Your natural alternative to fat laden chocolate

Tell Me Shes a (raw) Chocolate Girl ..!

Went on a fantastic 1 day course making Raw Chocolate, gonna give those boys on Radio 2 today a taste of my efforts! Have a look here for the tasty write up.

It's here ! Would you like to get your message out into the media, promote yourself or your company and increase your clients, awareness of your business in the media and PR yourself as an expert in your field ?

Years ago I was Queen of media training and communication skills, offering presentation courses and interview training, I worked at the BBC in Elstree, and at the Church of England media training centre, it was great fun encouraging and inspiring people to get their message heard in the media. We helped communications officers, parish priests et al to communicate effectively and several went on to be successful interviewees and experts in their field, I decided its time to bring it on again as I love helping other people succeed in their work.
One to one media interview coaching sessions for print, TV and radio are held in Herts (or at your venue by negotiation)

I can also offer training for small groups or companies and we offer a 20 per cent discount for charities and non profit making organisations.

http://mediainterviewtraining.moonfruit.com/

Niajaneyleegrace ! Yes I'm a white belt !

See my post below all about Nia - and yes I'm a whitebelt ! If Steve Wright lets me I'll tell ya all about it on BBC Radio 2. Come on down and join in the health and wellbeing retreat at Champneys which will include some intro to Nia classes. All levels of fitness !

Dancing my way to health....

I'm hooked - line and sinker...I've mentioned Nia before and everyone says oh is it like five rythms ? do I need to have some co-ordination ? Is it just free dance ?
No to all of the above, but it is an inspirational joyful form of movement that I can only say has transformed me, Interestingly I did a degree in performance arts majoring in dance, I did ballet, jazz, the lot but it was always rather like hard work and I remember constantly looking at the clock (the fact that I wasn't that great at it didn't help!) Nia is about the whole person and no prerequisites are needed - I guarantee if you try it you'll love it.
So...am I on commission no I am not but I am going to consolidate all those years of dance training by completing my White belt in Nia which means I will be qualified to teach ! Oh laudy watch out ! I so want to combine my holistic stchick (is it a word ? sp ?) with Nia - they fit together so well !

To that end first up is my very first retreat weekend at Champneys in Henlow Beds.
25th / 26th Sept - there will the opportunity to do all the usual stuff, nordic walking, yoga, pilates, hulahooping (yes its fab) aerobics etal plus we will throw in 2 free thalassotherapy sessions (wonderfully therapeutic) and of course my talks and lots of time for individual consultations PLUS 2 complimentary Nia classes -I defy you not to love it !!!

Champneys is a little pricey but this is a chock full weekend - go on you deserve it,bring a freind !

Look Great Naturally - out now !

Hurrah, my new book Look Great Naturally - without ditching the lipstick is officially launched and got to number 1 in 3 categories on Amazon yesterday, health, spiriuality and interestingly 'occult' ! It also got to 14 in the main chart which considering Bill Bryson and Stieg Larsson are in the top slots isn't terrible. I went out to dinner with Steve Wright and the crew last night to celebrate our brilliant rajar figures but we raised a little toast to the book too.

If you're trying to decide whether to buy heres a bit of gentle persuasion, buy it now and whizz over your Amazon receipt and you'll get free downloads (my Get Set for Summer podcast series, a track from my new forthcoming album) and you'll be entered into the draw to win a 7 day full board yoga retreat holiday in Turkey. Thats not all.....if you then register at www.janeyleegrace.hayhouse.co.uk and quote your order number you'll get more freebies, a free audio extract from The Dream whisperer by Davina Mackail, a free makeup webcast by yours truly and some discount offers too. You'll also be entered into a prize draw to win a telephone consultation with moi and a chance to win a place on my retreat at Champneys in Sept - phew !

A huge thanks to everyone who has already bought the book, and thanks for the glowing comments already flying in, please post a review on Amazon for me. Thanks also to the many people who have contributed to the book and done mail-outs to tell their clients about it too, especially juicy Jason Vale who sent out a mail shot saying....I can honestly say this is Janeys best book to date ! wow praise indeed from the juicemaster (have you seen our little vid by the way talking wheatgrass on the front page of the site ?)

Anyway the books out so enough already (it is a bit like giving birth though, truly does feel as tho you're the only one who ever has !) Time to get back into gear and get the new online store rolling..come browse at www.janeysnaturalstore.com

So I get to interview the stars - Sex & the city 2

yep....possibly the first and only female journo who wasn't exactly apoplectic with excitement when asked if I'd go along and watch a screening of Sex and the city 2 and follow up with a 'junket' at Claridges hotel in London. (thats where the worlds media descend and the stars have to do one interview after another) its not that I din't used to enjoy the series just that I've changed so much in twelve years and I wondered if the glitzy gals had.

The movie is long, oh so long but fun. Aside from a rather superflous sub plot involving a trip to Abu dabi (actually Morocco) which bordered on being trashy and could possibly even be construed as offensive...it was fairly innoucous and fun and actually had some reflective bittersweet moments that many a 40 something woman will identify with. In fact the movie could have been called 'marriage and the city' cos this one is more about marriage, babies, fidelity and of course...the sisterhood, theres a few timeless messages in there, not exactly earth shattering in their uniqueness but nice to be reminded such as ..... being a mother is a hard job and its ok to admit you need time-out, a break occasionally and that real freinds will always be there for you. One of the best lines in the movie ?
Carrie declares, when hubby asks whats for dinner....'come on darling you knew I was more coco chanel than coq au vin !' Crikey though theres a whole lot of women who'd don their apron for Mr Big any day.

I gotta tell you the gals all looked better in real life than on the screen, Kristen Davies is stunning and of course Chris Noth (mr big - divine) Actually my recording equipment went awol and I ended up having to do Mr Big's interview twice - oh what a shame - my colleague reckoned my 'angels' were sorting it for me to drool twice !
We also bumped into the lovely Gok Wan

You can hear the interview clips on Steve Wright in the afternoon fri 28th and tues 1st

Meanwhile back to the grind, I identified with Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie in the movie) when the first copy of her new book arrives in the post, I have mine in my hot sticky hands...'Look Great Naturally - without ditching the lipstick' is out Tues 1st - do not miss - in fact the 1st 100 people to buy on Amazon and whizz their reciept to me at janey@imperfectlynatural.com get a whole bunch of natural freebies....

Brighton rocks ! Nia and amazing raw food

So the hottest day of the year so far saw me in Brighton, I love that place. I spent the day at a Nia dance fiesta (more about Nia to come in Look great naturally - without ditching the lipstick - my new book out in June) but still got my fix of walking by the sea. We found a great coffee place on the beach and did some celeb spotting in the form of Patsy Palmer (and no we didn't shout Bianca!)

After a day of totally joyful energising movement I hotfooted it over to Aloka, the absolute best restaurant in Brighton - well my new best freind anyway. Thats an incredible accolade cos tha town is awash with great restaurants, at least two fabulous veggie places. Pretty much opposite one of the best Terre a Terre is Aloka at 14 East street. Now at first glance it looks like a spa or beauty salon and indeed it is a 'quality of life' centre, with 5 floors of 'soil to soul' nourishment, theres yoga on offer, an art gallery, they offer the Aura-soma colour therapy and best of all on the ground floor theres a veggie cafe and level one has a full blown raw food restaurant. Man alive its good ! I had a beetroot gaspachio with parsley oil and cashew cream. A fabulous Spanokapita (lousy spelling but you know what I mean the raw version of filo pastry with spinach etc and of course in a raw food restaurant you have to try the desserts. I had the most divine citrus 'cheesecake' with lime sorbet. Don't forget these terms describe the look of the food but its one hundred per cent raw and vegan. Unreal. They don't publish the prices on the menu which for me was very stressful - but I needen't have worried it was £20 for 3 course, brilliant value.

They also do some great organic and biodynamic wines.

Can't wait to go back, I see Jessica Fenton (raw food expert) is hostng some raw food dinner parties there, including a raw chocoholics party...ooh could be making it for that one !

check them out - www.aloka.auro-soma.net 01273 823178
Tell them I recommended you !