Hello + welcome! It is very nice to have you here. I believe at any point in our lives, young or old, big or small, that we can choose to push reset to become the best version of ourselves.
I am not the best candidate for a “short bio” because I am over excitable about life with a whole bunch of passions, creations, business ventures, personal transformations, lifestyle resets, adventures, hopes and dreams.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
I grew up Whangarei, which is in the North of New Zealand and spent much of my childhood sailing in the Bay of Islands. I now live on the Gold Coast in Australia with my three gorgeous kids who are 18, 15 and 9 and I practice as a family lawyer in my own firm Collective Family Law as well as run Real Food Pledge.
I studied a Bachelor of Laws when I was in my late twenties at which point I had already had my two older children. It was a challenge to get through those though years, but it has led to very rewarding chapters of my life. I am passionate about being a family lawyer with a difference by supporting clients in both practical and positive ways. I now lead a team of lawyers in my law practice, Collective Family Law. You can read more about my law life & how I came to be a divorce lawyer over here.
That then brings me to Real Food Pledge and my passion for food, creating recipes and inspiring others to be the best version of themselves.
Initially the idea was born because I was not always good at finding a balance with my relationship with food. I was a serial dieter and had a serious love, hate relationship with food. Like many women, I was busy with kids and working full time in an intense career, so I grabbed quick processed foods. This left me feeling sluggish, having bellyaches and struggling with my weight. I was in a yo-yo diet trap, which lead to major frustration and not a lot of self-love.
In 2012 the family and I went to Thailand for one month and while we were there we made the commitment to live like locals and eat only Thai food. After four weeks, I felt incredible! Lighter, full of energy and I had a happy tummy, it was amazing.
When I returned from Thailand I knew that something had to change and I made a commitment to myself to cut out processed food and to pledge to a lifestyle of real food. At the time I thought a blog was a great way to keep myself accountable and it was! Now in 2019 I am more committed than ever to living a real food lifestyle, the more I learn the more I know that my wellness is my biggest asset.
Since creating the Real Food Pledge in 2013 I have posted loads of recipes, had the privilege to speak at a Ted Talk and many other events, contributed to amazing print and online magazines and I have written and published two books, ‘Real Food Pledge’ (2014) and ‘Real Food Everyday’ (2016).
Now I also run the Real Food Pledge Challenge for others who want to cut out processed food and reap the incredible benefits of a real food way of life.
All of my recipes are gluten, grain, sugar & dairy free and they are full of nourishing goodness and love! Oh, also they are super easy, because I am so busy too that everything is kept simple and doable. The recipes that I share are dishes that my family and I love to eat. I develop the recipes from scratch using fresh, real ingredients and a pinch of creativity. Occasionally I have an epic fail but that is part of the journey.
If you have a busy life like I do but you still want to be as healthy as you can, these recipes are perfect for you!
We can all find happiness from unexpected small places, even a simple recipe.
I love to hear from you. If you have any questions or want to contact me you can find me at hello@realfoodpledge.com
Or for a little glimpse into my daily life you can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Thanks for stopping by!
Caralee xxx