Here's a selection of the best questions that I'm asked.
What are your personal details?
Well, without being too personal...
Multidimensional name: Doxtor Shazzie Ecstasist Vageniyummy.
(Kate Magic and I are working on a new dictionary. Vageniyummy:
female heart-led genius. Evie Popple is the UK's number one vageniyummy.
Doxtor: someone who advocates you take responsibility for your
health yourself by detoxing instead of going to a doctor. EG Doxtor
Shazzie, the UK's most prolific and well-loved doxtor.)
DOB: 23/01/69. (23rd January 1969)
Mayan birth sign: Yellow magnetic sun (unity)
Star sign: Aquarius. And a very typical one, too.
Height: 5' 5" now -- it used to be 5' 4", I grew
an inch in recent years due to yoga.
Weight: Varies, but is around 8 - 9 stone. Put on a great deal
of weight with my pregnancy, but am now back to normal except with bigger
booboos.
Hair colour: Varies, but when I live in the sun (or when I
naughtily dye it) it's a medium blonde and that's the way aha aha I
like it!
Eye colour: Blue
Why do you call yourself The Doxtor?
I'm The Doxtor because I dazzle some people so much that they can't see.
When they're in that dark space, they release all their negativity (sometimes
directed right towards me but I never
take it personally). This causes all their emotions to get detoxed,
then they see the light and start to dazzle themselves. Soon, I'm going
to do a Doxtor Certification Course.
How do you define yourself?
You can't put The Doxtor in a boxtor! Actually, you can't put anyone
in a boxtor, though people try. The truth is, because we are all one,
we are all the worst and the best of everything all together. It's great
to safely explore parts of this in your life, and I've explored a whole
lot in my life. Yes, I'm a full time single mum, yes, I'm raw, yes, I'm
a writer, yes I run a company, yes, I'm a revolutionary, yes, I'm a yogini,
yes, I'm a visionary, yes, I'm an artist, yes, I'm a chef, yes, I'm a
believer, yes, I'm a lover, yes, my to do list is from another planet,
yes, so am I, probably. Yes, so are you, probably. honestly, I'd rather
refine myself than define myself, it's much more useful and fun.
Are
your eyes really that colour?
Yes. I get asked this one a lot! It's a lovely genetic gift from my Daddy.
They did start to go a bit grey but after I went raw they got lighter
and lighter and then they got bluer and bluer. In some lights they are
mega blue, and that's when people say "Have you got coloured contact
lenses in?" Evie's are as blue as mine.
Are you married?
No. I've had my fair share of living with blokes, though, which has been
educational and fun! Luckily, I don't have a sell-by date -- raw foods,
superfoods and yoga see to that. This stuff really works! I've effectively
been single since I was pregnant with Evie, which is a very long time
now. I have one eye on my computer and the other eye on people passing
through my life. Next time I have a man in my life, he's going to be the
one. I've had it up to my third eye with attracting people who ultimately
don't have the same vision and love for life as I do. If a bloke can't
keep up with me, I'm not even going there, regardless of what my heart
or base chakra says! You know, there's only one life in this lifetime,
and I just go for everything, not wasting a second on maybes or could
have beens -- Mr Right has to feel and live the same as me, I've tried
it the other way, and it just doesn't work.
What are your best party tricks?
Tee hee! Great question. Apparently no human can lick its own elbow.
I can. I can also almost touch the floor with my elbows and straight legs.
As many people can't even touch the floor with their fingers, I find this
highly hilarious. I can also get my legs behind my head, write with my
feet and do a variety of impressions, but not very often!
Are you always as happy as you appear?
These days, yes. I made a commitment to live every day in ecstatic bliss,
and after a short while it actually worked. The constant intention changed
the last remaining unhappy bits in me. I don't remember the last time
I cried, and I used to always be crying.
If I go out to a raw party or event, then it's easy -- I have the same
as everyone else. If I go to a restaurant I get a salad made up of raw
ingredients which I've spotted on the menu. If I'm not sure what will
be on the menu, I take a couple of avocados with me. If all else fails,
I ask for fruit or just drink water and then eat another time. When you've
been raw for a while you don't get the same type of hunger as before.
I think it's lack of cravings for addictive starchy food like cooked bread,
pasta and potatoes.
If I'm going to a house party then I take a dish or 2. Guacamole and
crudités always go down well, as do flax crackers and pâté.
But usually just taking myself and a happy vibe is enough to keep the
night swinging away into the tiny hours.
Do you ever cheat with your diet?
Ha! Cheat myself? No. In my journal,
I wrote about the times when I ate cooked food, and the bad effects it
had on me. But for about 4 years I ate 100% raw food. When I was pregnant
I started eating cooked food, and put on weight. I'm now about 90% raw,
and have lots of really nutrient dense superfoods, salads and juices.
I know that cooked food makes me feel worse than raw food, and I aim to
go 100% raw again at some point, I just don't know when yet. I've honestly
never felt so happy and healthy in my whole life, and I don't feel any
need to be 100% anything when I feel this good. I'm a vegan for ethical
reasons (nearly 20 years now!) and I'm into raw food for health reasons,
so there's a big difference in priorities in my head with those two things.
How many people visit your site?
Every week I see that several people have attempted to view my stats!
I can't imagine why it's of interest to anyone, but it obviously is. So
here's the info, geezers: I get about 30,000 visitors a week. I don't
quite know where they all come from, but I'm rated well in search engines
and linked to from many other raw and vegan web sites.
What are your top tips and reasons for eating raw food?
I get asked this a lot so I prepared web
page with it all on.
Can you recommend a good book to start eating raw?
Oh, strangely enough, yes! Detox
Your World is majorly holistic in its view, it has a lovely Detox
for life plan in it (amongst others), that you can follow to go raw
with in an easy way. It also has 100 unique recipes in it, and info on
other stuff such as amalgam (mercury) fillings. It's had fab reviews,
too! In addition to Detox Your World, check out Shazzie's
detox delights which has over 100 different inspiring and yummy
raw vegan recipes. These two books are great sisters!
Is there anything raw food hasn't cured for you?
I get asked all the time "What has raw food cured in you?"
but when I was asked the above question I was stumped! My first reaction
was "Not eating cooked food has cured me of all my ills", but
on reflection, I've still got a terrible terrible singing voice (though
I love to sing). I guess the thing that took the longest to sort out was
my patchy skin. It took a good 3 years to become even all over. Oooh,
and I've still got my mother's thighs. She'll be asking for them back
sometime soon, though, I hope! I can't compare my emotions to how they
used to be, yet sometimes I still get a bit off the wall at people. I
certainly don't feel depressed any more, and that's a mega-achievement
for me. I still can't run, but I actually am not bothered by this, either.
My breathing's much better than it used to be, but I've still had airport
panic attacks at airports since going raw. It's just one of those things!
Do you give to charity?
I give a lot of time to others. Sometimes it takes the form of charities,
sometimes it takes the form of individual people. Over the years, I've
given hundreds of hours to charities such as the Vegan
Society, and McSpotlight,
by creating illustrations or web site bits for them. Regarding individuals,
I offer a lot of free and unconditional support. However, I realise that
the best way I can help more people is by channelling my energy into my
books, as they reach more people than individual emails can. This is one
reason why I don't answer personal emails any more (time is the other!!).
Who
do you most admire?
Anyone who thinks and grows, rather than those who for some reason
complain all the time and say "can't do owt about that". I guess
I'm of the Madonna generation, and she's always inspired me in every way.
Her ability to devote herself to her children, yoga, her husband, the
passion of her art, world politics, and her personal growth is very very
motivating.
Of course, there are many others who inspire me, as well as the obvious
ones like Gandhi, Louise Hay, Caroline Myss, John Lennon, Peace Pilgrim, etc, I really admire my friends.
I spent a long time fine-tuning my friends. Over the years, some have
come and gone -- leaving me bewildered at their poisness, flakiness or
bitchiness (not all at once, there!!), but some friends have really made
me grow in major ways, and have been there for me, regardless of what
I've had to go through to be the now me. Particularly, Jessie (Karen Arnott these days), Stretch
(Mrs Lisa Renny these days), Lisa Currants, Joe El Mejor and the stunning Miss Magic.
In the raw food world, my biggest inspiration by far is my Naked Chocolate
co-author and wonderful friend David
Wolfe. I love everything about him, he's a perfect example of
someone who is in constant flow. When I was pregnant with Evie, we visited
Uri Geller at his home. I was blown away by this man, too. He's another
great inspiration. If you get chance to meet him, then do. I love hanging
out with people who are divinely inspired. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
And finally, cheesy though it may sound, I really admire my family --
not for the way they've grown, because that's not their bag -- but because
their souls shine very bright, regardless of their personal trials and
triumphs.
Who would you most like to meet?
I met Maggie Thatcher in the house of Lords loos once. That was a shock, and she wasn't at all on my list, but you know, she really had a glow about her. Very strong and powerful woman who was clearly connected.
I'd love to meet the people who were my childhood heroes. Kate always laughs at me, making up that I have an '80s pop-star vision board but she's not far from the truth. At 11, Bob Geldof was my hero (Elephant's graveyard is one of my fave ever songs). Then of course, there was Billy Idol (Eyes without a face being one of his best tunes for me).
Ah, the '80s. Nothing like them...
I also just love meeting people who are doing real things to really heal
our beloved planet, and people who are creative, in love with life and
who are happy and tactile, beautiful on the inside. Those kind of people
are all inspirations to me.
Oh, I'd also love to meet my Mr Perfect for me. When you're ready --
do you know what I mean? Glad I'm a patient person, eh.
I'm in love with Russell Brand
Then like nearly 30 years on from Bob, my hero is Russell Brand. Not because everyone else fancies him, of course not. But look at the evidence:
We both had childhood dogs called Sam and Toby.
Our dads have sisters called Janet and Joan.
Our Mum's best friends were called Janet (a different one to the dadjanet).
We were outcasts, weird as children and preferred animals to people.
We make up words and force everyone else around us to accept them.
We are fully switched on right brained people.
We call monogamy monotony.
We are great observationalists and referentialists.
I wanted to go to drama school but couldn't afford the audition fee. Russell went to drama school.
We don't eat animals.
I'm writing a novel, and the opening chapter HONESTLY is about someone who gets trapped outside their door and has to get naked help. This actually happened to Russell (and I didn't know it when I wrote that).
We write things in quotes "Just because it looks better like that" and we say it when we're talking too "well, you do, don't you?"
We're revolutionaries.
We are both obsessed with The Elephant Man (I mention him in Naked Chocolate).
Finally, and this is to odd. If I have another child, it'll be a boy and I want to call him Jett Herb (Herb after Herbert, one of my Grandad's names). Not a common name. So I was listening to Russ on the radio and he said when he has a boy, he wants to call him Herbert.
How can all this be? Has anyone else got so much in common with Russell Brand? Have they?
The only thing we don't have in common
is that he has a childhood fear that's stayed with him of quicksand. Mine is that there's a weirdo living in my loft with a spy hole watching me sleep. Am slowly getting over it.
I send Russell Valentine's chocolates every year!
Obviously when
me and Russ finally meet, I'll pretend I never liked Sir Bob. Don't tell him, will you?
What music do you listen to?
Oh, lots really. I guess the only music I can't get my head round is
that funny R&B thing. It just does nothing for me. I love groovy British
Indie stuff the most. And Bjork. And Prince (yes, I know he's kind of
the godfather of R&B, but I totally got his music, I don't get this
modern stuff that's around). I grew up in the New Romantic era, so spent
my early years smeared with gold eyeshadow and a lop-sided pinky-blonde
hairdo. Visage was probably my fave group of that time. Just slightly
before then, kind of just about Post Punk I was mad fer the Boomtown Rats,
like before Sir Bob was godified. Then after that I got into Prince, I
loved the dancy-gayness of Erasure, and I swooned for Billy Idol. Ooh,
even now, you just would, wouldn't you? Then all the groovy Indie stuff
came out, which was mostly all fab, and dance music really got me, too.
Remember Johnny Rotten singing off of Leftfield's Open Up? I've always
totally gone for Depeche Mode, too... they really stood the test of time.
Fernando got me into a load of lounge music a few years back, which still
resonates with me. And now, I enjoy stuff like Goldfrapp (coz I also love
T Rex), John Lennon, Madonna, and all the music of my past. Am gonna get
a record player soon and get all my records out of the loft and make Evie
learn them all. Oooh, my Billy Idol picture discs!! I get this odd thing
happen to me in record shops, though. I go in, like wanting to buy something
groovy, and I come out with Elvis' greatest hits or something. I just
go weird and panic. Maybe it's a recluse thing? Must buy on th'internet.
Oh, and am actually really into buying music, as opposed to copying it.
Just something I think is a good thing to do.
What's your beauty routine?
Hmmm. First off, I think that beauty comes from three distinct places,
and is very much prioritised.
The heart -- Without feeling love and beauty in the heart,
you'll never radiate. Regardless of any amount of plastic surgery or
cosmetics, heartless beauty is fake beauty and people can easily see
through that.
Food -- A diet rich in green food (healing to the heart amongst
other things) and algaes helps me feel beautiful from the inside. I
get so much green in my diet, that it keeps my skin elastic (very few
wrinkles at 37), and so many antioxidants that it deages me on a daily
basis. I shudder to think what I'd look like if I'd had the last six
years on a normal cooked diet. I don't for one minute do what I do for
looks, but of course it's a bonus! Who wants to age prematurely? Who
wants to look lined and haggard? And who wants to undergo dangerous,
expensive and scar-forming plastic surgery to erase the years? It's
much easier to eat raw food!!!
Skincare -- I barely do anything. Sometimes I go for oxygen
facials, but like twice a year since Evie. I just don't have the time.
Other than that, I wash my whole body with MSM soap and moisturise my
body with MSM lotion. I use coconut oil on my face and sometimes I exfoliate
my face in the bath with a chewed up brazil, walnut, or pecan. They
work wonders! And that's all. I don't fanny about with anything else
unless it's a one-off type thing. This is my daily/weekly routine, and
it's quick, easy, cheap, natural and raw.
Do you get loads of emails?
Yes thanks! I get stacks. I'm now at the stage where I just can't answer
them, or I'd get nothing else done. I do love receiving them and try to
acknowledge them, but when people ask questions, I can't reply. I created
Ask Shazzie for
this, but to be honest, I still can only manage to answer one in a hundred.
Oooh..
Why don't you do consultations any more?
When I had Evie, I had to decide which parts of my work were a priority
to me. I knew I'd stop working those 100 hour weeks, and be a full time
mum, that was a given. So I decided one of the things that wasn't too
important was consultations. This left a hole in the UK, coz I now only
recommended my mate Ruth,
I've yet to find another great raw food coach in the UK. A bit like raw
restaurants! What is it with England?!
Come on! Don't you think the raw food diet is a bit bonkers? Even for
you, Shazzie?
Come on, yerself! I'm with all those other animals on the planet who
don't cook their food. My diet is normal, guys. If you choose to take
a perfect peice of food and alter it beyond total recognition, or if you
choose to take a piece of inedible "food" (such as a potato
or a kidney bean" and alter it just so you can eat it, then you be
the one that's a bit bonkers. For sure. Logic (captain) dictates that
cooking food just ain't right, so it can't be healthy. Yeah, it tastes
good when that's all you're used to, but so do my delights, I can promise
you, and they make you feel great... isn't that the whole point? Who wants
to feel ill and be a couch potato?
Can I send you a gift?
Yes, of course. So long as it's a nice one! Send it to my Rawcreation
address, and it will get to me. Thanks, you're so kind.
Hope that's answered some of your questions. Big love to you!
You can order raw foods, my products and lots more online.
or by phone.
Give us a tinkle on 08700 113 119.
Are
your eyes really that colour?
Who
do you most admire?
I'm in love with Russell Brand 
