Pure-State Living with Ash

Eating healthy can be easy, but it can also be very daunting at the beginning! Whilst there is no harm in having a treat every now and then and indulging in your favourite snack, it’s also important to be aware of what you are putting into your body. Pure-state foods are functional whole superfoods with clinically proven genuine health benefits. Ash from @innerpickle is a food enthusiast, recipe creator and mental health advocate who discusses her diet, lifestyle and the importance of being aware of what you feed your body.

“Being dairy intolerant, gluten free and now also vegan, with that sort of upbringing behind me, living a natural life comes easier to me than it does to most. To be honest, I have taught myself along the way through some health studies, and also trial and error, and what I’ve come to find is that living a pure-state life is what’s best.

What do I mean by ‘pure-state’? I mean all natural food in their purest form, with extremely little processing and no added anything. Of course I add spices to my food and buy tins of necessities (legumes, tofu, etc), and I have been known to down a pack of my favourite store-bought Gingernut biscuits from time to time or go out on occasion and treat myself, but around 90% of the time, I try to eat and live as ‘clean’ and naturally as possible, with the knowledge of what’s going into my food.

 As humans, I find we sometimes get caught up in the convenience of pre-packaged foods, and don’t often think (or care) where it comes it from, how heavily it may be processed, and what hidden nasties it may contain. For example, some people don’t realise that some Peanut Butters they spread on their morning toast is packed full of more sugar, salt, oil and preservatives than actual peanuts! How ridiculous is that?! That’s why eating foods such as Mayver’s Peanut Butter is such a tasty and healthy alternative for all! As a result of this, we often forget what ‘real food’ tastes like, the textures, and the versatility of natural flavours and keeping food simple!

I ask you to think about it now… How often do you reach for those packet sauces for your stir fries and curries? How often do you reach for those jars of salsa to go with the corn chips? How often do you look at what you’re actually feeding yourself?

If the answer is more often than you’d like to admit, then let me help you out with a few handy tips!

• Locate your nearest market and buy your fresh fruits and veggies there. Not only will you be saving money, but you’ll know that it’s guaranteed fresh, and not been sitting on a shelf or on display for four days previously.
• Meal prep! Yes, this can take time when you first start out, but it saves time in the long run, works absolute wonders, and stops you from going down to that vending machine or to your local fast food place in your work breaks or on your way home after a busy day.
• Check your ingredients when you purchase. I am a huge Mayver’s Peanut Butter addict and have eaten Mayver’s products for at least the last 5 years since I first discovered them at my local supermarket. 
• Recreate your favourite flavours! For example, a satay is based around peanuts. I use a few healthy dollops of either Mayver’s Peanut & Coconut Spread or Mayver’s Crunchy Peanut Butter mixed with some other natural goodies to create a sauce! You can even make a healthy caramel by blending gooey medjool dates with Mayver’s Unhulled Tahini. Now how cool is that?!

It may sound crazy and like a lot of time and energy at first, but I can guarantee that once you start, you’ll not only be 100% surprised by how good it tastes, but you’ll be 100% surprised by how alive eating naturally makes you feel. So get a little creative, get the kids involved, and bring a bit of fun, goodness, naturalness and knowledge back into your kitchen, life and bodies.”

Thanks so much to Ash for an insight into her life! Be sure to check out her website and Instagram to learn more about her.

Below are some of Ash’s amazing recipes.