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Hi everyone, thanks to all of you that have taken the time to email me in response to my Ask Me Anything post! I’ve been getting some juicy questions so here it goes!

I'm interested in the nutrition qualification that you were attempting and
wondered what the course was like? Your progress? Cost money wise and time wise? Does it hold your interest? Will it be a useful qualification in the
future? I'm sure other readers would be interested too.

I’ve had by far the most number of emails requesting further info on the Diet and Nutrition Advisors Course I’m studying. The course I’m doing is a Diet and Nutrition Advisor Level 3 Award via distance learning with Stonebridge Colleges (I’m using Elearn to access study materials and submit tests). If you click on the link you will see all the info regarding cost, number of lessons, syllabus etc. I’ve personally found it very interesting, each assignment takes me about 4-6 hours to complete properly and I have about 4 left to go before I have completed the course. This certainly isn’t any certified nutritionist course but it does give you a broad base of information on everything from the digestive system, enzymes, food sensitivities, food combining, weight management, nutrients etc.

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I decided to do the course, mainly because I was interested in studying something I’m really interested and passionate in, but also to add an additional qualification to my CV.  I already have an MA in Community and Youth Work (I’m a fully qualified youth worker and have worked with community organisations for over 7 years) and some of the ideas I’ve been playing around with is to develop healthy living programmes for young people and community groups and work on a freelance basis. I would also love to be able to offer diet advice to people generally, but I’d feel more confident if I had more qualifications before I do that.

Which juicer do you use?

I use this Philips HR1861 juicer. I make green juices twice a week on the weekend and I would definitely recommend this juicer!

Which blender do you use?

I use this Kenwood kMix BLX520 blender. I absolutely love it! It may be no Vitamix but it does a wonderful job of blending ice, making protein ice creams and making my kale filled green smoothies smooth!

You use so many different things in your green smoothies, what is maca, xanthan gum and guar gum?

Haha, yes I certainly love to throw in a lot of different powders! Most of the powders I add to my smoothies are ‘super foods’, basically whole foods which have an exceptionally high concentration of vitamins and minerals. The ones I tend to use the most are:

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Maca powder – Maca is dried and powdered maca root which grows in areas of South America. Its benefits include supporting the adrenal gland and helping the body to cope with stress, balancing hormones and providing energy

Mesquite – This is a flour made from the ground seeds of the mesquite tree. It has a lovely malty sweet taste so adds a touch of natural sweetness to smoothies. Some research has shown that mesquite can help to balance blood sugar levels and as I have been sensitive to that in the past I feel its a fun and useful ingredient to include in my diet.

Spirulina – This is a dark green powder that comes from blue green algae present in lakes and oceans, its one of the most nutrient dense foods available and contains a good amount of protein as well as making green smoothies ultra green!

Barley Grass – This is dried and powdered barley grass which provides a concentrated source of all the benefits of green foods such as antioxidants.

MSM crystals – MSM is a nutritional form of sulphur, which is an essential component in the formation of collagen, elastin, cartilage and keratin. It gives flexibility, tone and strength to muscles, bones, joints, internal membranes and especially the skin, hair and nails.

I also use xanthan gum and guar gum – the xanthan gum gives smoothies a lovely thickness and guar gums adds creaminess. Check out this post on Smoothy Girl’s blog for more info on the gums. They do add extra fibre and you need to be aware of how much you are adding so its definitely worth reading up on them!

How does just a smoothie fill you up?

I’ve had this question a lot but I can assure you that my smoothies are extremely filling! I actually calorie counted up this smoothie I ate yesterday:

This contained 200g of kale, 240g of frozen cherries, 1 small raw beet, 1 scoop of chocolate hemp protein powder, maca powder, barley grass powder, msm crystals, water, ice, xanthan and guar gums and for toppings I had 1 tbsp of raw almond cashew butter, 2 tbsp of goji berries, 1/2 tbsp of pistachios. This totalled 650 calories! It was a beast ;-)

Why do you eat smoothies from a bowl?

I eat my smoothies from a bowl as I like to add toppings on and I just enjoy them more that way!

How did you manage to lose so much weight?

I lost my weight on my own without following any specific plan like weight watchers. I just joined the gym, started exercising and ate more ‘healthily’, although it did take time before I learned more about eating un processed and whole foods. I used to exist on cuppa soups and frozen ready meals! I did have a few months when I went on a high protein kick which did help me get over a plateaux, but a lot of the weight I have lost recently has came off since I became a veggie. I will be updating more on my current eating and weight in a post very soon!

While I’m in the question answering mood I’ll do this lovely Butterfly Award which the lovely Jess tagged me with:

Favourite Colour: This can change depending on my mood / time of year but right now I’m in love with mustard yellow.

Favourite Song: This is really tough as again it can change depending on my mood, I’ll cheat and pick a few! Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve, What’s the Story Morning Glory, Oasis (these both remind me of my teenage years). You and Me by Life House as this was my first dance song at my wedding and anything by Jimmy Hendrix. At the moment I’m slightly obsessed with Laura Marling.

Favourite dessert: Sticky toffee pudding!

What really annoys you: People that criticise others and show no understanding or tolerance of peoples individual needs, any form of injustice, and running out of loo paper ;-)

When you are upset you: cry. I’m not very good at hiding my emotions, if I’m upset you’ll know about it!

Your favourite pet: When I was younger I had a lovely rabbit called Hopsy.

Black or white: Both, I’m a Newcastle United Fan!

Biggest fear: Wasps. They are evil ;-)

Best feature: mmm, I’ve always quite liked my lips for some reason!

Everyday attitude: Usually pretty happy and laid back but occasionally stressed!

What is perfection: I don’t think that perfection exists (except for in mathematics and some sciences). I much prefer to see the beauty in the imperfect, what a boring world we would have if everything was perfect?

Guilty pleasure: Reading cook books instead of proper novels – I have a shelf full of books I should be reading but I love to flick through cook books instead!

I think this little survey has well and truly done the rounds now but if anyone would like to do it and haven’t been tagged yet then consider yourself tagged!

I hope that’s been interesting and useful! If you ever have any questions please just leave me a comment or drop me an email, I don’t mind and I always respond!

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week!