Food Fitness Flora

Glorious: When and why did you decide to establish Food Fitness Flora – what was your role beforehand?

Flora Beverley: Although I started a version of my current page when I was 15, I didn’t do it full-time until relatively recently. I was lucky that I could dedicate so much time to it – the account spanned my GCSE, AS and A level years, as well as all my years studying Biology at university and through my first jobs in science communications.

Glorious: How would you describe your relationship with food nowadays and what impact has healthy living had on your personality and lifestyle?

Flora Beverley: I have a great relationship with food now – healthier than most people I know! You can’t run the distances I run without eating plenty of food, and it is now a great source of delight for me, as well as a necessary fuel. I think/hope I’ve managed to avoid making ‘healthy person’ a part of my personality, but keeping healthy gives me the energy to do the other things I love.

Glorious: Other than running, do you play/have an interest in other sports? If so, what are they and why do you like them?

Flora Beverley: Absolutely – I’ve never been tied down to one sport, and tend to enjoy switching things up every few years. I first realised that I was quite good at sport when I took up squash aged 16 and made it to the National Schools Championships the following year. Once I left school, I took up boxing and competed in two white collar boxing fights in 2018 and 2019. In 2019 I took up running properly for the first time, having dabbled as a method of keeping fit for a few years before. I did the Tokyo Marathon off the back of 10 weeks training, which wasn’t great for me, but it was an interesting experience! After Tokyo I took up trail running and in 2020 did my first 2 ultramarathons in lockdown. I adored them so much that I immediately knew it would be the sport for me.

The thing that unites all these sports is that they’re individual sports – I’m clearly not very good at teamwork – and they all involve a lot of adrenaline, which I love. I still do a lot of cross training, including strength training and hiking, and when I can I’ll do pretty much anything else too. A recent favourite is bouldering. I love the fact that it’s so technique based, and low impact (unless you fall!). I’d love to do it more often but sadly don’t get the chance much.

Glorious: You studied biology, so does this help to back up your content as a trusted voice?

Flora Beverley: Perhaps, although I don’t think you need to study biology to understand the important aspects of training and nutrition and how they apply to you. I’m neither a coach nor a nutritionist, so I try not to give specific advice in these fields, I just share what’s working for me at the time. Having said that, I do really enjoy reading long form content and watching reels that cite primary literature and contain references, which I think people who have studied science are more likely to include. It just adds credibility.

Glorious: When you’re not outdoors, what are your other interests, do you find it easy to take time out and relax?

Flora Beverley: I’m not particularly good at relaxing in the traditional sense of doing nothing, but have plenty of hobbies outside of running. I find movement very calming – walking the dog, dancing, bouldering – and also have a background in music, so I love to sit down at the piano and play. It’s really meditative for me; if I try thinking about my day, what I’m cooking for supper or work I have to do, I play awfully. So I have to focus, and that helps me to relax almost instantaneously. I love to write and sing too, although I’m not so good at keeping up either of these regularly, and they both suffer as a result.

Glorious: As a food lover, what is your favourite go-to meal and why?

Flora Beverley: Probably beans on toast! It’s simple, full of goodness and so quick. Sometimes I add vegetables, but more often I keep it really simple and basic. It’s unbeatable for its taste:time ratio!