Ashley James: the wellness wins that keep me happy and healthy

“The whole idea of self-care as running a bubble bath, lighting a candle and getting eight hours sleep just isn’t realistic, especially when you’re a new mum,” says Ashley James. “For me, wellbeing is about focusing on my own needs rather than what we’re told to focus on. Sometimes, that might be getting lots of early nights. Other times, it might be drinking wine with my girlfriends. I’m quite intuitive about wellbeing because the things that make me feel good vary from week to week.”

This considered approach tracks. James, 39, may be a drop-dead-gorgeous Made In Chelsea alumna, but please leave your preconceptions at the door. She’s smart, well-read and can deftly articulate an argument – as you’ll know if you’ve seen her debating the issues of the day as a regular political and cultural commentator on ITV’s This Morning. She’s also the author of Bimbo (Penguin, £11.99), part memoir, part manual for modern women. She writes candidly about being constantly labelled (hence the title) and sexualised due to her looks and being raped while at university by a friend after a night out (she never reported it). She also recounts her traumatic first birth, in which she suffered severe tearing, prolapse, faecal incontinence and, later, post-natal depression.

Mother to Alfie, 5, and Ada, 3 with her partner Tommy Andrews, who works in tech, she is fronting The Body Shop’s new Grow Wild campaign. Activist Jameela Jamil, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Paloma Faith – like James, all women known for speaking their minds – are also on board to mark the much-loved high street beauty stalwart’s 50^th anniversary. “The campaign is about rejecting the pressure to shrink yourself and instead take up space, feel strong and look after yourself on your own terms,” she smiles. “I mean, I literally wrote a book about that.”

Ashley James fronts The Body Shop’s Grow Wild campaign, which includes the much-loved Body Butters

What exactly does looking after herself on her own terms look like? How does James decompress back home in south-west London after a draining morning bickering with Piers Morgan on the This Morning sofa? Here are the practices, products and rituals that hit the spot.

Ashley James’s Wellness Wins

Strong Pilates four times a week

“Before I had kids, I was really into Barry’s Bootcamp and boxing classes – lots of high-impact cardio. But when I had my son and had lots of postpartum complications, I was too scared to do the high-impact stuff anymore.

“I switched to standard Pilates, but I missed the adrenaline buzz of the cardio. But now I’ve found Strong Pilates [classes nationwide] and go three or four times per week. You use a type of reformer Pilates machine that also doubles up as a rowing machine or bike, plus you lift weights. So I get the stretching, the strength training and the cardio all in one, but it’s lower impact. I feel stronger, my posture is better and it’s improving my pelvic floor and core.”

Is it a reformer bed, a rower or a bike? It’s all three at Strong Pilates

The PMS supplement for pre-period anxiety

“When my periods came back after having my daughter, the week before my period I was experiencing real lows to the point that I didn’t recognise myself. I would catastrophise about my appearance, my parenting, my work ability, how I was as a friend and partner.

“I tried Rheal Balance Tonic, £25 for 30 servings [a herbal and food supplement that contains ashwagandha, maca root and baobab] and within a month, my cycle’s impact on my mood was drastically reduced. I felt consistently calm across the whole month. Over the last three years, there have been two times where I’ve stopped taking it for a while and the pre-period anxiety came back. I started as a paid subscriber but now I work with the brand.”

Happy hour: the mood-enhancing drink that makes James’s periods bearable (image: Rheal)

Cycle-tracking and drinking less alcohol thanks to my Whoop

“My favourite thing about my Whoop tracker, £169, is that it helps me stay on top of my menstrual cycle – in fact, the Whoop was the reason I figured out that my low mood was related to my periods. And often at the end of my cycle, I won’t feel like doing much exercise, so I might walk around the park rather than do a heavy training session. And I know why I feel like that now – so I don’t berate myself for not doing enough exercise or tell myself I’m a failure.

“I also drink far less alcohol due to the Whoop – I could see exactly how much it was impacting my resting heart rate and heart rate variability. I still enjoy drinks with my friends, but it’s made me more conscious of how I live.”

Sneaking in protein

“Now I have to juggle work and the kids; I don’t really enjoy the process of cooking. It’s now very functional and quick. But I will always add protein to whatever I’m eating. I definitely don’t track macros – I’d find that too stressful – but I add chia seeds to my granola and yoghurt at breakfast. I put lentils into lasagnes and spaghetti bolognese – it’s a good way of sneaking them past the kids – and I always have refried beans with tacos or chicken fajitas.”

Breakfast of champions: Ashley James’s morning yoghurt bowl (left: Instagram @ashleylouisejames; right: Unsplash)

Read a book for 10 minutes before bed

“I read in bed rather than scrolling social media, especially if I’m having an anxious or fragile day because social media can be a horrible place if you’re feeling vulnerable. Currently I’m reading a novel called All The Colours Of The Dark (Orion, £4.50) by Chris Whitaker. And this is probably against all wellbeing advice, but I read books on my phone. If I have a physical book, my brain keeps getting distracted – I’m just thinking about my phone. But if I read on my phone, I’m holding it, but I’m not looking at social media. Even if I quickly fall asleep, I always think it’s better to read for two minutes than zero minutes.”

Multi-tasking  – LED mask and laundry

“I don’t have time to go for facials, but I like my LED face mask because you can use it at home and multitask – I’ll put it on after the kids have gone to bed and hang out the washing. I have a Foreo FAQ, £719, that I use three to four times a week, for 15 minutes. I had quite bad pigmentation after having children but using the mask has helped break it down, and the overall glow and texture of my skin is better.”

Laundry but make it lit: hanging out a wash is an LED mask opportunity (image: Instagram @ashleylouisejames)

Ignoring my partner (not as mean as it sounds!)

“Sometimes I really need some wind-down time completely on my own. Last week, I went to work at 6am and didn’t get back until 10pm. I’d been with people all day [alongside her regular This Morning gig, she does public speaking events and DJs] and was totally depleted. I knew I just needed to have a shower and go straight to bed without talking to anyone. So I texted Tommy when I was on the way home to explain this and he slept in the spare room so I didn’t see him. Then the next day I was recharged and back to normal. He’s happy with that and understands, as long as I communicate what’s going on.”

Ashley James is an ambassador for The Body Shop’s Grow Wild campaign, marking its 50^th anniversary