Kristina: “I’m full of energy and I’ve dropped a dress size”
After embracing veganism last summer, former Strictly dancer Kristina Rihanoff explains how the diet has transformed her life and her body
She turned vegan just eight months ago, but Kristina Rihanoff has already noticed incredible changes to her body – both inside and out. “I feel full of energy,” she says. “I’m usually dancing for seven to eight hours a day and, at the moment, I’m touring with my show, plus I’ve got a little one [Kristina is mum to one-year-old daughter Milena] to look after – but I’ve never felt better. I don’t feel lethargic any more, and my sugar cravings have disappeared.”
For Kristina, 40, who was a vegetarian during her late teens, the transition wasn’t too difficult. She explains, “I was only eating poultry and seafood before going vegan. And I’m intolerant to dairy, so I’ve been using almond and coconut milk for the past five years. I’ve enjoyed trying new food and experimenting with flavours, too.”
The professional dancer – who credits veganism for helping her shape up after childbirth – ensured she ate as much unprocessed food as possible during her pregnancy, as well as swapping white carbs for whole wheat.
“I went from a size 8 to a size 12 when I was pregnant,” says Kristina, who’s 5ft 2. “I went down to a 10 quite soon afterwards, but I struggled to get back to my pre-pregnancy size. It was strange, because I lost 5lbs as soon as I went vegan, without trying.”
She reveals that she ended up going vegan after her partner, rugby star Ben Cohen, 39, fell ill last summer. “Ben had glandular fever and was so sick. He just had no energy for months,” she explains. “A few of our friends had recommended that he try going vegan and I’d done a lot of research and educated myself on it beforehand, so I suggested that we both try it. Within three days, Ben was back in the gym – it was incredible. So we both decided to stick with it.”
Kristina and Ben now cook healthy vegan meals at home. Kristina says, “I do my shopping in Tesco and I go to the ‘Free From’ aisle to get things like vegan mayonnaise. It’s been an incredible lifestyle change for us both – we feel amazing.”