What does your typical day look like?

I have a schedule that’s very much dictated by having three children, but I always ring-fence time in the morning to do my meditation and yoga practice. In a very busy and demanding life, those things are sacred to me. My experience of the day is very different if I don’t do them.

I take the children to school during term time, and then start work. Today, for example, I’m doing interviews in the morning and then working from home, and I’m going to London later for a brainstorming business conference.

We have two dogs and three cats, so I always build in a daily walk. Time outside is, again, sacred to me! Even if I have a whole day in London, I get up early to fit a walk in.

My husband and I don’t watch much television, just because it’s nice to have a bit of quiet time once the children have gone to bed. I’m an avid reader, but I often don’t make three pages before I’m drifting off.

What does health mean to you?

I think if there’s one word that sums it up, it would be ‘balance’. And that relates to all aspects of health: there’s no point in having the healthiest diet in the world if you don’t have a healthy mindset or if you’re working yourself too hard.

Balance comes from nurturing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sides of ourselves.

What do you think are the biggest misperceptions about health today?

As nutrition has become more mainstream, I’ve observed that people have developed an almost obsessive mentality around it—and that’s just not necessary. If you’re following a nutrition plan rigidly and wondering why you’re not getting the results you want, it may be that the rigidity is the problem.

Too much guidance about what we should be eating can be counterproductive. I believe in a flexitarian approach!

It sounds trite, but much of my work in clinic was about empowering women to understand their own body. What works for your body won’t necessarily work for the person next to you, so it’s all about tuning into yourself.

What’s your favourite thing to eat?

It very much depends on the season and where I am. Right now, in this autumnal season, I’m loving sweet potato, butternut squash and other warming root vegetables.

I also love good-quality crisps and will occasionally enjoy a bowl with a glass of wine. It’s almost an end-of-week ritual.

If you could give just one piece of advice concerning food, what would it be and why?

I like the phrase, ‘If you can’t pick it, grow it or catch it, limit it’. This approach endorses a more seasonal approach to eating, which I fully advocate.

Nature has delivered what she’s delivered for a purpose. Berries are out right now, for example, because we need those anthocyanidins and antioxidant systems.

Whom do you look up to, and why?

The ecologist Satish Kumar is my absolute god! He is the editor of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, and a pioneer on environmental practices and what it truly means to be healthy.

I would highly recommend anybody to read his book, Soil, Soul, Society. He delves into the synergistic relationship we have with our planet and our physical environment, and with each other—and it makes you realise how important it all is for balanced health.

Tell us something about you that people wouldn’t expect.

I’ve still got a burning ambition to be an international DJ! Music has been part of my heartbeat for such a long time. It’s a bit part of our family now too—playing music, hearing music, going to see live music of all genres.

Aside from good health, family and friends, what do you cherish in your life?

I cherish nature. Today, after dropping the kids off at school, I drove through a wood and a deer ran out in front of me. I had to stop for only about 30 seconds, but it was a beautiful moment.

That’s what I mean when I say my mediation and yoga practice affects my whole day. It helps me notice and appreciate those little moments, whether it’s seeing that deer or just going to shop and having someone be incredibly kind.

With eco anxiety, COVID and the general feeling that the planet is falling apart, I feel it’s important to be reminded of all the beautiful things that are happening around us all the time.

Head to Wild Nutrition to learn more about Henrietta and the Wild Nutrition range.