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Taofique Folarin / Q&A

28th August 2018

28th August 2018

By Shivraj Bassi

Taofique has worked professionally on stage and television for over 15 years. His experience as a dancer and actor led him into the world of fitness. Now working as a personal trainer, coach, founder of Sweat & Smile and trainer at numerous studios including our partners BLOK and Sweat It, we sat down with the man himself to find out more about his journey towards holistic health.

“My philosophy as a trainer places emphasis on strengthening both the body and mind. Fitness is more than just striving for exterior perfection but should focus on total well-being from the ground up, inside and out. I believe in education through movement, and that fitness should be inclusive and accessible for all, achievable yet challenging. Taking that first step is always the hardest but with good support and a healthy mindset the possibilities are limitless.” – Taofique

What’s your hustle?

Sweat and Smile – I want everyone to know that fitness should be a celebration of our minds and bodies. With a focus on community and fun to combat mental health, I plan to take the Sweat and Smile concept to schools to highlight the benefits of exercise for our physical and mental health, with a focus on children who shy away from physical activity.

What does #liveinnermost mean to you?

A lot of what we see on our exterior is a direct reflection of what is going on inside. So when we nurture our inner selves through good nutrition and look after our bodies, we shine brightly on the outside.

Favourite Innermost products, and why?

The Health Protein. I love this blend. I have a very busy schedule in between classes and it can be hard to get all my meals in when I teach back-to-back. Grabbing a shake ensures I’m hitting my calorie intake for the day and have enough fuel to coach my sessions. On top of this, I get ingredients that help my body repair and a good detox, so it’s a win-win. 

The Energy Booster. This pre-workout product is everything. Some days I can coach up to as many as eight sessions in one day, on top of private sessions. This product not only tastes so good but gives me that extra kick before I hit a session in the gym. I always feel fully energised when I drink The Fit Plus before a session and I can aways give it that extra bit more on my sprints.

Favourite inspirational quote/words?

Either you think you can or you think you can’t. Either way, you’re right

Favourite healthy meal?

My favourite meal of the day (and the most important) is breakfast. I love porridge oats with coconut milk , topped with goji berries, bananas and almond butter. It’s a killer way to start the day.

Most physically challenging thing you’ve done?

I was a contestant on the BBC Show “Special forces: Ultimate Hell Week”. After a gruelling selection process against some of the UK’s fittest from different backgrounds and disciplines, I was selected and then subjected to an ultimate endurance challenge and pushed beyond my mental and physical limits by battle-hardened veterans from the world’s toughest special forces.

Based on the special forces’ selection methods, every 48 hours we were put through a set of challenges, each one more difficult than the last. For instance, the first day, on under four hours' sleep, we were awoken with four hours of PT amidst continuous cold water hosing and full body submerging. Then without food, we headed off for a trek across the Brecon Beacons with fully packed burgeons and soaked clothes. Then the real fun began with log carries, everlasting rifle holds, removing a Land Rover from a mud pit and training in the freezing cold sea. You get the gist.

Best travelling tip you’ve picked up?

Always trust your intuition and let that guide you. When we are able to hone in and listen to our inner voice, we’re always guided to the right the place.

Who or what motivates you?

My mother motivated me when I was growing up. I watched how hard she worked as a single mother and she did a great job raising myself and my sister. I would say she now inspires me, and I am motivated by myself. I see myself as my biggest competition. If I achieve something, I want to surpass it the next time so I’m always striving to be better tomorrow than I am today.

Best advice you’ve ever received?

To always be authentic and be yourself, because everyone else is already taken and the world needs a you.

Best vacation ever?

My trip to Jamaica with my family last April. I felt instantly relaxed as soon as I landed. We travelled around the island stopping off at beachfront villas along the way. I love that you can just just live off the land with fresh tropical fruit and vegetables at your disposal, and fresh line caught fish ready to be grilled. It’s so easy to eat and live healthily out there, and the Jamaican laid back approach has elements we can all learn from. In London, it’s very easy to get stressed and forget to take those moments out to appreciate the joy of life.

Latest obsession?

The brand new Technogym skill run runners that they have at Sweat It London. The training possibilities on these machines are endless, with speeds up to 30kph, gradients from -3% to 25 %, sled and parachute mode. You can perform running sessions and resistance workouts on the one piece of equipment. I have so much fun designing my sessions for clients as well as beasting myself on them.

Number one reason for taking care of your body?

It’s our duty to look after our bodies to the best of our abilities, so we can live a long and healthy life. I also have future aspirations to be a father and I want to give myself the best chance to be there for my family for as long as possible and for that I need to be healthy.

Favourite place to eat?

I recently discovered, By Chloe in Covent Garden and it has quickly become a favourite. The food is great especially their salads; wholesome, plant-based food that fuels and energises without compromising flavour. They have made vegan food accessible and they are extremely eco friendly. Choosing from their animal-free tasty menu you actively contribute towards lowering the worlds carbon footprint and help to preserve our planets water supply.

To see and hear more from Toafique, head to his Instagram pages (@taofiquefolarinand @folarinfitness).

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Navigating Indulgence with Chloe Thomas
Chloe is a life, nutrition and fitness coach from the South East Of England. She has been a coach for 7 years now, working mainly with women. Her goal is to help women become their healthiest and become the best version of themselves, Innermost helps to achieve this.    View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHLOE THOMAS || ONLINE COACH 🦋 (@_chloeinspires_) Our topic for July is Indulgence. Tell us what indulgence means to you, and what are your favourite ways to indulge. Indulgence for me is having time away from the chaos of life - relaxing in nature, reading a book, going on a hike, seeing a friend or family. I love being outdoors and going on adventures like kayaking or surfing and I love to travel! It brings me back to “me” and allows me to re connect with myself and my values. I do also like to indulge in some yummy unhealthy food every so often too- on my holiday recently I indulged in a delicious pizza and yummy scones! How do you strike a balance between indulging in something you enjoy and overindulging to the point of excess? I think this is important as it can become unhealthy if you over indulge too much as this can lead to an addiction. If you are indulging in something excessively it may be because you are unhappy in your life elsewhere, and are using that thing to avoid the pain or discomfort you are feeling in your life. For example, I see sometimes in my clients over-eating due to emotions (emotional eating), which is where they are over-indulging to try and avoid uncomfortable feelings - which inevitably doesn't work and leaves you feeling uncomfortable and guilty. In what ways can indulging in something be beneficial to our mental health and well-being? I guess it is important to take time out from our “go-go” lives where our brains are constantly being stimulated - especially due to our phones. So taking time to indulge in having time out with your friends or alone is important. I also think it is important to indulge in nice foods from time to time - especially in social situations.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHLOE THOMAS || ONLINE COACH 🦋 (@_chloeinspires_) How can indulging in certain activities, such as eating or drinking, have negative impacts on our physical health? Over eating or drinking can leave us feeling low in energy, low in mood and tends to exacerbate anxiety, aka “hangxiety” when it comes to alcohol. It can also cause weight gain and inflammation within the body which can lead to auto-immune diseases and illness. It is important to be conscious of not over-indulging in these two things too much - it's about striking that balance between a healthy amount and an excessive amount. How can we practice self-control and limit indulgences in order to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle? I think it is important to think about our future and what damage over indulging can do to our health long term. I try and remind myself of this. And even thinking of how you will feel the next week or day if you over indulge. For example, when I drink too much alcohol I sleep bad, it effects my training, my mood, my cravings etc - so I don’t drink often or in excess. I remind clients to think of their ‘why’ and also where they want to be in 5 months and 5 years time. Can indulgence ever be considered a form of self-care, or is it always a potentially harmful behaviour? I personally think it’s about that balance I mentioned before. For example, on my recent holiday I had a big pizza to myself which was overindulgent BUT I rarely have pizza - think the last time was February! So it’s fine for me to do it once in a while. I think too much indulging in anything is a sign that you may be not content in your life and are looking for something on the outside to soothe something uncomfortable on the inside (mentally speaking). What Innermost product(s) have you been loving recently? Definitely the The Digest Capsules I love them and so do my clients! They help with my bloating and IBS massively. I also love The Relax Capsules for around my period when i have PMS and trouble relaxing. They are great! Our final question is ... What’s your innermost desire that you’re hoping comes true this year? To reach even more women across the world to join my community of women and reach their healthy and fitness goals, build a better relationship with food and learn how to love their body again! I want to get women off fad diets and know there are easier ways to be healthy and lose weight! I would really like to be at the point where I can hold retreats for them by the end of the year. That's a wrap on this months interview questions. Thank you so much Chloe for your time! it’s been a pleasure chatting with you! To keep up with Chloe be sure the follow them on _chloeinspires_ Read more
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