Shahena Ali is a British Bangladeshi Nutritionist, TV Cook and Food Writer. Providing a new approach to the worlds of traditional Indian, Bengali and Middle-Eastern Cookery, Shanena transforms basic ingredients into healthy dishes, taking the myth out of what are generally perceived to be complex cuisines and taking us on a fascinating journey into the heart of different cultures.
With her diverse background in food, beauty and medicine, Shahena is able to combine these areas into the unique category of ‘medicinal cookery’. She has an original and interesting perspective of using food ingredients for health benefits such as energy levels, physical and mental performance and aesthetic improvement, such as the ageing of skin, hair and nails. Her own experience of resolving skin issues through eating and omitting certain foods has helped her to realise how important it is to first try changing what we eat instead of quickly resorting to pills and medication for minor cosmetic ailments.
Shahena is committed to sharing her knowledge with as wide an audience as possible, demonstrating how pleasurable, convenient, easy and healthy cooking at home can be. As well as being the food and beauty features writer for Vanity magazine, Shahena has contributed to other national publications on Indian, Bengali and Middle-Eastern cuisines.
Appointed as Ambassador and Spokesperson for The Department of Health’s (NHS) ‘Change4Life’ Campaign, Shahena is regularly featured on TV & radio (UKTV Food, BBC Radio), in national magazines and newspapers. She is internationally recognised as an authority on Healthy Eating and Cookery, and has received the Channel S Awards ‘Contribution to the Community’ Award for London for her outstanding contribution to the British Bangladeshi Community through the food and beauty industries.
An entrepreneur, Shahena founded the successful beauty brand The Powder Lounge in 2007, and quickly established it as a specialist in brow and lash treatments and premium products, with Brow and Lash Bars located in flagship high street stores such as Topshop, Debenhams and Superdrug in the UK.
Media Appearances
BBC UKTV Food channel (Good Food channel) ‘Great Food Live’ programme (TV cook).
BBC Radio.
Zee TV, The Zee Show, (food expert and TV chef).
Channel 4, Taste.
Regularly interviewed on radio programmes for the Department of Health’s (NHS) Change4Life Campaign.
Regularly interviewed on radio programmes for health and food topics.
Time Out Dubai
Asian Woman magazine.
Eastern Eye newspaper.
Manchester Evening news.
The London Paper.
Covent Garden ‘Festive’ Food Festival.
Guest appearance at the Food Festival at the Houses of Parliament.
Channel S
Oak FM
Westside Radio
Zaikha magazine
Spice magazine
Tandoori magazine
Spice Life magazine
