Get To Know Me

My Story

I MAKE FOOD INFUSED WITH love and positivity. AND THIS IS how I got here. 

I’m a holistic nutritionist (BSc) and self-proclaimed healthy chef and I’m obsessed with waking up every day happy to be alive and excited for the day ahead. In fact, that is my ultimate measure of success, and although of course I don’t feel like that 24/7, you can be sure that I will do everything in my power to wake up every day like that.

And that is exactly my drive behind everything. While it may seem a little selfish at first, I know myself well enough to know that if I don’t have that, I don’t have it in me to serve others and bring positivity and good vibes into this universe we’re fortunate enough to be in.

What else? I LOVE being in the kitchen, it’s my happy place and without it, I’m just not *‘me’.* I make sugar-free recipes and gut-friendly recipes, I am specific about the ingredients I use and don’t use, and that’s because I know that if I’m not, I won’t be waking up every day happy to be alive and excited for the day ahead. Yes I’ve used this phrase twice in one paragraph, get used to it, because almost everything I do comes down to that purpose.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...

I’ve always been super into my health and the power of the mind. I used to have green smoothies when I was a young teenager before instagram was even invented, but back then it was the weirdest thing to do, and I wouldn’t tell anyone or let any of my friends see me drinking them *(oh how times have changed).*


But not just food, I was fascinated by the power of the mind from a young age *(I was super emotionally aware early on in life, I was a really deep thinker for a kid)*. When I was about 14 I went to the book store to buy the famous spirituality book The Power Of Now by Ekhart Tolle. Needless to say I did not understand it at all, but I certainly tried!


So you can see both food and mind have been major parts of my life for as long as I can remember. And I am yet to stop on this journey.


I’ve gone through patches of my life where I was less focused on my health *(hello university keg stands and scrumpy hands)*, I’ve gone through phases where I’ve been overly focused on my health, I’ve gone through phases of my life where I suffered depression-like symptoms *(depression is a collection of symptoms and a sign of imbalance in the body, it is not a disease)*, and I’ve gone through phases of my life where I literally feel on top of the world and no person or thing can take me down.


Point being… I’m still on a journey, I haven’t reached enlightenment, I haven’t yet reached perfection and I don’t expect to ever reach that because it doesn’t exist. What I am here to do is to share my thoughts, my experiences, my opinions and of course my recipes in the hope that it makes a positive difference in your journey. 

THE FOOD.

YOU MIGHT HAVE ALREADY GUESSED BUT I HAVE SOME PRETTY STRONG VIEWS ON FOOD AND WHAT I CONSIDER “EATING WELL”

It’s no secret that I *love* being in the kitchen, especially to whip up a batch of my favourite sweet treats. Not only do I enjoy the creative aspect and find peace in the process of cooking, but I get to eat and share my creations (what’s not to love about that?). Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with the creative process of making beautiful looking (and tasting!) food.


Food to me is so much more than many people make it out to be these days - you know, the negative energy surrounding it like something that’s going to make you gain weight, something that’s “bad” or “naughty”, something that’s a source of arguments, or bad for the environment.

At its core, food literally gives us our life. In a sense, it’s the closest connection we can have to our  environment… Food comes from the earth, we take it in to our bodies, it’s broken down into parts that actually become us - our enzymes, our hormones, our skin, our tissues - and all of those things we require to be alive. How magical!


I’d even go a step further, food has the power to give us happiness - mental health is undeniably connected to our diets, and without the correct nourishment, how are we supposed to wake up everyday being our optimal self, and happy to be alive and excited for the day ahead. 

MY FOOD PHILOSOPHY

My number one philosophy is food that is as close to the earth as possible. This means it hasn’t passed through many hands and factories, and rather it’s come from the grower to you.


Locally grown plant foods are a big part of this and you’ll find this makes up the bulk of my recipes.


However it also includes animal foods of the highest quality like wild fish, pasture-raised eggs and chicken (this means the chickens live on pasture), grass-fed meat that has been given it’s traditional diet.


Tip: If the food doesn’t have a PR team or a package that is screaming why you should buy it, it’s probably a good food to choose in my opinion. This includes humble vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and wild or pastured animal foods.


You see food holds and energy, and no I’m not talking about calories here. I’m talking about the energy it holds - if a food product is cheap and nasty, produced my a big manufacturer with only profit in mind, or it’s been modified and treated to last longer than you on the shelves…. You take on that low vibe energy.


By contrast, organic and seasonal fruit and vegetables that have been picked from the ground only hours before you buy it, or animals that have had the chance to live a free life, or nuts and seeds that are activated to enhance the nutritional qualities… These are high vibe foods. Remember, you are the Maserati and your body and mind deserves the highest quality fuel.

So what do I eat?

I generally eat a diet super low in sugar and fairly low in carbohydrates. Why? To put it simply it’s because this is what works for *me*. I find I have much more energy this way, less hunger, more mental clarity and a stable mood.


I’m not anti-fruit or anti-carb at all, in fact, I’m not anti-anything and if you follow me on social media I hope you know this already!


But I am a fan of understanding food, tuning in to our bodies and eating in a way that allows you to live your life’s purpose. And while you may not choose to eat exactly like me, there are elements of my food philosophy that benefit everyone - managing blood sugar, eating clean from-the-earth foods, focusing on food quality and source and most of all, addressing how you mentally approach food, diet, health and yourself.

IT’S MY MISSION TO BRING LOVE AND POSITIVITY BACK INTO FOOD, EVERYTHING FROM COOKING IT, TO TALKING ABOUT IT, TO EATING IT!

And I hope to inspire you to get the same love and satisfactions out of it that I do.

JOIN ME

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Olivia Boyd Smith

“Liv is my go-to resource for all of our beauty food recipes on Par Olive. Her knowledge is unparalleled – she explains the reasoning behind her approach in such a relatable way that makes so much sense. Liv Kaplan is my go-to for internal skin health and beauty. Both are imperative to feel and look our very best.”

Britt

“Liv since starting Sweetness Beyond Sugar it really has allowed my beliefs to be concrete. The idea for me wasn’t to not ever have sugar again… It was to be able to not rely on it in my every day. It’s been like 3 weeks now and I’m so proud of myself.

The fact that my boyfriend brings Tim Tams back and other biscuits and I actually do not want to eat them. This has never happened to me.”

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