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If you've been living in a cave and haven't yet stumbled up the delish-fest that is Amy Crawford aka The Holistic Ingredient's Instagram feed then I suggest you join the 14,000+  followers (yes - this lady has quite the tribe!) PRONTO. I fell in love with Amy's food first, her amazing story second and the gorgeous woman herself third. Amy is kind, compassionate, funny, determined and warm. She truly inspires me.

Her passion for healing and helping others is undeniable; a journey of healing herself of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) through lifestyle changes and holistic health therapies has seen her transform her career to become a Hypnosis, CTC, NLP and Reiki 2 Practitioner as well as a Health Coach and soon to be published Author of A Nourishing Kitchen; what is set to be a recipe eBook must have. Holy (organic) guacamole right? I personally CANNOT WAIT to hit the kitchen with this book in tow... How many sleeps now Amy?!

NOTE: Since this post was published, the book is OUT! Click HERE to find out more! 

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So, first things first. What is your dream?

My biggest dream is to have an impact on the health and happiness of others, as far and wide as possible. Firstly, by demonstrating that a whole food, toxic/additive free diet is both the only way and a simple way. I aspire to do this through a series of recipe books, the first being A Nourishing Kitchen (due out 5th June!). Secondly, through the therapy (CTC) I provide, I hope to touch as many lives as possible - to free people of negative emotions and limiting beliefs, which they carry around with them every day. The stuff that stops them from being and feeling amazing.

What makes up your lifeblood?

Being true to myself and others – speaking my truth, living authentically, being real. Life is so much easier when you learn to just be yourself, wholeheartedly.

What has been your biggest fear to date to overcome?

The fear that I would never be free of CFS, that I would never lead the life I hoped nor have the choices that ‘normal’ people have. Once I understood that I was in fact manifesting that very future and that I had the power to create the life I wanted, my life started changing. It was when I discovered the root cause of my illness through a CTC treatment that I was finally free of CFS forever. That therapy was a pivotal and very significant point in my life. I am now the healthiest I have ever been.

Being healthy means that I…

Will never, ever take my health for granted again. I recognize now that one reason I became so unwell was because of the complete lack of balance in my life. I worked very, very hard throughout my career and it consumed me. I moved so fast in all aspects of my life that I would never slow down enough to learn to meditate (for example), or to appreciate the slow and gentle pace of yoga. Spiritually there was no connection. I whole-heartedly believe that my ability to find this balance has hugely impacted on my return to health. To me, health (and healing) is to achieve a mind, body and spirit balance in life – through ensuring you nourish all facets equally. 

Where is your ultimate travel destination? 

Oh there are so many! I love sand, salt water and big, wide-open spaces. I love to see miles and miles of uninterrupted sky, untouched beaches. I could lie for hours on a deserted beach, watch the sky and be very, very content. I would dearly love to go to the Maldives one day.

What DRIVES you?

My passion - to bring about amazing, life transforming change in people’s lives.

Choosing love over fear means…

You have the freedom to be the amazing person you deserve to be, to create the life you want. Fear holds us back from being the best we can be; it is stored as toxicity in our bodies and will ultimately culminate as illness. Choose love and notice what happens. We have the power to manifest the life we desire. We simply need to choose peace and love over fear, every time. 

I feel really creative when I...

Am in the kitchen and there are no time constraints! Oh how I love my kitchen.

If you could tell your 14 year old self one thing, what would it be?

You are good enough. If I had been told that (and believed it wholeheartedly) I doubt I would have ended up with CFS. That feeling of not being good enough impacts negatively in so many areas of our lives. 

Can you share with us your guilty pleasure?

Home made raw, very dark chocolate. Typically with roasted nuts. Oh and the occasional glass of beautiful sparkling wine or champagne. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

In a gorgeous light-filled home away from the bustling city, complete with loads of natural light, a resplendent organic vegie patch, chooks roaming freely and my gumboots at the back door.  Oh and the love of my life by my side (and Wilson at my feet). I see a completed series of recipe books in my spacious kitchen!

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When chronic fatigue syndrome put a swift end to a million-mile-an-hour corporate career, it also created the most incredible life transformation imaginable. Now free of CFS, Amy credits her return to health to a whole food, sugar/toxic free lifestyle combined with extensive energy healing and a range of therapies called CTC (Combined Therapy Cocktail) of which she is now a practitioner. Amy's business The Holistic Ingredient and her upcoming eBook, A Nourishing Kitchen, combine her passion for food and cooking, toxic-free living and healing therapies.You can connect with Amy on her blog here and make sure you follow her on Instagram and Facebook for seriously mouth-watering, healthy food inspiration. Buy her gorgeous eBook here.

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