As I took my seat at the back of Planet Organic in Westbourne Grove, I couldn’t help but notice how radiant she looked. Madeleine Shaw really does glow! I’ll have what she’s having…

And now I can.

To celebrate the launch of her second book ‘Ready Steady Glow‘, Madeleine showed us just how simple, healthy and delicious its recipes are, before passing on some of her nutritional wisdom in a Q&A.

Ready Steady Glow focuses on wholesome food for a busy lifestyle (so pretty much my ideal book). Split into 2 sections, it provides quick, easy recipes for the hectic weekdays and more involved recipes to take your time over at the weekend.

Because who has the time in the week to spend hours crafting an Instagram-ready superfood masterpiece? Just, no. She says we can all make a balanced, healthy meal in under 30 minutes. Faster than ordering a pizza.

Then, on the weekend, she reminds us to slow down and take some time to chill and unwind. Peruse your local market, select your ingredients and put together a nutritious dish at your leisure. Bliss.

She demonstrated 3 recipes from the book – a spiced tomato soup, a mango and avocado salad and a key lime and avocado mousse. We sampled the first and the last. Scrumptious.

After the Q&A and meeting Madeleine afterwards, I learnt that I should:

• Eat healthy protein in the morning for longer-lasting energy
• Use the weekends to prep meals for the busy week ahead
• Try turmeric (maybe in the form of turmeric milk), because it’s loaded with antioxidants
• Take the time to chew food as it helps you feel fuller for longer and aids digestion
• Snack on something healthy and easily digestible before working out, like carrot sticks dipped in hummus.

And that I should not:

• Heat food in tupperware as the chemicals from the plastic can react with the food
• Reuse water bottles – evil plastic again.

A truly inspirational evening for a budding health nerd like myself. Can’t wait to get stuck into the recipes from ‘Ready Steady Glow’…

Waiting in line to get my copy signed

❤

Guilt-free treats from my Planet Organic goodie bag

Sam 🙂