Catie Miller: My Food & Fitness Regime

Mornings are dedicated to clients. My 5:45am alarm never gets easier, but I try to hold onto the feeling of how good things feel once I’ve trained. I have my first client on Zoom at around 6:30am, and fuel beforehand with a banana and a large glass of water. I always tell my clients to remember why they signed up to the session because for me, the pride I feel for my body and mind after a workout also gets me motivated to get going. By the time I’ve finished training, my boys – aged one and seven – are in the kitchen having breakfast. While they are rubbing their tired eyes, I’m the mum bouncing in with endorphins. It might be fun now they’re little, but I’m not so sure how they’ll feel once they’re teenagers.

Movement is a huge part of my life. Once the morning sessions are finished, I teach multiple Pilates and barre classes throughout the day. Each week is different, and my clients range from prenatal, postnatal and performers to models and athletes. At times, my own personal practice is incorporated within these sessions. During lockdown, I learned to keep my motivation and discipline strong. I move to feel good and I move every single day. 

Breakfast at the weekend is a more relaxed affair. When I have the time, I love an acai bowl with dragon fruit, banana, berries and vegan granola. I also love a traditional fry-up. My husband is great at making this for breakfast and we sometimes have it for dinner, too. It’s a feel-good meal, especially during the winter months.

When it comes to supplements, I’m a creature of habit. I’ve been taking Welleco Super Elixir Greens for two years now and the difference in the clarity of my mind and gut is truly remarkable. It contains 40+ natural ingredients, including wholefoods, herbal extracts, vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Over the last few months, I’ve also been taking vitamin D every day as well as manuka honey. I recently discovered Natalia Botanicals’ Goal Digger, which really boosts my brainpower – it was a go-to during the testing months of lockdown. 

In our house, we’re real foodies. My husband is a fantastic cook and we both share the same food philosophy – colourful plates with lots of veggies and balanced protein and carbs. Some of our favourite dishes include grilled prawns with strozzapreti pasta, tomato and basil sauce, courgettes, onions and peppers; sweetcorn fritters with bacon and roasted tomatoes; and braised beef short rib with brown rice and homemade coleslaw. If we’re entertaining, it’s all about Ottolenghi. My favourite dish for friends is his roasted sweet potatoes topped with olive oil, goats’ cheese, figs, chilli, balsamic glaze and sea salt. 

Prior to lockdown, we used to eat out a few times a month. Some of our favourite spots include Osteria Basilico, Dinings, Scalini, Meraki, Delamina and Murano. We don’t tend to order takeaways, but if we do, it’ll be sushi from Jin Kichi in Hampstead. 

I love a snack. My go-tos include vegetable crisps, pistachios and cashew nuts. If I have the time, I’ll make a smoothie – my favourite combination is coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, cashew butter, lettuce, hemp seeds and cacao nibs. 

You’ll always find a fresh loaf of bread in my kitchen. I buy sourdough when I can – it’s packed with protein, vitamins, minerals and probiotics. It’s particularly rich in B vitamins, which help regulate your metabolism, explaining why you feel less sluggish after eating it compared to normal bread. Cucumber and avocados are also a weekly staple, as is apple cider vinegar (great for salad dressings) and melon, which I chop up at the beginning of the week and store in the fridge for a quick snack.