Stylist Live was back again this year, taking on body issues and the pseudo science behind eating well. Here’s how the weekend went down.
I’ve been to Stylist Live once before and had a great time attending talks, workshops and the obligatory fashion show (such an Anna Wintour moment). I headed down to Kensington Olympia to see what Stylist would get to up this year, and it didn’t disappoint. The festival of inspiration promised to be bigger than ever, and it was heartening to see their positive take on health and wellbeing.
Don’t Hate the Shake: Body Positive & Proud
This was a panel discussion between Sofie Hagen, Harnaam Kaur and Megan Jayne Crabbe. The trials and tribulations that these women have gone through are sadly all too common, but now they’re speaking up on behalf of everyone.
Sofie now has a successful career as a standup comedian and was an excellent panel host. Harnaam is the famous ‘bearded lady’ because of her polycystic ovaries, and described the pain of being an outsider in society. Megan shared her struggles with extreme dieting and explained how cellulite only became a ‘problem’ in the 1970s – when someone wanted to make a profit.
These three women were incredibly articulate, passionate and sincere about how they want to change society. They hate the prescriptive #fitspo that’s taken over social media (that hastag is just shy of 50 million on Instagram btw). They recognise that there’s no single perfect body.
Harnaam said something that really struck me. She said that she realised something when she was feeling suicidal. She wanted to die, but her body was fighting to live. Her heart was beating, her brain working and her body was living. Even when she didn’t want to be alive, her body was pushing her too and carrying on. That’s because our bodies are amazing. They’re powerful, and strong and need to be celebrated, no matter their size, shape and colour.
Healthy lunch break
As a foodie, I knew I had to have a pit stop at the street food area. It was a difficult decision for me to make. Crepes? Pasta rolled in a giant cheese? Salad box? I eventually joined the queue for Rola Wala and after a few minutes wait, my patience was rewarded with this gorgeous bowl of Indian streetfood. If I’m ever passing by Spitafields, I know where I’ll be stopping by for a bite to eat!
Mythbusting: The real ways to eat well in 2018 with The Rooted Project
This was a great presentation by The Rooted Project, who are all about good nutrition that’s grounded in science. They had a look at some of the hottest trends in food and nutrition, including gothic black charcoal and bright green matcha.
Their ethos is simple. They want us all to look at the evidence and ask, will this really help me? They’re both trained and registered dietitians and nutritionists, so they’re definitely qualified to be doling out advice, and even they admit that nutrition is tricky and hard to define! After all, nutrients work in minuscule concentrations,and it’s sometimes difficult to uncover the way that they really work.
I saw some similarities between The Rooted Project and Pandora’s Health. I’ve previously written about activated charcoal, and I’ve planning posts on lemon water and turmeric as well. It was so great to see other people who are also passionate about taking a proper look at health and wellness! I also learned a couple of new things.
So, did you know that drinking a collagen drink may not actually help your skin? That’s because when you eat/drink collagen, it goes through the stomach and is digested. Digestion breaks up the collagen into amino acids (the basic building blocks) and passes it through to the body, where the amino acids are then used. They may go on to become collagen but…they also may not. It’s something to think about when you’re next offered some delicious bone broth!
Time to shop
Stylist Live is a festival of inspiration – which means it’s not all talks and workshops. There were some amazing brands that were giving away delicious samples and offering great deals. I’m not ashamed to admit my love for my Kikki K planner, it’s such a stylish addition to my desk!
Pandora's Health 