Having a heart attack four years ago was a massive shock. I’ve been training since I was 14 – weight training, martial arts, long walks, you name it. I knew I had high cholesterol, but my annual check-ups never suggested anything serious. Then, in 2021, I had a heart attack. It was a complete shock. I thought I was just going into the hospital for a check-up, maybe staying a night or two, but the doctors quickly realised things were more severe than anyone expected. I had a blockage in one of my arteries and ended up having open-heart surgery. What started as a double bypass became a triple once they were in there.

The whole experience was surreal. The roads were empty and the hospital was quiet during lockdown. They did an angiogram and saw a massive blood clot blocking one of my arteries. The cardiologist, Dr Richard Varco, called it a 'brown trouser moment', meaning it was really touch and go. The clot was so bad they had to dissolve it slowly to avoid the risk of stroke. Eventually, I had beating heart surgery, where they don’t stop your heart, which gives you a better chance of recovery. Thankfully, I had one of the best surgeons, Mr Naik.

Before the illness, my lifestyle felt balanced. In 2015, I made the decision to close my restaurant an extra day each week, so we only operated four days. That gave me time to focus on myself – cooking at home, training, spending time with family. I wasn’t eating junk food, I had a great work-life balance, and I stayed fit with regular training. But when you’re in your 50s, particularly with my Asian heritage and genetic predispositions, that just wasn’t enough.

Post-surgery recovery was tougher than I expected. Mentally, I felt strong. I wanted to get up, get moving, but physically my body just couldn’t keep up. The doctors told me to walk every hour, but there were times I could barely get up from the sofa. I lost 21kg in the first four weeks. I’d go to the supermarket with my wife, Amanda, thinking I could manage, only to realise halfway through that I wasn’t strong enough. I had to sit down and wait for her. It’s strange – your mind wants to push, but your body just won’t cooperate. That’s when you really face your own mortality.

As a chef, flavour has always been my focus, but after the heart bypass surgery, I knew I had to make some serious changes to ensure I’d be around for many more years. My experience recovering, particularly the food I encountered in the hospital, took me aback. I had expected nutritious, healthy meals, but what I got was frozen chips and sad-looking veg. I just couldn’t eat it. I knew then that if I was going to improve my health, I had to take control of my diet at home.

With the help of Dr Neil Williams, a nutritionist from Nottingham Trent University, I began to rethink how I approached food. He gave me fantastic advice, ‘Eat the rainbow’, which meant incorporating a diverse range of foods into my diet. I started viewing my meals like the Amazon jungle or a coral reef, full of vibrant, diverse ingredients that would nourish my body. 

When people think of a heart-healthy diet, they often imagine bland food, but that’s not how it has to be. You can use a bit of salt, or replace it with soy sauce. You don’t have to give up meat – just trim the fat. It’s all about balance. The biggest misconception is that a healthy diet means boring, flavourless food, but that’s not sustainable, especially for someone like me, whose life revolves around flavour.

One of the key lessons I’ve learnt is that everyone’s body is different, and one diet doesn’t fit all. I did a methanation test, which helped me understand what my body needed, and I tailored my diet accordingly. One of the biggest takeaways from my journey was realising how much ultra-processed food we eat. All these low-fat, low-sugar options are often more harmful because they’ve been tampered with so much. When you look back to post-war times, when people grew their own food, there weren’t as many health issues. We’ve lost touch with wholesome, home-cooked meals. 

I’m not interested in becoming a diet guru. I just want to help people get back into the kitchen, cooking real food. You don’t need to go on an extreme diet. Sometimes it’s as simple as roasting a chicken with some braised vegetables. You know exactly what’s in it, it’s nourishing, and it’s something everyone can enjoy together. It’s not about me becoming an expert on heart health – I'm a chef and my expertise is flavour. 

For those wanting to eat healthier on a budget, I always recommend buying ‘wonky’ veg. It might not look perfect, but it’s just as nutritious and usually cheaper. Batch cooking is another great tip – make a big batch of chilli or stew, and freeze some for later. That way, you’ve got your own food ready to go, but it’s wholesome and homemade with care.

I’m a huge fan of an air fryer. You can make crispy sautéed potatoes with barely any oil. I also love slow cooking – a casserole in the oven is one of my favourite things to make. Pressure cookers are also great – you can cook a whole chicken with vegetables in 30 minutes, and it comes out moist and flavourful.

Some of my favourite recipes in the book include a minced beef dish, where I use 10% fat beef and dry fry it to caramelise the meat. I add a load of vegetables, equal to the amount of meat, for extra flavour and nutrition. I serve it in crisp lettuce cups with yogurt and coriander – it’s fresh, flavourful and substantial. Another favourite is the lamb koftas. You can make them in advance, freeze them, then cook them on the barbecue in five minutes.

My experience has completely changed the way I think about food and health. I still love cooking, but now it’s about making food that nourishes my body without sacrificing flavour. My cookbook is full of healthy recipes that are delicious and satisfying. I’m living proof that you can eat well and still take care of your body. Ultimately, I want people to feel confident in the kitchen again. It’s easy to grab a ready-made meal from the supermarket, but that convenience comes at a cost to your health. It’s time for a bit of a rebellion. Let's get back to cooking real food.