marieclaire.com.au 159PHOTOGRAPHED BY GETTY IMAGES. AS TOLD TO SARAH GRANT. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY HANNA MARTON
T
here’s nothing typical
about Robyn Lawley. She
grows vegies, has her own
plus-sized swimwear label,
authored a cookbook and is such a fan
of the Alien franchise that she named
her daughter after Sigourney Weaver’s
kick-ass heroine, Ripley.
Lawley herself is a fighter – both
in the gym and out. Shortly after
giving birth in 2015, Lawley was
diagnosed with a rare autoimmune
condition that affected her ability to
walk or talk. She endured relentless
pain. These days Lawley is well, but
the health scare inspired her and
partner Everest Schmidt to eat less
cheesecake and grow more produce.
Here’s how horticulture and
kickboxing are key to the success of
this self-confessed “feminist leftie”.“Meditation is really helpful with all kinds of illnesses,
so I’m trying to get back into it. I’m not the biggest fan
of Kundalini yoga but I like the movement of it. I also see
a yoga-specialist therapist, and she makes me say mantras
such as, ‘I’m happy and healthy in my body today.’ I think
it’s super important to live happy and not focus on my
illness. What I went through was torture; I wouldn’t wish
it on my worst enemy. But having that experience and not
growing from it would have been worse. I try to remember
every day how lucky I am. If I bring more awareness to
autoimmune conditions, maybe it will help support
research to effectively treat it, or get rid of it.”“I kickbox whenever I can. When a workout goes so fast, and you
don’t even notice the time, that’s when you’ve found your sport.
“I’ve been kickboxing for about five years. I used to kick arbitrarily
and throw my arms around, looking like an idiot, then I finally
started working on my technique ... leaning back, turning the foot,
punching correctly. I became a much better fighter. It’s so much
fun and I think that every girl should try it.
“Everest and I occasionally book a babysitter and go to a
kickboxing class together – he loves it. He was a pro basketball
player so needs to get back into his fitness. I love working out
with him; it encourages both of us.”MY WORKOUT
“When I published my
cookbook of decadent dishes,
we were eating, like, three
cheesecakes a day. I had to try
everything. If I did another
cookbook today, it would start
with, ‘Grow your own ...’
“I don’t bake as much as I
used to, but I still crave sugar
and chocolate. I think it’s better
to indulge than to become
obsessive. Eat what you want,
but in small amounts.“We’ve been growing
our own vegies in Topanga
[California] for more than
a year. Any chef will tell you
homegrown produce tastes so
much better. And I love seeing
the bees, hummingbirds and
dragonflies enjoying my
garden. I’m a big greenie.
“I know that gardening can
be challenging, but just start.
Put some soil in a little pot and
grow herbs on your balcony.”WHAT ROBYN MAKES
pumpkin spice raw smoothie
Serves 1In a blender, whizz up:
1–2 frozen ripe bananas
juice of 1 fresh young coconut,
scrape out the flesh if you wish
½ cup chopped pumpkin
or butternut squash
½ cup cashew milk (see below)
spices, such as nutmeg and
cinnamon, to your tasteTo make the cashew milk:- Soak 2 cups of raw cashews
overnight in a bowl of water. - Drain and rinse cashews well.
- In a blender, combine cashews
with 4 to 5 cups of water (do it in
stages if your blender is small). - Add a dollop of honey, agave,
or maple syrup, plus a pinch of
cinnamon and nutmeg. Store
in an airtight container for up
to three days.
Note: If you want a consistency
more like cow’s milk, use a piece
of cheesecloth to gently strain
the cashew milk.
MY PHILOSOPHY
“Getting back to nature is so important.
Nature’s a proven antidepressant. Kids
especially need to see green, they
need to understand how things grow”MY FOOD
H2?E>@C6ÊVisit the official marie claire YouTube channel at youtube.com/
marieclaireau to watch our behind-the-scenes video with Robyn’s health tips.Wellness