Featured Friend Interview: Claire Walters @ Raw Blend
30 May

Featured Friend Interview: Claire Walters @ Raw Blend

G’day guys! This Month our Featured Friend is a real life Raw Blend Superstar! A singer, actor, performer, health & fitness enthusiast, raw food recipe lover, blogger and our very own Social Media Coordinator & Recipe Producer inspiring us everyday here at the Raw Blend headquarters.

Claire Walters has a divine understanding of health and wellness and takes great pleasure in sharing the knowledge she has acquired along her journey. Claire is a Raw Food Recipe genius and enjoys creating new and exciting recipes to help people venture away from eating processed foods from labelled boxes.

Always health aware and active thanks to a childhood of dancing and singing, Claire also was diagnosed with Syringomyelia which resulted in two major surgeries which made Claire very aware of the importance of health and wellness and the positive effects it can have on the body.

Singing professionally since the age of 15, Claire made her debut in Musical Theatre alongside some of Australia’s finest talent including Bert Newton, Patti Newton, Nikki Webster and Doug Parkinson. A graduate of the QLD Conservatorium of Music, Claire holds a bachelor of Music majoring in Jazz Vocals and performs with numerous covers / corporate bands both nationally and overseas.

Claire has performed in world renowned venues such as “Birdland”, New York City, “The Green Mill”, Chicago, The VIP Party for Michael Bubles’ Australian TourThe Hong Kong Udderbelly Festival, Taranaki Arts Festival(NZ) and Adelaide Fringe Festival (2016) with Tom Thum and Jamie McDowell. Recently completing a Germany tour with Tom Thum as the supporting act for The Cat Empire. Claire has now commenced work on her own original music under the name of “Franky Smart” and as her biggest fans we can’t WAIT for the release.

Firstly, what does creating ‘A Healthy Mix for Life’ mean to you?

It means exactly that! A healthy mix of work, socialising, splurging, travelling and treating your body as a temple. I’m not perfect however; I do take care of my body most of the time thanks to a medical condition of mine.

I have Syringomyelia.

Pronounced S A H – R I N G O – M Y – E E L I A H

In the simplest way possible – I have cysts WITHIN my spinal cord, not on my spinal cord and over time they have caused some complications. They were a direct result of my Brain Stem Collapsing. I don’t know how that happened though. As a result, inflammation is something that I really need to keep at bay. It’s the root of most problems I find.

What does your day on a plate look like and why do you eat the way you do? 

I love Apple Cider Vinegar in warm water in the morning with a pinch of cinnamon and lemon juice. I think I am one of those rare people that absolutely love the taste! My partner thinks it smells like feet. “Drinking the old foot juice again…”

Maybe my spinal cysts have altered my sense of smell. I’ve even added it to a cold glass of Sparkling Water and treated it as though I was drinking some sort of fancy concoction. I love it. If I ever feel as though I’m coming down with something I opt for a nice glass of Foot Juice.

I follow that with a good ol’ green smoothie. Minimal sweetness and lot’s of greens! I love a bitter green smoothie so there will be a lot of lemon, celery and parsley involved. I try to drink it as warm as possible as I don’t like to shock my system with freezing cold beverages.

Lunch is usually sushi or some sort of giant salad with the addition of Macadamia nuts and lots of greens. I love snacking on almonds, veggies with hummus and I do love garlic bread. Mash some freshly minced garlic with olive oil and chopped parsley and whack it on some bread and you’re guaranteed a super delicious snack and heinous remarks from your peers.

Dinner is whatever we have in the kitchen! It always starts with a base of onions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon and coriander seeds then we add lentils, veggies and a protein. I try to eat lightly at night time as I hate going to bed with a full stomach. I can’t sleep and find I have weird nightmares. I love that food fasting period.

You can always guarantee there is chocolate involved at some point of the day. I love chocolate.

Living a healthy life doesn’t just mean eating well, how do you keep your mind and body healthy?

I’m a singer / songwriter with my own group FRANKY SMART. Music has been my life since I can remember. If I’m not writing or performing I am listening or humming some sort of noise or I have headphones stuck to my ears. I simply cannot imagine life without music or performing my music.

I think everyone should have some sort of creative output. I love drawing and painting even though I’m no visual artist and if it’s not a creative activity that I am immersing myself in you can find my somewhere in the house practising Pilates.

I have been a dancer all my life and Pilates really helps me calm down and regather my thoughts for my life in general.

Also, baking. I love baking. I. Love. Baking.

Who is your health, wellness or fitness guru and why?

Joseph Hubertus Pilates… one guess as to why. He’s the man to blame for Pilates! It’s his entire fault! He started it!

Also, they’re not well known but by Naturopath Ben. The man turned my life around when I wasn’t feeling myself. He is a walking Health Encyclopaedia and applies a lot of Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques and remedies etc. So I guess I have him to thank and Traditional Chinese Medicine which dates back about 5000 years!

A lot of traditional Chinese techniques have helped me however; I don’t base my entire life around it. My GP is a god send and my Neurosurgeon is someone I hold very near and dear to my heart and neck!

What is your ONE Super Hero Food that you cannot live without?

 Cinnamon.

If you could share with the Raw Blend Family one piece of your wisdom what would it be?

 Always keep an open mind.

We are lucky enough to have you share one of your favourite recipes with us, why do you love this recipe?

Because it’s out of my comfort zone and isn’t cake. Although… it’s kind of like a cake. A little savoury Cupcake minus the diabetes and adrenal punch.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water
  • 1 cup grated carrot (3 big carrots)
  • 2/3 cup grated zucchini (4-inch / 10 cm piece)
  • 4-5 sun dried tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp fresh thyme (chopped)
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2/3 cup gluten free flour
  • 1/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • Pinch Garlic powder or 1 clove fresh minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped olives
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Optional: 1/4 cup pumpkin and / or sunflower seeds for garnish

 Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Mix the ground flaxseed with water and set aside for a few minutes to thicken.
  2. In a big bowl, mix the grated carrot, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, thyme and olive oil. Add the flax gel and mix well.
  3. In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
  4. Grease a muffin pan or muffin tins with oil and spoon the batter into about 6 to 8 muffins. Sprinkle the seeds on top. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool and then enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

Vegan Sour Cream 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1 tsp Himalayan sea salt
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method

  1. Put all ingredients into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed above and secure the lid.
  2. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase the speed to 10, then override to HIGH.
  3. Use the tamper to effectively press the ingredients into the blades whilst processing.
  4. Stop the machine and serve
  5. Can be kept in an airtight container stored in the fridge for a few days.

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