FOOD FOUND HER | CHEF KARDEA BROWN

Food storytelling has been something that we have talked about multiple times. In enjoying those bites, you’re able to get the intention that the chef has whether it’s their style of food, infusing a culture that they represent or are passionate about as well as how they want you to feel! Once you consume it, you have memories that are set that you will come back to again and again!

Chef Kardea Brown is the host of Delicious Miss Brown which gives us recipes and stories about Southern cuisine from the low country that highlight Gullah culture on Food Network! She is also a judge on the same network for Spring Baking Championship alongside Nancy Fuller and Duff Goldman! We wanted to know more about how she got into the culinary industry, her passion for food, having her show, her partnership at PEPCID, and upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for! We talk about how food found her, coming to TV, being nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award and being a New York Times Bestselling Author.

We also delve into the issues surrounding food insecurity and her attendance on June 12th for Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals on Wheels fundraiser in New York, an annual tasting event, where PEPCID is the exclusive heartburn brand sponsor and 100% of public proceeds help Citymeals prepare and deliver nourishing meals to older New Yorkers in need. She teamed up with PEPCID, the #1 doctor recommended over the counter acid reducer brand, and is proud to support their efforts in the fight against food insecurity with Meals on Wheels America through their $50,000 sponsorship.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s such a pleasure to speak with you as we have been such fans of your show! Where does your love of food come from?

CHEF KARDEA BROWN: It would have to be not only the city that I come from, but my grandmother and my mother! They are some cooking women. They absolutely love cooking and I believe that it is one of our first loves. We have always found ways to spend time in the kitchen. I grew up around women that really loved being in the kitchen and I love food you know! Good food is always good for the heart and the soul!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF KB:  You know, I believe that it chose me. My first initial thought was that I was going to become a social worker and that I was going to work in the not-for-profit sector, in my life. The universe would say that it was a bit of a course redirection like, “this is great, you’re doing great there, but I think that I have something bigger and better for you there that’s going to involve food.” That’s how it kinda chose me and I’ve always loved cooking, but I never thought that I was going to do it for a living! It was kind of like, this is your purpose and this is your mission. Here it is!  

AM: It’s so great to hear that! How did you get your own show, Delicious, Miss Brown which we love and we also love that you talk about your background coming from Gullah influences and things like that. How did that all come together?

CHEF KB: So, I was dating a guy at the time. We are no longer together, but we’re still great friends! I’m pretty sure that I owe my career to him! He signed me up to be on a show for the Cooking Channel and out of thousands of submissions, they chose me to do the show with Bobby Dean and it was all about taking that Southern food and making it light and fresh. He wanted to go to a house of someone who cooked heavy Southern meals and kind of flip that and make it into a lighter meal. So, I did that show and it didn’t get picked up by the network, but the network’s executives saw the show and said, “man, she’s really great! Has she thought about doing food television?” At the time, I was working at Big Brothers, Big Sisters and I wasn’t thinking about doing food or cooking on TV! Somehow, I ended up being on several shows after that and eventually, they pitched me to the network to have my own in the kitchen show and I would say about 5 years later, I got my opportunity to host my own show and now I’m in my 8th season!  

AM: That is incredible and congratulations on your recent nomination for your Daytime Emmy Award as a Culinary Host and in your category is Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Justin Sutherland, Andrew Zimmern, and Ina Garten! That is amazing!

CHEF KB: Blew my mind! To be mentioned in the same room and category with these greats, with these people that I grew up watching is insane and so it’s a great filling!

PHOTO COURTESY | Pepcid

AM: You’re going to be part of the 36th Annual Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals on Wheels, tell me about this and why you’re excited to be part of it?  

CHEF KB: Oh my gosh! I personally use PEPCID in my life! If you have ever seen any of my shows, I cook – you know I like to fry things, I like my spicy foods and all of the things that give you heartburn and so when the opportunity was presented, I thought it was a no-brainer.

The Chefs Tribute that is going on Jun 12th – I am really excited to be there! It’s for a great cause with Citymeals. They’re combatting food insecurity and that’s something that is very important to me because what I do for a living is to teach people how to cook. I can’t do that for people, especially when the demographic that watches Delicious Miss Brown, it’s usually between the ages of 25 – 56 and even older! So a lot of these people watch the show and I want them to be able to have the opportunity to be able to go to their local supermarket or have food delivered that makes my job easier! I want to be able to show you how to cook it and I need you to be able to have the food in order to be able to do that! So Citymeals is doing a really great job of that and combating food insecurity especially here in NY.

For this event taking place, PEPCID is the only heartburn brand that will be there and they have personally sponsored Meals on Wheels America with $50,000. So as soon as I heard of the initiative and PEPCID’s involvement, I said, sign me up!  

AM: That’s definitely exciting.

What is it that you enjoy about taking PEPCID? Do you take it before you eat something or is it after for those that have yet to use this?

CHEF KB: So, you don’t have to take it before. I usually take it after especially when I kind of feel the heartburn kind of starting. I know immediately that when I eat something, especially at night, I might eat something spicy or tomato-based which we do a lot in the Gullah culture. When I eat my red rice, I know that I will have to take some PEPCID immediately after to have a good night’s rest! Even when I film my show, I’m tasting, I’m eating constantly. I can’t do that if I’m suffering from heartburn. If you have ever suffered from heartburn, you know that it’s not pleasant. I take PEPCID immediately, it works just like that and it makes my job that much easier!  

AM: In addition to you hosting Delicious Miss Brown, you’re also judging Spring Baking Championship on the same network! We’re also huge fans of this show! What are you looking forward to with this show?

CHEF KB: Oh my gosh, Spring Baking Championship is one of those shows that I really stumbled in and it’s an amazing show! I have learned so much. It took me awhile to get into baking. I have always been a savory person, but now I do both! But now that I feel that being part of this show has taught me so much and being on the judging panel with Nancy Fuller everyone’s grandma and then Duff Goldman who is a pastry and cake genius! I’ve learned so much and I’m just really excited about what’s to come with the show and many more seasons! The show did really well last season so I’m really excited about more season with Spring Baking!

AM: It’s such a fun show and everyone is so creative! We couldn’t do any of those things, but we always love hearing Duff talk and how excited he is when he’s eating things!

CHEF KB: Yes! He really does get into it and he’s like the cake genius! He is the mechanics of the show and I feel like I bring in the heart where I’m like, “oh this is good, girl!” You know, that type of thing.

AM: You need both!

CHEF KB: Yes, you do! It’s a good balance!

AM: Last year, you dropped your cookbook, The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family with Over 100 Recipes, what was it like working on this project and you’re also a New York Times Best Selling Author!

CHEF KB: Yes, it was really fun! It was my first cookbook so I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but it was a learning lesson and it was an experience. I’m really happy about it because for so many years and actually decades, my family had these recipes within my family, but we never had a way to keep those recipes beyond word of mouth. So now, there’s a place where recipes can live and I really feel like I’m making my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother proud by creating history within our families! Being that it is right out of the gate and it made it to the NYT Bestsellers was just mind-blowing to me. A little girl from Charleston, South Carolina had big dreams and I never dreamt that it would be this.

AM: Your journey has been amazing and we’d love to know more about your frozen food line! What’s it going to be and what can we expect from it?

CHEF KB: Oh my gosh! I can’t give all the details yet, but it’s going to be with a major distributor/retailer, and it’s going to be all the things that everyone loves about the South and the low country as many of the foods that you have probably seen on my show or people who have watched it who say, “man, I wish I could taste that!” You will be able to soon!

AM: We can’t wait to see it! Just looking at all of the things that you have done in your career, these are really big moment! Food is such a big vertical at Athleisure Mag, what do you want your legacy to be whether it’s on the culinary side or being an overall entrepreneur?

CHEF KB: You know, I want my legacy to be that I wasn’t afraid to take that leap of faith and that I somehow landed on my feet. If anyone ever has a dream, a hope, or something to aspire to – just do it! I literally did it and I had no clue what to do and somehow I ended up in a very great place! I want my legacy to be that I jumped, I landed, and it did well! If I can do it, anyone else can!

IG @kardeabrown

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NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

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ROOTS + RECIPES WITH AARTI SEQUEIRA

We had the pleasure to catch up with another culinary fave, Aarti Sequeira. We begin by talking about her culinary journey and how we first met her during in season 6 of Food Network’s Next Food Star where she won her season. We talk about her show Aarti Party, her love for sharing Indian foods and being a Food Network personality as a host and a judge. Just in the past weeks alone, we have enjoyed her judging on the latest season of Halloween Wars and then immediately after, she is judging Holiday Wars! She shares how she takes on her role as a judge and why honesty is essential when she is interacting with contestants. We also talk about her latest project, My Family Recipe Journal which allows people to record their family recipes as well as to add new ones that you have created with your friends and family. She talks about the importance of maintaining these culinary moments and how through this, families can still be connected through space, time and generations.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We remember watching you on the 6th season of Next Food Star and winning it which we knew you would. What was it about cooking that you loved it and the passion that you brought to it and what made you want to work in the culinary world and to share your food stories?

AARTI SEQUIRA: Gosh, well first of all, I was 10lbs when I was born. I think that I have always had an appetite. My poor, poor, poor mother. I was her first baby and I literally scarred her for life. Bless her! I was born into a family who are obsessed with food. I mean, my family will talk about what they have eaten before they will tell you how they are feeling! Because that is probably a clearer barometer about their emotional well being. It’s really the center of our lives. I think it’s because food is such a huge part of Indian culture and in India as well as South Asia in general, you can tell so much about a person, their community and their history based on what they eat. Their religion will decide some of the things that they can eat, where they’re from, the way that they cook it. It’s just such a huge part of our identity. That was such a natural thing that I brought up with me as I grew and came to the states.

So the ironic thing is that my mum is an incredible cook and she’s known as this in our family. My dad has a very exacting palette and both of them are world travelers, they’ve been all over and especially my dad. When we would go on holiday, we would go to places where he had been on business trips. He’d come back and he’d say, “we have to go to Istanbul guys – you’ll love it.” That summer we would go to Istanbul and that was a really beautiful gift that they gave us. Of course, when we went on holiday, that was also about what we were going to eat and then coming home and trying to recreate some of that and sharing it with our friends and family. So, cooking and eating have marked every joyful and difficult moment of my life.

So in my 20s when I was here in the states and I was hitting a real rough patch in terms of – I had always thought that I wanted to be a journalist and I had been pretty successful at that and I had worked at the company of my dreams, CNN. Then, the bottom fell out of everything and I couldn’t find work and I was really starting to question my worth and I retreated to the kitchen and watched a ton of Food Network – every cooking show I could find, I read all the cookbooks and I started tinkering around in my kitchen. I found that cooking gave me my sense of peace and comfort and quiet and a sense of being able to turn chaos into something beautiful. I desperately needed that at that point in my life as it felt like chaos. So cooking really saved me in many ways because I was having a huge identity crisis and around the same time, that’s when my faith came together and so faith and cooking and everything that happened right then in my 20s – it was a crucible and it was really hard, but I’m so grateful for it because it really helped me establish who I am.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients that you always like to have on hand?

AS: Oooo gosh! How can you narrow it down to just 3? It’s so hard. I would put it down to sort of the Indian holy trio which would be onion, ginger and garlic. I think if I have those 3 ingredients, I can build pretty much any savory dish and if I caramelize the onions enough, I can make a sweet dish.

AM: Oh wow some double duty actions!

AS: I think that if you walk into my house, you’ll always find those things sitting on the counter – even if I have nothing else.

AM: We always love when we're watching Food Network and we’ll see you popping on the Guy’s Grocery Games, on Chopped or Halloween Wars and we know that on Nov 7th, Holiday Wars comes out and that’s really exciting! It’s great to see these incredible bakers doing what they do and for it to be in the holiday season as we have navigated these past 20 months it makes you think of that sense of family, fun and thinking like a kid again. So, tell us for those that may not have seen the show, we know its hosted by Maneet Chauhan and that you and Shinmin Li are judges.

AS: So Holiday Wars is a tradition on Food Network. It’s a long standing show and I was really honored to be invited to be part of it. Shinmin has been judging it since the beginning so she’s the OG and then I’m there haha! Holiday Wars is a show that tests bakers on the inside and on the outside. Meaning, they have to make, sculpt and create for us these beautiful vignettes that will communicate whatever the theme is of that episode. But they can only use sugar, flour, eggs, butter, chocolate and some isomalt.

They have to make us a piece of art. Now on top of that, it’s interesting that this season they are going to have to be heartbreakingly, cutting into their creations because somewhere at a certain point in the middle of their beautiful sculpture, there is some cake for us to taste. So that’s why I say, inside and outside. It’s about the flavors and it’s also about the art of it. It’s such a unique show and something that keeps the whole family involved. I watch it with my kids because they can somewhat imagine the flavors especially my boujie palated children!

The thing with Holiday Wars, it’s what we get excited for. We drive around our neighborhoods to see the Christmas decorations and everywhere we go, there is holiday music playing. We have tumbled through the year and we have come home. At the end of the year, this is what you want – some comfort, warmth and hope which is to me what I think the holiday is about and that’s all wrapped into one here on Holiday Wars.

AM: How does it feel as a judge to sit there and watch all of these things going on and people are going through competitions? Do you find it hard to be able to categorize what is better than something else? It must be pretty tough.

AS: It is really hard, especially once we get further and further into the end of the competition. Listen, I am a huggy buggy. I start to get really invested in these people - I care about them. If I could hand them all a trophy, I would but that doesn’t really behoove anyone. The longer we go, the harder it is for me to tell them, “hey it didn’t work.” This is the advantage of being someone that has competed and continues to compete is that I know what that feels like. I don’t like it when I can tell that a judge is holding back the truth. I want to know the truth and that’s how I grow and that’s how I get better. I try to keep that in mind too. I bear in mind all the difficulty of cooking in front of 1 billion cameras and lights and the stress that that involves, I try to keep in mind that fatigue because really after a few weeks into the competition there is physical and mental fatigue going on. I try to keep all of that in mind, but at the end of the day, everybody is there to move forward in the competition and in their career. So I have to shoot it straight and I try to do it with as much grace and levity as possible because that’s what I want.

AM: This season starts on Nov 7th, but is there anything that you can tell us that we should look out for or anything that you can share?

AS: I will tell you that this show follows on the heels of Halloween Wars and it was really interesting to see how to make a sculpture really pop and to have an impact. On Halloween Wars, you can really cash in on the drama of the theater that really stands out. So in a way, you could really see that – but when you move on to Holiday Wars, there is no shadow and I found that they had somewhat of a harder challenge because what they’re trying to play on is nostalgia, memory, humor and that thing that you can’t put your finger on to give you those feelings in your heart when you say, “oh my gosh, I’m completely in love with it and I can tell you all the stories that I felt as a kid.” That’s very hard to do and so there were definitely a couple of creations where even if the execution wasn’t great and I can think of it now, I was brought to tears over it when I heard the story behind it. It just made me cry so grab some tissues as there will be some crying. It won’t just be me!

AM: It is a story and it’s kind of interesting because I was looking at your My Family Recipes Journal and I believe that people do tell stories through food. It’s pretty hard when you talk about a certain dish without talking about something that came from your family or some type of experience that you have had and especially with what we were talking about, family bonds, the holiday season and all of these feelings that come together with this. Where did the idea come from for you to be able to create this?

AS: Well, my grandmother whose name was Lucica, my middle name is from her. She was this whirlwind in the kitchen and she was the kind of woman who would say that she would make a cake, she would wing the recipe and even though she didn’t have an oven, she would steam it on the stove top. It would turn out so good and everyone would say, “oh my gosh, Lucica is an incredible cook.” She was and unfortunately, she passed away quite early in her life and in the life of her children. She did not write her recipes down because I think that she thought that she would always be here. So for my mom, her sisters and her brother, for whom food is such a huge part of their life, to not have those recipes and to not have them written down in her handwriting, it was just a huge loss.

So my mom started her own recipe journal and I think that consciously or subconsciously so that that wouldn’t happen to us. She has been keeping a recipe journal for as long as I can remember. She has so many of these big old day planners that are filled with her recipes written and re-written, tested and re-tested. It’s more of the traditional things that tell us about where we from, but it’s also the new things that she has come up with because of the experiences that she has gone through so it’s really this living testament to who my mother really is and one of these days, she’s going to pass. I don’t like thinking about that, but what I will have and what my sisters will have is that testament to who Rosemary Sequeira was and not only will I be able to run my fingers over the handwriting and touch her, but I will also be able to recreate them and you know that when you make that person's recipes, they are back in the kitchen with you and that's a way to reintroduce her to my girls and to help them them understand that, “hey, you come from me, but you also come from Rosemary Sequeira, you also come from Lucica Harrison and a bunch of generations before you who all loved to cook and these are the flavors that they were really into and this is why we have the sweet halal or the sweet pilaf recipes because back in the day, they were rationing and my grandmother had to come up with the recipes.” These are the stories right that pull our roots down into really good soil, so that we can stretch up high and wide. I think it’s really important to write these recipes down because family recipes naturally and inherently connect a family. These days because our lives are so full and so busy and frankly, families are all across the country and all across the world We have time and distance coming for our families and stretching them! So something as simple as sharing a family recipe can be that glue that pulls that family back together. If there is anything that we have learned over the past couple of years is that, you can take a lot of things from us, but we will find a way to remain connected to those people that are really important to us. Family is whatever way that it means something to us.

I got together with my family at DaySpring and they know how to make beautiful things that are a blessing to us and enable us to bless others. They helped me create this recipe journey. There are blessing at the beginning of every section and I get a little choked up to think that there might be families all over the country saying those blessings before they eat this holiday season and there are also pieces of scripture on every page and we have broken up the pages into 8 sections so that you can decide how you want to divide up your recipes. Every section is color coded and the colors are inspired by saris from my mum’s closet. The interesting way that we have set up the pages is that page 1 is not for your to write the recipe on – that’s page 2. Page 1 is for you to write the title of the recipe , the kitchen from which it came and then to write your memory of that person or the times that you have eaten eaten that recipe. So that stays and when you write something down, you give it value and you’ve taken something abstract that only lives in your mind and you put it down so that others can share in that experience. That’s why I think that that is really important to me and that’s why it’s on page 1.

AM: It seems like such a beautiful book and something that is perfect for gifting.

AS: Yeah, thank you!

AM: When we were watching you reveal the book on your Instagram, the colors are lovely and it looks so ornate and feels like something that you would want to put on the coffee table of your home when you are not using it.

AS: In my mind, it was meant to look like a jewelry box!

AM: Yes! That’s what we were going to say but we didn’t want to offend you ha!

AS: Yes! Why would I be offended that’s what I wanted it to look like! It’s a complete jewelry box, because I want people to understand that their family recipes no matter how humble or intricate – they are jewels and gems that they should hold onto. You should protect them and pass them down like an heirloom to the next generation.

AM: Do you see creating other products like this and having an assortment that allows people to continue to share their stories?

AS: I mean that is the hope and prayer. This is just the beginning of a relationship with DaySpring and we have some really cool ideas coming up so I am so excited to have a partner who values family and values connection and values faith the way that I do. Those are the things that keep me going. Really, on a day-to-day basis, if I didn't have those those things, I would be a mess!

AM: Yes!

AS: Yeah and I think that we can all relate to that! The holidays can be hard for some people and I wanted there to be something that could help them through this period of time.

IG @aartipaartipics

PHOTOS COURTESY | Aarti Sequeira

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Hear Chef, TV Personality and Judge of Food Network/Discovery+, Aarti Sequeira on our show, Athleisure Kitchen - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

CELEBRATING FLAVORS WITH CHEF ERIC ADJEPONG

When we connect with a master chef, they take us on a journey exploring their voice through food. Chef Eric Adjepong was a finalist on Season 16 of BRAVO's Top Chef and competed the following season on Top Chef: All Stars LA. He brought West African cuisine and its stories to the dishes he created and ultimately to millions of eyes. He has continued to serve as a judge or guest host/judge on a number of programs including Top Chef: Amateurs and Food Network's Battle of the Brothers (Bryan and Michael Voltaggio) on Discovery+.

His passion for his Ghanian American heritage has led him to participate in a restaurant concept in Ghana as well as launching flavorful food in his newest project with AYO Foods. We delved into his culinary point of view, his background and how important it is to share it with others.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have enjoyed seeing you on Top Chef as well as a number of other programs. When did you first fall in love with food and when did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF ERIC ADJEPONG: It started at a very young age for me around 6 or 7. I was enamored by chefs on cooking shows growing up – Julia Child, Yan Can Cook and I thought it was super, super cool to use fire and to create food. Watching my aunts, uncles and mom especially making food and just seeing that super power and I still think it’s a super power watching them cook to make a meal, which makes everyone stop what they’re doing and come to the dinner table. I have always admired that. I think that’s when it started for me and I’m lucky enough to have parents that fostered that.

AM: Before we delve into some of the projects that you’re involved in, we find it interesting that you have a Masters in Nutrition and you have cited that Chef José Andrés inspired you to do that. What was it that he was doing that lead you on that path?

CHEF EA: Definitely, I went back to study for my Masters in 2012 and a lot of that was spawned by the work that Chef José was doing with World Central Kitchen which was right around that period of time. It was fascinating honestly. I had my Bachelors in Culinary Nutrition so I had already gotten into it. Knowing better and doing better with my food and to be able to go full circle with what I started with, I wanted to be able to present myself as a one stop go-to kind of shop so to speak for food, anything regarding nutrition and culinary. I went to England and studied for about a year or so and it was a lot of fun and an awesome experience. I got to go to Ghana and I got a huge understanding of a global climate – what people are eating, how they are interacting with one another and that was an awesome experience for me. I think that a lot of that experience, the ideas, thoughts, inspirations and what I learned there has influenced me today.

AM: Can you share your culinary journey?

CHEF EA: I’m born and raised in NYC. My family came from Ghana in Kumasi. I was the first person born in the US from my family and I think that that gives me a unique perspective from the food that I cook and everything that I kind of do, it’s woven into me not just the food, but the culture, the way that I greet my parents, greet the elders, the way that I dress – it’s just all West Africa. It just so happens that I fell in love with cooking and have been able to bring to the forefront the food of the diaspora in a way that I think is unique to me, but also super authentic to the flavors to the places that I get my inspiration from.

AM: It was great seeing you on Season 16 of Top Chef as a finalist and then coming back for the next season for All-Stars in LA. What drew you to want to be part of that community which has such a dynamic platform to be involved in. How did you connect into it and you continue to be involved as I know you’re Top Chef Amateurs as well.

CHEF EA: I think it was just my admiration for the franchise even before I got in on my season. I was just a huge fan of the show period. I remember watching in culinary school and was just enamored by the talent and different characters coming out. I knew that if I was ever lucky enough to get on, I wanted to be able to celebrate West African culture as much as possible. I don’t know how it happened to be honest, it was kind of a blur, I was telling my now wife about it when we went out on a date. She helped me to apply which was cool. I did a tasting for them which was awesome and I was expecting a call months later or something like that. They called relatively quickly in a day or so and that just got the ball rolling. It’s an awesome fraternity and network that I love being a part of and not only in my season, but I can reach back to seasons past and it’s the same for those in the future. Even for the chefs that were in their season from Portland, you’ll have those folks reach out that want to do something like a collaborative dinner or to ask a piece of advice – how you handle certain things when it’s their time to be on the show. It’s a pretty huge community and I think it’s pretty cool to have Gail, Tom and Padma close by and you can reach out to them. They’re also ultra supportive as well to all of the chefs. They do a great job on the franchise to support all of us.

AM: From the Portland season, it was great to see one of the episodes focusing on West African foods. Thinking back to your season specifically, it was the first time that we remember seeing this brought forward. You really introduced us to a number of foods that we hadn’t been aware of and now are things that we have been able to eat by you presenting it in your dishes every week. Why was that so important to you to be able to include that in your repertoire of dishes that you were making?

CHEF EA: I knew going in that when I got the green light and I knew I was going to be cast, I had studied Modern American, Modern Italian, French and I knew that I could have gone that route. I think that if I had stayed on that line of thinking, that I could have been weeded out and I wanted to present something that was 1. very second nature to me and 2. that I hadn’t see on the franchise as I was such a fan. In 15 seasons, I hadn’t seen anybody cooking food from the continent of Africa really in a forceful way. So I figured, why not me, why not now – it was a great opportunity and I hit the ground running. I served a Raw bay scallop with Ghanian shito honey glaze, pickled shallots and celery garnish and it was super spicy and flavorful. They had no idea what was going on in their palette but they kept asking me to just keep cooking and I found myself in the finale cooking the same food, telling the same stories and I thought, I could really win off of doing this. I didn’t but I think in the long run, it boosted the profile of not only myself, but for the food of the diaspora.

AM: Absolutely and for those that are not familiar, what are the spices and foods that are indicative of West African foods?

CHEF EA: It’s a lot of warm spices and dry spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, star anise which is used quite often. Rosemary and thyme are huge and really we celebrate flavors and a lot of what is naturally grown in the area and in the region. So peppers, they come from literally everywhere and we use them in a variety of ways. Ginger, habanero, garlic, peanuts, plantains are huge. A lot of dried and fermented fish which we use essentially to what’s readily available. The sun is a great preservative and something that we can use to preserve and ferment and we do that often. It’s a great way to bring out strong and unique flavors in our food. I would say that that is pretty much the calling card and you will see that throughout the diaspora and the Caribbean with the use of cassava and plantains in South Africa, the use of corn and hominy here in the American South with jambalaya and gumbo which means okra – all of these little dishes which go back to the African diaspora in West Africa.

AM: Those are great points when you’re looking at the impact diaspora from a culinary standpoint. We were going to ask you how that affected the foods of the regions.

CHEF EA: Massively. One of the dishes that we’re presenting with AYO is Waakya and it’s a classic rice and beans dish. I call it the OG of the Peas and Rice dish because you will see this variation all throughout the diaspora because you’ll see it in Jamaica, parts of the Caribbean islands, a pretty popular rice and beans dish pretty much everywhere in South Africa and you’ll see it in Haiti. I’m really excited to talk about that and it’s really about the ingredients that we use. The peanuts, the plantains, the cassava and using those in really unique ways. You have to think that when people were being enslaved, they tried to grab what they could and to work with what they had. They braided rice in their hair and took what they could to the New World. They made use of what they had and whatever they couldn’t find or weren’t used to they adapted to what was readily available to them in the new land. You’ll see different variations of a very similar dish with a slight ingredient change and that happens all throughout the Caribbean as well. We use the scotch bonnets, it’s heavy and I think those traces are something that I like to be able to do and to celebrate as much as I can.

AM: How did the partnership between you and AYO Foods come about and what made you decide to introduce the two that will be coming out?

CHEF AE: Pretty organically funny enough. The founders Perteet and Fred Spencer of AYO Foods had reached out and they saw everything that I had been doing and very seamlessly, it was like an easy puzzle. They were pretty much preaching the same gospel that I have been doing if that makes sense and they have been pushing this food forward to get it into the grocer’s frozen and hot sauce aisles. I’m doing nutrition and a bit of fine dining. So the synergy was there and then making it work was something that we had to figure out, but I’m happy that we did be ause not only is the food really good and delicious but the branding is vibrant just as West Africa is. They have done a phenomenal job from beginning to end and I’m happy with the Chicken Yassa dish that we have which is beautifully braised chicken thighs and a rich roasted garlic and ginger sauce, a lot of onions, lemon juice and mustard and it’s cooked down to a beautiful jam with this jasmine rice. Waakye is the rice and peas dish. We have a red rice cooked like a sorghum millet leaves so it leaves this beautiful earthy note with a nice magenta color and we add a little coconut oil, roasted garlic and we season that and serve it with a really delicious sauce. It’s super traditional in terms of how the food is presented and is served, but as far as how it is shown, when you look at the box it’s so eye catching and catches the vibrancy of the plate – I really love what they did with it.

AM: Do you foresee that you will do additional dishes with them? Do you have a list of foods that you would like to add in down the road?

CHEF AE: I would actually! We’ve been able to kick things off without a hitch and have already started talking about collaborating on another dish or two or a sauce. For now, we’re focused on the Waakye and the Yassa and bringing these two dishes out as hard as I can. We both have a really strong effort to do that and I think that when people catch onto that wave, then we’ll definitely open the floodgates with a lot of dishes.

AM: In support of these 2 dishes what will you do in terms of driving awareness? Will you be doing IG Live or things of that nature?

CHEF EA: Yeah, anything that we can do to generate this like an IG Live, Zooms as those are things that people are normally doing to kind of break up the monotony with food and food stories. Doing demos, I’m totally down. They’ve been awesome and we’ve been able to do culinary classes as well with the folks at AYO which has been a lot of fun. If we can continue to do that in different ways to begin talking about this food, then it would be awesome. I’m always excited to do virtual classes as I do them anyway so doing it with AYO, I think that that’s really great.

AM: True, you’re already on that front doing your virtual classes. The fact that you and your wife are doing them together, it's great to see power coupleship!

CHEF EA: It’s been great and thank you for noticing! She’s been great and it’s been awesome and there is a lot of pivoting that had to happen as I’m sure that people are recognizing from last year. Being able to do these virtual classes and my wife being around helping out as much as she can has been awesome. It’s a great way to keep things different and being inside for the past year!

AM: It’s been a long 18 months!

CHEF EA: It has been yeah!

AM: You have 2 books coming out which is insane! Are you working on them now?

CHEF EA: You’re right it’s insane and I’m in the process of doing both of them and am writing them. It was a really smart idea when it was presented to me, but I’m feeling it now and it’s a lot of work. I’m glad I’m doing it this way so that I can get it out and it helps because I can piggyback off of one book to the next one. So the children’s book is somewhat feeding off the adult cookbook. So there are little gems in there and Easter eggs that you will see throughout. It tells the fictional story of a young kid in the inner city who is dealing with identity and food very much so like me growing up. So, I’m excited to share that story. For the adult cookbook, the contemporary one, there will be a huge spotlight on the traditional Ghanian and West African dishes and inspirations from modern times to the places that I have traveled to and what I have learned in between! I’m excited to present both books which will be out next year in Oct and I’m working on them now! For anybody that is writing a book, it’s quite a process so it won’t be out until next year, but I am in the thick of it right now!

AM: Do you have additional projects going on that you’re able to share as you're juggling quite a few.

CHEF EA: Yeah maybe I should slow down ha! But I am working with great organizations and great brands just like AYO and I’m really thankful for that. I have a little bit more TV in the future with Top Chef: Amateurs, the Discovery Network which I’m really proud of and the cookbooks. I’m taking a lot of time as a father and a husband is a title which is its own time and world as well. Hopefully when things kind of settle, I can get back into restaurant mode.

I helped open up a restaurant in Ghana last year which was an amazing experience. It’s been a busy few 18 months as you mentioned, but I like to stay busy and I’m really blessed to be in this position to do what I’m doing as I definitely dreamed about this. I want to take full advantage of this as much as I can.

AM: Why did you want to be involved in opening a restaurant concept in Ghana?

CHEF EA: Yeah definitely, a good friend of mine, who runs a hospitality business that is running the restaurant, East End Bistro in Accra the capital of Ghana in the Cantonments area, he and his partner have run a really successful bar called Bloom Bar. It’s probably one of the most successful bars in all of West Africa, they have expanded and they were looking to hop into the restaurant space. We had a relationship from the Bronx and he moved outand went to Ghana and started his dream with his hospitality venture. It was the perfect moment, I was available because I was not opening up a space here, so I left.

I went to Ghana and I was there for about 8 weeks from start to finish. We opened up, and did the training. I’m definitely open to extending my reach as much as I can not only to cooking in the continent of Africa but also to anywhere that is open to good food.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in terms of the impact that you created?

CHEF EA: Wow, I’ve never been asked that. I think it’s reputation, being a good person is #1 and something that I should always strive to be regardless of my profession or what I do in my life. I want to make people feel good and decent. That is my personal legacy. I think that career-wise, I just want to be a better chef every single day, every single year. I know that that sounds cliché but the better that I am, the better that I can be of service to people around me. Honing my skills and being the best chef that I can be, I will allow as an artist as it’s not up to me. It’s up to the masses to settle in on how impactful I have been when I pass or move on is. Hopefully, the cookbooks aid into a little of that legacy so to speak where I can have something that will be longstanding and will be around a lot longer then I will be physically. Kind of honing in and being better, will make me a happy person.

AM: How do you do take time for yourself?

CHEF EA: I am probably watching basketball when the season is on. I love watching basketball, sports, going to the gym and listening to music. Listening to music in the dark which I know sounds odd, is so peaceful to me. Listening to an album or two with dimmed lights. If I'm reading or working on something, I'm just jotting it down so that I can see. But I like some good music and some low lights which is probably the best way for me to wind down!

IG @ChefEricAdjepong

PHOTOS COURTESY | Chef Eric Adjepong

Read the JUL ISSUE #67 of Athleisure Mag and see Celebrating Flavors with Chef Eric Adjepong in mag.

COMMIT TO SELF-CARE WITH CATT SADLER

TV Personality and journalist Catt Sadler has been noted by the LA Times as one of the Top 10 Next Broadcasters of Our Generation. Her work in front of the camera has included talking with a wide range of celebs, personalities and athletes to give us the inside scoop. She launched and hosted E!'s The Daily 10 as well as appearing in a number of the networks' shows from E! News, Daily Pop, E! News Weekend to E! Live from the Red Carpet for a number of years.

Since her days at E!, Catt has also focused on the importance of empowering women and encouraging them. She navigates these areas via her site, The CattWalk. She dug deeper through her successful podcast NAKED with Catt Sadler. We caught up with Catt to talk about her career, the importance of wellness and self-care in her life, why she encourages others to embrace this as well. and her latest podcast show, It Sure is a Beautiful Day.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have always been a fan of yours. When did you know that you wanted to work in the entertainment industry as you have worn so many hats from being on TV, being a podcast host and producer!?

CATT SADDLER: My fascination with the entertainment industry was two-fold. I grew up in the Midwest watching a lot of tv and going to the movies dreaming of La La Land. I almost studied theatre in college, but was also always driven by people’s stories. I ended up studying broadcast journalism and then realized, with the help of my first agent, that I could engineer a life in entertainment television. It would be very competitive and was certainly a longshot (back then no one had iPhones), but as fate would have it I landed my first fulltime tv reporting job in San Francisco at the WB network when I was 22 years old. With more than two decades of hosting and reporting under my belt, producing was a very natural extension of that. The podcast space is a very freeing medium with less structure and rules – not to time, anything goes – I love the rawness of it. I have complete creative control of the content, my guests, the format. I’ve never had more fun.

AM: What does self-care mean to you?

CS: Self-care means so many things to me. Of course, it’s about treating myself to fresh flowers and a massage every now and then. But it’s really about the balance of mind, body, and spirit. It’s doing my best to not neglect any of these areas in my life. Understanding that, and tending to each of them is crucial to my overall wellness!

AM: How important is it to commit to self-care?

CS: The actual commitment to self-care is the most important piece. It’s a discipline that creates the best balance and peace for me. Consistently incorporating movement or exercise into my days, making time to write in my gratitude journal, and continuing my ongoing therapy. Fueling my body with food that makes me feel better, not worse, is also super important. Too much of a good thing is never actually good. Even spicy margaritas.

AM: What are your wellness goals for 2021?

CS: I’ve returned to hot yoga which is so good for us! Sweating is such a necessary release of toxins and stress. This practice has really become my church in many ways. I want to continue to get stronger and more flexible, while also increasing my supplements and vitamins. As we age we need all of the help we can get! I load up on superfoods and elixirs, collagen powders, probiotics, and more most days!

AM: By engaging in self-care, what have you learned about yourself?

CS: When we are kinder and more compassionate towards ourselves, we are better able to contribute more fully and generously to others. I’m a better mother and friend when I’m taking good care of myself.

AM: Many people try to peg their self-care moments to a particular day like on Sunday. How do you make sure that you do this more often than one day a week?

CS: I love a ritual and while I understand it might be good to put self-care on the calendar, I actually think it’s the little choices each day that matter the most. Even if it’s waking up and drinking a full glass of water or committing to five minutes of meditation. The small acts of self-care accumulate and have lasting effects.

AM: You have partnered with Hims and Hers. How did this partnership come about and what is the synergy between you?

CS: Well firstly, who doesn’t love JLo? I saw she was an ambassador for the brand and it wasn’t long after I started teaming up with them. I was using an assortment of their products. I appreciate that they cover the scope of beauty and wellness with effective products all in one easy to use and understand online destination!

AM: What are your quick tips to having glowing skin?

CS: It all starts with fresh clean skin. I like using a gentle cleanser and moisturizer to keep my skin balanced. Hers Deep Sea Cleanser and Tidal Wave Moisturizer have been working wonders. Especially hydrated skin is critical so beyond drinking a ton of water every day I also use Hyaluronic Serum from Dr. Barbara Sturm. Another serum that makes my skin feel radiant is 111Skin’s Rose Gold Radiance Booster. As I get older, it’s also important to make sure my foundation isn’t too matte or drying. I sprinkle in MARA Universal Face Oil into my foundation to make sure I create a dewy youthful look.

IG @IAmCattSadler

PHOTOS COURTESY | Catt Sadler

Read the Apr Issue #64 of Athleisure Mag and see Commit to Self-Care with Catt Sadler in mag.

SMOKING AND GRILLING WITH CHEF DAVID ROSE

It has been quite a year and yet, 2020 continues to roll on. In the midst of a lot of uncertainty, there have been things that remind us how life was prior to living in the pandemic that has taken place across the globe. This holiday season will be a bit different than what we have experienced with us socially distanced and not partaking in holiday parties and events that we have been used to in the past. We caught up with Chef David Rose to hear some tips on how we can tackle this year's season.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed seeing you as a finalist on Season 13's Food Network Star, being a Food Network personality and a number of shows. How do you define your cooking style?

CHEF DAVID ROSE: My cooking style is kind of a mix of a couple of different things. First off, my family is Jamaican and I am from the tri-state area so there is a huge cultural melting pot. I would say that I cut my teeth in terms of cooking in the South. So you see a lot of Southern influences and twists on my recipes. But I was also classically trained in the French arts at Le Cordon Bleu where I graduated summa cum laude back in 2006 – very proud of that one right there! I would say that my cooking style is elevated Southern with a Caribbean French Twist and a bit of international influences. So I'm sort of a man of mystery and a chef of mystery! I like to keep people on their toes and to keep them guessing.

AM: The Athleisure team throughout quarantine has enjoyed a number of the dishes from Omaha Steaks so we know that they are more than just steak and chicken as they have sides and desserts. As the Executive Chef for Omaha Steaks, what is the synergy between you and the brand and what can we expect to see between you and them in this partnership?

CHEF DR: Definitely. I am a huge smoking and grilling fan and fanatic! I have about 4 or 5 grills so I think that smoking and grilling unleashes the natural amazingness and flavors that you can find over at Omaha Steaks. From one of my favorites, the Tomahawk Ribeye that nice luscious bone eye and then there is the file as well as the strips and the T-bone. You also can’t go wrong with a lobster tail as well. I’m pretty sure when offered a surf and turf, nobody ever ever said no! A lot of those things go really well together. As far as being Jamaican, you know we eat everything. Whether it be chicken, it’s beef, turkey – whatever. We love everything and you can find so many assortments of proteins from ready to eat sides and ready to eat desserts. It’s all on the web-site and I’m excited to be able to bring my Southern influence and Caribbean influence to an incredible company known for their meat and protein portfolio in order to exude and explore and to showcase my style of cooking with Omaha Steaks.

AM:We’re in holiday mode and obviously celebrations look a little different this year with virtual get-togethers and gatherings. What tips do you have especially for veteran hosts that will be putting on dinners that are slightly scaled back then what they’re used to.

CHEF DR: I think that 2020 is a year that nobody has experienced and I’m pretty confident in saying that. According to a new Harris Poll, more than half of Americans are planning to celebrate with 5or less people and 1/3 of Americans are opting or are considering Zoomsgivingwhich is through the joy of Zoom whichI’m pretty sure that everyone has become acclimated with during quarantine. You can celebrate that experience of cooking and eating even if you’re not able to do it in person but can through the magic of Zoom or other virtual platforms.

The holidays can be very anxious especially if it is the first time that you have ever cooked a turkey. We have a 10lb pre-bast-ed turkey that gets shipped to your door-step. What I recommend is that the #1mistake that most rookies make when they are tackling a turkey is not allow-ing enough adequate time for the turkey to thaw. You always want to allow for at least 3 days for that turkey to thaw. If it’s a 10lb one, you want to give it the full 3 days and if you want the crispy skin that we all love and is indicative of a turkey, you want to uncover it in a roasting rack for an additional 24hours. By doing that, it’s going to dry the skin out and give you that golden brown crispy turkey skin every single time. As far as doing all of that. We also suggest making your turkey a day ahead of time. It allows you to have a stress free, anxiety reduced day on Thanksgiving. When you do that, you want to take the turkey out, remove the breast, the thighs, the legs and the wings. The key thing is to allow the turkey to rest and come to room temperature. What you do then is put it inside of the fridge. When you remove the turkey from the fridge on Thanksgiving day, you just need to reheat it and then you’re just focusing on the sides, the appetizers and my personal favorite – the desserts. Another way to shave some time from the prep is to buy some mix and match sides from the site as there are a lot of options. We also have a great partnership with Wine.com where we have some packages that can be purchased.

I always say, that being ready, being prepared and keeping your freezer stocked with a plethora of goodness means that you’re always going to be the hero at any Thanksgiving or Zoomsgiving table.

AM: What are your go to mains and sides that you enjoy having around?

CHEF DR: One of my favorite things is a Prime Rib Roast. I think that this reigns supreme at any holiday dinner table. I just love to eat that bone when I’m done. I’m a gnawer Athleisure, I’m a gnawer. If you have dogs, the dogs will appreciate that as well. The great thing about a Prime Rib Roast is that I can be shared with families, it’s great for leftovers – you can make a prime rib sand-wich the following day. To me, nothing screams celebrations, nothing screams holidays more than an amazing Prime RibRoast. We have an amazing selection of those as well.

AM: What are some recipes that we should keep in mind as well as we are navigating this holiday season?

CHEF DR: What I would recommend is that you want to go and brine the turkey to add additional flavor. These pre-basted turkeys are already pre-brined. They have their brown sugar, their honey and so it’s not just about the flavor but the color so it has that golden brown deliciousness. Now some of my personal flavor recipes is that I love doing compound butters. They're great for steaks, they’re great for roasts and I recommend if you want to get that juicy lush turkey breast, is make that. A compound butter is a fancy way to essentially say a butter with herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. To get that re-ally juicy and luscious turkey breast, you take that compound butter and you slide it under the skin and slather it all over the breast. Now what that does is that when that turkey slowly cooks and we know that that fat of the butter is where the flavor comes in – it just makes it taste amazing with great texture 10 out of 10 times.

AM: Like you said earlier, 2020 no one can say that we have ever seen anything like this! How do you plan on ringing in the New Year?

CHEF DR: I think everyone is looking for-ward to ringing in 2021 and what I’m planning on doing is having a nice Prime RibRoast, maybe a filet or Ribeye on the grill– one of these amazing food packages where you can’t forget about your libations! For me, a nice glass of bourbon and just enjoying one of my favorite pairings– steak and bourbon. You can’t go wrong with that.

IG @ChefDavidRose

PHOTOS COURTESY | OMAHA STEAKS

Hear Chef David Rose on our show, Athleisure Kitchen - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeart-Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, AmazonMusic, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Smoking and Grilling with Chef David Rose in mag.

IT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE BREATH WITH POPPY JAMIE

This time of year, there are a number of activities that are pushing for our attention. There are notifications on our phones, making various appointments, checking that we're not missing studio time at yoga as well as getting our nails done. There are times where you forget to eat or even to breathe! Breathing is one of our most vital tasks and as much as we do it, many of us are not doing it right! We took a moment to chat with Poppy Jamie, Breathing Instructor and enthusiast, TV presenter, Co-Founder/Designer of Pop and Suki and Founder of Happy Not Perfect, a new app and lifestyle brand that recently launched to find out what a breathing workshop is, how we do it and what led her to this career!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Where did the year go? How is it almost Christmas.

POPPY JAMIE: I know right, I mean I was just telling myself, where did the year go and how can it be the end of the year already? At least we have the holidays to look forward to!

AM: You cover a number of areas so in looking at your background, how did you get into doing TV, have a successful line – Pop & Suki (accessory line created by best friends Poppy and actress and model Suki Waterhouse), your app/lifestyle brand, Happy Not Perfect as well as being a breath enthusiast?

PJ: Well really, I was inspired I suppose by my upbringing. My mum is a hypnotherapist and my dad is an entrepreneur. When we were growing up, we spoke about the mind at the age of 8 and it was so normal to talk about emotions, how you process them, how you manage your mind, meditation, breathing. These were all things that were just as normal as brushing your teeth, washing your face and going out for a walk. Mental health has been such a part of the way that I was brought up and in my DNA.

I always knew that I wanted to be a TV presenter. Ever since I knew I could talk, I wanted to be able to communicate with people because I just found it so incredible how you could share a conversation and storytelling and that really led me to my first career as a TV presenter and host. While I was a TV host, that was the thing that really gave me insight into this social setting and made me analyze what people were looking at and how they were reacting to things. When I launched my show on SnapChat, PillowTalk (the first show to air on SnapChat), I would see hundreds of thousands of messages of people just reacting about what they were thinking, feeling and going through. At that moment, it was my upbringing and where I was in my career that came together. I would start to call up my mum and I would ask her advice on how I should respond to these questions that included people that were struggling at work/school or feeling stressed about their relationship. In that moment I realized how little we know about the mind and how fortunate I was to have a mum that would teach me about the mind and these sort of things. I began to wonder how I could go about sharing my mum and putting her into an app and to give her to everyone. It wouldn’t matter where you were or what time of day it was – it’s about the thought process. It’s really what a great therapist does – they help you process your thoughts and find a new perspective by using different tools such as breathing and journaling. It’s funny that my career has gone in so many different directions, but it all happened to go into the creation of Happy Not Perfect.

At the time, I was living in LA with my best friend and that’s how the handbags started. My best friend and I are two of the most disorganized girls that you could ever meet as we’re always losing things and we thought that if we could design handbags, we’d be less disorganized. It’s been a really crazy 3 years and I couldn’t be happier working on these things that I now are really helping people. We have so many messages a day where people are like, “Oh my God this is really helping me.” People thanking us on teaching them how to breathe and those who were feeling low before Happy Not Perfect and n ow after using it they feel less anxious. I love how I am doing my part into what I should be doing.

AM: I love how connected it is and how the app also has an extension as a lifestyle brand with products that are attached to it as well – correct?

PJ: Exactly! We found that in our focus groups that people really struggled with dealing with things and that Millennials are some of the most stressed out people that ever lived. It showed through our qualitative research in America, Europe and Australia that we did. I wondered what we should do and how could we assist in managing their stress levels and people were silent about it. That’s when I learned that people weren’t so sure on what they could do to manage their mental well being. People wanted to know what they could use! This holds true for why there is product in Happy Not Perfect as well as why I was intrigued to work with Breathe Right Strips. Even a simple thing like putting the strip on your nose, you can sleep better because you are getting more air and it’s an upward spiral. Suddenly you have a clearer mind in the morning and it’s a simple thing that can help you feel better. We found that with the site and lifestyle components that everyone can benefit from these items.

AM: We were unable to attend the breath workshop which was unfortunate, but how did this partnership between yourself and Breathe Right Strips come about as we understand the natural synergy here.

PJ: I’ve been using Breathe Right for years and it has been a bit of my secret hack! When I trained as a breathing instructor and when I would do my classes in London, NY and LA afterwards I would say, if you guys are struggling with breathing at night when you’re trying to sleep, you should use these strips. Someone then said, “I know them – you should connect with them.” I was being their biggest advocate even before they knew me because I loved them. Then we were connected and I was so happy about that because I love the natural way that you can just be help yourself and be a little more relaxed and have a clearer mind. It’s about sometimes having the simplest thing like a breathing strip and learning how to breathe into your belly that will have a formative effect on your mental and your physical health.

AM: I heard that you have a 24kt gold Breathe Right Strip – is this true?

PJ: I do and I’m very excited about my it and honestly, it’s one of my favorite beautiful mantle pieces! I mean I never ever thought that I would have a 24kt gold basically nose statue! Now I do! I was traveling back from NY to London because my parents were so excited to see this and it is the coolest thing. I carried it in my hand luggage and when I went through security, nobody could believe my gold karat nose and it has now traveled halfway across the country and it is now very close to my heart.

AM: What’s it like going through a breathing workshop and how do you guide people through their proper breathe?

PJ: A breathing workshop begins with teaching people how to breathe. When I first started out as a breathing instructor under Dr. Belisa Vranich, who is one of the leading experts in the world, she is the author of Breathe and she is one of the most crucial women that I have ever met. I couldn’t believe it when she said that 9 out of 10 people breathe incorrectly! It’s unbelievable. We all breathe, but when you realize that we pick up bad breathing habits from the age of 5 because we go to school and begin to hunch over tables and we start breathing too much air and we start to do shallow mouth breathing. This is a forced habit from the central nervous system it pumps up our stress level and makes us feel like we’re in danger and we have that fight or flight feeling. But when you start engaging in belly breathing and slowly inhale through your nose and slowly exhale with lower body breath, it emulates your vega nerve and takes you out of that fight or flight state.

This is a calming breath that allows you to have a pretty instantaneous moment of clarity. You make better decisions and it reduces your nerves. So the breathing teaching and the breathing workshop teaches you the power of learning how to relax your nervous system when you need to and the best way to do that is through nose/belly breathing, and then once you kind of learn that, we can practice by putting weight on our bellies to practice bringing that weight up and bringing it back down, as that is helpful. A great trick to do this is to do so when you’re in bed and you can’t get yourself to sleep, you can put a heavy book on your belly to breathe the book up and to breathe it back down (editor’s note: this is an exercise to calm you down to be able to sleep as the book is only for the breathing practice). It’s a great trick and if you have friends who are a bit anxious or stressed out, teach them to lie down, put a book on their belly to breathe it up and down as it is really calming and relaxing. I really like to teach people tools that they can share with their friends and family. And then, we go into a kind of breath work meditation which uses the breath to sink into a meditative state and during the breath workshop that we did a few weeks back at the event, we did a Love and Kindness Meditation, which is one of the scientifically backed meditations that really help to nurture kindness and compassion not only for ourselves, but for those around us and after experiencing that, we come out of meditation which lasts at about half an hour or 45 minutes in terms of the education, the practicing and the meditation. Hopefully everyone leaves feeling a little bit happier and calmer and a lot less stressed.

AM: That sounds fantastic. With a new year coming up, there is a lot of stress and anxiety that people will have in wanting to do resolutions and things that are different, but also coming down from a busy holiday season – how can breath work help with this so that they can calm down and do what they need to during the day?

PJ: This is why I love breathing! It doesn’t mean that you have to meditate for 20 minutes if you don’t have time. The holidays are so busy and you have loads of family around. So the belly breath which I actually do this while I am talking with someone or perhaps in a stressful meeting, I lightly put my hands on my belly and I start breathing slowly into my nose and out through my nose into my belly. I consciously have this hack knowing that I have it whenever I need it is powerful.

Even if you want to just take a couple of moments in the morning to just lie down on your back and to just focus on your breathing through your nose and down for a couple of minutes as it really just sets your nervous system. During the holiday season, it’s so hectic because people are buying their presents and you need these short effective tricks for your nervous system and belly breathing is definitely one of them and anyone can do it which is fantastic!

AM: You’re based in NYC where would we find you grabbing a drink/meal and working out?

PJ: Oh my gosh my new favorite place is abcV the new vegan place that I am newly obsessed with that! I have to say that no one can't beat The Bowery Hotel! It's really magical and fun and I always have a lot of friends there. I like to think that wellness is a little bit of everything. It’s not only about looking after your mind, but it doesn’t mean depriving yourself of other things. It’s a bit of everything. My favorite yoga studio is Yoga Vida and I love this yoga instructor named Will Schneider who is my favorite. I also love dancing as it’s incredible for your mental health and great for a mood boost that makes you feel good. If I am in a really dedicated mood, I love SLT which is incredible, but dancing and yoga are really my thing as I find yoga is really great for the mind and to stretch the body, you need to relax the mind. This exercise incorporated meditation and I’m a big yoga fan.

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PHOTOS COURTESY | Poppy Jamie + Happy Not Perfect

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see It Begins and Ends with the Breath with Poppy Jamie in mag.