The best-selling cookery writer and Get Your Glow Back podcast host talks exercising for enjoyment and her number one hack for switching off
What does healthy look like to you?
“To me, it’s an all-round approach – taking care of your mental health, what you’re eating and how often you’re moving, and ensuring there’s a balance between all of those.”
How do you like to nourish yourself?
“I’ll always try to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, which is a realistic goal for me. I like to think about what I can add [to my diet] rather than ‘don’t eat chocolate or pizza’, for example.”
What can you tell us about your new BetterYou range?
“I’ve developed a range of nutritional oral sprays to support every stage of motherhood, as supplementation has always been something that’s really important to me. I remember when I was pregnant, I had terrible morning sickness, like a lot of mothers do, and the thought of swallowing pills was just not going to happen, so having the Conception Daily Oral Spray is going to be fantastic for expecting mothers to get those nutrients in. The Hair, Skin & Nails Daily Oral Spray is one I take every day and it’s just everything we need at the moment! It’s there to boost those three things to help get that inside-outside glow.”
How do you like to exercise?
“When we’re not in lockdown, I love going to a yoga class, as I like the energy of being around people, but because that’s not possible I’ve had to change things around. I just listen to my body, I feel like I’m not someone who wants to push myself through something that’s gruelling because I think exercise should be joyful, so I’ll do one or two strength sessions and yoga classes a week, plus making sure I get a daily walk in. I think the power of walking through a forest or a park just calms me down and we all need that time out of the house more than ever.”
Motherhood has taught me…
“A lot of things! I would say first and foremost, patience for myself as well as my son. It’s an ongoing practice for sure, but it’s given me a purpose beyond myself, which feels amazing.”
How do you switch off?
“I think I’ve become very good at that in the last few years. One of the things I do is delete Instagram on Friday and then re-download the app on Monday – the same goes for emails. That means I really am switched off from my phone and laptop and can have an enjoyable weekend. I’ve worked for long enough to know that I can take my finger off the pulse for a few days and it will still be fine come Monday.”
What is your number one rule when it comes to looking after yourself?
“We can have a constant dialogue of ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’m not smart enough’ or whatever, which can constantly bring us down. If we can be conscious of that tape we play in our head and change it to a more positive one, it makes a world of difference.”
BetterYou has partnered with Madeleine Shaw to release a brand new range of oral spray supplements tailored to family health. In stores and online from February 2021.
