Fitness Friday with Raw Cave

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Zac at the Mind Body Spirit festival when I was the Melbourne ambassador earlier this year. I just love everything he represents, he's an aspiring actor and vlogger and his energy is so electrifying! He  believes being healthy doesn't have to be hard especially in this day and age, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Because of these reasons Zac created ‘Raw Cave’, a video blog dedicated to bringing healthy, quick and simple recipes in video form weekly. He has a passion for food and wellness and "being able to live everyday doing what inspires you is the healthiest thing you can do in my opinion." Check him out on his www.youtube.com/rawcave channel. I asked Zac how he came up with the name ‘Raw Cave’ ? He said "I wanted to combine the idea of ‘healthy’ with ‘cave’. And at the time I was living in a granny flat that was much like a cave - under ground. And I also believe in the paleo lifestyle so it all just melded together really nicely…. Raw Cave…"

Zac takes 5 minutes with us to share his new healthy and fit lifestyle.

1. What fitness activity do you schedule into your daily routine to keep healthy?

Living in Australia we have it so goood! But sometimes we take it for granted. I make sure I’m doing something active every single day even if it’s just choosing to walk down to the shops instead of drive. Other than that, I have never signed up to a gym membership in my life because I have such a busy schedule, I just have a little home gym with weights and skipping rope etc.

I also saw a massive improvement in my energy levels, my cravings and even muscle growth when I started implementing ‘Intermittent Fasting’ into my daily routine. This philosophy states; you choose a 16 hour part of the day that you do NOT eat and then an 8 hour ‘Eating Window’ where you eat all your calories. This is not a diet because you still eat all your allocated meals, the only difference is you’re eating them in a certain time block. What works best for me is eating my first meal 12pm each day and finishing my last meal 8pm (Sometimes even 6pm). I began ‘IF’ (Intermittent fasting) January 2013 for a 90 day challenge and because I felt amazing doing it, I now just implement it into my everyday lifestyle. I must admit the first 3-5 days are pretty challenging as the body switches from sugar as fuel to fat. My biggest and most recent wellness breakthrough came when I researched the importance and difference between ‘good and bad fats’. I now carry around a jar of coconut oil with me everywhere I go, so if I don't have access to food I eat a tablespoon of it 2-3 times a day.

Here's a video that explains a little about IT (excuse the language, these Fasting Twins drop the "F" bomb a bit)

2. Describe your dream meal - what could we expect to find on your plate?

My favourite meal is a green smoothie blended in my Vitamix. It’s packed with 80% green leafy vegetables (celery tops, carrot tops, beetroot tops, spinach, basil, parsley etc.) and 20% fruit - banana, pineapple, lemon  and pear is my fav at the moment. I sometimes sneak in there spirulina or chlorella and a bunch of ice to make it cold. The best part of making a smoothie is knowing you can get an incredible amount of nutrition in a short period of time without having to sit down and chew your food. The blender does it all and I take my smoothie with me throughout the day (ideally drink it within 20 mins they say). Other than that, I eat lots of quinoa, eggs, native and ethically raised meats, lots of veggies, minimal fruit/sugar, no processed foods and no dairy milk.

3. Who’s your go to style icon - who have you always admired for their style, and why?

Batman? ;)

4. What’s a childhood habit or mannerism that has followed you into adulthood?

Believe it or not, I was actually the fat kid in primary school, I remember buying clothes to hide how fat I was - I had super low confidence. I remember putting a lot of pressure on myself and I would compare myself to others. In high-school I had really bad acne. I remember hiding in the school library by myself during lunch just so my mates didn't see me outside in the sunlight… I however decided that one day enough was enough so I started to learn about health, personal development and physcology - I changed everything. It was at this point I believe I caught the learning bug and I am now fascinated by life and biology forever. One might call it addicted or one might call it curious to the amazing potential of our mind, body and spirit!

5. Name three things you can’t leave the house without and why?

• My iPhone for pictures and social media…
• My glass water bottle with purified water in it…
• Coconut Oil for a snack when I get hungry...

Thank you so much Zac for taking time to chat with us and sharing your before and after journey. I can't wait until we catch up again and bring some Youtube action live to my readers. They're going to LOVE your energy!

Happy FRI-YAY!

xxDani