“I think what we eat affects us mentally, emotionally, spiritually and, of course, physically. We become what we eat, or rather what we digest, and that’s not fun when the food we consume is exhausting, over stimulating or makes you feel guilty. Ayurveda is about balance and mindful eating – helping you stay present so you can really savour food.

“I’ve come a long way from the cheese and ketchup toasties I lived on in my first year of university. When I started modelling full time, it was an awakening – few jobs make you think so much about the effects of food and lifestyle habits on your body. When I discovered Ayurveda, the oldest healing system in the world, I was both a little late and a little early to the party. It was 2001 and health was all about fitness: punitive gym sessions, restrictive eating programmes. Everything comes full circle, and we’ve realized that old-fashioned, slow-grown methods win hands down. There’s a new fashion for wellbeing, and practices like yoga and meditation are becoming mainstream.

The newly popular steaming mugs of ‘turmeric latte’ are in fact based on Golden Milk, an ancient nourishing drink, and now-ubiquitous energy balls are based on traditional Ayurvedic sweets called ladoos.

“I champion real butter, meat of good provenance and milk and sugars, which have become the outcasts of modern health philosophies, but which Ayurveda teaches can be good in their whole form. All my recipes are satisfying and nourishing, straightforward to make and use readily available ingredients. Ayurvedic cooking is about following guiding principles rather than rules. It’s the ultimate way to know how to balance your inner world with your ever-changing environment, so I hope this book helps people feel more connected, well-rounded and excited about life.”

East by West: Simple Recipes for Ultimate Mind-Body Balance by Jasmine Hemsley is out now, published by Bluebird (£25)

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus extra to taste
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds or ground cumin
2-3 tbsp ghee
1 lime or lemon
1/2-1 tbsp water (optional)
2 fillets (about 300g) firm white fish
1 pak choi, quartered lengthways
1 fennel, trimmed and sliced
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1⁄4 tsp chilli powder (optional)
2 large carrots

Mix the ginger, turmeric, garam masala, black pepper, salt and cumin. Combine with one tablespoon of ghee and the juice of half a lime to make a paste, adding up to one tablespoon of water. Coat the fish in the paste and marinate in the fridge for at least two hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas mark 4). In a large pan, melt one tablespoon of the ghee over a medium heat and sear the pak choi until golden, then season with salt and pepper. Place the fish on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes. Add the pak choi for the last five minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the rest of the ghee in the same pan and sauté the fennel. When lightly browned, add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop (be careful not to let them burn and become bitter). Add the carrot, season and stir-fry for a few minutes, until just tender. Plate everything up and squeeze over the juice of half a lime.