Sasha Sabapathy: My Food And Fitness Regime

Brand planner turned chef Sasha Sabapathy created Glow Bar to share stress management remedies with other women. From adaptogen spiked lattes to lavender night-time tonics, Sasha believes natural remedies are the answer to achieving balance. Here she tells us what an average day-in-the-life looks like, as well as how she keeps herself on track while running a growing business. 

I don't find it easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I live in London where there’s always something fun to do and amazing to eat. It makes it harder to take time out for myself, eat less inflammatory foods and find time to work out and practice yoga. And that’s before you factor in long-haul travel, hangovers, rainy days and working late. Honestly, my period is probably the only thing that really derails me. I just know now that for four days every month I’m going to be in bed most likely munching a bag of peanut M&Ms or Maltesers, and that’s okay! I don’t feel bad about it at all because I know in that moment it’s what my body and soul are craving. 

Exercising regularly is key for my mental health. Exercise is one of the best ways to instantly lift my mood. I spin at SoulCycle three or four times a week and then do yoga once a week. I’ll either do Hot Yoga at Fierce Grace or a restorative Iyengar class at Yoga Loft in Queens Park depending on my mood and energy levels. I also ensure I’m having honest open conversations so I don’t bottle up my emotions. It’s not always easy, but I can definitely feel the difference. 

Sleep and supplementation help me enormously. I go to bed at 10.30 most nights so that I can get a full eight hours. Long to-do lists and stress can keep me up so I invest time in relaxing my mind. I take Ashwagandha every day to help manage my cortisol levels - critical when you run a business. I also take a probiotic every night for my gut health. I visit infrared saunas once or twice a week to help ease my stress and sleep better at night. We now have Chromotherapy in the pods so I always get the blue light put on, which helps with sleep.  

My diet is always evolving. I spent most of my time at university and a couple of years after drinking too much and eating pizza every night! I’ve also tried most fad diets at one point or another. I was paleo for quite a long time, and do the Whole30 at the start of every year to reset my system. Usually, my diet is very plant-heavy, although the month I spent being vegan didn’t agree with my digestive system.  

Fasting works for me. It's something I have naturally integrated into my life although I don’t see it as a diet or something restrictive. I prefer to fast in the morning and so don’t eat until about noon. I’ve found that it keeps me more focused and I snack less as a result. I generally have a hot adaptogen drink first thing like hot water with Ashwagandha and apple cider vinegar, then a hazelnut matcha latte when I get into work.

Staying strict during the week is my main goal. My weekday lunches are generally vegetarian – a nutrient dense salad with roasted chickpeas and nuts and some avocado, for example.  I don’t snack an insane amount, generally I’ll grab an apple or have one of our CBD dates. I drink a lot of matcha and moon milks too.  A typical dinner is oven baked salmon with some garlicky cavolo nero (my favourite vegetable) and a small portion of baby potatoes. But I always have to have dessert. I have such a sweet tooth, so I love treats like Kaakao chocolate bars (they use coconut milk and dates instead of dairy and sugar) or Booja Booja hazelnut truffles, which are also dairy free.

I like to loosen up at weekends. I still tend to fast on Saturday mornings but Sundays are croissant days for me! I have a love affair with laminated pastries – my favourite spot to grab something is Pophams in Islington but if I can’t get up there, I head to Milk Beach in Queens Park. I’m generally out for dinner on Saturday nights and if we’re somewhere with fresh pasta you know that’s what I’ll order. I typically either make or order a curry on Sunday evenings. 

...but I still have some dining out rules. I eat out once or twice a week but I have to be really strict as I’m a massive foodie and could easily spend every night exploring new restaurants. My philosophy is eat out less, but do it properly versus eating out lots and ordering the least interesting thing on the menu. As for alcohol, I tend to drink once or twice a week. I’m lucky that most of my friends don’t drink much so I don’t ever feel peer pressure to drink midweek or drink more than a glass of wine at dinner. If I’m out having a nice meal, I’ll order a glass of red wine, preferably natural, and if I’m at a cocktail bar I always order something with tequila.

I believe how we eat is as important as what we eat. Eating slowly and more intentionally is better for your digestive system but we are all also so time poor it’s quite hard to put into practice. I always try to eat my dinner sitting down, slowly and without my phone. I also like to take the time to cook. If I’m doing something non-restrictive, I like to make fresh orecchiette (little pasta ears) with cime de rape – a bitter Italian green cooked with lots of chilli and garlic. If it’s something healthier, my classic salmon and cavolo nero dish is really popular and I do lots of warm salads with chicken, root vegetables and bitter leaves. 

Buying local is really important to me. I try to buy as much as I can from my local farmers market and then will do an Ocado order for everything else. Five things I get between the two witout fail include cavolo nero, salmon, cashew milk, potatoes or some other root vegetables and chocolate. Either way, I think local and sustainable are more important qualities to look for. Usually these are also organic, but sometimes farmers can’t afford the regulatory stamp. In my view, shopping at farmers markets means you automatically have access to food that’s better for you. 

I've extended natural remedies into my home. I use Method and Ecover cleaning products to minimise the chemicals in my home. I don’t go 100% natural though, as I have pets and god knows what they’re dragging into the house. Anti-bacterial products are very important to me! I use mainly natural skincare products except for a BHA/AHA acid to target breakouts and a retinol for my hyperpigmentation.

Visit GlowBarLDN.com