EAT WITH YOUR HEART

Certified by The Academy of Wellness
with co-directors Marlene Watson-Tara & William Wallace Tara

INTRO

Hi there, so you want to eat healthily, stave-off illness, look after the environment and leave animals off the menu! Well you have come to the right place. On the one hand, I can help you transition away from meat, eggs, fish and dairy to a Vegan plant based diet. On the other, I can also help change to a more nutritious, simple, balanced way of eating which is Macrobiotics! I will discuss with you how to eat locally and in harmony with the changing seasons which are good for your body, animals and the environment. I promise you, it is easy to change so don’t let anyone tell you different.
I am here to listen, give you support, tips, suggest books, relevant websites and impart general information on the whole process. Hey, I can even take you grocery shopping if needs be! It is an extraordinary personal journey you are about to embark on and the benefits are boundless. You will experience tangible improvements to your energy levels, weight, skin and hair but also to your hormone levels, mood and relationships with others. Moreover, you will be stepping away from being directly involved in the suffering of billions of factory farmed animals that are killed every day. Being Vegan Macrobiotic is a morally responsible, ethical, socially just and happier way of being in the world.
Congratulations, did you know that everyone and everything benefits from the personal choice YOU are about to make, so don’t forget to “Eat with your heart”.
 

“Macrobiotics is a practical approach to diet; it has philosophical richness; it is scientifically sound; it is socially responsible; it is humanly compassionate, environmentally sound. A diet centered around whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit benefits our personal health & the health of the environment. Planetary ecology begins in the kitchen.” – Sean Egan Professor at Ottawa University

ABOUT ME

 

In 2015, I became the first Irish Certified Macrobiotic Health Coach tutored and forever inspired by Marlene Watson-Tara and Bill Tara at their Academy of Wellness in Scotland (see last paragraph below).

 

I have been a vegan for over 5 years and a vegetarian for 33 years. I have a BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature & Philosophy and a Certificate in Existential Counselling (NSPC, UK). I have lived in Florence (Italy) and London (UK).

 

Since becoming Vegan and then macrobiotic, I have witnessed huge improvements to my heath, mood, hormone balance and general wellbeing. A chronic suffer of IBS since I was aged 7 and recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis and endometriosis, I have been able to manage these illnesses and lead a carefree, relatively pain free, happy life AND I never had an episode of IBS since changing!

 

I have always been passionate about animals, food and the environment. Over the years, I have volunteered for several Irish and UK animals rescues. I am a Member of the Vegan Society UK, Vegan Ireland, ARAN and IAVS. I have also volunteered for the Samaritans (UK).

 

I have two adored spoilt cats, Beanie and Fifi.  Both rescues.

 

About the Macrobiotic Health Coach Course:
The curriculum has been designed by Bill Tara, co-founder of the Kushi Institute, creator of the International Macrobiotic Institute (Kiental, Switzerland) curriculum and designer of the American and European Kushi Institute Teacher Certification Programmes along with his wife Marlene Watson-Tara who brings decades of teaching experience and a wealth of knowledge.  Marlene is a high profiled and dedicated macrobiotic health counsellor, health educator, and a natural foods cooking teacher with over 35 years’ experience of transforming lives. She has also studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is also a graduate of plant based nutrition from T. Colin Campbell Centre for Nutrition Studies.  She is the creator of the successful on line “Weight Loss Nature’s Way Programme” and ‘The Natural Woman’ and she is also an international author of the bestselling book ‘Macrobiotics for all Seasons’. Oh she also loves animals!

 

 

“Eat well, live well, die well” – Marlene Watson- Tara

Standard Marcobiotic Food Chart

“The aim of macrobiotics is to cure the illnesses of the soul; but for that, physical illnesses cannot cure. It is after the work of the soul that we can absorb correct foods; and it is this soul that cures illnesses. You have understood that it is not macrobiotics that cures, but the understanding of the philosophy. It is not rice or gomasio, but the attention of our mind that gives us will, and recovery occurs within a few days”. – George Ohsawa

Goals of being Vegan Macrobiotic

Eat a healthy, nutritious, whole-food, plant-based vegan macrobiotic diet.
Learn to make delicious recipes.
Shop seasonally & locally.
No chemicals or preservatives.
Learn how to have a Macrobiotic kitchen.
Learn where to shop and what to shop for.
Learn what foods to avoid.
Learn to eat with chopsticks.
Stress-free eating: No counting calories, weight watching, no limits on portion sizes – no worry!
Live congruently, simply, healthily, in harmony with nature and the environment, protect, love & live in peace with other sentient beings.

No-one is perfect or fully disciplined 24/7, so another goal of macrobiotics is to live your life 80:20. What does this mean? Well, it means you eat a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet 80% of the time and the other 20% you can be a little bit naughty. Now is that not something to celebrate, so if you want, the odd party, cake and cocktail are still on the menu! Come on, you still have to have a life!

VEGANISM

Veganism is not a diet; it is a philosophy, a compassionate way of living in harmony with the other sentient beings that share the planet with us.
The Vegan Society UK defines Veganism as “a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose”. To live a Vegan life, one does not eat, use, abuse animals in food, entertainment, fashion, household products or beauty. Sadly, most animals are exploited and in every way imaginable but it is possible to live a Vegan life and live it well. The main benefit of living Vegan is that you are not directly involved in the suffering of animals. The secondary benefits are a measurable improvement in your health, skin, hair, energy and hormone levels, wellbeing and life in general.
Essentially, Vegans eat a plant-based diet avoiding all animal products and bi-products. We do not eat eggs, fish, insects or honey or use products tested on animals or containing any animal bi-products. At first, it may involve a lot of checking food and product labels but you quickly become knowledgeable and adept at recognising these ingredients and there are a number of great Apps out there to help you if you ever become overwhelmed! It is import to also note that Vegans do not wear leather, wool, silk, angora or cashmere. You will never see a Vegan visiting a zoo, aquarium, horse racing event and certainly not greyhound racing or any kind of blood sports (i.e. hare coursing, fox hunting, pheasant shooting)
I believe macrobiotics compliments a Vegan diet. Some not all Vegans can consume large amounts of processed food; macrobiotics teaches you to cook nutritious, chemical & preservative free, fresh food in a very simple, quick way.
 

“The competitive, violent, commodifying mentality of the ancient herding cultures is, in our age of nuclear weapons and global interconnectedness, profoundly obsolete, as is eating the animal foods of these old cultures, which are unhealthy in the extreme both to our body-minds and to our precious planetary ecology” – Dr Will Tuttle

SKYPE CONSULTATION:
SIX WEEK 1 HOUR VIA SKYPE

This consultation is all about you. Firstly, I will ask you to fill out a questionnaire before we Skype to get a feel for your goals,
likes, dislikes, fears and what you need/expect from me.
These consultations are a good initial introduction into the world of veganism and macrobiotics. I will listen to you, give you my support and some inspiration (a personal weekly meal plan) and that’s not all, the 6 week 1 hour consultations also includes support via email, recipes, nutritional advice, tips, how to achieve a macrobiotic kitchen, condiments, eating mindfully and with chopstick and my personal commitment to you.
You’ve made a friend!

 

€ 125

WORKSHOP:
5 HOUR WORKSHOP FOR 1 PERSON

A personal cooking lesson, either in-home or with me. This involves learning to cook two 3 course meals (and more if we can fit it in), with added extras, and of course, nutritional advice, useful information, handouts and tips on being vegan and macrobiotic. I will also give you the recipes from our lunch. This workshop also includes four weekly follow-ups by email with more recipes, nutritional advice and. Also included in this package is a complimentary, free copy of my mentor, Marlene Watson-Tara’s book “Macrobiotics for All Seasons”.

 

€ 45

LUNCH & LEARN FROM 4 TO 6 PEOPLE

A three hour workshop which is an introduction to vegan macrobiotic cooking. It includes a 3 course vegan macrobiotic lunch, a little history on veganism and macrobiotics, nutritional advice, information, handouts and tips. You will leave with the recipes for the lunch, a full tummy, a few laughs and some handouts.

NOTE: All consultations include recipes, handouts, tips on how to achieve a macrobiotic kitchen, condiments, eating mindfully and with chopsticks.

 

€ 35 pp

ONCE-OFF 1 HOUR CONSULTATION

This is a very short taster into the world of veganism and macrobiotics. 
I will give you a sample personal weekly meal plan to send you on your way, along with advice on setting up a macrobiotic kitchen, condiments, nutritional advice, useful websites and tips

 

€ 20
Michelle Blessing - 2017