Kristina: “I’ve got so much energy – I never feel deprived!”
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff tells Closer how ditching meat and dairy has changed her life, and shares how she caters for her mixed-diet family
Three-and-a-half years ago, Kristina Rihanoff switched to a vegan diet and she hasn’t looked back, crediting the lifestyle with helping her shift her baby weight and feel better than ever.
After welcoming her daughter Mila, four, the former Strictly star slowly transitioned to veganism and says it helped her lose a stone, dropping from a size 12 to a 10.
“I love being vegan so much – my body feels good for it and I have more energy,” she explains. “It helped me to lose weight after having Mila, too. About a year after giving birth, I did my yoga training [Kristina is now a qualified yoga teacher] and started experimenting with having vegan days, and I just felt great. It’s been a great transition for me, and I never feel deprived.”
YOGA TRAINING
For Kristina, the shift to becoming vegan came naturally, particularly as cuisine from her native Russia already contains lots of vegan-friendly food.
“I always gravitated towards that style of eating. I love vegetables and fresh fruit, and as a dancer you eat more healthily because you want to put good fuel into your body,” she explains. “Russian cuisine is very vegetable-based, and when I started doing my yoga training, I found that yoga has the philosophy of being kind to the world and animals, so it was a natural transition.”
Kristina, 43, shares Mila with her fiancé, former England rugby star Ben Cohen, and the family spend lots of time with Ben’s twin daughters Harriette and Isabelle, 12, from his previous marriage. Kristina says that while neither
‘As a dancer I want to put good fuel in my body’
Ben nor the children are vegan, a lot of the food they prepare is plant-based.
“Ben is the cook in this family, and with the kids we try to promote healthy eating, so we cook a lot of vegetables anyway,” Kristina explains. “I will sometimes have my own side dish if everyone else is having meat, but we have a lot of shared food on the table which is vegan. I did think about giving Mila a vegan diet, but I thought she’d see her sisters eat other foods and she might want it, so I didn’t want that to be an issue. She’ll make up her mind when she’s older, just like I did. I don’t mind people around me eating meat, as I came to veganism quite late. People have to make their own choices. It’s not for me to preach, but I’m happy to talk about it if anyone wants to know more.”
And Kristina says that being a vegan is easier than ever now.
“The supermarkets are full of lovely products, compared to when I first switched. It used to be difficult ordering vegan food in restaurants, and sometimes I’d end up with just a side dish or some vegetables, but now there are loads of delicious options.”
In the summer of 2019, Kristina and Ben, 42, opened their business Soo Yoga, a family wellness centre in Northampton offering classes for all the family, which also has a crèche and a café with vegan options.
DIFFICULT TIMES
“We wanted somewhere nonpretentious and friendly. We know all our members by name. Of course, it’s been really tough navigating the lockdowns and having to close, but our members have been incredibly supportive and we’re going to try our hardest to power through these difficult times. We’ve been offering tons of classes online, which has been great.”
But, like most of us, Kristina says this latest lockdown has been tough.
“I feel bad, because I’ll be teaching a class online and Mila will be on the iPad in the corner – it’s so challenging, and like most parents, juggling everything, including home-schooling, is hard,” she explains. “I feel for all the parents out there and we are all doing our best. I’d love to spend more time in the kitchen cooking some vegan dishes, but the reality is I’m busier than ever in lockdown!”
By Annabelle Lee
● For more information on Kristina and Ben’s wellness centre and classes, visit Sooyoga.com