When celebrity chef Nigella Lawson unveiled her new, slimmer figure earlier this month, we all assumed she must’ve hit the gym. But now she’s revealed her svelte body is all thanks to slow yoga, also known as Iyengar.
Nigella before
Nigella looking stunningly svelte after
What’s it all about?
“Sloga” is set around the same poses as most other forms of yoga, but each one is taught at a slower pace so you can focus on its quality. The process can use up as many kilojoules as faster workouts – an hour-long session can burn over 1000kJ.
Sloga advocate Nigella, 55, says, “Yoga certainly makes you feel great and you want to carry on feeling great. I just do a little bit in a very slow way – sometimes lying down.”Anita Phillips, a UK-based Iyengar teacher, explains, “The slower pace of Iyengar yoga allows for precision and precision enables the benefits, which include developing muscle tone and improving posture.
“It’s also a more inclusive style than many other forms of yoga because it uses props to help people who are less flexible.”
Iyengar can improve your body’s alignment too, which will affect your everyday life more than you think. “Women often carry their weight on one leg more than the other, either while holding bags or children, or just through habit,” tells Anita. “Through being aware of alignment, they’re able to look after their bodies better in daily life.”
But the benefits of sloga aren’t just physical. “Iyengar also helps develop a calm and positive mental attitude because students are taught to focus on themselves.”
A day in the life of Nigella’s eating plan
Nigella complements her yoga with a few healthy diet tweaks. But forget strict rules – this is all about cooking with lots of flavour to help curb those cravings. “Depriving your body is not the way,” she says.
“I love kale and I’m an avocado-obsessive. But life is about balance.” Here are a few of her tasty menu ideas.
Breakfast: Mexican scrambled eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms.
Lunch: Chicken, mango and chilli salad.
Dinner: Farro risotto with mushrooms
“With farro, you feel you’re having the most indulgent food, but it’s a wholegrain, so it’s healthy,” tells Nigella. “It gives a slow release of energy so you won’t feel that sense of white- carb fatigue.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
