Guestpost by Lalrinngheti Sangsiama
with inputs from Jia Singh
You can pay for a healthy lifestyle in any city in the world but cities like London seem to embody a healthy lifestyle that allows you to be fit without too much effort. The ease of slipping into a healthy lifestyle certainly has its appeal. To me, London has the perfect combination of amenities while still living a city life. Here is what I mean by that in terms of food and exercise.
Healthy Eating in London :
There are so many amazing places to eat in London and I am not doing it justice by even beginning to write on this topic. However, my aim here is to shine light on the healthy culture London is creating merely because of the easy access of healthy foods.
You could be dairy intolerant on a raw vegan diet or avoiding all processed sugars and still find enough to choose from at healthy diners in the city. Londoners are very conscientious about their fitness and what they put into their bodies which has allowed establishments like Pret A Manger, Abokado, Eat. Illy, Pod, Caffe Nero to thrive. Read Jia’s post here on healthy eating in London Part 1-here
Pret is my favourite. I love the ease of picking up an avocado wrap and a green juice. They have a meal to grab for any time of the day be it breakfast or dinner and their ginger shot is a yummy surprise.
For a longer sit, Le Pain de Quotidien is my go-to place for organic eating, not only because they have opened up in various places around London but also because of their delicious coffee and great co-working space where people come in to write while they nosh on something healthy.
My favourite new finds are Mae Deli run by Ella Woodward from Deliciously Ella and The Detox Kitchen which serves dishes free of wheat, dairy and refined sugar.
As far as restaurants go, there are many little restaurants in little alleys that are fun to discover. Then there are restaurants for every palate: Honey & Co. in Fitzrovia for Middle eastern, Snaps & Rye in Notting Hill for Scandinavian dining, Grangers & Co situated in various places for an Aussie feel, Sea Containers in Bankside for seafood, Itadaki Zen in King’s Cross for Japanese and the list goes on.
I recently discovered Down to Earth in High Street Kensington. The name says it all but what I absolutely love is their wholesome vegetarian cuisine and healthy drinks that are antioxidant and immunity boosters. It also really helps that the staff is very nice and the space is warm and welcoming.
Weekend markets and street food stalls also have many delicious options of all kinds of organic items. Savage Salad in Berwick Street almost always has people queuing for their healthy salads. I used to love going to the market at Kingston Upon Thames every weekend in Surrey for a hot steaming bowl of pho, homemade fudge and deliciously healthy Korean food at the hawker stalls. I would often bring home boxes of organic blueberries, strawberries and blackberries to whip into my smoothie and cereal at breakfast. The produce here is unbeatable and if you reach the markets a few minutes before closing time- they usually slash the prices some more so they can sell out.
Apart from thousands of these guilt-free havens, I love the availability of buying organic items to take home: The various Farmer’s Market are my favourite places to visit in the early weekend mornings. The sight of fresh bread of all kinds – whole wheat, nuts, multigrain, etc and the healthy scrumptious fruits and all kinds of vegetables inspire me to cook and eat healthy when I am home.
Planet Organic and Wholefoods literally make me want to jump with joy when I see their products because it feels like everything I need to eat exists in these stores. You must also visit Daylesford which you can find in Pimlico, Notting Hill and Marylebone This is both a cafe and a farm shop so you can eat from their incredible menu and buy organic food from there. I could go on rambling about food but lets move on to exercise.
Places to exercise in the city-
Some people have awesome discipline and motivation to hit the gym and push themselves to all kinds of cool things. For those who love using the stairmaster and spin machines, there are many gyms that have good equipments, a pool and classes that anyone can sign up for.
London boasts of many park beautiful parks and gardens like Holland Park, Kew Gardens, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, amongst the big ones where you can go for a walk, a jog, even practice your yoga or tai chi. There is an environment for that and no one is going to look at you as if you are crazy.
Picture: Kyoto Garden, Holland Park
Hyde Park Roller Skating for all age groups. How fun is that! You can go on Friday nights which is faster and more technically demanding or you can go on a Sunday afternoon stroll if you just want to have fun.This is free and there are instructors to help you if you are a beginner. If you do not have your own skates, they are available for rent in various places such as Bayswater store which is a few minutes from Hyde Park and Kensington Garden.
London fitness stores also host classes where anyone can sign up for free. This is great for people who are only visiting London for a short period of time as there is no need to commit to a gym membership.
Nike for example, has Run Clubs and Training clubs. Its training Club even has a women only evening workout session in Hyde Park, Clapham Common and Regents Park. You just have to sign up on Facebook and show up to 1 hour of Interval core, strength and cardio drills
Sweaty Betty has all kinds of activities ranging from yoga, pilots, barrecore to piloxing, bootcamp and legs,bum &tums class. There is a heavy waiting list so it is best to book early from their website where all the information is given. Read about Jia’s experience with Heartcore Pilates here
London is quite a cycle friendly city so you can nab a ‘boris’ bike that has stations everywhere and get yourself acquainted with the city.
About the Author-
I studied in Woodstock School, Mussoorie following which I undertook my higher studies in Law and finished the Bar in London. I am currently writing my Masters on the UK’s Modern Slavery Act. My goals translate to three simple things “Love God, Love people, Love life” and this very much includes a whole ton of laughter and tea.
Photocredits- PIXABAY
