EMBRACE THE NEW YEAR WITH
w a h S e n i e l e d a M
Inspired by her time working in an organic café in Sydney, Madeleine Shaw came home feeling healthier, happier and fired-up to spread the word. Fast-forward a few years and she’s now a bestselling author, yoga instructor and popular name in wellbeing. Her approach to health is refreshing: non-restrictive, allencompassing and, most importantly, achievable. Here she talks to Emma Winterschladen about healthy eating on-the-go, finding a happy balance and her New Year’s resolutions for 2017. How did you get into the world of wellbeing and nutrition?
Before I moved to Australia age 18, I had a terrible diet but used to eat what I thought was healthy – so my lunch would be some rice cakes and a Diet Coke! I soon fell in love with the Aussie way of life, though. Getting active outside and filling my plate with wholesome, organic foods did amazing things for me. And when I started working in an organic café in Bondi, I began to educate myself about food and learnt what to eat, how to cook it and how to prepare it. This inspired me to go one step further and study to be a nutritional health coach with the Institute for Integrated Nutrition. I then moved back to the UK and haven’t stopped since!
Have you always been health conscious?
No, I used to have a dreadful diet and awful digestive issues, which was the main reason I started eating more nutritiously. The idea that food could heal my IBS struck a chord with me. 152
What does ‘wellbeing’ mean to you?
I think it means an overall balance of good food, long sleeps, daily exercise and a bit of what you fancy!
Do you have a philosophy you live by?
My philosophy is all about crowding in not cutting out. I don’t diet or deprive, and I fill my plate with good, nutritious and wholesome ingredients. I also like to apply this to other areas of my life – not just food. I love crowding in all kinds of activities, whether that’s seeing my friends and family, going to the gym or sitting at home watching Netflix with my boyfriend.
What’s the best way to start the day for you?
The first thing I have to do when I wake up is wash my face. I always have to have a hearty breakfast, so normally I’ll have three eggs, scrambled with avocado on rye bread! It really fills me up – especially if I’ve exercised.
Madeleine’s New Year’s resolutions for 2017 1
Rest more
2 Practise handstands every day 3 Take more holidays 4 Stop emailing after 7pm 5 Be in nature more 6 Learn the drums 7 Bake more 8 Spend more time with my family 9 Travel the UK 10 Keep smiling
How important to you is work/life balance?
It’s really important. I’m still getting to grips with it because I don’t have a nine-to-five office job, and a lot of the time I have to work at weekends but there’s nothing more important to me than having a rest and spending time with my family and friends. I have put some loose rules in place, though – it’s always family first, I turn my phone off in the evening so I’m not tempted to check social media or emails, and I try to make dinner plans with friends at least once a week!
What part does mindfulness and meditation play?
I’ve only got into meditation in the past year or so, but now I can’t imagine my life without it. I do a five-minute meditation daily and find it great for clearing my head and helping me to de-stress. For me, part of this is doing regular yoga – you focus on the movements and flow of your body, which helps you forget about everything else going on. 153 153
EGGS Easy to whip up in a minute. AVOCADOS They go with pretty much anything. FISH Full of omega-3 and really cost effective if you buy less popular types like mackerel. MANGOS Good for digestion, this fruit can be used in sweet or savoury dishes.
Any tips for those new to mindfulness and meditation? Start small – in my Glow Guides app there is a body love meditation each day, which starts at three minutes on week one and builds up to ten minutes. Once you get used to meditating every day it just becomes part of your life. I like to do mine first thing because then it’s done, but others prefer to do it in the evening to relax before bed.
people, and would recommend getting yourself down to your local studio or putting your name down for a class in the gym. Everyone is different so try not to be competitive and work at your own pace.
Has your attitude to being healthy and happy altered since you started your business?
I would say it’s altered, but only in the sense that I’ve grown as a woman How do you fit fitness into and learnt how to have a healthy your busy life? life and find balance and happiness I book it into my diary like a meeting; while running my own business. that way I know I won’t miss it.
How did you get into yoga?
My mum is a big yogi, she got me into it. I just got hooked on how it made me feel afterwards and knew I wanted to teach it. I try to get to at least one class per week but if I can’t make it down to the studio I grab my mat at home and do one of my Glow Guides classes. It gives me a calmer mind, more connection with my body, I sleep better and have better circulation.
Any tips for those interested in getting into yoga but not sure where to begin?
I would definitely say begin on YouTube! I’ve got a beginner’s tutorial on my channel for all ages, and if there is one area you specifically want to focus on there are so many great classes on YouTube for this, too. I do personally love being in a room with other 154
What are your top tips for healthy eating to those who are time poor?
Preparation is key. When you do have a little moment to spare, cook up some dishes that keep well in the fridge for a few days – or the freezer – and then you have meals at the ready! I find lasagne and shepherd’s pie keep really well in the fridge and freezer.
What’s next in the pipeline?
I’m working on my third book and lots of other exciting projects... Watch this space! Keep up to date with Madeleine at madeleineshaw.com
Beautiful breakfast salad
Pan-fried trout with cucumber, apple and dill salad
Breakfast salads are one of my favourite ways to start the day. I love mixing up my morning routine every now and then, and this dish helps me do just that. I prefer to fry my eggs in coconut oil; not only does it have a higher smoking point than regular oils, but it also doesn’t denature with heat. It makes the eggs supercrispy, too!
The sweetness of the apple goes well with this strong-flavoured fish, but if you can’t find trout fillets you could use salmon instead. Although capers are known to be high in sodium, they add an extra burst of flavour, which is just what fish needs. Serves 2 • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved and cut into ½cm semicircles • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp dried) • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 large avocado, peeled and stoned • 1 apple, peeled and cored • 1 shallot, finely minced • 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter • 2 tbsp capers • 2 trout fillets • Salt
Serves 2 • 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter • 4 eggs • 1 large avocado, peeled and stoned • 1 lemon, juiced • 50g rocket • 100g cherry tomatoes, halved • 2 tsp chopped chives • 2 tbsp good-quality pesto or leftover pesto mint
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Heat the oil or butter in a frying pan over a high heat for 1 minute. Crack in the eggs, spaced apart, put a lid on the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes until the yolks are runny – or cook for a little longer if you prefer your eggs well done. 2 Slice the avocado and toss with the lemon juice. Arrange the rocket, tomatoes and avocado on a plate and top with the fried eggs. 3 Scatter over the chopped chives and drizzle over the pesto to finish. Recipes from Madeleine Shaw’s Ready, Steady, Glow! Fast, Fresh Food Designed for Real Life, published by Orion Books in hardback and eBook, available from amazon.co.uk
If you’re inspired by Madeleine’s time-out for yoga, Liz Earle Wellbeing has teamed up with YogaRosa to offer our readers an exclusive 10 per cent discount on their exotic yoga retreats, the perfect New Year’s tonic. Use code LizEarleW1 when booking on: yogarosaretreats.com
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Photography: Martin Poole & Ellis Parrinder
MADELEINE’S TOP 4 HEALTHY FOODS
Place the cucumber slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let them sit to draw out the excess water for 10–15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish. 2 Make the dressing by mixing the mustard, dill, vinegar and olive oil together with a pinch of salt. Thinly slice the avocado and apple, and throw into the dressing to stop them browning, along with the shallots, stirring well to combine. 3 Heat the oil or butter in a frying pan on a medium heat, throw in the capers and stir for 30 seconds, then move them to the edges of the pan and throw in the trout, skin-side down. Sprinkle over a little salt and cook for 5 minutes until the skin is crisp, then flip the fish over for another minute or so until almost cooked through. Cooking time depends on the thickness, but look for golden skin, a bronzed top and flesh that is opaque all the way through. 4 Rinse the cucumber, drain and then pat dry with kitchen paper and mix in with the salad. Divide between two plates and serve with the fish and a sprinkle of capers. 155