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Everything you need to know about the 'tequila diet'

Getty Images/EyeEm
Getty Images/EyeEm

The cult stalks London once again: “summer body” is its name. Just when you thought you were totes healthy, happy and wholly #bodypositive, here comes the annual advertising horde of sun-kissed billboard Amazons. The doctrine itself is as cast iron as the abs on the posters: the body is a temple, an unforgiving church to hustle you into a month of pious abstinence from joyful seasonal boozing, or hellish calisthenics classes with some Spandex-clad dementor.

But lo, this is not the way. Madeleine Karlsson, 32, a Kensington-based Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach, Pilates coach and founder of Nutrition for Naughty People, favours a kinder, gentler rubric: glossy, healthy hedonism alongside a balanced, well-fuelled lifestyle. Summer is saved.

“We’re all naughty, let’s just get our head around that,” says the trainer. “We want the naughty stuff. But when we have it, let’s go for the best quality we can find, truly enjoy it and not feel guilty.”

Most of her clients are based in London, Monaco and New York and attend social events and parties all over the world. They eat out “at restaurants daily, if not twice daily”. They are “the type of people who are used to ‘having it all’ so diets, deprivation, calorie-counting or spending hours at the gym is not compatible with their lifestyles”. If they can have it all, why not you?

Let’s start with the liquids. The key is not to sweat it by keeping the alcohol clean: what goes in comes out again, one way or another.

“Look for higher price points,” says Karlsson. “A few really expensive drinks are better than a lot of really cheap ones, because, as we know, the lower the quality the worse you’ll feel the next day. Don’t mix it up with soft drinks. Sugar is so bad for you that sometimes the mixers are worse than the alcohol itself.” High-quality tequila is the healthy hedonist’s tipple of choice, she says, because “it’s a really pure spirit, and you want spirits that are the least processed. Red wine, in moderation, is also approved, because it contains antioxidants.

“The best trick I’ve used is breaking the pattern at a party early — make that first drink a water. That doesn’t mean that water is what you’ll drink all night; it just means you won’t be chaining beers.”

After the party, grab a bottle of water on your way out, walk home, or get out of the cab early and walk. “Movement will help deal with the alcohol,” she says. The money you put into the higher-quality alcohol, you save on the cab journey back. “Rehydrate while you’re still drunk,” she adds. Karlsson also swears by an hour of high-intensity dancing an hour before going home, if the venue permits.

Start your day with eggs. The body is a machine that needs the right fuel. “Amino acids contained in eggs are called cysteine. It helps break down acetaldehyde, the toxin producing hangovers.”

Still, only eat if you’re truly hungry — Karlsson stresses that we have become slaves to our hunger cues. “A lot of people eat when they wake up in the morning when they’re off to work because they feel they should, because it’s routine. Are you actually hungry? If you are, fine, but often you’re not. Our internal cues have put us on autopilot. We eat because it’s time to eat, rather than because we need to.”

When eating out, be mindful of portions. Reduce them, and stock up on proteins (either animal or vegan).

“It’s all about seeing food for what it is: fuel. We lost the whole concept that what we eat is what’s meant to give us energy, to keep us healthy. So it’s about reframing our relationship with food. It’s psychology and information — how do we optimise our fuel.”

The balance between having fun and staying fuelled is Karlsson’s mantra. “There’s still this massive culture in fitness which is no pain, no gain, and I think it’s doing more harm than good. These crazy HIIT workouts that you can do in your 20s aren’t sustainable. I was running 70km a week, running half-marathons, and at the gym at 5.30am.” It led to stress-related health problems, like IBS. “Physically and mentally, people are putting themselves under unnecessary stress that we’re not designed to deal with. Resting is as important as training.”

This summer, take care, and watch what you’re putting in your body.

But, more importantly, give yourself a break.