Meet Angela Simson. A mumma, wife, speaker, health coach and all around self love junkie. She is the founder of The Gratitude Project and your silver-lining-exposing, gratitude-pushing bestie that wants everyone to have the best life they can.
Ange guides huge hearted mothers to find the juicy goodness that lies within. Helping them to find what makes their soul happy while still giving love to their family. Helping them to eat for nourishment, but enjoy every delicious energy enhancing bite. Helping them regain energy, deal with stress and become better for their families by putting their own health and wellbeing at the top of their priorities.
Make sure you check out Ange’s website The Gratitude Project. It is a delicious online space dedicated to wellness and bliss where you’ll find nourishing recipes, self care tips and natural beauty solutions. Holistic health coach Angela Simson founded The Gratitude Project as a place to share, help and inspire those looking to improve their wellbeing or for anyone who’s health may be suffering, as Angela’s was.
We are beyond excited to have Ange as our Featured Friend this month and we know you will love her just as much as we do!
Ange thank you so much for being our Featured Friend this month. Firstly, what does creating ‘a healthy mix for life’ mean to you?
It means taking every part of what makes up your life, and making it incredible.
A healthy mix for life is a healthy diet, mindset, daily movement, satisfying career and following the path that makes your heart race with anxious delight.
It means never following anyone elses rules, and occasionally breaking the ones you set for yourself. It means flexibility and variety in everything that surrounds you and also everything inside of you.
You help inspire others to eat for nourishment so what does your day on a plate look like and why do you eat the way you do?
Breakfast is almost always my favorite green smoothie, I always come back to it because it makes me feel so vibrant and ready for the day. Everything else changes daily.
Lunch can be anything from left over dinner, a huge salad, an acai bowl or a simple fritatta.
Dinner is my favorite meal and I always put effort into it when I have time. My family eats mainly Paleo, lots of veggies, good fats, quality grass fed organic meats and some living foods like kim chi or coconut kefir.
I’ve been on a journey with my diet, I’ve been vegan, vegetarian, tried out macrobiotic living but for now, this is the way that feels good to eat for me. You’ve got to find that sweet spot where you’re eating food that is delicious and makes you feel incredible.
So true, do you have a super hero food that makes you feel incredible that you could not live without?
CACAO! My first ever book on health was David Wolfes ‘Superfoods’ and if I ever meet him, I will hug him for introducing me to this incredible bean. It’s full of antioxidants and minerals like magnesium, zinc and manganese, free radical fighter and best of all, it tastes good and makes you happy!
That leads me to my next question .. would David Wolfe be one of your health & wellness gurus?
As much as I love Deepak Chopra, David Wolfe and IIN founder Joshua Rosenthal, my ‘gurus’ are people that surround me.
My Callanetics teacher Sandra Hanna for sharing her green smoothie with me all those years ago and reminding me what food does for your energy and vitality.
My best friend Ashlee for always having some herb or broth when I’m not 100% and giving me grounding advice to bring me back to earth when I can’t find my feet.
My parents for being so positive and drilling gratitude for all I had into my head for as long as I remember. We all have a purpose or a message for each other and the magic happens when timing brings it all together. We can all be each others gurus for something.
Living a healthy life doesn’t just mean eating well … how do you keep your mind and body healthy?
I’ve been taught from a young age to be positive, see the silver lining and take lessons from darker moments. As many times as I’ve veered away from the light, I always come back.
Positivity and gratitude takes everything you have in the moment and makes it all you need. There is something so grounding and fulfilling in knowing that you’re complete in every moment. You don’t need a boyfriend, body, job or perfect home to complete your life. You have everything inside and my number one practice for staying in a heart centered mindset is to take gratitude in every moment.
Ange you have such a wise soul, If you could share with the Raw Blend Family one piece of your wisdom what would it be?
Take a lesson from everything and do your best to be grateful for it. Everything happens to you for a reason and it will always promote growth if you allow it. Step back in times of darkness and try to find your silver lining, sometimes it’s incredibly dull, but if you can catch a glimpse it makes it so much easier to find light again.
We are lucky enough to have you share one of your recipes with us today, why do you love this recipe so much?
This is my morning smoothie recipe. It’s been adjusted countless times but it always hits the spot and gives me the right start for the morning. My husband, my daughter and I have one each in the morning and it’s a beautiful ritual for us to start the day with.
Ingredients
- 1 banana – peeled, chopped and frozen overnight
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 pitted medjool date
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon raw cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon flax seed oil
- 1 cup water
Method
- Add everything to your Vitamix and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour into your favorite cup.
As the chia seeds absorb the liquid it becomes a little thicker so I love to leave it in the fridge for 5 minutes after its made so I feel like I’m having a green thick shake.
Be sure to take a moment of gratitude before you start drinking. And I always recommend ‘chewing’ your smoothies to aid with digestion.