Lucuma 05

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Editor Steven Nicolaides

Design New Gaia Designs

Writers Elena Angel

www.elenaangel.com Irene Arango www.blissbites.co.uk Rich Havardi www.therawfoodscompany.com Steven Nicolaides www.lucuma.co.uk Amy Maynard www.ricepeasandlove.co.uk Paul Benhaim www.hempfoods.com.au

Juliette Scarfe

www.bareskin-beauty.co.uk

Front & Back Cover ‘ASIZA (Forest Spirit) ’ by Lisete Alcalde

www.lisetealcalde.com

Advertising papillon@lucuma.co.uk Om Noms, Goodies, Adornments creamy@lucuma.co.uk

www.lucuma.co.uk © Lúcuma No part of this magazine can be reproduced without our permission Information in Lúcuma is for information only and no part of it is a substitute for health diagnosis, care or treatment. Lúcuma and its contributors, editors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken by any person, organisation or any party on basis of reading information, stories contributions or advertisements in this publication, website or related product.

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HIGH

S

o if you recognise the leaves on the front cover you will have realised we are celebrating HEMP (Cannabis) this issue. Hemp is one of those plants that makes humankind fall in love with it. It is a miracle crop with many uses from food to clothing fibres. I don’t need to list them here as we have an article by the worlds leading authority on industrial Hemp this issue!

Cannabis as a drug Of course there are the varieties of Cannabis with high levels of THC (the psychoactive constituent responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana and hash) The truth is there is a vast difference between what is ‘illegal’ and what is immoral. I personally wouldn’t dare attempt to stand in the way of humans and nature. I do however think that anyone who seeks escapism through ‘drugs’ or anything else will only run into trouble down the line. Powerful psychoactive substances like Cannabis, though useful for health & spiritual growth, should be treated with respect. I do not think Cannabis’s true use is for recreation....

Raw Food After four years in the raw vegan food scene and after exploring Copenhagen for a ‘raw food guide’ I feel motivated to put an end to the disputes and myths in the ‘Raw food world’. For me the basis of a healthy food intake must make listening to your own body the number one guide, not what any ‘expert’ says. For me carbohydrate rich foods are the priority whether it is cooked or raw foods.

The high in fat and protein gourmet dishes in particular the cakes and including raw chocolate, were only intended to be treats not staples. I don’t think the original promoters of superfoods or raw food ever intended them to be eaten for breakfast lunch and dinner! The biggest thing that improved my health was eating salad every day - preferably organic.

Synchronous Lúcuma This time last year I was at a friends birthday party who was then an employee of inSpiral. I remember telling Dominik & Bella of inSpiral my intentions to start a magazine - Lúcuma! This year at the same friends birthday party the magazine is alive and well and inSpiral are featuring in it. In fact there are a lot of spirals in this issue, I discovered a church in Copenhagen with a vertigo inducing spiral staircase on its spire exterior, the Copenhagen Metro system looks like you are travelling through a spiral, I even can across a spiral logo on a juice I bought at a juice bar.

On valentines day 2012 Wake Up London organised a meditation flash mob in London’s Piccadilly Circus under the famous Eros statue. After these meditations the group usually makes a circle and holds hands. Then one person breaks the circle and starts walking - spiraling inwards pulling the rest.

As the spiral turns we get closer and closer until we are all wrapped around in a huddle where we create a sound bath. On this occasion the person to my right was Bella Willink (a director of inSpiral).

As we started spiraling into the centre I laughed and said “Hey Bella, your actually IN SPIRAL!” In truth we are all ‘in spiral’ on this journey of life. I wish you all a pleasant, happy & wondrous journey along your spiral to the goal of your dreams.

A note from Steven Nicolaides (founder of Lúcuma Magazine)

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CONTENTS HEMP ADORNMENTS

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6

GOODIES

INSPIRING INSPIRAL

OM NOMS

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TASTE OF TANTRA (PART 2) DARK & BITTER

LIESETE ALCALDE PAINTING WITH PASSION

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70

20 PRESENCE THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

30 HEMP

RAW COPENHAGEN

78

RECIPES

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HEMP

ADORNMENTS USE YOUR BRAIN - FEEL GOOD FASHION FROM BRAINTREE Born in Syndney Australia and now based in London England.

Braintree are committed to creating beautiful timeless fashion for men and women. Braintree have been using eco fibres such as hemp, bamboo & organic cotton from its beginnings in the 1990s. www.braintreeclothing.com

tt STRIPEY GRANDPA 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton ÂŁ39.90 GBP

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HEMP Adornments

tt Midnight Flower Shirt 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton £39.90 GBP

Brookwood Short u Sleeve Shirt 55% Hemp 45% Rayon £34.90 GBP # 5

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HEMP Adornments

tt Rania Rook Dress 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton ÂŁ59.90 GBP

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HEMP Adornments

tt Elwood Frock 55% Hemp 45% Rayon £29.90 GBP

Hip Zip Throw u 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton Knitwear £49.90 GBP

tt Tallowood Tunic 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton £49.90 GBP # 5

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HEMP Adornments

tt HAVEN HOODIE 55% Hemp, 45% Cotton Fleece £49.95 GBP www.bohohemp.co.uk

tt HOOD-SHE 55% Hemp, 45% Organic Cotton £64.95 GBP www.bohohemp.co.uk

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qq PULL BOY 53% Hemp 42% Organic Cotton 5% Spandex £39.95 GBP www.bohohemp.co.uk

HEMP Adornments

HYPE T-SHIRT (Long Sleeve) 58% Organic Cotton 37% Hemp 5% Spandex Jersey www.bohohemp.co.uk

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Adornments

ADVERTISE HERE! A Great opportunity to advertise in the most gorgeous MIND BODY SPIRIT magazine

• LUCUMA IS CREATED BY THE ‘SURFERS OF THE WAVES OF CHANGE’ AND IS ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE RAW FOOD, HEALTHY & CONSCIOUS LIVING AND SPIRITUAL SCENE • HELP SUPPORT LUCUMA MAGAZINE & PROMOTE YOUR BRAND AT THE SAME TIME! • PRESENT YOUR BRAND TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE Average of 9,600 views worldwide per issue. Back issues still being viewed and shared via social media.

• FULL PAGE & DOUBLE PAGE ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE

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For Prices & Details Contact: papillon@lucuma.co.uk # 5

HEMP Adornments

KOMODO These Hemp adornments from Eco fashion pioners Komodo, are as cool as a Komodo Dragon! www.komodo.co.uk

TIGER BALM Print TEE u 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton £30.00 GBP

qq LOLA Hemp Jersey Dress 55% Hemp / 45% Organic Cotton £45.00 GBP

qq NIME Printed Hemp Jersey Top 55% Hemp / 45% Organic Cotton £35.00 GBP

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HEMP Adornments

COLOURFUL GRASS This lovely company are passionate about creating pioneering, stylish and eco-friendly shoes that are accessible to all. We are loving the chilled out ‘shabby chic’ vibe of there products, each of them loving made with strong eco-friendly credentials. www.colourfulgrass.com

pp David Slate Hand Stitch hemp canvas.

Available in 3 colours. $70.00 USD

BRAINTREE Frilly C arry All 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton Price: £9.90 GBP www.braintreeclothing.com

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pp Rachel Cream Hemp hand stitch shoes.

Available in 3 colours. $78.00 USD

pp VANDANA STATE lined with organic cotton, and outlined with organic hemp canvas.

Available in 3 colours $78.00 USD

Adornments

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OM NOMS LET’S BE FRANK In the spirit of the name of this new brand: Buy these new bars from FRANK they are awesome, especially the blueberry one.

Price: £17 GBP for a case of 20 www.thefrankfoodcompany.com

CREAMIEST RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE BAR EVER A quite astonishing new chocolate bar from OMBAR. Made with coconut cream it has a deliciously soft texture and mild chocolate flavour.

The other unique thing about this bar is the addition of probiotics (friendly gut bacteria).

Price: £1.99 GBP www.ombar.co.uk

HOW RUDE! If you’re bored with the current crop of healthy snack bars on the market. Try these new raw vegan fruit and nut bars from Rude Health. Both ‘the pumpkin’ & ‘the beetroot’ are quite light and fruity and the ginger and cinnamon in ‘the pumpkin’ bar works well.

With healthy & tasty bars like this it would be rude, not to eat them - right? www.rudehealth.com

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CLIPPER CLOUD NINE TEA You know those songs you hear that you don’t like the first few times you hear them but then after a while it grows on you and you love them? Well this is the tea equivalent.

The dominant flavours are elder flower, lemon grass and apple. But there is also some pineapple and rose hip in there too.

These bright flavours make for a perfect tea for the summer months.

Price: £1.99 GBP shop.clipper-teas.com

UNOCO BEAUTIFUL TEA A gorgeous looking tea from Viridian. Made from dried marigold, rose petals and hibiscus flowers this is one to use in clear teapots and cups for sure.

We love how it includes cleavers leaves (a wild plant thats great for detoxing) which is a rare thing for a herbal tea. It also tastes as good as it looks - nice and light and flowery. Just in time for the summer.

This is the first truly raw (unpasteurised) coconut water on the market and wow can you taste the difference. No aftertaste and no additives or sweeteners. Unoco use only young green coconuts not mature ones. The pink colour appears naturally due to the high anti-oxidant content. www.unocodrinks.com

Price: £12.00 GBP www.viridian-nutrition.com

MINERAL WATER IN A C ARTON Perhaps this is the solution to plastic bottled water. Water packaged in a paper carton! Well that’s what Aquapax think, in fact empty plastic bottles littering the streets was a motivation to Aquapax’s creation. The water itself tastes great, quite light and neutral on the taste buds. This brand also won the 2008 QATRAH award as Best Bottled Water in the world. For me this water is refreshing in more ways than one, I love the retro vibrant graphics and thought that has gone into it. This should be available everywhere! www.justdrinkingwater.com # 5

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GOODIES Kimberly Snyder - THE BEAUTY DETOX SOLUTION The beauty detox solution brainchild of celebrity endorsed nutritionist Kimberly Snyder is a book I approach with some hesitation, however the book makes a refreshing change to the many diet fads out there and instead concentrates on a permanent change to eating habits.

The book is written with a personal style of infectious enthusiasm and has some big promises claiming that following this approach to food will not only make you look and feel younger but also regain your inner and outer beauty. Gone are the days of counting calories or overloading on protein, instead Snyder promotes enjoying natures offering in abundance. The wonderful power of fresh vegetables and fruits are at the heart of this book and her three-stage program to permanently cleanse the body is cleverly thought out to suit a variety of lifestyles, even for those who still do want to include some meat and dairy in their diet.

Kimberly Snyder has found a good balance between relaying complex nutritional information and how simple choices and changes in diet can be put into practice using a variety of case studies of past and existing clients.

Meal plans and a wide selection of recipes which are both easy to follow and do not require particularly specialist equipment are also included, my favourite has to be the quinoa stuffed peppers. Snyder believes that ‘energy equals beauty’ and I for one am definitely not arguing with that instead I’m reaching for my fruit and veg and planning my way to achieve my natural inner and outer beauty.

- Review by Francesca Cornford www.londonteaemporium.blogspot.co.uk www.kimberlysnyder.net

WOMB WISDOM Uniting the divine feminine with the soul by creating access to knowledge and wisdom, from the womb.

This book teaches the reader to honour the source of the womanhood and true feminine power. If one begins to slow down and listen to messages that celebrate individual sexuality, and the female form in a mental, emotional, spiritual and cosmic space this can open the deepness of the womb power.

You will learn about using the vagina as a vessel or a weapon, as we are responsible for creating power and how this can reveal destructive or constructive relationships we give to ourselves through the womb.

Recommended reading if you would like to express the truth about who you are, who you attract, how you give life to your womb energy, and arrive at harmony with your own feminine species.

I love my womb wisdom!

- Review by Hannah Lipman of Raw Jam www.anaiyasophia.com 18

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SOAP NUTS - THE ONLY ORGANIC DETERGENT THAT GROWS ON TREES Yes soap really can grow on trees. Soap nuts are the dried shells or husks from the soapberry tree, which grows primarily in northern India and Nepal. Soap nuts have been used in India to wash hair and clothes for centuries so as a nature loving all round eco-friendly dude I was very excited to try these.

The variety that Living naturally sell is Sapindus Mukurossi - which has the highest amount of saponins in the shell and therefore the most effective when used for cleaning.

To use the shells, place 5-7 soap nut shells (or equivalent half shells) into the muslin wash bag, tie bag securely, and place inside the washing machine with your washing. Soap nuts produce small suds (foam) and only in warm water. Personally I think the smaller suds are more effective in cleaning deeper than harsh overly foamy products we have grown up with. My clothes came out clean, soft and fragrance free. This can be a strange experience if you are used to the synthetic fragrances in traditional cleaning detergents but I prefer it. There is no need to use a fabric softener as the Soap nuts do it naturally.

Plus you don’t have to worry about putting polluting chemicals down the drain. Isn’t nature wonderful?

www.soapnuts.co.uk

pp 500g Soapnut Shells with FREE Storage Bag 130 loads/washes £7.99 GBP

qq Super Concentrated Soapnut Liquid Laundry Detergent 500ml 55 loads/washes £6.99 GBP

pp 225g Soapnut Shells In Storage Tube 100 loads/washes £16.99 GBP

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T

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S O L A

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P R E S

What is a Chakra?

A Spinning Vortex of Energy of a particular frequency of colour. Humans have seven main chakras spanning the whole colour spectrum. Each Chakra has its own properties forming the basis of our architecture and personalities.

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By Steven Nicolaides

P L

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PRESENCE - THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

In the centre of our bodies, behind the navel is the Solar Plexus Chakra. TOGETHER WITH THE HEART CHAKRA It is the Bridge betweEn the lower and upper chakras. It allows us to give and receive energy WITHIN OURSELVES AND ALSO WITH OTHERS. ENERGY flows into it and IS transmuted into another form of energy. Therefore It’s element is water. Water is flexibility and movement. in between solid and gas.

BUTTERFLIES Ever felt butterflies in your stomach? That’s your Solar Plexus chakra gearing up for new situations (energies). Ever felt a

bubbling joy

inside you? That’s

the Solar Plexus chakra working faster at transmuting energy and feeding the chakra’s above it, starting with its neighbour, the green chakra of LOVE.

THE ‘SUN’ OF MAN Ever felt a warm feeling of coziness inside your belly? That is your inner sun - The Solar Plexus chakra. The word Solar comes from Latin meaning ‘the sun’. Perhaps ‘the Son of Man’ Jesus was referring to in the distorted legends of the Christ Story could be looked at in this way too....

‘The SUN of man’ , for if you

were to

look inside yourself you would surely see a glowing sun. A sun that nourishes your INNER UNIVERSE, just as the outer sun nourishes the outer universe.

THE SPRING OF ETERNAL YOUTH? As an energy hub It’s no wonder that the Solar Plexus chakra is the one chakra most associated with longevity and vitality - especially in the ancient traditions of Asia such as yoga, ayurveda, traditional chinese medicine and martial arts.

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PRESENCE - THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

SOLAR PLEXUS CARE This Chakra can easily become blocked and overwhelmed with energies. A classic symptom is bloating in the intestinal region, bad digestion and feelings of being stuck, stagnation, irritability and lack of satisfaction. Of course there may be food digestion issues, but before the digestion organs of the body, is our spiritual body. Our digestive system is just the physical

‘embodiment’

of the solar plexus chakra.

These problems can occur because of a lack of understanding in the cycle of giving and receiving energy. Just as the body wants to assimilate food our spiritual selves do too. People can become superficial, never truly

‘digesting’

events, tastes,

emotions, sensations or life in general. This is the underlying cause of why people overeat. If one does not value each bite of food or every sip of water and is not giving their body enough time to assimilate the energy, they never get the

response

satisfaction

that they should, and are always left thinking they

are hungry. They are therefore stuck in a hungry and that they

need

moment

of feeling

something. A second problem is then

created because there is now a pile up of stuff that was never properly processed, particularly in the emotional sense as humans instinctively avoid painful issues instead of

dealing

with them.

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PRESENCE - THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

IT’S ALL ABOUT PRESENCE YOU SEE...

Being Present (as in being in the moment) Is what allows you to receive a present (as in being given a gift), which allows you to digest and then transmute energy into giving a present of your own, either to yourself through growth or to the world through love and creation.

How interesting that the english word Present has many meanings. Just as a single moment can be split into many elements... Everything springs forth through one moment in time.

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PRESENCE - THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

n

GIVE Present

S

a

f a c t s i i t o

y

o

Being Present

G r a

RECEIVE Present

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t

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PRESENCE - THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life...” - JESUS

2 Suns - Taming the Flames Below the Solar Plexus chakra is the Sacral chakra. The Sacral chakra is at the frequency of Orange. It’s attributes are passion, fire and heat. Imagine the Sacral chakra as a camp fire and the Solar Plexus as a person who sits at just the right distance from the fire to be comfortable. Not too hot and not too cold. Similarly planet Earth is at a perfect distance to enjoy the benefits of the suns energy to support life. Life which can transmute the fiery energy of the sun into something else. What nature does with this energy is all around for us to see. Eco-systems that in turn support life forms in abundance. One who masters the Solar Plexus chakra can create unto infinity, for they become limitless and eternal.

The secret is not to ignore or repress our passions but to acknowledge, understand and if necessary channel them into what we truly desire - to

master the flames . Only then can a human master

the energy flow within him and that of the higher chakras.

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PRESENCE - THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

DIGEST LIFE! - TIPS FOR SOLAR PLEXUS MASTERY GRATITUDE - The feeling and energy of gratitude is vitally important for a healthy life. That is what ‘kick starts’ the giving/receiving cycle in mankind.

Everything has a value and by appreciating this in your life you open your Solar Plexus to receiving more in life. By default life does not want to give you more food, if you have not eaten what’s already on your plate!

MINDFULNESS - This is the practice of being aware of ones thoughts and actions.

To be mindful of the energies one is putting out and also receiving from others and situations is invaluable. A big part of mindfulness is neutral observation of the self and the world. Gentle activities such as sitting in a cafe for an hour or two watching the world go by and long walks in nature are not wastes of time as society would have you believe. It’s actually a constructive use of time because the past is being processed ready making way for the new, which in turn gives you

more

time.

MEDITATION - In meditation energy is processed at a faster rate than when we are still busy. Sometimes anything outstanding can be brought to your attention for your conscious release. Most of the time a simple relaxation meditation is all one needs to balance and unconsciously release.

YOGA - Perhaps the ultimate exercise, yoga irons out the creases in your entire being not just in the Solar Plexus chakra. Yoga practices such as Pranayama (breathing techniques) are essential.

PARASITES? NO THANKS - Don’t be afraid to ‘hang up the phone’ on people and things that are destructive in your life. Carrying someone in your reality when they don’t serve you is draining. Ask yourself, “Is this person making me feel good?” If not perhaps it’s better that you let them go.

The benefits of all the above techniques are that when life feels stagnant and not flowing you will be able to find the root of the problem make the change and start flowing again.

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Written by Paul Benhaim

Sailors have used it on their ships...

Police look for it...

And recently, London born

Hemp entrepreneur & author Paul Benhaim, has written his ninth book about it!

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Hemp Plantation - 18 metres tall in 90 days with a biomass yield of 2.5 tones per hectare.

This is impressive by any standards.

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T HEMP

here is much myth and much hope around the widespread use of the industrial hemp plant.

Cannabis Sativa is the true name for Hemp. Cannabis or marijuana are terms used for the psychoactive form of hemp. Medical cannabis is proving to be of interest to a wider audience with British Medical Authorities about to approve the use of cannabis for use in Multiple Sclerosis muscle stiffness and for bladder problems, with other uses including relief for Cancer patients and symptoms of Glaucoma.

The field of medicinal cannabis has growing support in Australia, though the image of pot-smoking hippies is hard to detract from and currently limits the ability for a wider audience to take seriously. The facts are facts however, and it is only a matter of time before this natural herb is used.

The facts are simple - abuse of any substance has negative affects, and this includes cannabis. However, the negative affects are arguably less severe in comparison to regular drugs available over the counter.

In 1996 it was estimated that 18,580 people died from tobacco related causes, 3,656 from alcohol related causes and zero died from cannabis related causes.

In 1998, 17% of Australians reported that they had used Marijuana over the preceding 12 months. True figures are estimated to be double this by some sources. Yet, in 1997, only 4.5% of the population of the Netherlands (where cannabis is legal) reported using Marijuana within the preceding 12 months. History has shown us that prohibition does not work yet our fearbased society still has no concept of this truth.

The other side of cannabis is the non-medicinal uses – more commonly known as industrial hemp.

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HEMP

pp Hemp Bathroom - a luxury home built using ‘Hempcrete’ www.thehempbuilder.com pp Shelled hemp Seeds Growing industrial hemp still requires a license in some states, just in case you decided to slip some hemp seeds that you bought in the Netherlands. In fact, authorities have very strict measures for ensuring only a limited amount of industrial hemp seed varieties can be grown.

Industrial hemp is used as a strong, yet soft fabric, a substitute to virgin tree pulp in paper, an alternative to petrochemicals in plastics, an option as a fuel source and a nutritional food, hemp has great potential.

Maybe we have heard this before, but it has not yet sunk in.

This means industrial hemp should be everywhere - in nearly every industry – but it isn’t. Before we find out why, let’s find out how long we have known about the uses of hemp.

tt Mada Guitar - a semi acoustic/electric guitar with the body made of hemp pulp. www.madaguitars.com # 5

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HEMP

Whole hemp Seeds u

Around the world and back The Chinese were eating hempseed as long as 8000 years ago. Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their plantations. Queen Victoria was prescribed hemp as medicine.

Throughout Europe ice creams, snack bars, breads, milks and many other products are based on the nutritional benefits of hemp seed and its pleasant nutty flavor. In North America, where it is still outlawed as a crop for fiber and textiles there is a multi-million dollar market for healthy hemp foods where you can find them in supermarket chains.

In Australia you may grow hemp, but not eat the non-drug food taken for granted in the UK.

Hemp Nutrition and benefits So why is hemp so nutritious? Firstly ‘hemp’ is a fibrous plant and not so nutritious! The fruit of the hemp plant- the hemp seed is full of nutritional qualities that are beneficial to us all. Hemp seed can be used as you would sunflower seed, flax seed or soybean. It can be ground into a flour, pressed into oil or processed into non-dairy milk.

Hemp seed is gluten free, wheat free and does not contain any of the negative effects found in Soy. Omega-3, an essential fatty acid found in hemp seed and oil has been shown to protect against certain types of cancers, modify immune and inflammatory reactions. They have also demonstrated the following benefits: renal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and dermatological. Omega-6, also found in hemp seed and oil may help prevent skin problems such as acne, loss of hair, poor blood circulation, liver and kidney problems, gallbladder problems and cardiovascular disease. Some authorities recommend that pregnant and lactating women should increase their Omega-3 intake. EFA's are required for maintaining the structure of cell membranes and the permeability of the skin. Hemp seed also contains GLA whose attributes include relief of premenstrual syndrome and use in chronic skin diseases and neurodermatitis.

pp Hemp milk

Recently a skin care specialist has tried everything for her son’s Eczema including natural and traditional medicines. Nothing worked until she tried hemp oil that cured 95% of the eczema within just five days.

Hemp Oil With similar benefits to flax seed oil, fish oils, star flower oil and evening primrose oil rolled into one this should be the healthiest natural oil available on the market. However, current legislation allows this oil to only be used in Australia for anything other than human consumption. Yet this oil is being exported to North America and Asia as high quality food oil.

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qq Hemp Oil

HEMP

Alternative to Plastic Henry Ford’s first motorcar used plant-based fibers in the body and an early picture of an axe-wielding Mr. Ford showed the world how strong plant fibers were in re-enforcing man made materials. The idea was then mysteriously dropped and no reference to the use of hemp fibers being used as a plastic alternative have been seen until close to 1990 when the automotive industry re-discovered this little used technology.

Plastics and petro-chemical based materials are so abound today - they are used in almost everything around us, from surface tops, to pens, toothbrushes, computers, light fittings and the list really does go on.

With the new consciousness and understanding we now have, we can no longer ignore the question of how the products around us are made.

And I am yet to meet anyone who is not affected by some form of plastic product in his or her daily lives.

It was only in 1991 that I first dreamed of hemp plastics replacing the polluting, non-sustainable energy intensive petro-chemical based plastics. In 1998 I created my first hemp plastic product – a Frisbee made using 25% hemp plastic. Since this time the technology has improved and now the first truly commercial hemp plastic product is available - the hemp plastic cd-tray. The product was chosen as it is hoped the product will be high profile - that all popular bands will use hemp plastic cd trays and we can hold a piece of material in our hands while listening to our favourite music and know that not all hope is lost.

The first CD to be produced using the hemp plastic CD tray is the relaxation CD ‘Fields of Green’. Using harp, flute, angelic voices and the grounding sounds of a didgeridoo. The didgeridoo is no ordinary instrument- it is made from 100% hemp. It is as hard as stone, totally biodegradable and creates fantastic resonance. This material is expected to advance into a number of other household products in the not too distant future.

pp Hemp plastic cd tray

Other hemp uses So many uses, however the most popular uses for Hemp is as an absorbent horse bedding, base for mulch and ingredient in car parts. The inner core of the hemp plant is super absorbent and is now the preferred choice of breeders’ worldwide. The mulch has superior properties and a recent trial in Mitre 10 sold out within days. Hemp is being used in car parts for Mercedes, BMW, Rover and other well-known brands. Hemp is strong, light and cheap. With growing demand for recyclable materials and increasing taxes on waste materials the future of hemp looks bright.

Paul Benhaim is currently residing in Australia and Managing Director of Hemp Foods Australia www.hempfoods.com.au Learn more about Hemp at www.hempowered.com or start your own hemp business at www.startahempbusiness.com Paul Benhaim is author of nine books about Hemp. > Book List

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HEMPTASTIC

BEAUTY RECIPES

From Bare Skin Beauty Detoxifying Facial Scrub Use 3 times a week, this scrub will gently exfoliate the epidermis to reveal beautifully soft, radiant skin.

120g pink himalayan salt 50ml hemp oil 2g chlorella 2g zeolite powder* (optional) Purchase from a reputable supplier of ‘clean‘ zeolites

10 drops vanilla essential oil 10 drops jasmine essential oil Method: Weigh out the dry ingredients. Add the pink salt, chlorella, zeolites to a glass mixing bowl and mix well. Add in the hemp oil and mix until salt is saturated with the hemp. Add essential oils mix well and transfer to a glass jar. Store out of direct sunlight.

Shelf life: 12 months.

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Tame Your Mane Serum Use as an overnight regenerating serum to balance the scalp and hair. Lightweight and rich in essential fatty acids, to nourish and strengthen hair. Rosemary and Geranium stimulates hair growth and add volume.

25ml evening primrose oil 50ml hemp oil 25ml olive oil 5 drops tea tree essential oil 20 drops rosemary essential oil 5 drops geranium essential oil Method: Add all the ingredients into a glass measuring jug, transfer via a funnel into a glass bottle and shake well. Store out of direct sunlight Directions: Add a small amount to the palms and rub hands together, apply to the scalp and massage in circular motions. Shampoo in the usual way – no need for conditioner – use twice weekly.

Shelf life: 12 months.

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in In

n i g r i sp 38

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a l r i p s

Where else in the world can you get a delicious raw meal a scrumptious raw chocolate deSsert, a fresh juice WHILST listening to live Mongolian throat singing?

With a new look, new revolutionary packaging & products and a ÂŁ250,000 Investment through crowdfunding. The InSpiral spiral is ready to take another revolution outward and upward.

But what was it like at the beginning when the first turns of the spiral were unwinding?

by Steven Nicolaides

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Inspiring INSPIRAL

pp Raw Nettle & Mushroom Tart

T

he first time I came across inSpiral was in early 2009. It was a cold rainy sunday night in Camden Town, London.

I caught sight of a chilled out, funky looking place by the canal called ‘inSpiral lounge’. That was the first vegan cafe that I had ever been to.

I had been dreaming of a place like this since 2001 yet never came across one. It’s hard to believe now but back then I didn’t even know of one other vegetarian let alone a vegan or raw fooder. I had just recently made the jump up from vegetarian to vegan and had the intention that I wanted to meet other like minded people - especially vegans. As I sat inside taking in the atmosphere ‘Kate Bush’s ’Cloud busting’ was being played (one of my favourite songs). When I heard the line “I just know something good is going to happen” I felt as if something good really would happen.

Since then I have had countless meals there, met many people, been to birthday parties, had business meetings, danced the night away and seen some incredible musical performances there. For me inSpiral is the spiritual home of the alternative community and for vegan food, always with the finger on the pulse of new trends whilst setting some of their own too. Enjoy this fascinating interview with inSpiral founders Dominik Schnell and Bella Willink - two of the most passionate, inspiring ‘eco entrepreneurs’ you will come across.

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Where does the name inSpiral come from and does it have a meaning?

Obviously one meaning is an analogy of the word inspiration. It also refers to the spiral of life that I feel we are all traveling on. As we go through life certain experiences come back to us again and again giving us an opportunity to evolve through dealing with these things in a different way and as we do so we spiral upwards in an evolution of life and consciousness. So inSpiral also means hope for humanity, rather than downward spiraling we are upward spiraling even if sometimes it doesn’t appear that way.

How did InSpiral begin? inSpiral goes back to 1999/2000 and came out of the alternative underground communities of the festival and music culture in London and England. inSpiral known then as id-Spiral started hosting events of a different nature, something we called conscious partying/events, that took place in big disused buildings or underground venues and then in later years at festival sites, from small intimate forest gatherings to large events like Glastonbury. These events would include alternative media, performance, poetry, dance, discussions about alternative lifestyles and trendsetting vegetarian catering for festivals. In 2006 we decided to bring what we learned on the alternative festival scene into a mainstream location, you could call it ‘Acupuncture for mainstream consciousness’ as it is located in one of the arteries of London’s main commercial markets,

Inspiring INSPIRAL

‘Fields of Kale’ - Dominik & u Bella in a field of Organic Kale - Suffolk

and with that inSpiral was born, distilling the best of festival culture with nutrition. In our minds it’s more than just good food it is a social, environmental, spiritual and conscious offering for the community.

You recently received £250,000 Investment through Crowd Funding.

What did it feel like getting the investment so quickly?

It felt amazing, a period of consolidated abundance. From the start until the end it was thrilling to see all this support coming from the community.

In a record of just over 2 weeks we reached our target and would of been able to exceed the target had we been able to release more equity. To us this was a heart warming representation of how much willingness there is amongst the wider population to support the ideas and ethics that we stand for as a company, and it has given us an increased motivation and incentive to walk strongly on our path.

What is the vision for the future of inSpiral?

Our vision is big and far reaching. We aim to develop our products into an accessible format for people who have never heard of raw food or vegan food. In doing so we hope to implant these ‘trojan horses of consciousness’ into the cupboards of mainstream community. Our dream has always been to make inSpiral more accessible to more people so we are also looking forward to growing more inSpiral lounges.

In the near future we are excited to move our operation into the countryside and take over an organic farm where we can produce more high quality nutritious food and create a hot tub for conscious creations, community living, and inspiration. We also want to expand our work into a large community venue (most likely in London), which will host a sizeable events space, workshop space, healing rooms and many other facilities that we are unable to provide in our current property.

We want to become a respected and sizeable alternative to the current trend of commercialisation and exploitation of human nutrition. We want our voice to be heard against issues like Novel foods, Codex Alimentarius, GM and pesticides which we are upset about but instead of shouting about it and criticizing we want to create a positive option so people can make an informed choice and hopefully be inspired to choose a better life.

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What is so special about inSpirals new packaging?

Our new packing has taken a year to develop. It’s the UK’s first laminate pillow pouch (name for the kind of packaging found for potato crisps or a similar product).

It is entirely home compostable which is unique in itself but is in stark contrast when you realise that at this moment not a single one of the millions of bags that are consumed each year can even be recycled. All that can be done with them is burn them to recapture a fraction of the energy contained in them or bury them in landfill where they will last for many years.

Our new packaging is made from sustainably harvested eucalyptus tree pulp, biodegradable glue and recycled paper stuck together to create a nice laminate feel with a 12 month shelf life. However once it has been used and is in landfill it will decompose and turn back into its natural components. We are really excited about this!

pp inSpirals fabulous raw vegan ice cream range will soon be available in health food stores!

pp New improved recipe, certified organic and gluten-free, and are packaged in 60g fully home-compostable snack packs, instead of the old 200g, making them cheaper and handier.

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The raw cakes are u certified organic and gluten-free, and are fully recyclable repackaged in cute re-usable glass jars, meaning they will now be available all over the country, and for home delivery!

The new u biodegradable packaging. There will be a new Kale Chip flavour - Beetroot & Acerola in addition to Cacao & Cinnamon, Baobab & Onion, Purple Corn and Wasabi Wheatgrass # 5

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Inspiring INSPIRAL tt Fresh Wheatgrass juice anyone?

Raw vegan u lavender ice cream

InSpiral are famous for delicious and original food products and dishes in the lounge. How do these come about? inSpiral’s products are a creation of many inspired minds, both myself and Bella have had an impact and input into the products we sell, though others have come along the way and put their ingenious ideas into the creations we have.

Our objective has always been to combine optimum nutrition with optimum taste to dispel the image of drab vegan food and excite people to explore alternative choices that haven’t crossed the world and also are very tasty. With that in mind we constantly product develop and explore new ways of bringing new products to the market to fulfill this criteria. Now we are becoming fully organically certified so now the objective is even more complex to find high quality, affordable ingredients, sustainably produced, as local and seasonal as possible and produced in a gentle way to retain as much nutrients as possible to bring you the ultimate in eating experience.

What essential store cupboard ingredients do you always have at home?

Well our home cupboard is more of an apothecary than a normal lada. We always stock a full range of superfoods including maca, chia seeds, goji berries, baobab, spirulina and the likes. Also good quality grains like quinoa and millet. Our fridge is always full of organic vegetables and we go to the local farmers market to get nice quality salads and greens. Our day always starts with a green juice and if we have time a smoothie packed with superfoods, probiotics and other goodies to get the day going properly.

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The famous Raw Blackout tart - the most chocolaty vegan cheesecake in the world!

pp Solar Panels on the InSpiral factory roof. They will provide 10kw of renewable electricity.

tt Cooked vegan Lasagne & Potato Wedges

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Inspiring INSPIRAL

tt Tropical raw breakfast, a crepe made with coconut, mango and omega 3-rich seeds.

Vegetable u Mediterranean bake

Bella, how did you discover raw foods?

As a Vipassana meditator, I was very acutely aware of my body sensations and how these were instantly affected by the foods I ate. This became an area of fascination and experimentation for me, which quickly resulted in my adopting a healthier diet generally, and avoiding certain foods altogether (such as wheat, dairy, sugar and caffeine). Then my friend Tony lent me the book ‘Blatant Raw Foodist Propaganda’ by Joe Alexander. It was an overnight revelation for me, making sense on every level: health, environmental, spiritual and compassionate. I became 100% raw almost overnight and stayed that way for around 2 years. It was a time of great personal development, healing and transformation in my life, which aided my meditation and clarity to new dizzy heights, and enabled me to shift a lot of entrenched patterns.

After years of acne even my skin completely cleared up. I became an avid raw food nutrition researcher and workshop junkie, and finally took up official academic study in naturopathic nutrition at the CNM, in order to gain the qualifications to help others on their own transformational journeys. I feel that meeting Dominik and embarking on the inSpiral path together has been a divine opportunity to do this in a very real, practical, loving and delicious way - it seems one of the most motivating introductions to raw and nutritious food is to eat it and realise how delicious it can be.

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qq inSpiral Lounge in Camden Town as it looked in 2010

Inspiring INSPIRAL

Bella’s tips on how to raise children on a healthy diet Early stages: start them off well with soft blended green foods, low-sugar berries, and healthy fats like avocados, along with soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds (made into milks that have been strained of harsher fibres). I avoided grains and cooked foods with mine for the first year, but occasionally integrated some gently cooked alkalising grains such as millet and quinoa into a porridge, with some added nut milk and maybe a little banana to sweeten.

Moving to solids, we kept it to natural whole vegetables and made it a colourful fun exploration of natural flavours in isolation so they learn the diversity of the raw ingredients of natural food first. Don’t be tempted to offer sugary things even for a ‘special treat’ as this will set them up for a lifetime of craving, and lessen the delight of natural sweetness from fruits! Make different dips from all the great vegetables etc you’d like them to have mixed with something flavoursome they enjoy to drive the experience - ours loved olives and lemons so that often became theme! Green juices were once a regular daily ‘treat’ with plenty of apple and hemp seed in the mix to make it palatable to a child’s tastes!

As they get older, and form stronger opinions about what they want to eat based on outside influences beyond your control, try not to lecture and force them or they will resent you and rebel (as we all know!). Maintain balance and co-operation by occasionally incorporating the foods they want and see their friends enjoying,

but sneaking the healthy ingredients into the tomato sauce, the pesto, or anywhere else you can. Always choose organic and GM-free for your children, or grow your own, don’t take risks with chemically-sprayed fruit and veg, which we don’t know not the long-term effects of (many studies have linked ADHD and other disorders to GM and pesticides). Keep it fresh and wholesome wherever possible and remember that our kids are growing beings socially and psychologically as well as physically and we can’t ignore their needs to fit in with their peers, we can easily make up for any less-optimum choices with their meals at home. You have done your best to give them a good foundation, and they will now be more likely to make the best food choices when they get older, once they have realised for themselves what feels good and what makes them sick!! and of course, if they see you eating well - and enjoying it!!

And lastly - we have always supplemented our kids: but NEVER with synthetic lab-created vitamins and minerals (which almost ALL are).

Instead seek out organic, natural, whole foodextracted raw nutrients specifically designed for children, along with DHA/EPA or nutritional omega 3 & 6 oils. We use probiotics occasionally mixed in with smoothies to maintain healthy gut bacteria. We recommend the garden of life vitamin code raw supplement range, and the megafood raw supplements, both of which we sell on our online shop. Always make sure vitamin D and B12 are included in your mix. # 5

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LI S ETE ALCALDE

g n i n t o i n i s a P Pas h t i w

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ART: Lisete ALCALDE

pp EARTH BALLET

Where do your ideas come from?

My ideas come from meditations, dreams, walking in the park and looking at a tree connecting with the mother earth, a kiss from love, a touch, a taste, a smell, a feeling, people, the amazing body we live in, mothers giving their life to make more life, that connection with everybody in this world that you cant see with your human eyes but you can always FEEL.

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What goes through your mind when you are painting and what are you feeling?

I don't really think about anything, it’s like a meditation in movement, i just think about the canvas and the concentration of perfection by the hand of my inspiration.

I feel more than i think, i feel a familiar connection with my inner world, with Gaia mother earth. It’s like i am not alone painting, i feel beings behind me, i feel this amazing love and i can feel my heart beat with this love that i never experience if i am not painting. i feel full of life, i cant feel time, or hunger, but i really get very thirsty, i have to stop to take care of my body with food and rest because i forget about everything, i am not ‘here’ but i feel very present.

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pp BALANCE

Your paintings are full of life force energy and auras. Is this something you can see and feel?

Yes i can feel them and i can see them too. They are part of ourselves. We live in a energetic world and what you can see with your human eyes is 1% of what is really there. I think everybody can see and feel them but we really forgot how powerful we are with this overwhelming contrast world we live in. We are gods and goddess walking around in this Gaia material body. But we are not really here, and we know we will come back home soon.

tt DIVUS ET DIVA DE VITA

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LA CONNECTION u

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tt SELF PLEASURE

You have a very sensuous approach to life and that is clearly evident in your creations. Why is this important to you and how does it affect the way you create?

I am very passionate person, i live life very deeply and i experience contrast in a very passionate way. I see beauty in everything and everyone, i am in love with my sensual expression of the connection with my feminine side and my masculine side. I am very connected to myself and what is going on inside of me, that's why i am always looking to experience connection with somebody or life itself. Connecting is my inspiration, is my muse, is when my life starts.

pp TANTRA

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LA MEXICANA u

qq THE NEW EARTH

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A lot of your work are murals or large sized canvases.

What are the challenges of painting on such a large scale?

As a child when i first started painting, my painting never fit my canvas! i always seemed to have a canvas short from every corner That’s when i started to use big canvases and i can see now that is just natural for me paint big, i just have it inside me. I get inspired in a canvas so big, i go inside the canvas if is bigger than my body, i feel limitless when i have a large space where i can express my inner self and connect with mother earth and paint what she is feeling through me.

qq LISETE PAINTING ‘MOTHER EARTH’ MURAL

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pp LISETE PAINTING ‘DIVUS ET DIVA DE VITA’- 84”X100” # 5

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Music is a big inspiration for you? What kind of music influences your art?

Yes she lives in the silence, the music is inside of us, we make music with everything we do, everything we touch, everything we create is music, i feel the human body is the instrument and the heart is the sound.

I love every kind of music, each piece has something to say and needs somebody to hear her and understand her, i personally love the sound of the cello, it’s my favorite.

pp LA MUSICA

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pp EMOTION

tt CROTCHETS AND QUAVERS

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pp HIGH TIMES

Cannabis leaves make a lot of appearances in your paintings. What does that plant mean to you?

I only have respect for that magical plant. Her mother is my mother too, we are sisters and i see her power in this world. I try to understand her and i try to hear what she is saying, and by painting her it is a way of communicating with her. I feel she is very hurt with the abuses of her and conflicts we have caused. I respect and honour her, for she is a medicinal plant.

tt MAUI WAUIE # 5

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Limited Edition Prints available on canvas Signed by the artist, stamped with original logo, numbered from #1-50 and with a certificate of authenticity.

Orders by email: lisete@lisetealcalde.com Website Facebook

pp LISETE, Painting ‘ASIZA’

All images copyright © Lisete Alcalde

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The New Deoxyribonucleic acid u (DNA)

ART: Lisete ALCALDE

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A Taste of

Tantra

(Part 2)

“Dark and Bitter�

Words by Elena Angel

Dark and bitter can be great in some ways (say, with chocolate), but not in others...

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TASTE OF TANTRA (PART 2)

i

n the first part of this series, I shared with you the amazing, innocent and wondrous, timeless connectivity of early childhood. The spontaneous and joyous delight in sensing and experiencing the body and space: feeling everything with the openness and fluidity that comes naturally to the young child.

But it didn’t take long for me to begin my descent into a much darker experience. Rules and regulations, structures within family, school, amongst peers, just everywhere around me were making a strong impact. The details of my experiences in later childhood and adolescence are not so important: feel free to fill in the blanks with your own story. Chances are you too fell victim to what don Miguel Ruiz calls “domestication of the human being”: the systematic conditioning of our behaviours essentially based on a punishment vs. reward expectation. Just as you would do with a pet — and we all go through this.

Before I knew it, I was caught up in a world of fear, separation, and conflict. It was ever so important to fit in, to do the “right” thing, yet so impossible at the same time! Even though I did very well at school and was considered “a good girl”, I spent most of those years feeling in some way deficient and a misfit. It seemed impossible to do the “right” thing by everyone’s standards and, in an effort to minimise disharmony, I withdrew more and more into my self, my thoughts and dreams becoming darker, my inner critic getting stronger, the images of how I ought to be (and wasn’t) there to haunt me and push joyful spontaneity into darker recesses of my consciousness.

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There was most often a discrepancy between how I felt myself to be and how I felt I ought to be — and I felt I had to be very different for different people, if they were to like me, to approve of me: my family wanted one thing, my peers wanted another. What was “good” and what was “true” were becoming harder and harder to discern and reconcile.

I was doomed...

Sex, of course, featured strongly: it was a massive taboo, though equally — if not more — massive was everybody’s fascination with it!

All in all, it was an impossible situation. What had once been natural and pleasurable feelings in my body, suddenly became problematic. I had no idea what was normal and natural, or even acceptable: where the family pressures left off, conflicting peer pressures started. What, then, of my emerging sexual identity?

Childhood and adolescence can be deeply challenging times. Our sense of self — intimately linked with our sexual

identity — is starting to take shape as we come into contact with the society at large, and it is very easy to experience inner conflict, to become confused and unclear as to what is really true and natural to us.

It takes time for sexual identity to mature, of course, and most of us gradually discover this through the experiences of later life, perhaps needing a whole lifetime of experiences until we feel we really live from a place of truth, expressing fully authentically.

There is nothing wrong with taking time, of course, and it is a very worthwhile journey for all of us. We are all on a journey of personal discovery, a journey of mastery — and there is the Mastery of Love, to quote don Miguel Ruiz once more.

It can come as a relief, however, to know that the essence of our (sexual) self, our truth, is always present and accessible to us: our truth resides in our heart.

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Next time you feel unsure about your true feelings about a situation, about your true desires and wonder about a choice in your life, try this simple meditation: Take a few deep breaths, bringing the breath all the way down into the belly before it rises up to your chest. Feel yourself completely filled with breath and energy, as you inhale and release the fullness, letting go as you exhale.

Allow your awareness to come into your head, as you witness your thinking, the activity of the mind and your brain. Breathe in and out, each time feeling more space in your head, more space in your mind. Let the thoughts drift along, like white clouds in the blue sky and feel the spaciousness of your mind.

Next, imagine that a pebble starts to fall from the centre of your head, revolving in slow motion as it drops down, along the central axis of your body, eventually dropping into the heart space which is like an immense lake. As the pebble meets the surface of the water, around the heart area, soft ripples start to unfold, stretching out, concentric circles on the surface of the water, extending further and further, further than you can see, out to infinity.

You may feel a sense of calm, peace, openness, joy or equanimity — or you may experience other feelings or sensations. The more you enter this heart space, the clearer you will be around the feelings and sensations that arise for you.

Once the feeling of the heart space has spread in your awareness and feeling, gently bring to mind the issue that concerns you: either imagine the person or situation you are wondering about, a particular possibility or outcome or mentally voice a word, a name or a question. Open-ended questions are often helpful, for example: “if x were to happen, what would come into my awareness?”

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Listen for an answer that arises naturally from within and feel the feeling in your heart. You may hear the answer, or experience it through some other sense or as a feeling of opening or joy in your heart, if an affirmative, or a feeling of contraction or closure, if a negative response.

Once you have received your answer, give thanks, and gently relax your attention, as you return to the breath, the body, and an awareness of your environment in a state of relaxed alertness.

Fascinating, isn’t it, that “dark and bitter” somehow brought us to the heart — but not surprising: for the Taoists, bitter is the taste associated with the heart. So now, you have another excuse to eat (bitter) chocolate: it’s good for you; it opens the heart...

Recommended reading: “The Mastery of Love”, “The Four Agreements” and “The Fifth Agreement” — all by don Miguel Ruiz — for a great teaching on authentic living.

“Ecstasy is Necessary” by Barbara Carrellas — on finding your authentic, sexual self.

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HEALTH FOOD STORES s We love cutting edge new products and ideas bringing you the latest products and trends before anyone else! s Passionate about Organic & Fairtrade products

s We pride ourselves in having the most passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable managers and staff who are happy to be at your service

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Raw Copenhagen A Raw food guide

View over Copenhagen from Christianshavn with Ă˜resund bridge in the distance Photo by Morten Jerichau

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Nyhavn Photo by Morten Jerichau copenhagenmediacenter.com

C

openhagen is a fascinating blend between the old and the new.

From grand boulevards, historic buildings and church spires to cool contemporary buildings and design. The quiet back streets and wide main roads make Copenhagen very friendly for pedestrians and cyclists. Cycle lanes are common and the bicycle is the most popular form of transport in the city.

Copenhagen has four raw vegan restaurants plus many other vegetarian restaurants offering cooked food. Juice bars are quite common especially the chain ‘Jo and the Juice’ which seems to be on every street (there are 2 outlets in the airport departure lounge alone) So why has Copenhagen embraced raw food so much? Well it’s not necessarily because the Danes are moral vegetarians, on the contrary Denmark is one of the highest consumers of meat in the world. I think it has to do with the openness of the people and love of outdoor activities, sport and general well being.

Scandinavians are famous for appreciating a balanced healthy lifestyle, so the idea of juice, smoothies and raw food doesn’t seem that odd here. It’s also telling that Copenhagen holds the world record when it comes to consumption of organic food products and 51% of food consumption in the city’s public institution is organic.

Whilst the staples of raw food will always be fruit, salads, smoothies and pestos, it’s great to have the option to go out to a nice raw gourmet restaurant. Especially if they are as good as the ones in Copenhagen!

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‘The Black Diamond’ Søren Kierkegaard Square Photo by Cees van Roeden copenhagenmediacenter.com

Photo by Kasper Thye copenhagenmediacenter.com

Raw Chocolate Mulberries getting a sun tan on Amager Strand Beach # 5

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42 Raw Copenhagen

If you have already visited the 42 Raw branch in London, England then you will feel completely at home in the original 42 raw, in central Copenhagen and also the newly opened waterfront location inside a new shopping complex by the sea. Consistency is important as 42 Raw see their brand as an alternative chain to existing global food outlets. Looking at the menu its easy to see why it works. The main meal dishes - lasagne, avocado sandwich and thai noodles are all easily accessible to the average passer by even if they have no idea what ‘raw food’ is.

42° Raw Copenhagen Pilestræde 32 1112 København 42° Raw Waterfront Waterfront Tuborg Havnevej 4-8 2900 Hellerup www.42raw.dk

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Mango Salad

Raw Lasagne

Juices

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Raw Chocolate cake

View from the waterfront marina near 42 Raw Waterfront 84

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Chai Latte with Almond Milk

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Raw Cinnamon & Vanilla Museli with Almond Milk 42 Raw - Waterfont

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Firefly Garden is probably Copenhagen’s most up market raw food eatery. The food is top notch botanical fine dining with lots of interesting flavour combinations. The presentation of the dishes is amazing and a work of art in itself. I love seeing edible flowers used in food and wished more restaurants experimented with them too!

FireflyGarden also has a cocktail bar and has a lot of space inside making it good for big groups and a big night out.

The excellent food market Torvehallerne is directly opposite so you can easily spend an afternoon devoted to food!

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FireFlyGarden Frederiksborggade 26 1360 København www.fireflygarden.com

TRAVEL: RaW COPENHAGEN

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Set in the quiet street with a name almost unpronounceable to foreigners is the brilliant Simple Raw. The food here is quite incredible, with lots of dishes on the menu like ‘tapas’ and ‘brunch’ which gives you an opportunity to try lots off different things. I loved the raw rice paper sushi with vegetable fillings which is a change from the typical nori sushi in the raw food scene. Even the different dipping sauces served with the Tapas are masterpieces in themselves.

The atmosphere inside is cosy and relaxed. A great place to chill out during the day and also a nice destination for an evening meal.

Simple Raw is simply wonderful!

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simple RAW Oehlenschlægersgade 12 1663 København www.simpleraw.dk

TRAVEL: RaW COPENHAGEN

Raw Brunch

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So

what else can you do with

your

Danish Kroners?

Well not much, as Copenhagen is ridiculously expensive!

Amager Beach Park Just a few stops on the METRO M2 line from Copenhagen city centre is Amager Strand, where you can access this lovely 2km stretch of beach. I recommend you walk south down the beach to pier number 3 where you can hire a Segway from Copenhagen Segway. There you can whizz around the pier and paths that go in-between the sand dunes and lagoons. These are great fun and you can learn how to use one in minutes. 30mins hire of the Segway costs DKK 200. www.amager-strand.dk www.copenhagensegway.dk

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View over Copenhagen - Church of Our Saviour

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pp Alter piece by Nicodemus Tessins - Church of Our Saviour tt Bell tower and spiral spire - Church of Our Saviour

Church of Our Saviour This Dutch baroque style church is well worth a visit. It is famous for its magnificent spiral spire which is open for visitors to ascend via the spiral staircase that narrows as you reach the top!

At the end point it is just 1ft wide, with just the railings between you and the Copenhagen skyline! A much easier ascent is the first stage through the bell tower via a steep wooden staircase to an octagonal balcony viewing platform with excellent views.

Having said that I would avoid peak times to make the journey up and down easier. www.vorfrelserskirke.dk

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Christiania Christiania is a ‘free town’ within Copenhagen that was founded in the early 1970s. Today around 1000 people live there in self built homes.

In places Christiania feels like being in one of those hippy dream movies gone wrong like ‘Easy Rider’.

The so called ‘Green Light Zone’, where drugs like cannabis and hash are openly smoked and sold feels a bit like time travelling to a town in the ‘wild west’. This is the most dodgy part of Christiania where there are signs everywhere saying ‘no photo’. There are other parts of Christiania that remind me of apocalyptic movies with big converted warehouses, graffiti and scrapes of rubbish and metal reused to make tools and furniture. There are even burnt out oil drums used for fires! However there is also a softer side to the town with beautiful self built homes and lovingly tended gardens. A visit to Christiania is a must and is one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions. Just don’t ‘act like’ a tourist! www.christianiaooo.dk

pp Frederiksberg Gardens

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TRAVEL: RaW COPENHAGEN

pp A home in Christiania that invites photographs

Torvehallerne KBH A large indoor and outdoor market area where one can purchase high quality foods and ingredients. There are also many food outlets inside the main halls including a juice bar. One of the halls is devoted to meat and the other is vegetarian. Directly across the street is the vegan restaurant Fireflygarden. www.torvehallernekbh.dk

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TRAVEL: RaW COPENHAGEN

Cyclists Paradise

Photo by Nicolai Perjesi copenhagenmediacenter.com

There are more bicycles than cars in Copenhagen! It seems as if every street corner has masses of bikes parked on it and it’s a common sight to see a line of cyclists at traffic lights. Cycling is the preferred way to get about the city. Many of the main roads have dedicated cycle lanes and the back streets are quiet enough to make cycling a pleasure. Bikes are allowed on the Metro subway network with a special biketicket. The larger over ground train lines are more bike friendly which have large spaces in the carriages dedicated to parking bicycles!

Note: Bikes are not allowed on the Metro between 07:00-09:00 and 15:30-17:30, except during the months of June, July and August.

C-OPEN-hagen I’m not the one to originate the above spelling, I borrowed it from the excellent www.visitcopenhagen.com website.

But its true. The people here are very friendly, relaxed and open. More than that the city is a very open place.

It doesn’t have the claustrophobiac feeling of old cities like London or New York. There is also a sense of the new with new buildings and infrastructure cropping up all the time. This is to be expected in a Scandinavian country like Denmark where design is considered something beautiful and fundamental for a healthy society.

More information on Copenhagen:

www.visitcopenhagen.com

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Photo by Christian Alsing copenhagenmediacenter.com

TRAVEL: RaW COPENHAGEN

Accommodation I stayed at the ultra modern, clean and funky GENERATOR Hostel. Located in the heart of the city, you can easily explore on foot or via the many transport links nearby. The bar, restaurant, lounge and common areas look like they were designed to be a teenagers paradise with a shabby chic kind of look - with brightly coloured lights, egg chairs and even giant houseplant pots for trees on the outdoor terrace.

Photo by Christian Alsing copenhagenmediacenter.com

pp Metro Station

Getting About I recommend a day travel card which varies in price according to how many zones you require, so check the map first. This allows you to travel on Metro, Train and Bus. Tickets can be bought at the machines in the Metro stations but beware, they only accept Coins or Credit cards. My English HSBC VISA debit card didn’t work at the airport station.

METRO: Copenhagen has an excellent brand new Metro train network which utilises driverless trains (similar to the DLR network in London) You can pretty much get to all the key areas in central Copenhagen with this including travel to and from the Airport. www.intl.m.dk TRAINS: For travelling deeper into Copenhagen there is an excellent modern train network with various different lines.

The trains themselves are large with quiet zones and space for bicycles.

BICYCLE: As mentioned earlier Copenhagen is a perfect city for the cyclist. It’s extremely popular amongst Copenhagen citizens from young to old, male and female. On some of the more quiet roads I’ve even seen attachments to the bike to carry children!

BUS: Children under the age of 12 travel free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. # 5

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RECIPES

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White Chocolate & Strawberry ‘Cheesecake’ Recipe by Amy Maynard Ingredients 1 tsp tasteless/mild oil (like veg, sunflower, or coconut oil) 210g cacao butter, chopped into small pieces 60g raw almond flour/ground almonds 70g whole almonds 11g raw cane sugar 130g cashew nuts 100ml water 4 tbsp maple syrup 4 tsp vanilla bean paste 120g strawberries, plus a few extra for decoration 2 tsp lemon juice 40g dates Method Using the oil and some greaseproof paper, lightly grease the base and sides of a 15-20cm diameter cheesecake tin with removable base.

Put the almond flour, almonds, and 50g of the sugar into a food processor and whizz on a high speed for about 15 seconds, or until the whole almonds have broken up into small pieces.

Add 80g of the cacao butter to a small pan and melt very slowly of the gentlest heat possible, stirring all the time so as not to heat more than necessary (you want it to still be raw!)

Add the melted butter to the almond/sugar mixture in the food processor, and mix slowly to combine.

Press the mixture into the cake tin, pushing down all the way round using your fingertips, working from the inside out and then back in again. Pay special attention to the edges and keep pushing everything down until it feels solid, like a biscuit. Pop it in the fridge while you make the filling.

Put the cashews and about a third of the water into a high power blender, and blend until smooth- stopping if you need to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Once it’s smooth, add more water, blend again, and keep doing so until you have a smooth cream.

Slowly melt the rest of the cacao butter, stirring constantly as before, until liquid, and then add this to the cashew cream with the maple syrup and vanilla, and blend again until smooth.

Allow the mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once it’s room temperature, take the cake tin out of the fridge and pour the contents of the blender over it. Wiggle the cake tin to make sure it’s even, and pop back in the fridge.

You can either leave this mixture overnight, or if you’d like to get the recipe sorted today, pop it in the freezer for about 3 hours to set.

Once the middle is set, make the topping. Just put the 120g strawberries into the blender with the dates and lemon juice, and blend until smooth. (You might have to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times).

Spread the datey-strawberry jam over the top of the cheesecake, decorate with sliced strawberries. Et Viola! Enjoy! # 5

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Hempseed tabbouleh Recipe by Irene Arango & Rich Havardi of NAMA foods This version of the classic tabbouleh uses hempseeds as an alternative to bulghar wheat, making this a gluten-free and just as enjoyable salad. Bursting with fresh flavours and ideal as an accompaniment or as a main meal, it is a refreshing salad, ideal for the summer time.

Ingredients - Makes 2 servings 1 cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, stems removed and diced 2 tbsp mint, diced 1 cup tomatoes, diced ½ cup hempseed 2 cups cucumber diced ¼ cup red onion, diced ¼ cup Lemon juice 2 cloves garlic minced 6 tbsp olive oil 1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt Pinch black pepper Method Place all ingredients in a bowl and marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving

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Watermelon & Lime popsicles Recipe by Irene Arango & Rich Havardi of NAMA foods

Who doesn’t love popsicles? They are so simple to make and so delicious that throughout the spring and summer we make loads of them. In the past, we used to make them with shop bought juices, but nowadays we always use freshly made juices and smoothies to keep the nutritious as well as delightful.

This is one of this summer’s favourites- watermelon and lime. A bit sweet & sour to keep them fun!

We like to leave the option to go for sweet or sour while we eat the popsicle open and that is why we make them layered. The sweetness on the top because as it melts the sweetness of the watermelon runs down the sourness of the lime part and make the whole eating experience even more enjoyable!

Ingredients - (makes 6 popsicles) For the watermelon layer ¼ of a small watermelon, seeds removed A few drops of watermelon medicinal flower essence For the lime layer The juice of 1 & ½ limes Some filtered water Some coconut sugar, or your preferred sweetener (optional) Method Blend the watermelon to a puree together with the medicinal flower essence drops and fill the popsicle moulds half way. Put in the freezer for 1 hour or until almost set.

Then juice the limes and mix it with water and the sweetener (optional) until you like the balance between the sweetness and sourness and pour on top of the watermelon that should be firm enough to not mix with the lime.

Set the popsicles in the freezer until you are ready to eat them! # 5

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CONTRIBUTORS Steven Nicolaides

Paul Benhaim

Editor & Founder of LĂşcuma

Hemp Entreprenur & Author

Steven is the founder and designer of LĂşcuma. He has a background in music and design.

Paul Benhaim is one of the worlds leading authorities in the uses of industrial hemp.

Disillusioned with the conventional way of life he desired to unplug from the illusion and gain more freedoms on every level.

Spirituality, creating, veganism and mindfulness has been his passion since the turn of the millennium. He is a natural creative able to communicate ideas and concepts through a variety of media. He started doing free-lance design under the name New Gaia designs in 2008.

As well as having created hemp food, hemp plastics, hemp bodycare and hemp building companies, Paul is the author of 11 books about hemp. He manages the world’s most popular Hemp web sites and help advise various international companies in supply and technical processing of industrial hemp.

He loves spending time in nature, guitars, drums, chanting, meditating, travelling flowers and nice scents.

Paul founded the Australian Hemp Foundation, representing the Australian hemp industry and state associations in marketing the expansion of the commercially based industrial hemp industry.

My Photography: fizzyimages.imagekind.com

www.hempfoods.com.au

My Design: www.newgaiadesigns.com

www.startahempbusiness.com www.hempplastic.com www.hempowered.com

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Lisete Alcalde

Juliette Scarfe

Artist

Natural Beauty Products Expert

Lisete Alcalde was born in Chihuahua, Mexico November 11th, 1981. By the age of 15 her artistic talents blossom, once she realized her past-time had a unique capturing talent. Self-taught artist along with impressive skills of painting by both fingers tips and palms. Her style is a grasp of life, a mother earth inspiration through the love of all living. Personally in tune with all her senses you can presently feel the creation on every splash and detail on her paintings.

Natural Aesthetician, educational speaker, health writer and founder of organic skin food range; Bareskin Beauty, Juliette Scarfe.

Juliette also offers prescriptive skincare services, organic beauty treatments and nutritional advice. ‘Feeding your skin from the inside is the true path to beauty and vitality,’ is Juliette’s motto www.bareskin-beauty.co.uk

“I feel my way through life, my emotions are the connection to the other world, the one I don’t see with my human eyes, the one that like “LOVE” I cant explain with words but I feel is there inside me, you, in the trees, in the eyes of people, in the animals, in the music, in a touch , in a kiss, in the air I breathe , in the everyday of my life, that connection that feels like ONE .

I feel I live in everything and everything lives in me . I make love with everything I see, feel, touch, taste and hear and that’s my inspiration that do what I love and love what I do”.

Website: www.lisetealcalde.com

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CONTRIBUTORS Irene Arango

Rich Havardi

Founder of Nama foods restaurant & Bliss Bites & Detox

Founder of Nama foods restaurant & the Raw Foods Company

Irene started her journey into raw food in her search for better health, more energy and ideal weight. Delighted that she found it, she has since then dedicated her life to help others to embark on the same fulfilling path trying to bring raw food and its benefits to mainstream knowledge showing how exciting raw dishes can be using your creativity and imagination.

Rich Havardi has always had a passion for food and nutrition and is a firm believer in the value of a healthy diet for body, mind and spirit.

Founder of Bliss Bites, a raw chocolate, cakes, nut cheese and kale crisps online business and Bliss Detox, Irene spends her days working in her West London kitchen, producing the healthy raw treats for business Bliss Bites, developing exciting new recipes and making bespoke juices for her detox clients.

Irene also runs health related events in the UK and Spain, caters for meetings, dinner parties, conferences and retreats in Europe and runs raw food and chocolate workshops to encourage and inspire more people to embrace the raw lifestyle.

Irene believes that raw foods are not only a way to become healthier but also to use your imagination and nurture your spirit.

Irene is founder and chef at Nama foods in Queens Park, London, England. www.blissbites.co.uk www.namafoods.com 104

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In the last few years, he has been bringing more raw foods and superfoods into his diet and has experienced massive benefits to his health since following this path. “My energy levels have dramatically improved, I feel more focused and balanced, my skin feels radiant, I don’t suffer from any digestive problems and can’t remember when I last got sick. By focusing on a path of improving my nutrition, wonderful synchronicities have enriched my life to help me fulfil my dreams.”

After 9 months, as the raw food chef at ‘Down to Earth’, a vegetarian cafe in Kensington, he has now opened Nama, a raw food bar situated in the heart of Queens Park, West London. At Nama you can buy artisan raw food dishes, attend workshops and enjoy juice/food-cleansing programs. Nama also offers bespoke raw catering for events and retreats in addition to providing a delivery service. www.therawfoodscompany.com www.namafoods.com

Elena Angel

Amy Maynard

Tantric practitioner, healer and coach

Raw Food Chef

Her unique sessions and immersive trainings have transformed the lives of hundreds of men and women seeking joy, fulfilment and empowerment. She presents talks and writes on Tantra, Sacred Sexuality, Sex, Intimacy and Relationship, runs workshops and retreats, and offers a regular webinar series and a dedicated Women’s circle meeting monthly in London.

As a little girl, Amy’s mother, a nutritionist and reflexologist, was closely involved with the Gerson therapy- a therapy that treats cancer by supporting the body’s own defences through a strict regime of specially prepared organic fruits and vegetables, raw salads, and juices.

She grew up with the knowledge of the undeniable link between organic, raw food and wellness. She began to cultivate a passion for cooking at a young age, and has since tried her hand at all manners of vegetarian cooking, be it Indian, French Patisserie, Thai, traditional baking, Italian, or cooking in the wild. A few years ago, she rediscovered veganism and has since snowballed from becoming a strict vegan to someone who is totally captivated with raw cooking and living. Amidst her busy life, she writes raw food recipes which she sometimes samples at Food for Thought, Kingston, where she also works. Amy is currently organising her recipes and working on ideas for an online cookbook/ blog, which will consist of foraging tips, recipes for natural and raw cosmetics, and vegan recipes both cooked and raw, gourmet and everyday. Watch this space!

Elena’s work has attracted widespread media attention and she has been featured in The Sunday Times, GQ, Natural Health, Om Yoga Magazine and other publications. Her pioneering article “Tantric orgasm: beyond Masters and Johnson”, co-authored with Mike Lousada, was published by the Sexual and Relationship Therapy Journal, and is available online. www.elenaangel.com

www.ricepeasandlove.co.uk

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