Sunday 1 July 2012

Super Mum 'Tanya Winfield'

    Happy Monday everyone and YAY it's school holidays, I don't know about you but I LOVE school holidays....Mondays bring you my "Super Mum" interview of the week and this week is another Mum who I KNOW is also a fan of school holidays, spending extra quality time with her kids, PJ days and all that fun stuff! This lady is a "new" friend of mine, who I quickly have taken on as a "great" friend (and those that know me, know I don't give my heart out lightly!)....the proof is there when we catch up in person or on the phone and neither of us come up for a breath! She called me the other night for a "quick" chat and an hour later we hung up! Woops! We are both learning so much off each other and share the EXACT SAME passion of healthy, tasty, additive free cooking (and eating!) and inspiring others to embark on this same amazing, life changing journey....this "Super Mum" is a wife, mum of 3, public speaker, Author, Business woman, friend and so much more.......a HUGE welcome to.....


“Tanya Winfield”

    Tell us a little bit about you and your family?
I am a mother of three. Kelsea is my eldest who is 19 years old. She moved to London last August for a gap year working in a boarding school in country England, while travelling all over Europe on her holiday breaks...half her luck I say!  Kelsea is due home at the end of July where she will start working for my brother in his new business venture. Kade is my second eldest who is 10. Kade was diagnosed with asthma when we moved to the Hunter Valley 8 years ago.  He is the reason I started my home based business. Kade is quiet and a little shy until he gets comfortable and then the wrestling takes over. Then there is Fletcher, my youngest at 7. He will be 8 in July; we are at the counting down the days stage, till the big day. Fletcher is my “character” child. I had my daughter at a very young age of just 18 (not recommended, though would not change a thing), I was a single mum 7 months later and raiser her on my own until I met my wonderful husband 6 years later. We married when Kelsea was 7 and welcomed Kade into our family when she was 8 years old. The rest is history as they say. Just over four years ago I removed all harmful food additives from our diet and decided to create a business to inspire and empower parents to make an informed choice when it came to feeding their families....Additive Free Pantry was born. I work from home which is great though also a challenge as I have trouble staying focussed at times  I love what I do.. My children’s health has improved beyond a doubt. Kade rarely has any signs of asthma and is not on any preventative medication...just good wholesome foods. Fletcher’s behaviour has been the biggest change. He is such a delightful child when he is fuelled with good food, fill him up on additives and wait for the storm...my god he goes off. I much more prefer my additive free version of Fletcher any day.

Tanyas gorgeous 3 children.....a few years ago now....they grow up so quick!
Tanya and Kade - 2010 - homemade 'additive free' Pizza! YUM!
What one ingredient can you not live without and why?
Chai Tea....I LOVE it. Milk and a teaspoon of organic maple syrup. I have never liked the taste of coffee so this is my go to cuppa. I have one cup a day, normally mid morning when I am home. It is so relaxing; just the right amount of sweet and it smells divine. This little beverage is what I crave most mornings. I use Nerada Organic Chai. I drink it out of my same mug everyday that one of my kids got me for Mothers Day. Simple pleasures really.

·         If you had half an hour to cook dinner and realized you didn’t have anything planned, what would you cook?
Tuna pasta or some type of risotto in my Thermomix. They are so quick and easy and most times the ingredients are what I always have on hand. These are also my husband’s go to meals when he has the odd job of cooking dinner when I am away

·         What is once piece of advice you can pass on to other busy mums?
NOBODY has it all! We all manage, get by or wing it ever day. I used to think that the grass always looked greener on the other side...not true. Every mother has good and bad days. We all feel the good old mother guilt throughout our parenting life, I know I certainly have. Instead of looking at what someone else has, does or creates...take a good long look at what YOU have. Being grateful makes my life rich. Simple things like; health, two working legs (unshaven ATM), sunshine, dancing, laughter, my slippers, fresh cut flowers, good sports bra (this is essential), organic foundation, crazy girlfriends that make me smile, music, chick flicks and chai tea....I take the time EVERYDAY to be thankful for what I have. I no longer wish I had someone else’s life as mine is pretty awesome.

Such a lovely photo - "Super Mum" Tanya and her 3 children
·      If you could have dinner with any 3 people in the world, who would it be and why?
Michael Buble....hot, humorous and has the talent to sing a good tune. Whenever I hear Michael sing I go to my happy place, so having him over for dinner would be my BEST DAY EVER! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Oprah.....I have listened and grown up with all that woman has offered on her show. Oprah is inspirational, loving, truthful and honest. She is real and makes me want to be the best version of me I can be. The final guest would be Jamie Oliver....he can cook, we’ll just relax and enjoy...also then we can chat about how appalling the approved menu for NSW  school canteens really are and get cracking on removing these harmful food additives for the benefit of out children’s health..... So I would have someone hot sing to me, while Oprah inspires me some more and eat food that was prepared by the world’s best known chef...HAPPY DAYS!!
·       I am a huge fan of your business “Additive Free Pantry” and your “Additive Free Shopping Guide”. I would love to know how you started this journey, how you became an “expert” in this area, why you feel additive free is important and dare I ask, your plans for the future......
Creating and compiling my Additive-Free Shopping Guide was a task and a triumph all at once. So many hours spent in many supermarkets reading labels and then contacting manufacturers to ensure what I was reading was true. To be able to spread awareness and make life a little easier for someone looking at the overwhelming task of eliminating food additives is a wonderful feeling. Seeing the difference in my children and the children of the families that are now additive-free because I cleaned out their pantries is the BEST feeling. It makes my heart sing to see change and watch a little local boy grow who was once labelled autistic, while now he engages, writes his name, gets to feel alive, and express himself easily and is about to start kindergarten next year. Does it get any better than that?
The future.....the sky is the limit. I have a not for profit organisation under construction with a little help from a mother of 4 who has a passionate message to share...stay tuned for that in a few months. I believe wonderfully big things can happen when we dream big.......it’s pure imagination!!!! While ever there is breath in me I will continue on my journey to rid school canteens of any harmful food additives........because our children are worth it!!!
Tanyas guide....it has helped me and thousands of others,
I wouldn't be without it !
www.additivefreepantry.com

This says it all......



I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed chatting with Tanya and interviewing her. You can find "Additive Free Pantry" on Facebook and keep your eyes and ears open for the new exciting journey she speaks of.....

Take Care of You,
Coll x

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