Introducing Yalda Alaoui, Founder of Eat Burn Sleep
meet Yalda Alaoui, a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist, gut health and inflammation expert and the founder of Eat Burn Sleep, an online educational health platform focused on teaching people how to reach optimal health. Her mission is to inspire and educate others so that we all live our best lives, with more autonomy over our diet and lifestyle choices, for long-term physical and psychological benefits.
“I am half-Moroccan and half-Persian (Iranian), and I grew up in Morocco until when aged 12 I moved to France. I received a Master’s degree from EDHEC Business School in France before moving to London to do a postgraduate in accounting and finance at the London School of Economics. My personal health journey led to my ground-breaking research into chronic inflammation and gut health. I love visiting new places with my two boys, eating out with friends, and taking my Dachshund, Daphne, for walks around Hyde Park.”
Can you share a bit about your experience that led you to focus on anti-inflammation and gut health?
I was diagnosed with two auto-immune diseases; Ulcerative Colitis (in 2007) and Haemolytic Anaemia (in 2012). After a bad episode and nearly dying, this led me to research and understand the cause of my issues. This led to many years of trial and error and I finally became medication-free in 2015 after developing my method, which is an anti-inflammation and gut health-focused lifestyle.
Your background is in finance, how did this help you in building your business?
I like numbers, and having a finance background, although mine was not corporate finance but the capital markets, helped me keep on top of my costs and make sure that I was profitable early on. I have managed to develop my business without raising funds, and whilst keeping a strong identity without compromising my values.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The best part about my work is helping others. After going through such a difficult time in my life, I felt that I had been robbed of those precious years when my children were young. When I started helping people or whenever I saw somebody feel better, I kept thinking that was my return on investment or, rather, my return on suffering and that the suffering that I had been through was not in vain if I was able to help others.
What are some of the symptoms and causes of chronic inflammation?
People are increasingly starting to understand that every single health issue, skin issue, and mental health issue is linked to chronic inflammation, which is a dysregulation of the immune system. Chronic inflammation is linked to close to 80% of deaths worldwide and to the expression of non-communicable diseases. When people have chronic inflammation, the poor genes they carry, whether it's genes for cancer, diabetes, asthma, autoimmune disease, heart attacks, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, will have more chances of getting expressed. The symptoms of chronic inflammation can be so wide, but there are signs that show someone is inflamed. These include bloating and digestive health, stiff joints or joint pain, brain fog, premature aging, or any skin issues ranging from rosacea to melasma, dryness, psoriasis, and eczema. Skin is our biggest organ, and it tends to show quickly if we have any inflammatory issues. Another sign people can look for is water retention. You can notice that there are days when it is easy to take your rings off and put them back on, and some days it's harder as you are more swollen. That is a sign you might be inflamed. If you suffer from any condition that you cannot catch, there's a good chance you're suffering from chronic inflammation.
Can you tell us about the anti-inflammatory approach you have to skincare?
Skin is our biggest organ, I can myself see that when I stick to the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle and to the green food lists 80% of the time, people tell me I'm glowing. I notice I have fewer fine lines and bouncier, fresher skin. I am someone who suffers from melasma, which flares up when I'm eating inflammatory foods, have lack of sleep or if I’m stressed. It fades when I'm being good. I like to have a natural approach to skincare. I like using a lot of oils and massage my face, but what I put in my body is more impactful than what I put on my skin.
What are some of the myths you’d like to see dispelled in the industry?
I would like people to understand that you don't need gimmicky things like trackers or to be overtesting to be healthy. What you need to do is stick to an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and actually put in the work. These days people tend to spend money on gadgets (sleep trackers, exercise trackers, heart monitoring, blood sugar monitoring for example) and consume expensive “healthy” processed foods, typically from expensive food stores. This can be counterproductive as most of those foods are actually junk foods due to the additives they use, and trackers can lead to becoming addicted or obsessed, which increases stress, elevates cortisol and is effectively inflammatory. So I'm very much in favor of people relaxing, enjoying the odd glass of wine, living a real life, and making good choices 80% of the time without over-obsessing. My method is easy to follow, simple to sustain yet precisely calibrated, hence our numerous success stories. I have a moderate, science-backed, no nonsense and effective approach to health.
What would you say is the secret to successful gut health?
The secret is consistency. I find that people who follow my method over time, even if they sometimes fall off the wagon, will see the most results. Consistency leads not only to better gut health, but also to incredible health success stories, with even more results over time. We saw stories of members losing five stones and building muscle. This is due to gut bacteria being responsible for weight gain or weight loss. We have had people come off depression medication after 20 years, because gut flora is linked to inflammation and neuro-inflammation is the number one cause for depression and all MMDs (Major Mental Disorders). We had people with alopecia have hair, eyebrows and eyelashes again. Improving gut health over time has also helped numerous people have babies on the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle when they were infertile. The longer they stay and those who typically would renew their memberships, tend to send me testimonials the second year, the third year, and will say things to me, such as, Yalda, my cellulite has gone, I've looked at old photos and my body composition is even better which I hadn't realized, because real changes happen over time and that is a reflection of their improved gut health.
Can you share your go-to daily routine?
I tend to wake up early without an alarm clock, I’ll cuddle my dog, go into my kitchen and make myself a cup of tea or coffee, or both. I will typically do a workout, one of my movement routines, first thing in the morning. If I'm filming it for the platform, it'll be a bit later so there is more light, but if I'm not filming, I'm exercising in my pajamas. I get those 20 or 30 minutes out of the way. I will then shower and have breakfast, feed my dog and take her out before sitting down to work. I tend to have quite a few meetings during the day whether on zoom or face-to-face. I always make sure to have one or two social interactions a day and get out of the house. I will have lunch with someone to socialize or a lunch meeting. I find it very easy to follow the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle in restaurants and I share how in the Eating Out section on the platform. I will do more work on my computer in the afternoon. This can be recording a podcast, filming a mental wellness video, researching for the platform, creating new recipes or touching base with my team. I try to fit in 8k to 10k steps a day, and I manage that by walking to my meetings and using public transport rather than a car. Walking to train stations and in the corridors does help accumulate steps! It is also better for the environment.
In the evenings, if I'm going out, I tend to go out early, and if not, I will eat dinner around 6pm, have a bath with Epsom salts, brush my body and wear some really comfortable pj’s. I’ll read a real book and be in bed by 10pm.
WEALTH
Describe your relationship with money and personal finance in three words?
Money is freedom.
What does Wealth mean to you?
Being healthy.
How do you manage your day-to-day money?
I like to be cautious. I enjoy myself, and I treat myself to nice things, but I'm always on the cautious side.
What have been your main resources for developing your confidence with money?
Not making a big deal out of it. Money flows. Be generous, know to give, and it comes back to you. Money is like energy. You need to give and be able to receive.
What was your first investment, and where is it now?
Art. My family is very much into art and I've always bought art from a young age and it has done well, though when I bought my first art I didn’t think of it as an investment. I bought it because I loved it.
What long term investments have you made?
Property and some early-stage investing in various companies.
What is your number one financial priority?
I have two things. On the one side there is wealth preservation with my capital, and on the other side there is growth and risk through my businesses.
Which area of finance do you wish you knew more about?
Corporate finance, which I studied but I have never worked in, so I don't have experience. I studied corporate finance at the London School of Economics, but I worked in capital markets. Now that I have my business I wish I had some corporate finance experience.
WELLNESS
How do you start your days?
Tea, coffee, or both and movement.
Who are the people you rely on for your personal well-being?
My friends, there is nothing like good moments with people you love.
What was your first job?
I worked as a sales assistant in a clothes shop in France when I was in my 20s, and that is the best thing that's happened to me from a career standpoint. I was treated quite badly by the shop manager and the clients. It made me realize how lucky I was that my parents could afford to send me to good schools and how lucky I was to study where I was studying. It made me so grateful for my first job when I enrolled in the graduate program at Deutsche Bank.
What is the most important life lesson you have learnt?
The most important life lesson I've learned from my story of struggle is that no matter what I'm faced with in life, I have to come with a positive mindset. I always tell myself: “I can handle this, I will be fine”. It’s a positive warrior state of mind.
What is your most treasured possession?
I actually do not really care about material things, as they will still be here when I am gone. If things break, I always think, it's just stuff, as long as we stay healthy. I care about experiences and being surrounded by the right people far more than material goods. My life and choices so far are a reflection of that.
There is however some objects I care about and keep safely: family photographs, my children’s first born outfits, and jewellery from my maternal grandmother. She was very dear to me, and keeping her jewellery makes me feel she is still around me and she's protecting me.
Which element of your life do you feel most secure in?
My work.
What’s next for you?
My team and I are currently working on improving the user experience on the Eat Burn Sleep platform to make it more enjoyable and easier to navigate. I am also working on developing a range of supplements, which is quite time-consuming but very exciting.
What are you currently reading and listening to?
I am currently reading Arletty by Nicolas d'Estienne d'Orves. I'm trying to read more in French as I’m losing my vocabulary. At the moment, I am listening to the opera Madame Butterfly by Puccini. I am taking my boys to see it at the Royal Opera House soon.
Top 5 Instagram accounts to follow?
@franceculture
@classic.divinity
@bloombergbusiness
@amen_clinics
@architectanddesign
