Yorkshire


<p>If you&#8217;re on a 2025 &#8216;best version of you&#8217; quest, whether that&#8217;s shifting the Christmas cheese board pounds, committing to a stellar skincare routine or just putting you and your health first, read on. There&#8217;s a lot of noise around the subject (it&#8217;s January after all), so we&#8217;ve gone straight to a former NHS plastic surgeon and founder of <a href="https://timetobloom.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Time to Bloom</a>, Dr Lubna Khan-Salim, who is helping clients glow inside and out. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Dr-Lubna-in-Three-Graces-Spa.jpg" alt="Dr Lubna Kahn-Salim in Three Graces Spa Grantley Hall" class="wp-image-1640" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Dr-Lubna-in-Three-Graces-Spa.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Dr-Lubna-in-Three-Graces-Spa-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Dr-Lubna-in-Three-Graces-Spa-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Dr-Lubna-in-Three-Graces-Spa-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr Lubna Khan-Salim Photo Credit: visiblebyhannah.com</figcaption></figure>



<p>Yorkshire-based Dr Lubna&#8217;s on a mission to rebrand ageing, to ensure we have the tools to be in the best of health and live our best lives. Don&#8217;t wait for your first grey hair to appear, prioritising you and your health is key. For anyone considering non-surgical aesthetic treatments and cosmetic surgery, her deep knowledge of anatomy and understanding the skin inside and out, offers a safe haven for women to explore options and reach their glow-getting goals. </p>



<p>Dr Lubna also runs weekly <a href="https://www.grantleyhall.co.uk/whats-on/bloom-longevity-labs-with-dr-lubna/78-217/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloom Longevity Labs</a> at Grantley Hall, an&nbsp;intersection of health, beauty and wellbeing designed to empower ageing, from skin and hair to body labs. She&#8217;s a one-woman wellbeing warrior, and here she reveals her top tips on what works and what doesn&#8217;t.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-best-health-beauty-and-longevity-tips">Your best health, beauty and longevity tips?</h4>



<p>For me, it’s the simple everyday lifestyle choices that count the most. Nourishing your body with healthy foods; getting a consistent good night’s sleep; moving your body regularly; managing stress and having mindfulness techniques as well as surrounding yourself with loved ones and community to have joy and purpose – these are all keys to longevity. The bonus of all these lifestyle choices is that when you feel good, you also look good.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-top-5-things-to-give-up-for-a-healthier-lifestyle">Top 5 things to give up for a healthier lifestyle?</h4>



<p>Ultra-processed food, sugar, sedentary lifestyle, social isolation and social media.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-ways-to-ease-stress">Best ways to ease stress?</h4>



<p>Getting out in nature, even a 5 minute walk will help relieve stress. Breath work too – being in the moment and focussing on your breathing.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-recommend-dieting">Do you recommend dieting?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1000-x-1000-Remedy-Fossgate-York.png" alt=" Healthy eating at Remedy, Fossgate, York" class="wp-image-1660" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1000-x-1000-Remedy-Fossgate-York.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1000-x-1000-Remedy-Fossgate-York-300x300.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1000-x-1000-Remedy-Fossgate-York-150x150.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1000-x-1000-Remedy-Fossgate-York-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1000-x-1000-Remedy-Fossgate-York-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Healthy eating at Remedy, Fossgate, York</figcaption></figure>



<p>Dieting and diet culture are just awful and set people up to fail. There’s so much misinformation around calories and what is healthy. I would just eat a balanced diet with whole foods and then move your body and lift weights. Nutrition is fundamental to health and is a form of medicine itself – everything starts in the gut, so a healthy gut leads to healthy skin, brain and overall body. It’s so important to try to cut out or really limit the amount of processed foods and refined sugars and to incorporate as many coloured fruit and vegetables or eat the rainbow as they say.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advice-for-a-good-night-s-sleep">Advice for a good night&#8217;s sleep?</h4>



<p>It’s recommended to get between 7-9 hrs sleep a night, but I always say it’s not about the number of hours, but more about the quality of sleep. It’s important to get into a good bedtime routine as the body loves consistency. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day; engage in calming activities like reading, a warm bath or relaxation techniques; limit screen time as blue light interferes with the sleep hormone melatonin and keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet. Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime as they can disrupt sleep and stay active during the day as regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and more deeply.</p>



<p>A great way to start the day is to get some natural light into your eyes by going outside for at least 10 minutes. This helps to regulate your circadian rhythm and give better sleep, too. Health devices such as a sleep monitoring ring like <a href="https://www.ultrahuman.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ultrahuman</a> or the wrist band <a href="https://www.whoop.com/gb/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Whoop</a> can also help by tracking your sleep quality and heart rate variability.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-saunas-good-for-you">Are saunas good for you?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1200-crop-Infrared-sauna-Bloom-Longevity-Labs.jpg" alt="Infrared sauna at Bloom Longevity Labs, Grantley Hall" class="wp-image-1653" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1200-crop-Infrared-sauna-Bloom-Longevity-Labs.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1200-crop-Infrared-sauna-Bloom-Longevity-Labs-300x240.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1200-crop-Infrared-sauna-Bloom-Longevity-Labs-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1200-crop-Infrared-sauna-Bloom-Longevity-Labs-768x614.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Infrared sauna at Bloom Longevity Labs, Grantley Hall</figcaption></figure>



<p>Saunas offer many health benefits – relaxation and stress relief; improved circulation; detoxification; skin health; lowering blood pressure; giving better sleep and reducing inflammation. I recommend infrared rather than traditional or Finnish saunas that use heat and humidity. In contrast, infrared lamps heat the body directly instead of warming the air around you and this allows deeper tissue penetration. It’s great to combine sauna with some form of contrast therapy such as cold plunge or cryotherapy (available at Grantley Hall with Bloom Longevity Labs) as the combination can help to reduce sore muscles and inflammation.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-books-for-healthy-living">Best books for healthy living?</h4>



<p>So many great books, Liz Earle’s <em>Better Second Half</em> is a great starter, <em>Oestrogen Matter </em>by Dr Avrum Bluming is so important for women to read as we’ve all been let down by years of faulty information on HRT, Tim Spector’s <em>Food For Life</em> and then some deeper books on longevity like <em>Ageless</em> by Andrew Steele.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-popular-request-at-bloom-longevity-labs">Most popular request at Bloom Longevity Labs?</h4>



<p>A lot of my clients want to understand their skin and how to create a routine that has lasting impact rather than just quick fixes like Botox or fillers. The skin is our largest organ and a great marker of how healthy you are, so by looking after your skin, you can get in tune with your body overall.</p>



<p>All evidence based and physician led, we offer health MOT’s from in-clinic testing and blood work, to nutritional coaching, supplements, movement advice, sleep hacks and so on. The skin lab offers medical-based facials that help improve skin on a cellular level for long-lasting health.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latest-wellness-techniques">Latest wellness techniques?</h4>



<p>This will be the year of the mitochondria which are the little batteries in your cells  – and are essential to ageing better. At Bloom Longevity Labs, we will be introducing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as well as red light, infrared sauna in addition to the cryotherapy at Grantley Hall, which all support your health and in particular your mitochondria.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-should-we-look-after-our-hair">How should we look after our hair?</h4>



<p>As with everything, the best way to look after your hair starts from within, eating well with nutritious food and the right supplementation will help fortify hair. Reducing stress will also help combat hair loss and if you’re suffering with hair shedding, then try to discover the root cause and seek the right help. At Bloom Longevity Labs, we offer a follicular hair service that involves a DNA hair test which will pinpoint the exact cause of hair loss and how to treat it. I’ve been lucky to find a lovely hairdresser at <a href="https://www.thesanctum-clinic.com/parishairsalon">The Paris Salon, The Sanctum</a> in Cottingham.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-is-home">Where is home?</h4>



<p>I moved from London to Yorkshire in 2016 for my job at Hull NHS Trust. Our home near Selby is such a great location to get easily to York or Leeds as well as by fast train to London. I love the Yorkshire countryside, the people and amazing coastline. I especially love the Dales and my favourite view is of Littondale from above Halton Gill.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-exercise">How do you exercise?</h4>



<p>I love being outdoors so running is my go to, when I can get out and enjoy nature. As I’ve reached midlife I’m also conscious of offsetting osteoporosis (bone loss) and sarcopenia (muscle loss) so include resistance training and weight lifting around four times a week.&nbsp;I also love cycling in the Wolds as well as walking and a family favourite is following the Harland Way from Wetherby to Spofforth, with Sunday lunch at the fabulous Castle Inn.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-wild-swimming-spots">Favourite wild swimming spots?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1038" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1038-Dr-Lubna-wild-swimming-1.jpg" alt="Pool Bridge Farm, York" class="wp-image-1662" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1038-Dr-Lubna-wild-swimming-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1038-Dr-Lubna-wild-swimming-1-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1038-Dr-Lubna-wild-swimming-1-1024x709.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1038-Dr-Lubna-wild-swimming-1-768x531.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pool Bridge Farm, York</figcaption></figure>



<p>We love swimming as a family and the best spots we’ve found are in the Yorkshire Dales, like Janet’s Foss in Malham or Buckden Beck in Upper Wharfedale. I’m looking forward to checking out <a href="https://www.poolbridge.co.uk/">Pool Bridge Farm</a> in York this year for a plunge and sauna. We’re so lucky in Yorkshire to be surrounded by so much natural beauty.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-retail-therapy-good-for-the-soul">Is retail therapy good for the soul?</h4>



<p>I love fashion and shopping so anything that brings you joy is good for you! <a href="https://www.morganclare.co.uk/?v=7885444af42e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Morgan Clare</a> in Harrogate is my new guilty pleasure as they curate the best brands and the customer service is fantastic.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-ways-to-relax">Favourite ways to relax?</h4>



<p>Reading and films as I love going to the cinema with the girls. Also time with my husband, eating good food and a laugh with my friends. When I’m socialising, I’m not strict about desserts or anything as joy and togetherness is what’s most important.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-you-a-fan-of-yoga">Are you a fan of yoga?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Avalon-well-being-centre-DSC_0464a-1.jpg" alt="Avalon Wellbeing Centre, Broughton Hall Estate" class="wp-image-1661" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Avalon-well-being-centre-DSC_0464a-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Avalon-well-being-centre-DSC_0464a-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Avalon-well-being-centre-DSC_0464a-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/01/1500-x-1000-Avalon-well-being-centre-DSC_0464a-1-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Avalon Wellbeing Centre, Broughton Hall Estate</figcaption></figure>



<p>Yes, I think everyone should do yoga, it’s such a great practice for physical and mental wellbeing. I go to a local yoga class, while the yoga retreats at <a href="https://www.avalonwellbeing.com/">Avalon</a>, Broughton Hall Estate, are fantastic.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-go-to-restaurant-for-healthy-eating">Go to restaurant for healthy eating?</h4>



<p>One of my favourite restaurants is <a href="https://remedycoffeeshop.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Remedy</a> in Fossgate, York, which is a plant-based coffee shop/wine bar and just delicious. I rarely drink alcohol as it has so many negative health consequences from poor sleep to mood, so instead, I now love a Kombucha (fermented drink).</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-hotel-for-r-amp-r">Favourite hotel for R&amp;R?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1150" height="757" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2024/12/NYE_xmas_lights-min.png" alt="GRANTLEY HALL NYE GALA DINNER" class="wp-image-1480" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2024/12/NYE_xmas_lights-min.png 1150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2024/12/NYE_xmas_lights-min-300x197.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2024/12/NYE_xmas_lights-min-1024x674.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2024/12/NYE_xmas_lights-min-768x506.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1150px) 100vw, 1150px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Grantley Hall</figcaption></figure>



<p>I would have to say <a href="https://www.grantleyhall.co.uk/">Grantley Hall</a> – there is nothing quite like it in Yorkshire, everything about it from the drive in through the gates, the design and amenities are all fabulous.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sun-or-shade">Sun or shade?</h4>



<p>I love sunshine, but in moderation. I couldn’t live anywhere hot all year round as I love the changing of the seasons. As a plastic surgeon who has operated on a lot of skin cancers, I’m cautious in the sun as UVA is around all year and is a big cause of DNA damage with resulting lines and wrinkles. An easy win is to wear sunscreen and stay out of strong UV index light, every day, regardless of the season.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://www.grantleyhall.co.uk/whats-on/bloom-longevity-labs-with-dr-lubna/78-217/">Bloom Longevity Labs</a> with Dr Lubna Khan-Salim can be booked every Wednesday at Three Graces Spa, Grantley Hall.</em></p>


Health, beauty and wellbeing hacks a leading Yorkshire doctor rates

You may also like