Sarah Burton: Exceptional Talented Canadian Singer Reveals Her Workout, Diet & Beauty Secrets

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us more about your latest album ‘Make Your Own Bed’?

Ms. Sarah Burton: Make your Own Bed (coming Feb. 2015), is a record I have wanted to make for a long time. I sometimes do things a little too quickly but I really took my time with this, and it shows in the quality of performance and recording. Up until now, all my songs have been written and performed on the guitar, but my first instrument was the piano. My first real mentor was a piano teacher I had when I was 13. She showed me there was a world outside of classical and traditional music and pushed me to perform with more emotion.

She was a truly gifted musician, teacher, and person. Sadly, she passed away tragically in a car accident, at just 29 years old. At that time, I was 14, and I tried to move forward with the piano, but at the time it was just too hard for me, so I turned my focus towards the guitar. 10 years later, when I was studying music in Toronto, my room mate had a piano, and I reconnected with the instrument with new energy and love. Over those first years of my professional career I started to write the song that appear on Make Your Own Bed. This album is inspired by and dedicated to my young piano teacher, Ivona, who in just one year, shaped and influenced me for a lifetime.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?

Ms. Sarah Burton: Staying active is the most important thing. I have some recurring injuries in my legs and lower back, and it is absolutely imperative that I walk and stretch every day. Swimming, biking and hiking are my favourite activities. I am so lucky that I get to travel across Canada with bandmates who also love the great outdoors. When we’re driving from one city to another, we take the time to stop for walking trails, and places to swim. This is especially important on tour because we’re forced to sit down for long periods of time while we drive, and then when we arrive at the show we have some heavy lifting to do. So stretching and keeping strong is important to prevent injury. When I’m travelling I bring my Yoga Mat, Foam Roller and an elastic exercise band. This way I can work out anywhere, any time.

Variety is the spice of life, so I love to switch it up, but there are a few exercises I almost always do: squats – wide stance squats, narrow stance squats, one-legged squats. Growing up I had a friend whose father used to say “squats are the core of everything” we used to laugh, but now that I’m grown up, I really believe this! Squats give you a foundation in your legs and your core, and help you maintain balance. On days when I’m in a rush and I don’t have time to work out, I will find time to do squats – they require no equipment whatsoever, so it can be done backstage, in the washroom, or wherever.

Same goes for leg lifts – perhaps leftover from my ballet dancing days as a child, and again, something that can be done anywhere without any equipment – forward leg lifts and back leg lifts. For arms, I use my elastic band – a great invention instead of weights that can fit in a purse. using my feet or a post as an anchor, this is perfect for bicep and tricep curls, lat pulls and more. Finally, my favourite exercise that not only strengthens the full core/abs, but also provides relief from lower back pain, is using the foam roller, lie back on the roller, and gently touch the ground with your elbows to keep balance (but don’t rely on those elbows!), and lift your legs to do a very slow bicycle move, bringing alternating knees up to your chest and extending them. This works the whole core from the top of the ribs to the hip flexor.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Sarah Burton: Yes and No. Like I said, variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to food there are so many wonderful culinary delights to experience, and I have a lot of chef friends. As a musician I probably dine out more than the average person, so trying to find the healthy options on menus is sometimes tricky, but I do try. When I’m travelling I make sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and sometimes that means making special trips to the grocery store. But these days most restaurants have delicious health-conscious meals that are high veg and protein.

I definitely think it is important to limit wheat and dairy intake generally, and I especially find that avoiding those foods before a performance is important. I also travel with a little jar of grains that can be added to salads or yogurt in the morning, and help keep a vitamin balance. My little concoction includes hemp seeds (for iron, magnesium, zinc and protein), flax seed (omega-3s, fibre and antioxidants), and most importantly chia seeds (omega-3s, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, fibre). This little mixture keeps me feeling energized and balanced and is a great alternative to multi-vitamins.

When I’m not on the road, my diet definitely consists of more vegetables – I would say that about 80% of what I eat is vegetable, and that keeps me feeling great, and also makes it easier to allow for indulgences and treats when I feel like it. I am also a big fan of juicing – my favourite go-to recipe is swiss chard, celery, cucumber, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple and ginger.