Celebrity Health – Millie Mackintosh
Former Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh talks to Liz Parry about how she supports her family's immunity
Millie Mackintosh first rose to fame when she starred in the hit reality TV show Made in Chelsea. Since leaving, she has gone on to accumulate a huge social media following, sharing tips and updates on healthy living and her life with two young children. Millie is married to fellow former Made in Chelsea star Hugo Taylor and the couple have two daughters, Sienna, three, and Aurelia two.
Q As we're heading into the cold and flu season, do you find that you get a lot of coughs and colds as a family?
Millie: Oh absolutely. We've all had a lot of these colds and bugs that have been doing the rounds. Last Christmas it was a constant cycle where one of us would be ill, and the other one would get it, and it would just go round and round. As soon as I thought we were over it, one of us would get sick again.
Q What steps do you take to avoid the constant colds and bugs?
Millie: I think it's really important to support the whole family because the kids are often the ones who are bringing the bugs home. It's especially the case now that my oldest is at nursery. I believe in prevention rather than cure. I think it's important to look at all aspects of our health from what we're eating and how much sleep we're getting to how much exercise we're doing and the amount of time we spend outside in nature. One of the things we do to support our immunity is to take Sambucol. It's full of antioxidants, vitamin C and elderberry and it tastes great. My kids love it. They take it with their breakfast and they call it superhero juice!
Q Is healthy eating and cooking an important part of family life?
Millie: Yes, both my kids love cooking. We make smoothies and pancakes – things that are easy to mix and make together. There's normally quite a lot of mess and a lot goes on the floor. But it's all part of the fun. I think it's important to introduce cooking to kids so that they can understand what goes into their meals. Sometimes they can be a bit fussy, so I try to find creative ways of getting them to eat their vegetables.
Q Do you have any tips for that?
Millie: I've found that by encouraging the children to cook with me, they've become more willing to try new things. But as much as I want them to eat the rainbow, sometimes I have to hide the veg in their food otherwise they won't eat it. I'm always finding a way to make a different type of pasta sauce with whatever veg is in the fridge and then putting cheese on top.
Q In terms of your own diet, what do you tend to eat on a daily basis?
Millie: I like to eat in a way where I'm getting lots of protein as it keeps me full. So for breakfast I'll often have scrambled eggs with a piece of gluten-free toast. Or I might make overnight oats. I put protein powder in it with vegan yogurt and some berries. For lunch I'll have something like homemade soup. At the weekend I'll cook a big batch of chicken broth with veggies and then I'll have that throughout the week at lunchtime. Then in the evening I might make something that the kids will eat as well. Something like turkey meatballs with a bit of pasta and some veggies. For snacks I'll have a piece of fruit, or some apple and nut butter, or some berries and dark chocolate.
Q Do you take any other vitamins or supplements?
Millie: I take a probiotic because I'm trying to look after my gut health. I also have celery juice before I eat anything as I've found that really benefits my gut health too. I've been reducing how much coffee I drink and I'm moving more towards drinking matcha. I'd started feeling a bit too reliant on my coffee and I was getting these energy crashes in the afternoon, so I decided it was time to cut down. I do have a sweet tooth though and we had a lot of cake in the house recently when it was my daughter's birthday! But I like to have a balanced approach when it comes to food. It's all about moderation.
Q Do you like to get outside and spend time in nature together as a family?
Millie: Yes. At the weekends we all go to the park and go on walks together. That's something that I did a lot in my childhood with my parents. I think getting fresh air and daylight is really helpful and important for our immunity as well as our mental health.
Q Do you have a regular exercise routine?
Millie: I do a mixture of Pilates and yoga and sometimes weight training. I also practise mindfulness and meditation every morning. My older daughter likes to join in. She'll come and sit next to me and she likes to copy me but she instantly gets the giggles so it can be a bit distracting!
Q What are your plans for Christmas?
Millie: We are going to be doing a couple of different Christmas celebrations. We'll do one with my family and then another with my husband's family. We're also taking the kids to see Father Christmas at Lapland UK. I'm really looking forward to it. Since having the children I've rediscovered the joy of Christmas. It's particularly magical and their excitement for it has reignited mine.
With almost half of UK adults finding themselves stuck in a vicious cycle of cold and flu symptoms post-pandemic, Millie Mackintosh has partnered with Sambucol Black Elderberry, the UK's No.1 brand for immunity, to show the benefits of protecting family immunity all year round and helping to avoid the ‘Viral Spiral' this winter. Available for 3-for-2 at all major health stores.
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