Be inspired by health and beauty guru, Evie Leatham, as she talks to Hip and Healthy about how to make healthy choices, keeping fit and stealing beauty tips from the models at Fashion Week

What do you eat for breakfast?
I’d love to say porridge with pumpkin seeds, berries and maple syrup. In reality it’s a skinny flat white and Greek yogurt with apple and almonds gulped down at my desk! I’m not a morning person and I’m afraid my breakfast suffers.

How do you keep fit?
I’ve just brought a Brompton bike so that I can cycle to and from work. Although it’s toned up my legs and bum it’s not an especially good cardio work-out; London, where I’m based, is pretty flat and the traffic slows me down. I combine it with three fitness classes a week but I keep it varied to avoid boredom setting in, so it could be anything from TenPilates to jogging in the park or trying a totally new work-out trend for the health pages. My rule is not to book classes too far in advance otherwise I start dreading it. Motivation is often lacking so I’d love to have a 24/7 health minder telling me what to do diet-wise and kicking me out of bed and on to the treadmill every morning.

What motto/advice do you try and live by?
Avoid anything that your great grandmother wouldn’t recognise as food. I’d much prefer to have a smaller knob of unadulterated butter than lots of something masquerading as butter.

How is your diet?
I have my five a day but my sweet tooth sometimes over-rides the voice telling me to buy the healthy snack. The only supplement I currently take is Vitamin D over the winter months. I’ve recently taken an at-home test to assess my Omega 3 vs Omega 6 levels. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory and key to healthy, disease-free ageing while high levels of Omega 6 can promote disease. Western diets are very high in Omega 6; one nutritionist told me that he regularly sees women with twenty-five times the recommended levels. I haven’t had the results yet but watch this space.

What is your skincare routine?
I have very sensitive skin so I keep it simple. I cleanse with Cor Silver Soap (www.corsilver.com), then I use Darphin Organic Rose Aromatic Care followed by Aromatherapy Associates Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser (www.aromatherapyassocaites.com) on top. When my skin is rebelling, Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel (www.skinceuticals.com) calms any redness – I discovered it backstage where it’s a staple used to soothe model’s fashion week weary skin.

What song do you listen to when you work out?
Titanium by David Guetta is a current favourite. My play-list is based around hi- tempo songs that last about five mins. I work-out to my maximum during the track and reward myself with a few minutes breather at the end.

What do you love to snack on?
Dark chocolate on a naughty day. Berries on a good day.

How do you relax?
Sometimes relaxing can seem like a chore; we add it to our to-do lists only to feel guilty if we don’t make that meditation class. I try to spend some time doing not-very-much except for digesting the day whether that’s in the bath or sitting on my roof terrace. No book, no TV, no music and no yoga class to rush to, which only heightens my stress-levels.

What three things can you not live without?
Books. Baths. Bed.

What beauty product do you swear by?
Fake tan – it has a slimming, firming quality that my summer dresses require. Chopping and changing is part of the job but my current favourite is He Shi as the colour isn’t too dark for my pale skin.

What is the reason you got into the health and beauty industry?
Diet and fitness have a hugely positive impact on the way we feel about ourselves. And while make-up won’t change the world the feel-good factor is often underestimated. I get lots of letters from readers whose confidence is transformed by simply wearing mascara or their favourite red lipstick.

What’s the best thing about being a Health and Beauty Editor at Easy Living?
I’m always amazed how many health myths, misleading headlines and contradictory information there is out there. I thrive on discovering the bottom line advice from trusted health experts. My first question is always ‘what would you do?’