ABSOLUTELY FOOD
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tend to avoid ‘detox bunnies’. You know who I mean: those bright-eyed, bushytailed individuals who eat only the very healthiest of meals, exercise every day and are perkier than a Colombian coffee in the morning (read Gwyneth Paltrow). I find their company terribly depressing, holding up a mirror to my own inadequacies and making me vow to eat better/ exercise more/get more sleep/only drink green tea/take up yoga etc. Until I end up with more ridiculous resolutions than a crack addict at New Year. So it’s no surprise that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to interviewing Lily Simpson, founder of high-end diet delivery service the Detox Kitchen. As she walks in, all clear pale skin, big dark eyes and glossy brown mane, I can’t help thinking that Lily wouldn’t seem amiss playing Snow White in a pantomime. She also makes a great poster girl for the detox lifestyle. It doesn’t take long for her to launch into an explanation of the company – a food delivery service based on the three guiding principles of gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free food. Subscribers receive three fresh meals a day along with two snacks, all of which is delivered to the doorstep every morning before 7am. At 1500 calories a day, it’s not too strenuous and it shifts the weight too, with most clients losing between 3-6lbs in the average five-day programme. ‘Naturally you start eating healthier and your palette is cleansed so it stays off,’ Lily explains. ‘It’s all about clean food. I hate to sound snobby when it comes to food but if I eat sugary food or if I have anything very oily or fried, it affects me so badly. My eyes feel like they’re popping out of my head – horrible. It’s just about having a clean system.’ It would seem that there are many who would agree: Elle Macpherson, Pixie Geldof, Henry Holland, Jasmine Guiness and, of course, Gwyneth Paltrow are all tried-andtested fans of the service. Indeed, such was the
success of the brand that it now has an outpost in Harvey Nichols – a salad and juice bar serving the same sugar-, gluten- and dairy-free dishes – and next on the agenda is a DIY home detox kit, complete with recipe card and quality ingredients so that clients can continue the regime at a more affordable price. So far, so Gwynnie. But surely it can’t be that much fun never eating sugar? Or gluten? ‘Well, I mostly eat my own food but I am obsessed with chocolate so I still eat that,’ Lily concedes. The pressure to be healthy must be tough, I suggest, when you’re running a business like the Detox Kitchen. ‘Yes!’ she bursts out, unexpectedly, ‘there’s so much pressure. It’s horrible!’ I point out that she looks pretty good considering, but she just shakes her head. ‘When I first started I ran myself into the ground. I looked awful, with big bags under my eyes and I’d lost so much weight because I’d been running around like a complete maniac. So I’d turn up to meetings as this really skinny, pop-eyed, spotty, tired girl. People were like, “Really? You run THIS company?!”’Not that it got any easier after things slowed down; Lily suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, which often affects her skin. ‘I’m a very emotional person,’ she confides, ‘so my skin tends to flare up when I have an important meeting. I have to tell them, “It’s not my diet, it’s the ovaries!”’ she laughs. Having learned to control symptoms with her diet, Lily is now helping others do the same – a project which has inspired her latest adventure: trekking across the Alps to help raise money for Trekstock, a charity which supports young people with cancer. ‘They’re amazing,’ she tells me, ‘because they offer support in a really interactive, interesting way. They also help people with their diets, which is something we do too.’ So how is the training going, I ask? ‘It’s so hot, I think I might actually die!’ Lily wails. ‘On the kit list it says “trekking boots, best worn-in over three years”. Try three days! But tonight I’m going to walk from Battersea to North London, where I live.’
R EC I P E Wheat and Dairy-free Soba Noodle Carbonara INGREDIENTS 200g x Soba noodles 2 x egg yolks ½ x onion 1 x garlic clove ½ cooked chicken breast 1 x handful of kale 1 x handful of flat leaf parsley Cracked black pepper Maldon salt TO MAKE Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the soba noodles in for 2 minutes, then drain - but keep 1 tblsp of the starchy water.Meanwhile, dice the onion and crush the garlic. Sweat down the onion until it is slightly caramelised, for around 6 minutes, then add the garlic and cook out for 5 minutes. Now add the diced chicken and cook for 10 minutes, adding a splash of the starchy water that you saved from the noodles. Next, add the kale and cooked noodles, heat for 1 minute and take off the heat. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper. Tip the noodle and onion mixture into the bowl with eggs and beat (this will cook the eggs and is all done off the heat). Finish with chopped parsley.Check delivery areas at detoxkitchen.co.uk
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