In a culture where green juices are fashionable, and a hot yoga studio is the new nightclub, businesses need to sit up and listen. We don’t need to show you millions of Instagrammed #AvocadoOnToast pictures do we? You get the picture. The global wellness economy is now worth a staggering £3 billion. Madeleine Shaw is one of the influencers behind this shift.
Nutritionist Shaw is one of the founders of the movement towards a health lifestyle over fad quick-fix diets. With a quarter of a million Instagram followers, and a number 1 best-selling book under her belt, she is paving the way for the success of the wellness industry.
Why is our health big business? Wellbeing is becoming the new status symbol, an identifier of luxury. If five years ago this was swinging a Prada tote at your side, now it seems bloggers and the style-elite are choosing a pair of Lululemon leggings and a kale smoothie instead. Even Pippa Middleton is reportedly training to be a nutritionist. Shaw believes that now is the time to invest in this thriving industry. She told Compelo: “Definitely it’s a booming business, my advice would be to invest in something you are passionate about and something that helps others. That way there will always be a need.”
How did Shaw, dubbed ‘the female Jamie Oliver’ get started in this industry?
“I haven’t always eaten how I do now,” she told us. “When I was a child I ate sugar and probably had a “normal” diet, but when I got into my teens I lived of Diet Coke, rice cakes and low fat foods. This was my perception of a healthy diet. My hair was limp, my skin was dull and I had really terrible digestion problems. Then I moved to Australia when I was 18 and completely fell in love with the Australian diet. I started exercising regularly and I got a job at an organic food cafe in Bondi. It was there that I learnt how to cook proper food and I educated myself on how to nourish my body.
“I felt amazing and my digestive problems subsided. My skin began to glow! Now I want to share these tips I have learnt.” Shaw is now launching her new book, A Year of Beautiful Eating.
Her recipes aren’t anything like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop
You won’t find anything about fasting or elimination-diets. Instead you’ll find healthy, simple dining ideas. “My new book contains a lot of one pot meals, things like tray roasted cod or my Spanish chickpea stew,” said Shaw. “These are great because you can throw all the ingredients together and stick it in the oven and in no time at all you have a healthy, nutritious and filling meal. Seasonal eating is really wonderful – it’s cheaper, tastier and better for the environment”. But what if you don’t have oodles of spare time to rustle up a feast? “Preparation is the trick. I find that planning my meals for the week really helps with healthy eating, also make up big pots of stews or curries that you can box up and store in the freezer for a quick, nutritious dinner whenever you need it”, Shaw told us.
Shaw may eat incredibly healthily, and exercise regularly, but does dining at restaurants go against this lifestyle? Absolutely not it seems. “I love my boyfriend’s restaurant Boma; it’s great for brunch or dinner with friends. For lunch or meetings, I love to go to a juice bar like Juice Baby or Detox Kitchen, which does yummy salads and snacks. Date night you will find me at 10 Greek street or Oka with the girls.”
You can find out more about Shaw’s new book here.
So you enjoyed this article right? Read more like it below.
“SORTEDfood has become a movement of people”: The YouTube business that’s changing an industry
It’s the London marathon today: This is what Virgin Sport’s CEO really thinks about it