Those that know me will know that for a long time I have had a passion for food. Those that know me better will know that more recently I have a particular passion for healthy food. Back when I lived in Italy, where my passion for food began, I joined the Slow Food Movement and it sparked an interest in slow food, food that was grown locally, organically, raw foods, superfoods – all of it. Before the words organic and superfood became something of a normality or something you read at your local supermarket, I used to see these products in my home cupboards and fridge. Long before I understood the real meaning of these words, my mother was going out of her way to buy these good foods for us to eat. It was only until I started to really look after my health, by looking after what I put into my body, that I realised how much good she was doing for us back then. Despite my teenage eye-rolls at her best efforts in what I saw as her harping on at me to drink wheatgrass and how good it was for me, it wasn’t really until last year that I realised what I was missing.

Last year after I had my son Noah, I had 6 months before all eyes would be on me as I walked down the aisle with my Dad by my side to wed my now husband. I was very overweight before I even got pregnant with Noah, moving home to Ireland and into a more “settled” life meant for me that I piled on the pounds, not caring what I ate or whether or not I exercised. When I was pregnant I tried to eat more healthily but unfortunately it seemed my son was a massive Cadbury’s chocolate fan, so it didn’t help but I didn’t do too bad throughout. It was only after pregnancy, and only women who have been pregnant will understand this, that I really started to feel overweight and not myself. Nothing would fit me and everything I wore I felt I looked awful in. Throw in some post pregnancy hormones and you get the idea.
I couldn’t exercise for 6 weeks post-pregnancy so 8 weeks after I had Noah I found myself in FlyeFit gym in Swords, talking to a personal trainer about how I needed to lose a lot of weight in 6 months in time for my wedding. “I refuse to eat protein bars”, I told him ignorantly, “they don’t even taste like real chocolate and people who eat them are completely kidding themselves”. Slightly offended looking but still willing to help he told me that they probably taste like a real treat to someone who hasn’t eaten what I called real chocolate in a couple of months. We set a date for my first training session and I went off wondering if this would work or if it would be like all of my tried and failed attempts at the gym and dieting. I have never admitted to eating my words more than I did then. I would go on to indulge in protein bars as a complete treat and didn’t touch what I called real chocolate for months. I lost 2 dress sizes and I can’t tell you how much weight because I don’t use the scale very often, but the most important thing was I felt amazing on my wedding day. Not only that but I felt better, I looked better, I was healthier. Not for the people around me, not for my husband, not for my family, not for society, but for me. I found alternatives to previous indulgent unhealthy foods and I realised that what I put into my body before now was not only fuelling my weight gain but damaging my health.  I hate to think where I would be if I hadn’t had that wake up call. It was also when I started weaning my son that I started to think about the food that was going into his body. I wanted to give him the best possible food for his health. I educated myself more and more on food and its effects on our health. You know they say nutritionists will be the doctors of our future? It’s certainly something to think about.

For many people, eating clean is a word that they hear thrown around a lot lately and many roll their eyes at the thought of it, just like I did only a year ago. I thought it was just for gym-goers or people who were constantly crazy dieting. Don’t get me wrong I still love a pizza or chinese takeaway like the next person does, but all in much more moderation than before. I am so glad I have discovered a world of nutritious foods to fuel my body and my health and give myself and my family the best I possibly can. That is what I want to show people through Bare Naked Foodie. I will bring you blog posts and recipes; simple, back to basics food that you can prepare ahead or make there and then that aren’t hugely complicated or time consuming. Bare Naked Foodie is about bringing you food in its best form, nothing over processed, no chemicals or sugars, just bare naked foods.