I’ve long held the opinion that getting a day going on the right footing in terms of salubrious habits is key in the battle to Be Your Best Self, but as London usually throws disagreeably early starts my way and time is always limited, I make do with whatever I can squeeze in. On holiday, however, I go nuts; supplements, yoga, tea half an hour before food – I know. Wild.
Here’s what I’d (and some experts, though they always disagree with one another, don’t they?) call a perfect start to the day:
On Waking / Tea. Herbal. Ideally not green (which can be a bit much on an empty stomach). Water, too. Basically: hydration.
During Tea / Shower if you’re so inclined in the morning, cleanse, apply serum/unguents to face AND body (I never neglect mine) and generally mooch.
Post Tea / Yoga. At the very least stretching. Even in time-strapped London I NEVER omit this step – my muscles when tight make themselves known all day. Out in Portugal, I’ve been doing Nadia Narain’s Everyday Yoga For Stress Release, which is fab (as is Nadia, by the by – not only in my reckoning – Kate Moss rates her, too).
Post Yoga / Breakfast, which is a monastic affair my end – I’ve never found it the most thrilling meal and generally choose the contents of my plate purely for nutritional value. Out here, I’ve either been eating oats with soya milk and a scattering of nuts/goji berries/dates or rye bread topped with a bit of local cheese, red onions and tomato.
Chase Breakfast With / Supplements. Lorraine Perretta , Head of Nutrition for the iiaa, once told me that when taken with food, the body is far more able to extract goodness from supplements. Following her advice, I take the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Vitality 2, £35 here (to fortify and nourish skin – also, I love that four pills come in blister packs so are so easy to travel with), The Advanced Nutrition Programme Vitamin A +, £19.50 here (to normalise cell function and repair damage), and Bio-Kult, £9.49 here (to top up on healthy bacteria) directly after eating.