Thanks to lockdown I ended up having a beautiful home birth
TV DOCTOR SARA KAYAT TALKS TO ABI JACKSON ABOUT BECOMING A MUM, ECO-CONSCIOUS PARENTING AND HER FOUR PILLARS OF WELLBEING
IT’S been quite an eventful 12 months for This Morning’s GP, Dr Sara Kayat. She and husband Rupert Walker welcomed their son, Harris, during lockdown last May. Here, Sara tells us more about becoming a mum for the first-time and her eco-friendly approach to parenting.
You became a mum in lockdown – how have you found it all?
Sometimes I think it’s a blessing, and other times I think it’s horrendous! I changed my birth plan and ended up having a beautiful home birth; that was a lovely little plus side.
[Lockdown] also gave me that opportunity to find my space after the birth and get to know my baby so much more, I think, than if I’d been entertaining lots of people coming over.
Obviously, on the negative side, there’s a lot of peer support that’s lacking, a lot of engagement with friends and family that I would have loved.
So it’s about trying to pick out the positives, but I think it’s also important to recognise and accept that it’s not perfect, and you are allowed to be sad about it and lament over this lost year, and grieve for the things you weren’t able to do.
What was your life like before, juggling TV work and being a GP?
Goodness, my week was jampacked before. I had all those studio days, writing days, I was a full-time GP as well, then weekends trying to fit in family, friends, husband – everything!
It was probably too much, but I didn’t know any better because that’s how it’s always been. I’ve always enjoyed nature – always gone for a run outside – but I’ve never really stopped to take it in as much as I have now.
How did you manage to stay balanced with such a full plate?
It’s always about the four pillars of lifestyle and health for me, making sure your foundations are OK. So you’ve got diet and nutrition – I’m careful to make sure I’m getting those, eating the rainbow, trying to balance my diet. I’m not vegan, but I’ve started being more plant-based and only eat meat maybe once a week. Then exercise – I’m very keen on running and yoga. Then sleep – I always prioritise sleep.
I’m that annoying person that even if you’re having the best night out, I’m like, ‘Ah, it’s 10 o’clock, I’ve got to sleep!’.
My final pillar is all about stress management. For me, these all fit here, because physical activity is stress management, but I’ve also always done a bit of mindfulness and carved out time every day to do that.
It doesn’t have to be long, probably only five or 10 minutes. I think because I’ve always had the foundations, it’s easier to build on, and when there are added stresses, you know you’re able to go back to feeling OK.
Have you always been a good sleeper, or is that something you’ve had to work on?
Pre-Harris, I was! Now my mind is blown by the fact I can apparently get 30 minutes of sleep and still do an interview! It’s impressive how your body adjusts. If you’d said a year ago, I’d only be getting an hour or two a night, I’d say not possible, I won’t function.
I don’t really take naps during the day, but at 6am, I pass Harris over to Rupert and he takes responsibility from 6-9am. So those hours are completely mine, to sleep or get things done for me.
I’m very keen on running and yoga. Then sleep – I always prioritise sleep Dr Sara Kayat on lifestyle
You’ve teamed up with WaterWipes on an eco campaign. Is being eco-conscious something that’s important for you?
Definitely. I haven’t bought new clothes for Harris, only used handme-downs. Same for myself, I haven’t bought new clothes for over a year now, because I don’t necessarily believe in fast fashion.
And there are toys that can just be re-used, rather than having to buy a whole load of new plastic toys for your baby. There are lots of things we can be doing.
Of course, there are times when you slip up and it’s not always possible, but I try to do the best I can.
GROWING your own food from seed is probably one of the most rewarding acts of gardening. It’s exciting to watch tiny seeds develop into plants, it’s fun to nurture their growth, and then the best bit is that you get to eat them!
Home-grown food always tastes far better than anything you can buy, mainly because it’s so fresh, but the enjoyment is also enhanced by a sense of accomplishment.
So the good news is that it’s time to get sowing some seeds, namely tomatoes. These are started now so the fruit will be ready to absorb as much summer sunshine as possible to grow and ripen to their best. You can sow a bit earlier but this can often result in leggy seedlings which simply do not flourish in the low light of January and early February.
First think about what type you’d like to grow and what space you have available.
There are indoor and outdoor varieties so your choice will depend on whether you have a polytunnel, glasshouse or conservatory, or none of the above.
Where space is limited, you can grow bushy varieties in pots or grow cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets. If you don’t have soil and your growing space is a patio or balcony, grow bags will be sufficient to accommodate two tomato plants. Growing from seed will allow you a huge choice in terms of varieties available or you can plump for popular reliables such as ‘Sungold’, ‘Moneymaker’ and ‘Tumbling Tom’. If you’re going for outdoor, delay sowing seed for around another month.
For a tomato seed to germinate, it needs heat. A heated greenhouse is perfect but you can also use a small heated propagator or a sunny windowsill so long as a minimum of 18C is obtained.
The seed is small so either sow them shallowly or surface sow and cover with some sieved compost or a scattering of vermiculite and water in.
Once leaves develop, prick them out and pot individually – a small yoghurt pot would be around the right size. As the plant gets bigger, you can pot on or into a grow bag. You will need to harden off before planting outside. If your plant has become a bit leggy by the time it comes to planting out in the polytunnel or garden, you can plunge the plant in a bit deeper, burying some of the stem which will produce roots. Cordon plants can be quite rampant when they get going and it’s for this reason you keep them in check by pinching out side shoots. The aim is to confine the growth to a single stem and direct the plant’s energy into flower and fruit production. Once you have six trusses or bunches of flowers, you pinch off the top of the cordon to stop more growth. For outdoor varieties, you leave just four trusses. Cordons need support such as bamboo cane, or you can grow up a string support – use twine as hessian string can rot over the growing season. If you’re a beginner, start with bushy varieties which don’t need support or pinching out. So what’s the secret to great tomatoes? First, plenty of food – they are hungry and as soon as they put on roots, start using tomato feed and increase to a fortnightly feed when the flowers emerge. Secondly, maximum heat and sunshine. Remember they are tender plants so if you’re growing them outdoors, they can’t go outside until after frost has gone in May or even later depending where you are. And thirdly, you need to provide consistent watering for plump, juicy fruits.
If this has whetted your appetite for veg growing, it’s also time now to start sowing seeds of chilli peppers, aubergines and peppers, all of which require a warm environment to get going.
EDWARD STEPHENS
IF you’re looking for a stylish family car to ensure envious glances from your neighbours it’s hard to beat one with French design flair. And the latest C4 model from Citroen comes with oodles of je ne sais quoi guaranteed to get it and you noticed.
Classed as a hatchback but with stylish coupe-like lines and more than a nod to the practicality of an SUV, the C4 has a broad appeal to a wide market.
And in a move to improve its desirability even more the car is available with a choice of petrol, diesel and full electric versions.
All three are identical in appearance, inside and out – other than the “e” badge on the front wings of the electric models – so the choice comes down to the individual needs of the buyer and their budget.
Even the electric charging point flap is in exactly the same place as the petrol/diesel flap and because the batteries for the electric model are under the passenger section of the car there’s no loss of luggage space, all cars getting 380 litres rising to 1,250 litres with the rear seatbacks lowered.
Certainly the designers of the latest car – the first C4 was launched back in 2004 – have pulled out all the stops to ensure it offers a strong challenge to its main competitors which include the likes of the VW Golf and Ford Focus.
And the end result is one of those rare cars that looks good from any angle.
From the eye-catching lines of the “face” with its dramatic lighting features to the heavily raked roof with its rear window spoiler, it’s hard not to like the classy appeal of the new C4.
Sit inside one of the top spec Shine plus models and there’s a distinctly upmarket feel to it with leather seats with nice contrasting detailing, a head-up display, a 10-inch centre screen for satellite navigation and onboard features, heated seats and even a heated steering wheel.
Like a number of manufacturers Citroen has chosen to abandon the traditional gear shift on automatic models, replacing with a small, chrome knurled rocker switch. Close by is a switch to toggle between three driving modes –Eco, Normal and Sport.
Trying one of the 1.2litre, petrol versions with its 130 bhp engine – 100bhp and 155 bhp versions are also available and 110bhp and 130 bhp diesels – followed by an electric one it’s immediately obvious how much work has been put in to ensure smooth, comfortable family motoring thanks in
it part to Citroen’s
Hydraulic Cushions.
These soften up the ride by adding a cushioning affect rather than a hard stop at the end of the suspension units to give additional comfort but not to the detriment of the handling.
And if that wasn’t enough all the seats on the C4 get additional padding to ensure long journeys don’t take their toll.
Acceleration through the eightspeed auto box is crisp with 62 miles per hour reached from standstill in a respectable 9.4 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. The electric version is quicker, however, at 9 seconds but the top speed is down, at 93mph.
What is impressive is how quiet and refined the cabin is on the petrol version even after driving the electric one, especially as it uses a three-cylinder engine.
In terms of economy you can expect to get around 50 miles per
Progressive gallon while the range on a full charge on the electric C4 will take you around 200 miles.
Handling is probably what you would expect from a car geared towards comfort. There is some roll but the C4 is not designed to be a hot hatch and any movement is all kept well under control.
All models, no matter what’s under the bonnet, get 18-inch alloys as standard.
When it comes to reversing the C4 makes it easy thanks to a reversing camera with 360 degree view, although rear visibility through the driving mirror is a little impeded by the rear spoiler.
That apart the new C4 is a car that’s going to appeal to motorists looking for style with economy at sensible money, with prices starting from just £21,000 for the entry level Sense petrol model.
Prices for electric models start from £33,395, before the £3,500 government grant.
The end result is one of those rare cars that looks good from any angle