18 Mar 2024
Elena Hogg, founder of local culinary company FOOD by Elena, goes in search of her middle ground…
All things nutritious and healthy have been going round my head this week. A lovely ex-neighbour of mine, Sasha, teaches pilates and runs her own business called ‘The Movement Teacher’. Alongside regular classes, Sasha holds retreats at her beautiful home in St Albans, and it’s one of these retreats that I’m catering for this week.
The mere idea of a mid-week mind and body reset really appeals to my inner goddess, with all the aromatherapy candles and calming music, and no interruptions from phones ringing or small people whining.
Sadly, my inner goddess is buried so deep, she’s inaudible. All I really sense are vibrations from the tapping of her frustrated fingers as she waits for me to bring her to the fore and actually do some exercise or, indeed, anything broadly healthy.
But change is afoot: catering for Sasha’s event has opened my eyes to something seemingly obvious, but which eludes me every time I venture into a bout of healthy living.
I’m referring to the fulcrum of all success stories, the epicentre of spiritual and bodily equilibrium: MODERATION. The M-word. Posing innocently as something eminently achievable, and yet – for me – the nemesis.
I seem to be hard-wired with an all-or-nothing attitude to almost everything. I’m either on four hours’ sleep or lying in till midday. I’m either extremely irritated or utterly unfazed. I’m either run off my feet or paralysed by procrastination.
There is no middle ground with me; no moderation at all.
When Sasha and I spoke about the food she wants to offer the guests on attending the retreat, I began searching my repertoire for my most high-fibre and low-calorie vegan dishes.
This kind of food doesn’t have to sacrifice flavour for nourishment and is some of the tastiest stuff on my menus. However, as we talked, it became evident that Sasha knew exactly what sort of food her clients would like, clients who carve a day out of their busy lives specifically for enjoyment, health and fulfilment. And it’s not what you’d imagine.
No longer are healthy choices and lifestyle the prerogative of the uber-zen among us – that is, the fat-free fitness fans who say things like, “I haven’t touched a refined carbohydrate in four years,” and, “my daily spirulina shot turns my poo green”. Regular people are making small changes here and there, and reaping considerable rewards.
Doing something good for yourself doesn’t have to be punitive. And if it is, you’re likely to give up and fall back to square one. Ring-fencing a day to do something relaxing and self-helpful shouldn’t feel like a guilty escapade, but rather something we’re entitled to and will absolutely benefit from.
It’s this flip in outlook I want to work on. Rather than punishing myself into a low-esteem-fuelled health kick, I will bestow myself with kindness and an invitation to do something positive. I have proven I can’t give up biscuits altogether, but I will benefit from choosing four biscuits over the whole pack.
Four biscuits are still calorific, but less so than 14. Less really is more when more is non-maintainable in the long run.
It’s the same with exercise: as someone who, historically, was either on a mission to outrun Mo Farrah or else winning the world record for the highest number of consecutive hours sat in an armchair, I need to learn that doing a short walk most days is better than doing a long run everyday for a week and then giving up.
The food Sasha wanted for her event underscored this principle exactly.
As well as the yoga and pilates sessions, the day also includes a facial treatment, so ‘pampering’ rather than ‘privation’ is the focus. The well-earned lunch needed to feel like something of a treat so, alongside the healthy and zingy salads, there would also be a spinach and feta lattice, whose flaky and buttery pastry criss-crosses the cheesy filling. And to finish, an indulgent pistachio and lemon drizzle cake for the afternoon tea break (herbal or builder’s, of course).
Striking this balance between gratifying and healthy is key, I think. Catering for Sasha has given me a head start, though: she wanted some protein balls to kick the morning off and so began my experimentation into the best recipe.
The result was that it’s almost impossible to make an unpleasant protein ball.
You can use tahini, nut butter, oatmeal, ground almonds, dried fruit, chocolate chips, honey, agave, date syrup, flaxseed, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, chia, desiccated coconut – the variations are endless.
Place all your ingredients into a food processor and whizz for a minute or so. If your mix is too dry and won’t roll into balls, add more syrup or some oat milk. If it’s too wet, add more dry ingredients. It really is that simple.
It’s also nowhere near zero calories, but it’s filling and packed with nutrients, and satisfying enough to make you feel like you’ve been treated just a little bit, and rightly so.
Let the moderation commence!
