It’s been a little while since our last Inspiring People interview, we took a bit of a break over the silly season and well all of a sudden we are in to March!
Today I have an interview with the lovely Sunniva from Raw Till Four, I was incredibly nervous asking her if she would even consider being interviewed (I didn’t think she would actually agree!), but she is incredibly lovely.
Sunniva is very modest but has created an Instagram page so drool worthy that it is VERY easy to see why she has over 85,000 followers!
Hi, I’m Sunniva and I run a food and lifestyle blog called Raw Till Four. I live in Auckland with my partner, little girl, and two Brussels Griffons puppies. I love creating beautiful food for my family and friends, and helping as many people as I can gain better health through plant based living and a holistic approach to health.
Tell me about your lifestyle prior to taking on a healthy lifestyle…
I have always been really into health and learning as much as I can about it. The definition of what a healthy lifestyle means to me constantly evolves though, as I think it’s so important to be in tune with your body and listen to what it is telling you.
And your lifestyle now…
Now, my lifestyle is plant based but it has become more for ethical and environmental reasons than for health. Eating a lot of raw alkaline food, avoiding stimulants like coffee and alcohol, doing yoga and meditating is what makes me feel best, anything that helps me reduce tension as I can get stressed easily.
What was it that made you make a change?
I got really sick during pregnancy about two years ago. I was bedridden with hyperemesis and gestational diabetes, vomiting so much I was throwing up blood and had to be admitted to hospital. None of the many prescriptions the doctors were prescribing me were working, in fact they just made me feel worse.
This went on for 6 months without improving, so I decided to try healing myself on a high raw alkaline diet. Within days I went from hardly being able to get out of bed to feeling better than I ever had my whole life! I got my blood sugars to well within normal, had loads of energy and was able to work full time right up to the day I had my little girl.
Can you explain what Raw till Four is?
It is simply eating raw foods until 4pm. That way at least two of my main meals are raw and full of living enzymes which works well for me – eating lighter through the day gives me more energy, then I have a heaver meal at night.
What is your approach to balance & moderation in life
I don’t count calories, macros or anything else. I just try to eat whole plant foods most of the time, and if I want something else then I just have it. I think we can all get caught up in labels way too much but in the end its just food! It is supposed to nourish us, not control us.
What is your favourite form of exercise to do?
Definitely yoga. It keeps me sane, chills me out and I love it. I do a lot of walking as well, and I like to try something new frequently – ballet barre classes, aerial silks, rock climbing, whatever appeals at the time.
Can you share what a typical day’s food would be for you?
I always kick off my day with probotics and warm water with fresh lemon juice and cinnamon. Breakfast is a massive green juice or green smoothie, I snack on fruit during the day and lunch is usually a large salad with lots of avocado pumpkin and hemp seeds. I’m always getting sent product to test so often I’m creating new recipes and then eating them! Dinner is about opening the fridge and seeing what I can throw together with what I gather from the garden, and if I still want something more in the evening I’ll have a chai macadamia milk and a bliss ball.
Can you share one of your favourite recipes with us?
The Cocoberry Smoothie – its full of electrolytes and healthy fats, and tastes so good!
Water and flesh from 1 fresh young Thai coconut
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Blend until smooth.
What is your number one tip for those who want to live a healthier life?
Keep it as simple as possible. It’s so easy to get caught up in the latest craze but it’s the small things that make the biggest difference – eat fresh organic whole foods, reduce stress, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water.
What are your favourite healthy living blogs/websites or tools?
I love Millie’s Clean Eatz page, Nadia Lim, Jamie Oliver, Tyler Tolman and Kimberly Snyder
Thank you so much Sunniva! You seriously made my month when you agreed to do the interview!
You can find Sunniva in the following places:
Instagram
Facebook
Website
Sunniva is so amazing!! Her instagram makes me drool and gets me all inspired to create more raw, healthy alternatives. I’m super excited that you interviewed her, and her number one tip is spot on! It’s so easy to get caught up in the latest health craze that you forget that going back to basics is usually the best way to go. oxoxo
Can’t wait to see who you interview next!
What a great interview -the Raw Till Four diet sounds very interesting indeed!