The last time I embarked on a juice cleanse I was at a retreat in a remote part of Cambodia. We woke up with sun salutations, replaced meal times with massages and spent our afternoons strolling along beautiful beaches or reading in a hammock. It was the perfect place to press pause on my usual eating patterns and by the end of the week, I was really starting to listen to the signs and signals my body was giving me: eating whe...

I hadn’t planned on drinking so much, but one cheeky mid-week beverage turned into several when wine flowed as quickly as conversation. Even my university years failed to increase my alcohol tolerance and 2 glasses in I’m talking too loudly and flushing crimson! Apparently this flush (often referred to as ‘Asian flush’) is a sign of alcohol intolerance due to a faulty version of a gene ALDH2. When working, this gene breaks dow...

Heading home after half a week in Wales and I'm feeling wonderful.

It might sound a bit cliche (and a copycat of Cameron Diaz' experience in 'The Holiday') but a cute little cottage in the countryside provides the perfect city-detox. By situating myself in a setting somewhat shielded from contemporary culture, I managed to step back in time and into a world removed from modern technology, traffic and rapidity. I hate to admit i...

Continuing on from my last article- here are 5 further instructions I would tell my mini-me. Note I said ‘mini-me’ this time and not ‘younger self’ because I think the latter slightly hints at regret. In the words of Edith Pilaf (or strictly speaking the lyrics of Michel Vaucaire) "Non, je ne regret rein”. As some smart, soulful person once said- “there are no regrets in life, just lessons le...

Sorry I've been gone a while. My life has been a bit obscure as of late. I won't bother you with the details, but what's important is that I'm back. And I'm here to stay....

What I would tell my younger self: part 1

I know that I'm not really old enough to tackle this subject yet. But I sure as hell have picked up some cheats over the past 23 years. Tricks and tips that could've prevented my younger self from 'falling down the r...

Anyone who has ever been travelling will remember the feeling of freedom. The sense of adventure. And the ability not to care. 

Looking back on photos from my Filipino adventure and I am longing for the same simplistic satisfaction. I’ve only been back in the UK for 8 weeks and yet I’ve already lost some of that “I couldn’t give a crap what I look like” attitude. Something which seems impossible to hold on to when the...

You may already know this, but I’m an actress. Or trying to be. I try not to talk about it non-stop because it’s not what I am. It’s what I do. 

I shifted my perspective a few years back because failure can be all-consuming if you let it sit in every room of your ‘house.’ Closing the door after a hard-day at the office helps to distinguish a work-life balance and allows you to partition these feelings appropriately. For example...

For too long I have blamed external sources for feelings of dissatisfaction, insecurity and unhappiness. Yet something occurred to me the other day- I control my own happiness. Not you. Not my family. Not even Ryan Reynolds (although I wouldn’t mind if he did ;)) 

A very close friend laughed at me the other day because I was moaning about eating a second home-baked cupcake. This was a post-operation ‘down-day’ where I turned to...

I really love the idea of a bed day. You know, when you stay in bed all day watching films, eating crap and achieving nothing? Yet the reality normally involves me lying on the duvet, learning a script, sending e-mails and attempting to do a yoga pose...all at the same time. Once again life- or perhaps my meddling mind- has taken over and turns the ‘bed day’ into a another routine ‘tick of the box’ occasion. 

So after having a...

I think everyone has a trigger word. A word that sets them off into a downward spiral of negativity. It's normally just a simple, standard remark and yet it has the power to completely immobilise you.

Today I was set off by the word 'weight.' Which is surprising because I haven't worried about my weight or body all that much lately. In fact, it hasn't been a proper 'concern' since University. I guess I assumed I naturally grew...