Daria Sanetra

essential MEETS

DARIA SANETRA

We spoke to author, plant-based chef, health and weight loss coach, Daria Sanetra to find out about her new book and her passion for raw

food. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF INBAL DAHAN

Hi Daria, thanks for speaking to us, please tell us a little about yourself I was born in Poland where I spent most of my youth in nature gathering wild blueberries, chanterelles, porcini mushrooms and other edible gems. Since leaving Poland in my early 20’s, I’ve travelled to more than 40 countries and it was during these travels that I discovered sunny Andalusia, where I now call home.

With degrees in Political Science and Law, a career in politics or the legal profession beckoned but my heart was pushing me in a different direction. At an early age, I had more than my fair share of health issues including weight gain, hormonal imbalance, anaemia, skin problems, severe hair loss, gallstones, decreased bone mineral density, malnutrition and more.

Desperate for help, I consulted many conventional medical professionals, but after years of frustration, pills, medicines and failure after failure doing things according to the conventional way, I came to the conclusion that there was only one person who could really help me. That was Me! I dived into self-study and the path to self-healing in the unconventional world and discovered a way to eat and live that solved all the issues I was suffering from and I haven’t turned back since. What made you write this book? I wrote this book for everyone who has ever asked what I really eat on a daily basis and how I shop for food. Your Emotional Belly Cure outlines it all, step-by-step, with beautiful photography and my favourite recipes. I wanted to create a guide to help people to eat healthfully, close to the earth, with the best ingredients, so when you sit down to enjoy a delicious meal you know what you are eating and you haven’t spent all day in the kitchen! It brings me so much joy to be able to share a glimpse of this happiness in my life with readers. How will it help people? This book will give readers a new perspective on alternative ways to live and eat. It is a positive book, not concentrating on the negative and what is bad, but rather the good things. It will lead people through their weight-loss, health and self-love journey. I hope it will inspire and equip people with the knowledge on how to take steps to better health and to improve the health of society and the planet too.

You mention the ‘raw truth’ in your book? Can you explain what that is? The raw truth is that it is the most natural thing in the world to eat raw food. Homo sapiens are the only species which eats cooked food, whereas 1,800,000 species eat raw food. It’s the way we were meant to eat and the best way to serve our bodies, yet viewed as a radical lifestyle. I want my book to encourage people to think and question how we should be eating and living our lives, to be in the best health ourselves and look after the health of our planet. Why should people eat raw food? Raw food helps to purify the body and mind. I simply love it because it’s fun, colourful and delicious. My body feels at one with Mother Earth and receives her nourishment and love, naturally. A raw food diet is high in fresh, living, plant-based foods packed with nutrients: vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients. It also maximises the intake of enzymes, something which really improved my health and can help so many more people. Raw food builds strong immunity, helps with detoxification, increases energy levels, prevents and heals disease. Simply and amazingly, it optimises our health. Isn’t it a very restrictive and difficult diet to follow? Eating raw is easy when you compare it to living with illness, and over time it becomes a lifestyle. Of course, making a change to a different way of eating is uncomfortable and takes effort at first. But that’s the whole idea, to become uncomfortable and accept it, until it becomes comfortable.

Upon hearing that I am a ‘raw foodie’, I feel that most people envision me eating nothing but lettuce and cucumber three times a day. Often the next few words ushered from their lips are something along the lines of ‘OMG, how can you eat salad so many times a day, don’t you get bored?’ In fact, in this lifestyle, the sky’s the limit as there are so many new options like raw pizzas, pastas, lasagnes, breads, burgers, salads, cakes, chocolates and many more! There are some mouth-watering dishes to make and I’ve included many great recipes in my book. How can people get a copy of the book? The e-book is available on my website www.dariasanetra. com and can also be found on Amazon as an e-book and paperback. The hardback book is available from The Bookshop in Centro Comercial La Colonia, San Pedro. e