Katrina Ellis Eat Raw Look Younger Interview

Katrina Ellis Eat Raw Look Younger Interview

She's shared her knowledge with movie stars, famous musicians and Thai royalty at the world famous, Chiva-Som health retreat and now, world renowned Naturopath and best-selling author Katrina Ellis, has launched her own healthy eating and lifestyle manual, Raw Addiction.

Katrina, who penned the international best-seller -Shattering the Cancer Myth' has developed an innovative book housing over one hundred and fifty nutritious raw food recipes, packed with health benefits. Finally, the secrets to better energy, easier weight loss, younger looking skin and amazing health are revealed in this ground-breaking raw food lifestyle book.

Katrina, who is based at Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast, believes that a -living foods' diet is the best way to detox, feel radiant, improve digestion and reverse disease.

'Every recipe in Raw Addiction is not only tantalizing and addictive in taste, they are completely balanced in nutritional value and healing impact," says Ellis, a cancer survivor.

This is not just a cookbook, it takes -raw' a step further by providing up-to-date nutritional advice on the latest natural sweeteners, the healing value of raw foods, allergen free recipes and delicious sweets, that do not harm your health or your waistline.

'I have utilised my 20 year career in the health industry and own personal nutritional knowledge in beating terminal cancer to create beautiful living dishes which combine the perfect vitamin, mineral and antioxidant ratio to help reverse disease and ageing."

'Being a busy mum, with two small children and a full-time business, I understand the hectic schedules and monetary constraints that people now face. With this in mind, I have created a lifestyle recipe book that takes the tedious prep time and expense out of making raw foods."

Popular recipes from the book include the Supermodel Skin Smoothie – with large doses of silica, chlorophyll, enzymes and vitamins to boost collagen production protecting skin against ageing, and Nutty Meat – made of nuts, seeds, spices and herbs that is full of healthy monounsaturated fats to beautify the skin and protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Backed by doctors, writers & TV personalities, -Raw Addiction' is a MUST HAVE book for everyone.

Raw Addiction retails at $39.95 and is now available to purchase at the Katrina Ellis Natural Health Centre or at www.katrinaellis.com.au

Katrina Ellis graduated as a qualified naturopath, herbalist and iridologist in 1995.

Katrina spent many years working for the ex-prime minister of Thailand in his five star health resort, Chiva-Som. Here she managed the -natural health department' and performed consultations with famous personalities, as well as designed an organic food line and co-wrote the Chiva- Som cookbook. While in Thailand she developed a rare form of cancer, after exposure to a toxic agent. After many misdiagnoses and being told she would not live past the year, she embarked on a campaign to save herself with natural medicine. A few months later she was cancer free and from this experience wrote the 2003 international best seller -Shattering the Cancer Myth'.

This was followed by the eagerly anticipated -Shattering the Cancer Myth' second edition released in late 2010, followed by a third edition in 2011. The fourth edition, due out later this year includes a new chapter by nutritional and standard medical practice Doctor Joachim Fluhrer.

Katrina lectures for societies and colleges, provides media interviews and gives educational seminars on wellness and positive living. She works and refers between a team of the best health professionals to allow her to give her patients the most comprehensive experience in natural health care.

The Katrina Ellis Natural Health Centre is situated at Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Interview with Katrina Ellis

Question: What benefits does eating raw food have?

Katrina Ellis: Raw food is much higher in enzymes than cooked food; when we cook food we destroy a lot of the living enzymes in the food and the enzymes are involved with housing a biochemical reaction in the body as they aid in digestion, anti-ageing, cell repair and renewal and even thinking. When we cook food we destroy nearly all the enzymes potential but when we eat raw food we eat lots of enzymes that are contained in those foods which help to reverse disease, prevent aging and increase energy.

Raw foods are naturally alkaline and cooked foods are acidic; if we eat too many cooked foods we have an acidic diet and when we are acidic our body borrows alkaline minerals to buffer out the acidity which can lead to leaving those organs and tissues in a vulnerable state. A more acidic diet can cause things like eczema and psoriasis; when we start eating more raw foods it can help to reverse those conditions.


Question: What inspired you to begin eating only raw food?

Katrina Ellis: I've been into healthy foods all my life, my Mum had a nutritionist when I was a baby and my Dad was a fitness instructor so I've been into healthy eating all my life, it was natural for me. Many years ago when I was working in Thailand, I got a very aggressive form of ovarian cancer and raw foods was the inspiration for saving my life. I used orthodox treatment but it stopped working so I returned to a completely organic and mostly raw diet and in doing that I could feel my vitality coming back and everything started to repair within my body which contributed to me getting better. It was after that when I put a lot more raw food, back into my diet as I could see and feel the benefits of it.


Question: Did you feel as if this type of eating reversed your cancer? Does it work with other diseases?

Katrina Ellis: I think the raw diet was a contributor, I don't think it was 100%, I still think the power of your mind is important too. In my clinic we treat a lot of people with cancer and chronic illness and I think the mind has a big influence in that along with stress and emotions. I also practiced yoga and meditation along with breathing exercises too. Raw foods are so high in nutrition and most people are having cooked foods today which are devitalised so when they're eating it's like they are eating empty calories without any nutrition.

When choosing foods with the greatest cancer fighting potential they have the ability to restore digestion and repair your cell health as they are providing all the nutrition that are needed to help the cells.


Question: Do you eat only raw food at all times?

Katrina Ellis: I can eat 100% raw and I did when I was creating my cookbook, Raw Addiction to prove that it works. Basically I can easily go all raw but sometimes it's also good to be 80% raw and have a little bit of a cooked form of protein such as fish. It depends on your situation in life, I work a lot of hours and I can really feel when I am eating 100% raw as it is cleansing and detoxifying. I always say to my clients that you do not have to go 100% raw but if you start implementing more raw foods in your diet you will notice the difference.


Question: Do your children also eat from the raw food diet?

Katrina Ellis: My children don't eat 100% raw because they're aged 5 and 10 but my daughter has yacon syrup on everything and they love the Chocolate Truffles. My daughter also enjoys green smoothies and they do eat a lot of raw food, I'd say they have a 70% raw food diet.


Question: Is there a particular recipe that holds memories for you in Raw Addiction?

Katrina Ellis: Every morning I have my number one green smoothie, which is my favourite breakfast smoothie. It has kale, baby spinach leaves, Cccumber and then I use a natural sweetener such as a mango or frozen banana with purified water; often I'll add a Super Green powder too. A green smoothie gives me so much energy which is why it is a favourite of mine in the morning. The smoothie doesn't drop your blood sugar levels and keeps you working, all day.

If someone asks me how they can slowly incorporate raw foods into their diet, green smoothies are the first thing I get them to do. A lot of people believe raw foods are a fad but it's a way of life and it's giving bulk nutrition in smaller amounts.

Part of the reason I wrote Raw Addiction was because I'm busy and I wanted to make it simple for people; I'm a Mum, I have a full time clinic and we are booked out three months ahead but I eat raw. Previously I've seen raw cookbooks and the dishes are so complex, I wanted to show how quick and simple it could be. I tried to bring eating raw food to the mainstream.

The book has sold very well and I'm surprised that a lot of males have got the book and I'm glad it's appealing to everyone, now.


Question: Can you talk us through the latest natural sweeteners?

Katrina Ellis: Stevia is a great sweetener as is Xylitol which is a fantastic natural sweetener. There are two types of Xylitol, there is Corn Xylitol which is great and Birch Xylitol and that comes from the Birch tree, it's easy to get Xylitol in health food stores, you just have to make sure it's from the Birch source. Xylitol is perfect if you want a more sugar consistency and it doesn't have the same bitterness that Stevia tends to have. Luohan guo is another good sweetener; it's a fruit that comes mostly from China however we are starting to get it here in Australia, now. Luohan guo is very similar to Stevia in its action and it's great for not raising your blood sugar levels which is great for diabetics. If I want a honey consistency I then look at yacon syrup which is like honey with a caramel taste to it, it is good as a liquid consistency and it has probiotics which means it's great for your digestive system. Yacon syrup is great for a dessert as it gives a yum caramel taste as well as being good for your health.

Question: Can you talk us through a typical days meal plan, for you?

Katrina Ellis: For dinners I have lots of salads and in winter I do more raw soups. I don't like cold soups so I'll make a raw soup and slightly warm it up to ensure I'm not destroying the enzymes. Raw soups are easy to make! I combine a lot of Asian dishes in Raw Addiction because of my time in Thailand and I love the Asian dishes because they use spices so well.

My husband likes fish and organic chicken so I will make a beautiful Asian Kale Salad and I'll serve him fish, with that. You can combine your raw dishes with something else that is really healthy to give males extra protein.

As I said before, you don't have to go 100% raw, it's about bring people back towards a rawer living food diet which is the way it used to be however somewhere along the way we got busy and food become more processed and with that we lost the essence of what natural foods were.


Question: Is there one thing we should all be implementing into our diets?

Katrina Ellis: The Green Smoothies of course. Also, Kale; I love Kale and it is becoming more popular. There has been a big revolution with Kale and it's not a surprise because Kale is so high in chlorophyll, has anti-cancer health benefits and it has over 46 different antioxidants; it detoxifies carcinogenic substances from the body and has one of the highest sources of Vitamin K in the world which is really good for the consistency of the blood as well. Kale is the main superfood.


Interview by Brooke Hunter