Since the age of seven I had been obsessed with Australia. So, on hitting 18, I made it my mission to spend time in this paradise. From the minute I landed in Oz I knew that somehow this place would help me uncover the true me. I was blessed to find a job in an organic café in Bondi. I learnt so much about the importance of food to our health, mood and general wellbeing. I realised that my body had been starved of proper whole foods, nourishment and love. The café was filled with the most miraculous people I had ever met; people who taught me how to properly prepare, source and cook food.
Sydney was the wake-up call I needed – I felt inspired to jump out of bed, catch the sunrise or paddleboard the shores. My IBS cleared and for the first time I felt well. I studied nutrition, created my blog and moved back to London to spread the message of healthy eating. I began teaching my Get the Glow programme in 2012 with the aim of helping men and women ditch faddy diets and make healthy eating a way of life.
Get the Glow is out now, Orion Books, available as hardback or e-book, £20/£10.99. Harvey Nichols Edinburgh has been inspired by Shaw’s book to create five healthy dishes available this weekend in their Forth Floor Restaurant, see www.harveynichols.com
METHOD
1 Put the nut butter and coconut oil in the food processor and mix for 1 minute or so. Sieve in the raw cacao, then put in the rest of the ingredients (apart from the cherries) and whizz for a few minutes until totally gooey. At this point throw in the cherries and mix with a spoon.
2 Scoop out the mixture with a spatula into a coconut oil-greased 24cm baking tin, then put it in the freezer for 30 minutes until firmly set.
3 Cut the fudge into bite-size bits with a sharp knife, then pop them back in the fridge. This keeps for two weeks in the fridge. If you struggle to fall asleep, cherry can be a great sleep aid – and the raw gooey texture makes this fudge a perfect treat with a cup of chamomile tea before bed. Don’t forget the active ingredient, almond butter – it provides lots of vitamin E for your skin.
- Madeleine Shaw is a nutritionist and cookery writer