FOOD

James Duigan, wellness guru to the stars – and everyone else – tells Melanie Swan about his philosophy of simplicity in a new book, out this autumn

Wellness guru and cookbook author James Duigan believes eating clean is much easier than you think. He shares some recipes from his latest book to get you started.

James Duigan is known as the brains behind bodies beautiful including Rita Ora and Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke but his message is strong: It takes more than a sculpted physique to be healthy. The Australia-based author of the Clean and Lean series of books, this autumn releases his latest title, James Duigan’s Blueprint For Health, and says it is time to take health back to basics. Based on four pillars – sleep, mindset, movement and nutrition – his philosophy is ‘keep it simple’. Speaking to Friday, he says ‘it’s about teaching people to stop and breathe, and seeing what a difference it can make. It’s about the importance of sleep. When you sleep, that’s when the magic happens, when the body regenerates itself and you can optimise all the other things you’re doing for your health.’

His model of health is about happiness and sustainability. ‘It’s not about going to classes five times a week and smashing yourself to the point of throwing up. Eventually, you’re going to break, physically, physiologically or mentally. A good rule of thumb is that if something feels wrong, it probably is wrong. Keep it simple and be kind to yourself. If it’s making you miserable, get rid of it.’

The rags-to riches-fitness expert – 20 years ago, he was homeless – now has his high-end Bodyism gyms around the world, in locations including London’s exclusive Notting Hill, and a celebrity client list reading like a copy of Hello! magazine. But in spite of his success, the soon to be father-of-three remains dedicated to a hands-on approach. ‘I do as many hours on the gym floor as I can, as it’s where I learn. It gives me my “why” so it’s really important to stay on the gym floor.’

It is here that he sees both the positive and detrimental effects of social media on body image. ‘It’s been powerful but it can also be the cause of a lot of damage,’ he said. ‘It’s addictive as it is linked to the dopamine response so it can affect you hormonally, like a drug. It can disconnect you from the world and give you an unsustainable sense of self, shame and guilt based on Photoshopped images of “health”. It can be very damaging to people’s self-worth and self-esteem.’

It is with his clients that he navigates through the ongoing misconceptions of ‘healthy eating’. He said: ‘The low-fat fad has been seen through in most of the world and people realise that low-fat means high salt, sugar and chemicals. The new one now is gluten-free, which also doesn’t mean it’s healthy. What does healthy mean anyway? If you read the labels of many gluten-free foods, they’re full of sugars and chemicals, too.’

His philosophy is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, each of us responding to different things, from training to diet. ‘What works for one person won’t work for another so the idea is to tune into what works for you,’ he says. ‘The body will communicate with you constantly, but the problem is that so many people have come to believe that these things we know as signs of bad health are normal; that constantly feeling tired or getting up bloated is their idea of them being healthy.’

Education is key. Though we have answers at the tips of our fingers and in the palm of our hands in our smartphones, he says it is not the information but the questions asked which hold the power to create change. ‘One of the most Googled questions is “how can I lose weight?” but really it should be “how can I lose weight healthily and sustainably?” he stressed. ‘People need to educate themselves to read labels, take responsibility for their health and question everything,’ he said. ‘You don’t need to be university-educated to understand.’

His latest book is part guide to his philosophy, with training plans and mindset exercises, and part recipes and meal plans to combine for a happier, more sustainable healthy life. ‘Keep it simple; move every day, eat a little better, get the sleeping right and believe this can happen. Once people start taking care of themselves, the problems usually start to fall away.’

‘What works for one person won’t work for another so the idea is to tune into what works for you. The body will communicate with you constantly’