Five years ago Shazzie was plump, ill and depressed; now her skin's firm and her smile's bright.

And much of it is down to eating chocolate.

The 37-year-old has been described as the "guru" of the raw food revolution, having thrown away the cooker and microwave for a diet of nuts, fruit and berries.
She has written a series of self-help guides and recipe books promoting the raw food movement, instructing people how to "detox their world".

And yesterday Shazzie - it is just Shazzie - was in her home town of Yarmouth to launch the country's first raw food shop.

The mother of toddler Evie, who has never eaten hot food in her life, is positively evangelical about the benefits of what is basically a nutty diet.

"People are realising that to change their lives they need to stop being average," she said. "I describe these foods as wonder foods, full of energy, they make you feel amazing.

"Sixty per cent of the average person's energy goes into digestion, 60pc of people are overweight - and that's because people are eating food with no nutrition in it.

"Instead of fast food and processed supermarket rubbish I've turned to ancient food, stuff people were eating thousands of years ago, and it's changed my life."

But raw food didn't have to be dull food, Shazzie said, and some of the healthiest products were also some of the most surprising.

"People think that raw food is all about munching carrots," she said. "Carrots are boring. My favourite food, what I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and regularly do - is chocolate.

"It is the food of the gods, and before it is processed and turned into the rubbish on shop shelves, the cacao bean contains over 300 chemical compounds, high in magnesium and anti-oxidants.

"It can make both sweet and savoury dishes that taste delicious, it's incredibly healthy, and the best part is that the more you eat of it, the more you lose weight."

Raw food can be a lifestyle for some people - but most people will use the exotic beans, berries and pulses on offer in the new shop as a cheap and natural health supplement.

"All my family eat normal food - my sister even loves McDonald's," Shazzie said. "But they also all have maca root, nature's Viagra, sprinkled in their smoothies, which makes the body stronger and more flexible. Since they've been taking it they've all felt much better."

Shazzie may be sowing the seeds of success - but is Yarmouth ready for the appointment-only shop?

"We're mainly an internet business but having an outlet for people to come here will be great for showing people exactly what we do," she said.

"It's an appointment-only shop, but a lot of people come on holiday here and I'm sure a lot will want to pop in and see what we have to offer. And I'm sure there are plenty of people in Norfolk who could do with detoxing their life."

For more information on the raw food movement, see www.detoxyourworld.com

Phone the store on 08700 113 119.