As a one of UK’s best respected and most well known yoga teachers as well as an all round expert on a holistic

approach to health and life, Nadia Narain is a woman that the likes of Kate Moss, Liberty Ross, Rachel Weisz and Gwyneth Paltrow have all turned to when they need a bit of calm. A certified yoga maestro known for her down to earth approach, she has also recently launched her own collection of candles, designed to elicit a little calm from hectic lives. Here, she shares her five easy ways to improve our quality of life and take a little time out. 

 

Nadia Narain’s Five Easy Steps to improve your life: 

The five simple ways i keep myself feeling my best are down to:  food, gratitude, sleep, exercise and relaxation

 

Food: I love eating well. Last week I did a 3 day juice fast and although it was a bit challanging at times, it felt amazing. I cut out all sugar, caffeine and just stuck to my juice delivery every day. I felt so light and full of energy with no more 4 pm slump and now that I’m back to eating, I still haven’t had any tea or chocolate! 

 

Gratitude: I’ve been doing a practice for the last few years which is to wake up every morning and be grateful for everything I have and do the same thing every night. Sometimes when I’m down I find it more challenging, but I still do it anyway, starting with the most simple things; a warm bed, a home, friends, family and the list always grows. It’s a great way to wake up and to go to sleep every night.

 

Sleep: I love my sleep, but I do notice that if I go to bed by 11, I have a much better nights sleep and always wake up feeling good. Of course, that can’t always be the case when you go out or to dinners, but when I’m home, if I get to bed by 10.30 I’m in heaven with a book and a cup of camomile tea!

 

Exercise: As a yoga teacher I move my body often,
but one of my favourite things is going for a walk in the morning around the park. I love it, especially this summer in london…….its been so beautiful.  Now it’s getting cold and wet again, its more indoor yoga! I also go to an Xbar class once a week and that always puts me in a good mood.

 

Relaxation:  It’s hard for me to find the balance, and I’m always doing so much, so sometimes to just sit and look at a magazine or watch a show is good for me. I try and meditate every morning and one of my favourite things at the end of a day of teaching is my bath. I light my peace candles, put my oils in and soak. I usually get my best inspiration in the bath so I also keep a little piece of paper and pen on the floor to write any thoughts down.

 

 

www.nadianarain.com 

 

Portrait by Christina Wilson www.christinawilson.co.uk

 

Bonus: Mind + Body yoga video 

I grew up in Scotland, moving to Rio de Janeiro when I was seven before finishing my schooling in Farnham, Surrey. I come from a family of homeopaths, and my Grandmother opened one of the first health food shops in the country. Aged 18, I migrated to London to start modelling – doing runway shows and advertising campaigns for labels including Chanel, Versace, Prada, Dior, McQueen, Dolce & Gabanna, Miu Miu and Vogue.

I had my first child Elfie when I was 24, my second child Bliss at 30, and my third, Blythe at 31. The rigours of modelling and bringing up healthy, happy children lead me to question the nutritional value of the food I purchased and the food my family consumed. I came to realise that many of the common ailments that affect us – like sluggishness, skin complaints, headaches, fatigue and stress – can be dramatically improved by simply changing what we put in our mouths.

After many years of experimenting with raw food and different health regimes I decided to stop experimenting on my family, put my money where my mouth is and take myself off to college. And now, after three years study, I have qualified from The College of Naturopathic Medicine as a naturopathic nutritionist. I still enjoy a good time and a sneaky take-away (now and then) – I want to break the mystery of good eating and make a healthy lifestyle available to everyone. I qualified from The College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2012. You don’t need to shop at Planet Organic or know what a Chia seed is in order to feel the benefit of good food!

Rosemary’s Guide to Juicing

Apples – 2 medium (3″ dia)

Celery – 3 stalk, large (11″-12″ long)

Cucumber – 1 cucumber (8-1/4″)

Ginger – 1/2 “

Lemon – 1

Parsley – 1 bunch

Spinach – 2 cup

ABC and G

Apple -1

Carrot -2

Beetroot -2

Ginger – ½”

Veg all the way

Carrot

Celery

Cucumber

Parsley

Pepper (sweet green)

Spinach

Tomato

Liver juice

Apple – 1 large (3-1/4″ dia)

Beet Greens (optional) – 3 leaf

Beet Root – 1 beet (3″ dia)

Carrots – 4 medium

Celery – 1 stalk, large (11″-12″ long)

Ginger – 1/2 thumb (1″ dia)

original photo credit: Sam Green

More about Rosemary Ferguson

1. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Lobster Club Salad

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

2. ʹ21ʹ Endive, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

A head red leaf lettuce, washed and dried
4 large Belgian endive heads, cut lengthwise into julienne strips
A cup shelled walnut halves, toasted at 250 degrees for 15 minutes
A cup shallot and Champagne vinaigrette (see below for recipe)
1 cup chunked Roquefort or other blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Garnish: 2 fresh, ripe tomatoes, sliced

Method:

Place several lettuce leaves on four plates. Toss the julienned endive with the toasted walnuts.

Combine the vinaigrette with the cheese, and mix with the endive and toasted walnuts.

Divide among the four plates. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon chives on each serving.

Garnish with fresh, ripe tomato slices.

Champagne Vinaigrette (makes 1 quart)

Ingredients:

1 cup shallots (peeled, hand minced)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 cup Champagne
1 cup canola oil
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup *fine herbs (fresh minced chervil, chive, and tarragon, equal amounts)
Salt to taste

Method:

In non‐reactive bowl, add shallots, honey, Champagne vinegar and Champagne.

Mix together and stream in oil while whisking together.

Finish with salt, cayenne and fine herbs. Serve immediately.

*Once herbs are added, this has a 15‐minute shelf life before herbs go bad. So herbs can be added in smaller batches throughout service.

Taken from The ’21′ Club Cookbook available on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385475705

1. 3. Ottolenghi’s Tomato and Pomegranate Salad with Garlic Dressing

Serves four

200g red cherry tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice
200g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice
200g tiger (or plum) tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice
4 medium vine tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice (500g net)
1 red pepper, cut into ½ cm dice (120g net)
1 small red onion, finely diced (120g net)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
60ml olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle at the end
1 pomegranate, seeds removed (170g of seeds)
1 tbsp picked small oregano leaves, to garnish
Salt and black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, red pepper and onion and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and 1/3rd teaspoon of salt, until well combined. Pour this over the tomatoes and gently mix.
Arrange the tomatoes and the juices on a large flat plate. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and oregano and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Taken from Ottolenghi http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/tomato-and-pomegranate-salad-with-garlic-dressing