Two days a week I base my nutritional therapy practice at Cloud Twelve, a beautiful wellness space in Notting Hill which supports the whole family. My commute is all of an eight-minute walk. I also do a few extra Skype sessions during the rest of the week with my international clients. The rest of the time is spent on my other stuff such as copywriting or editorial-based work. Recently it’s been largely focused on writing my second book, a follow up to Be Good to Your Gut. I write a column for Psychologies magazine called Happy Gut and I do consultancy work for brands such as Symprove probiotics. Finally, I’m a tutor for the Guardian Masterclasses, where I run a masterclass on gut health on an almost biannual basis.
Being self-employed, it’s important to keep some routine in my life otherwise it can feel a bit chaotic. If I have a deadline, I might work late into the evening but then I will schedule an extra day off when needed. The other thing about being self-employed is that I do tend to work all hours and not give myself enough time off, so I think it’s important to try and maintain some boundaries around that. I’ll say this to my clients too. It’s great to use mealtimes as mini pockets for recovery - this will automatically bring some routine into your life. I categorically never miss a meal, I mean I love food anyway, but more to the point it breaks up the day in a positive way.
Lunch tends to be less planned than other meals. During the summer months, I like a lovely fresh feta salad with some crusty sourdough on the side. In winter I’ll make a caponata and have it with different things throughout the week. Being present with your plate is one of the best things you can do for your digestion and overall gut health. I recommend allowing ample time to eat your meals; spending time chewing your food properly and being mindful around your mealtimes is so important irrespective of what you’re eating. The point is, you can have the most abundantly healthy kale salad, but if you’re eating on the go, in a rush, or in front of a computer then you might not feel great afterwards.
In terms of other key nutritional takeaways, I believe that there is no such thing as ‘bad’ food and that we need to be inclusive in the diet. Unless, of course, there are ethical reasons or allergies to be considered. Otherwise, we need to not put halos around certain foods and demonise others because being too strict can lead to other types of issues. I grew up in a Polish family with sauerkraut and fermented foods being staples, so it’s funny to see everybody getting hysterical about these things now. I took my dad to Planet Organic and his eyes were out on stalks when he saw jars of sauerkraut costing £12.
I like to end the week with a glass of good quality natural wine; when you know about natural wines it’s hard to go back. Weekends are spent with friends; I love eating out, trying new restaurants or having people round for dinner.
I like to end the week with a glass of good quality natural wine; when you know about natural wines it’s hard to go back. Weekends are spent with friends; I love eating out, trying new restaurants or having people round for dinner.
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Hair by Cloud Twelve Salon.
Hair by Cloud Twelve Salon.
