Name: Tanya Maher, from Tanya’s Cafe in London
Where do you live? London, UK
What sparked your interest in health and wellness? When I was 14, raw food healed my badly inflamed internal organs after a car accident and saved my pancreas from being removed. As a 17 year old, I was told that only a change of diet will save me from my pre-diabetic condition. I knew early on that food doesn’t just heal, it prevents, and that’s something I never lost interest in.
How did you build your passion for healthy living into a career? I can’t say it wasn’t challenging but it’s been the greatest journey and experience ever! I began by door knocking on yoga centres, offices and restaurants to run a green smoothie workshop, then signed on my first coaching client through running these classes. I wrote so many detox programs for individuals, that I ended up putting it all into one eBook ‘Purified’ and then wrote another 4 eBooks. I also had so much request to film my workshops from overseas, that I created a DVD ‘Raw Food 101’ and started running international retreats. But my clients were also very busy professionals, new mums and fitness pros, so with little time on their hands they were asking for ready-made meals and this lead to the opening of Tanya’s café, now in three locations! All this lead to my dream book with my dream publisher.
Who inspires you? My closest friends and family have always been my greatest inspiration, especially my mum, dad and husband.
Favourite quote? “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right.”
What is your biggest achievement so far? Opening a Tanya’s inside the prestigious food hall of Selfridges and publishing The Uncook Book with Hay House.
What’s your typical…
Breakfast: It is different each day, but I don’t be surprised if you find me starting with raw chocolate and peppermint tea or a green Smoothie made with pineapple, banana, apple juice, spinach and spirulina or sometimes even coconut butter for that Pina Colada flavour.
Lunch: I try to make extra dinner so there’s left overs for lunch, otherwise I would usually throw together some salad leaves and grated veggies, soaked seeds and one of my raw dips on a sheet of nori and wrap it like a burrito.
Snack: I love plain fruit or simply cherry tomatoes, but most of all I love to slice a cucumber in half lengthwise, sprinkle a pinch of pink salt on it and carve criss crosses on the surface. It sounds strange but that somehow makes it taste even better.
Dinner: Dinner always varies and depends on what is seasonal and organic in the shops and at the markets. It’s usually half a plate of raw salads and half of something cooked, like quinoa, lentil mix, Mexican bean stew, root veggie mash or gluten free pizzas.
What’s your favourite dessert? I love anything and everything mint flavoured and I’m crazy about chocolate, so when mint and chocolate combine in my kitchen, magic happens in the world!
What’s the best recipe you’ve ever made? That’s tough since I really love playing with food and producing different things every time, but if there was a recipe I make more often than others, it’s probably my Thai Curry Kelp Noodles. The recipe is in The Uncook Book and we even serve this at Tanya’s on top of a kale salad and marinated veggies, which is a combo I don’t think I could ever get over.
Where do you get the inspiration from to create so many awesome recipes? The inspiration usually comes from the ingredients themselves, because I love working with seasonal produce and also new superfoods I often find that no one usually knows what to do with. I always enjoy a fun foodie challenge.
What are the ingredients you can’t live without? Avocado, tomatoes, all berries, cacao, matcha and almonds (mainly for milk).
Where are your favourite places to eat? Can I say Tanya’s in Chelsea? I know it’s a little bias, but I genuinely love the energy, the light in the conservatory, the décor of the terrace, the adorable plants, the loving staff and the food made by passionate chefs. Other than that I enjoy visiting 222 Veggie Vegan, Wild Food Café, Nama, Mildred’s and Jak’s.
What do you do to stay active? I used to be able to give you a whole list of everything from running and gymming to tennis and palates, but having a wellness coaching company, multiple cafes and now a book, I have to really plan exercising or try to be active between meetings and either walk, jog or cycle between locations instead of getting the tube. Since being pregnant, I’ve also taken up aqua aerobics at a gym next door and pregnancy yoga from my laptop.
What is your beauty routine? I’m big on dry skin brushing for a healthy lymph system and to keep my skin looking fresh. I don’t use any moisturisers and when you dry skin the correct way, your skin will also have a natural glow without relying on products. For my face, I do facial yoga and massaging and recently added snail gel to my routine, which I’m really loving.
Do you have any favourite natural skin care products or awesome beauty recipes? To me the sea is everything and my skin feels best after some salty therapy. I also make masks with kiwi fruit, turmeric and cinnamon. My favourite beauty brand is Neal’s Yard Remedies and the snail gel from above is by Dr. Organics. Not to worry, there’s no harm done to the snails, J
Where’s your favourite place in the world? This is such a tricky question because travelling is my favourite hobby ever and I’ve been to some spectacular places. Where ever I am with my husband is usually my most favourite place in the world though.
What makes you happy? You just can’t beat being with family, swimming in warm crystal clear seas, eating a minty coconut ice-cream in the sunshine and hearing genuine hearty laughter… and hopefully all at the same time.
Describe your perfect day. Waking up without an alarm, spending half a day doing work you truly love and the other half by the beach with your beloved.
Do you have any favourite tips and tricks to stay healthy and happy everyday? You have to work at being happy and at times you will get really really busy so to me it’s all about how you handle stress… Next time you start to get anxious or worried about something, think about the issue and ask yourself this: ‘what if it no longer mattered?’ Say it out loud and feel the tension melt away. It’s really quite powerful.
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