Julia Bradbury: Walking proof that real food and a connection to nature can change everything
Julia’s health wake-up call
Julia Bradbury has spent decades inspiring millions of Britons to lace up their walking shoes and explore the countryside through her hit programmes like Countryfile and Britain’s Best Walks.
Yet despite spending countless hours filming in nature, Julia admits her health habits didn't always reflect the lifestyle she championed. Like many of us, she was caught in the whirlwind of modern life — “I lived at breakneck speed," Julia confesses.
Her diet was equally chaotic; sugary cereal for breakfast, doughnuts or brownies as snacks, pasta and refined carbs throughout the day, with added refined sugar appearing at breakfast, lunch, dinner and every moment in between. “I called myself healthy because I was slim,” she says. “Now I know I was far from it.”
Then came her breast cancer diagnosis in 2021.
“Cancer saved my life”
"Cancer saved my life," Julia reflects. It's a startling statement that reveals how profoundly this experience transformed her approach to health.
While recovering from her mastectomy, Julia began exploring not just the medical aspects of healing but the fundamental lifestyle factors that influence our health. Around four in ten cancer cases are linked to lifestyle choices we can control, and Julia was determined to tip the odds in her favour.
"I researched, I explored, I began to take control of my health," she says. "Living a natural lifestyle became my anchor."
The routine behind Julia’s recovery
Morning light
Julia's daily routine now reflects her commitment to living in harmony with our natural biology. Her morning begins with moments of stillness by the open window, allowing daylight to reset her body's internal clock, a practice backed by science but forgotten in our artificially lit modern lives.
"We spend more than 90% of our days inside," Julia notes. "That's not how we're meant to live."
Real food only
Her nutrition has undergone an equally dramatic shift. Gone are the sugary breakfasts and processed convenience foods. Instead, she prioritises whole, nutrient-dense ingredients.
She's transformed her eating patterns completely, adopting what she calls a "double breakfast" of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats, followed by berries and nuts.
She's also stopped snacking entirely — "It was hell for the first three weeks" — recognising how constant grazing kept her blood sugar perpetually elevated.
Mindful alcohol consumption
Alcohol, which she once enjoyed liberally, is now limited to a single glass of bubbles on her birthday, after learning that drinking more than six units a week could increase her risk of cancer recurrence by 28%.
"I've realised if I take care of what I put into my body, I'll be able to live the life I want to, for longer," she reflects.
Daily meditation practice
Perhaps most surprising for a woman known for her perpetual movement is her newfound appreciation for stillness. Each day now includes meditation and breathwork — practices Julia credits with reducing stress hormones and creating mental clarity.
"I never really understood the value of steadying yourself and calming yourself down," she admits. This is from someone who once prided herself on multitasking and maintaining a relentless pace.
She now dedicates 20 minutes daily to meditation, a "non-negotiable" in her daily routine.
Building resilience
Three times weekly, Julia takes cold showers despite her natural preference for warmth. "I do everything warm, and then I turn the shower to cold over my shoulders for two and a half minutes. I've got a meditative chant that I do to pass time," she explains. These hormetic practices build resilience for life's bigger challenges.
Mindful walking
Julia’s walks have transformed, too. No longer just about covering distance or reaching a destination, they've become moving meditations, opportunities to connect with herself and the natural world in ways that heal both body and mind.
Why Julia and Hunter & Gather are the perfect match
It's this extraordinary journey that makes Julia the ideal ambassador for Hunter & Gather. Her health and lifestyle transformation mirrors the very philosophy that drives our brand mission.
Our products are created from the understanding that optimal wellbeing comes from reconnecting with ancestral wisdom while embracing modern knowledge, precisely the path Julia has walked.
Her emphasis on real food, natural movement, and mindful living perfectly aligns with our commitment to creating products free from refined sugars, inflammatory seed oils, and unnecessary ingredients. Just as Julia has stripped away what doesn't serve her health, we strip back our products to only what truly nourishes.
"True health isn't a moment in time," Julia says. "It's a lifelong journey."
As our ambassador, Julia embodies the transformative power of returning to the fundamentals that have supported human health for millennia. It's about making conscious choices that honour our biology and connect us back to nature's wisdom.
It's a message we're proud to amplify together: sometimes, the most powerful changes come from the simplest sources — real food and fresh air.
