Nutritionist Hala El-Shafie: ‘Coffees? I’d love to have 10 a day’

I’m a proper food geek. I love WholeFoods — I just love going in there. If anyone is new to London and they haven’t been to the High Street Kensington branch, I’m like, “You’ve got to see it!”

I used to practice out of Harrods and Harley Street, but now I’m everywhere but an office, so I sometimes meet people in there. I’ll never be seen dead without heels at meetings, but I’ve always got my trainers in my bag.

We’ve got amazing parks for walking in this city. My favourite is Holland Park and the Japanese Garden.

Oh my God, I’m the antithesis of one of those people who’ll never be seen with a bowl of pasta! I’m all about balance, variety and the 80/20 rule. There’s a great Italian restaurant in Mayfair, QP LDN. I love going in there — it’s super-glamorous and the food is amazing!

Farmacy in Notting Hill is also great. Actually, the great British Sunday roast is probably one of the most balanced meals we can have. But it’s important for people to remember that food is food. I don’t use the word ‘treat’ for food. Treats are getting your hair done, having a massage, spending time with friends.

I would probably have 10 coffees every day if I could, but you’d have to pull me off the ceiling. I like good, strong Arabic coffee, generally speaking. There are lots of amazing Turkish and Arabic restaurants on Edgware Road and that’s where I’d recommend going. Just for one.

My family is from Sudan and I’m in the process of writing a book on Sudanese cooking. Most people don’t know that much about the country apart from the negative connotations. The hospitality and the food is incredible, really delicious, a fusion of Arabic, Mediterranean and African food.

Interestingly, while there are quite a lot of meat dishes, there are also a lot of vegan dishes, foods that are really rich in vitamin B12 and iron. Hibiscus is a national staple and has lots of really valuable health benefits.

Dancing is my preferred exercise. I do hold some great parties. What a lot of people probably won’t know is that I used to co-run a club night in Leeds called Electric Ladyland. I’m into funky house and New York house. It’s good music to work out to, definitely.

We’re hosting some retreats in Ibiza this year with Nutrition Rocks [co-owned with Noel Gallagher’s ex, Meg Mathews], because exercise has got to be fun. I think we just really need to get back to basics. Oh, ‘Back to Basics’, that was one of our clubs back in the day! See what I did there!

Hala El-Shafie is a registered dietician and consultant nutritionist. Catch her on Channel 4’s How To Lose Weight Well, ITV’s Sugar Free Farm and on Instagram @Nutrition_Rocks

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