left sugar at the gates of Christmas and I'm pushing through.  

So far as I said I'm doing good and funnily enough I'm not craving sugar either which is amazing and I'm really pleased about that.  It did take a couple of day's but today I'm feeling good.  

Only hard bit about all this is that I've got to cook everything from scratch and I can't rely on a bag of pasta when I'm lazy to fill me up as that's a no no!!  So I've got to also change my lifestyle to fit into all this too.  Which is to be honest is good for me because I love noting better than spending a good hour in my kitchen and making food spells and smells.  

Admittedly some are quite basic but I've got to learn my way back into a lot of this and spend more time cooking too but I'm getting there.  I'm still amazing as to adding a few herbs and spices to basic foods can make them taste delicious and different!  Take a peek at my Instagram to see my posts.  

Here are some meals I've had this week.  

Sautéed brockley, onions and purple cabbage with bacon humous and roasted sweet potato.  

The simplest of meals at their best.  
A lot of us love an egg and a bit of bacon or mushrooms.  Sometimes we seek in some sausages or hash browns or even chips, but the full English breakfast is a true thing of beauty!

I don't know about you but I can't eat all of that!  Certainly not for breakfast I would have to go back to bed after a little cry I expect, but to eat a big meal for almost any other time of the day is much easier!  Lets face it, a day that doesn't start without a strong cup of coffee or that perfect cup of tea is just not worth starting.  So for some time now, my partner and I do a weekend special were we get our favourite breakfasts but without the hassle of having to do it in the morning.  The difference with this meal was that it was created to be added to a particular place!  This pic was sent to... the FRY UP POLICE!!  A brilliant group on Facebook that rips the piss out of your plate.  And rightfully so.  It would seem that we all have our little strange and wonderful ways of eating our food (which I just love as I'm the oddest of them all!).  So we did our usual but ensure that a full plate photo was taken ready for action!  

Boy were we SLATED!!!!  It was hilarious!  The rues of the group is to not take it personally.  This is just for fun but you will receive the worst of the English language thrown up against your fry up!  But you also get to crucify everyone else food too!  Its all about the beans.  Not the beans lake!

In a slightly different Facebook place is the Foto Feast group.  Much smaller and a little appreciation society for those that can actually cook.  We don't judge we simply enjoy and ask for a recipe or give a lovely like.  A very different place for a social media meal but still all good fun!

Definitely thinking these are great ideas for another article in our new magazine!

Happy eating.