Julie Montagu is the 41 year old Instagram sensation who features on US TV show Ladies of London and is the author of new book Eat Real Food. We asked her to keep an exclusive food and fitness diary for a week when she just happened to be flitting from London to New York!
Julie Montagu, aka The Flexi-Foodie is a yoga and nutrition teacher at London’s top studios, star of recent US Bravo show Ladies of London and the brains behind new online nutrition course The Flexi Foodie Academy. The 41 year old is also the creator of her own range of energy snacks and we’re tired just writing out her biography! Married with four children, Julie is surely one of the few people whose natural body clock and zest for life habitually propel her out of bed after just six hours of sleep. We love her. By way of inspiration, we asked Julie to keep a food and exercise diary so we could find out exactly how she maintains that beautiful face and body AND manages to live such an inspirational Healthista life. The best bit? She had to fly to New York so you’ll some insider info on healthy hotspots in NYC!
Monday
Morning: Hot water, Lemon & Cayenne Pepper to kick start my week and my body and help me get my kids out of the house for school.
Breakfast: I made a big batch of Honey Nut Granola the night before, so mixed that with some Rude Health Ultimate Almond milk and topped with some chia seeds and blueberries.
Exercise: I cycled to Triyoga Soho on Mondays all the way from Wandsworth. I then stayed for a meditation class straight after my vinyasa flow class. I also do Dharma Yoga on Mondays at triyoga Chelsea – Mondays are a full on YOGA day!
Lunch: Kale salad with Avocado at Juice Baby, which happens to be next door to triyoga Chelsea.
Mid-afternoon: I always have an Immunity Juice with Pineapple and Cayenne Pepper and Lemon at Juice Baby for my pick-me-up and just before the kids come home from school.
Evening: I’ve collaborated with Mindful Chef this month and my box of recipes arrived on Sunday night so tonight we made my Brown Rice Burrito Bowl and the kids loved it!
Drink: I love PostiviTea and had their Crown Chakra blend of Chamomile, Honeybush and Lavendar with Valerian – perfect before bed!
I made avocado on spelt toast and topped it with some coconut yogurt
Tuesday
Morning: I had some cucumbers and carrots staring me in the face, so I juiced them quickly and added some lemon and lime too. My youngest sneaked a gulp too!
Breakfast: I tend to eat breakfast after the kids are all out the door by 7:30am each morning. So this morning, I made avocado on spelt toast and topped it with some coconut yogurt and the zest from the lime in my morning juice. So good!
Exercise: cycled to The South Kensington Club and taught my class and then headed over to triyoga Chelsea to take a vinyasa flow class. I try to get in a yoga class pretty much every single day! I’m obsessed!
MORE WHAT SHE REALLY EATS: Deliciously Ella’s food diary
I had no choice but to snack on a Banana, Oat, coconut milk and chia seeds smoothie with maple syrup
Lunch: After yoga, I cycled home and I was FREEZING! So, I made a warming soup – broccoli and tofu – yes tofu! I love adding tofu into soups because it thickens them up and makes them a much heartier meal. I simply heated up some vegetable stock and added in broccoli, spinach, cumin, silken tofu and topped it with some toasted pumpkin seeds.
It’s that simple! Oh, and very tasty too
Mid-afternoon: I was shooting recipes for my next online course so I had no choice but to snack on a banana, Oat, coconut milk and chia seeds smoothie with maple syrup.
Evening: I made my Quinoa Curry with tons of Green Veggies from my Mindful Chef collaboration.
Drink: Teapig Green Tea while I was teaching yoga in the evening. I stayed for Kundalini yoga afterwards and sipped on some coconut water in between teaching and actually taking a class.
Wednesday
Wednesdays are also my busiest days especially with teaching yoga
Morning: It’s the day before I fly to NYC so I wanted to make sure that I really hydrated today!
I had a Plenish juice in the fridge – The FUEL one with Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Ginger and Lime followed by some proper and very special Japanese Green Tea from The Japan Centre in Piccadilly (one of my favourite places to shop!)
Breakfast: Wednesdays are also among my busiest days especially with teaching yoga and literally cycling all around London, so I kick started my day with Daylesford Super Seed and Quinoa Porridge and I topped it with chia seeds, honey and blueberries.
Exercise: I cycled from Wandsworth to my first class at triyoga Chelsea and then cycled from Chelsea to teach my next class at triyoga Soho. And yup, I stayed for a vinyasa flow class after my lunchtime class!
Lunch: The Detox Kitchen is luckily right below triyoga Soho so I had their stacked sweet potatoes and a side of roasted cauliflower and herbs plus a Matcha Almond Latte!
Mid-afternoon: I was so crazy busy that day teaching and cycling and yes, getting ready for NYC that I’m afraid a snack was missed but that’s because I had fuelled up enough at breakfast and lunch!
Evening: The last of my Mindful Chef dinners before heading across the pond. This one was a true hit with everyone in the family. My Tofu and Red Cabbage Casserole was easy to make (less than 30 minutes) and hit the spot just before I went to teach yoga, again, at triyoga Chelsea.
MORE WHAT SHE REALLY EATS: The Hemsley sisters’ food diaries
Drink: I drank a Jax Coconut Water and some fennel tea (yes, at the same time! lol!) while I was teaching and then ran home to pack!
lots of exciting meetings – but I brought my 11 year old, William, with me as he had never been to NYC
Thursday
Morning: It was CRAZY to say the least! A quick cup of Teapigs green tea and out the door I went! I headed to NYC for mostly work – lots of exciting meetings – but I brought my 11 year old, William, with me as he had never been to NYC and I had friends and family that could look after him while I flitted about the city from one meeting to the next.
Breakfast: At Heathrow, we had a big breakfast at Giraffe. It was SO nice to see this on the menu….avocado smash on sourdough bread topped with vine cherry tomatoes, red chilli, parsley and basil oil. YUM!
When I’m in NYC, I always stay at a friend’s apartment
Exercise: I had already researched my yoga routine while in NYC. So, I headed to the 6:30pm Hot Vinyasa Class at New York Yoga. When I’m in NYC, I always stay at a friend’s apartment on the Upper East Side and the New York Yoga Studio is not only VERY good but it’s literally across the street.
Lunch: I’m NOT a fan of aeroplane food, so I drank lots of water on the flight and snacked on Rhythm 108 raw bars. It’s not too long of a flight so these snacks held me over
There is something about NYC take away that is just second to none!
Mid-afternoon: First stop off the plane…. an ALL GREEN juice at Juice Press
Evening: I had a couple friends around so that jet lagged William could sleep. We ordered from a local Thai joint and I had the tofu pad thai and it was so yummy. There is something about NYC take away that is just second to none!
Drink: We toasted my arrival with a lovely and local large glass of red wine from Martha’s Vineyard. Perfect.
Friday
Morning: My son and I were jet lagged, so we woke up extremely early and went to Dean and Deluca and had a wonderful sweet matcha green tea latte with almond milk and then strolled through Central Park while sipping on our lattes…yes, William had one too and loved it!
Breakfast: My friend totally stocked the apartment with everything breakfast for our mornings. So, I had a large bowl of gluten-free cereal soaked in coconut and almond milk and that milk was some of the best I’ve ever had!
Exercise: I made it to the 8am power yoga class at New York yoga which set me up for the rest of my day filled with meetings.
Lunch: In between meetings, I met a friend at Elmo’s which is in Chelsea and I munched on a super sized kale and red onion salad with avocado and a GREAT vegan dressing!
Mid-afternoon: In between meetings, I found The Juice Shop and literally downed the Green Glory filled with Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery, Romaine and Pineapple and off I was to my next meeting!
Evening: I had made reservations at Beauty and Essex on the Lower East Side – it’s nearly impossible to get a reservation there, but I had called several months in advance to make sure I got one! I started with the Chile Salted shishito peppers with fresh mint and lime and the cauliflower gratin made with parsley lemon and fresno chili and the crispy eggplant pIzzetta!
Drink: The Emerald Gimlet at Beauty and Essex – so unbelievably good! Made with Belvedere vodka, basil, lemon nectar and fresh lime. I had TWO!
Saturday
Morning: Chai almond latte from Dean and Deluca while walking in Central Park. It was heaven!
Breakfast: The apartment was stocked with the most amazing red pepper hummus and I spread it on toasted rye bread.
For starters, we had the seitan and sweet potato dumpling
Exercise: My daily 8am hot power yoga class at New York Yoga. So hard but so good!
Lunch: We went to the Candle Cafe on the Upper East Side – it’s a superb vegetarian and vegan restaurant and I ate as much as I could! For starters, we had the seitan and sweet potato dumpling and I had the avocado BLT filled with Tempeh Bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles and sweet potato fries.
STUFFED!
Mid-afternoon: A pick me up fresh green juice at Fresh & Co – Kale, Spinach, cucumber, lemon and lime.
Sunday
Evening: We ate at Felidia which is an extraordinary Italian place. Founded by Lidia Bastianich, who is one of the best-loved TV chefs, I knew the food would be good and it didn’t disappoint. I had the homemade pasta with cauliflower and olives topped with a wonderful fresh, tomato sauce.
Drink: Prosecco, of course!
Morning: Our last day in NYC and we’re sad! We walked to Dean and Deluca one last time for our sweet matcha Green tea latte and walked through Central Park for the last time.
Breakfast: We then ventured to Juice Generation and feasted on a Kale and Spirulina muffin and a Cacao and Maca Muffin.
Out of this world!
Exercise: My last hot power yoga class at New York Yoga 8am – 9am.
Lunch: Fresh & Co Tofu, Kale, Edamame, Red pepper & Quinoa salad with a sweet chilli dressing
Mid-afternoon: Raw Vegan Goji Berry Protein Bar to keep me going before the flight back.
We were running around like crazy trying to see as much as we could before we left.
Evening: Evening flight back to London and I took the Caesar’s Vegan Salad from Fresh & Co with me. It was packed with romaine, kale, crispy chickpeas, cashew parmesan and a vegan caesar dressing.
Drink: WATER, WATER, WATER as needing to stay hydrated on the flight back to London.
Click here to buy your copy of Eat Real Food by Julie Montagu, (£10.99)
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