Live like a Heroine with Eva Gaillot

For this new episode of our Live Like a Heroine series, we meet Eva Gaillot, known on social media as The French Coconut. Chef and author, she has created a universe centered around sensitive, sun-drenched cooking: recipes as beautiful as they are delicious, deeply connected to the seasons, nature, and the art of slowing down.

What changed in you when you launched The French Coconut and especially when you published your first cookbook?

When I launched The French Coconut in 2015, it was the early days of Instagram. Back then, everything felt much more spontaneous, less calculated, almost like a visual diary. I was sharing above all because I genuinely wanted to share, with a very instinctive approach. Over the years, the way I communicate has evolved tremendously. Social media changed, and so did I. Today, I’m much more aware of what I want to bring, express, and transmit through my cooking and my way of life. There is more depth, intention, and authenticity in what I share and in the projects I choose.

My first cookbook was published in 2020, and that marked a real turning point because it made everything feel more tangible. Social media is ephemeral, whereas a book remains. It becomes a trace of what you want to pass on, and I think it gave me a kind of inner legitimacy I didn’t necessarily have before.

What are you obsessed with at the moment, whether in wellness, health, beauty, places, rituals, or even a feeling you’re searching for? Or perhaps all of it at once?

Right now, I’m very drawn to everything that brings us back to something simpler, slower, and more sensory. I feel like we live in a world that is overly stimulating and constantly rushed, and I increasingly feel the need to return to essential things: eating well, sleeping well, taking time to host people, creating a soothing atmosphere. Through my new project (@latableausoleil), I’ve become very interested in the way places influence our inner state, the light, the materials, the music, even the rhythm of a meal. I believe wellbeing doesn’t come only from products or routines, but above all from what we feel in our everyday environment. Today, the feeling I seek the most is probably that of being deeply present, grounded, and aligned.

What is the wellness or body habit that truly transformed your energy and that people tend to underestimate?

Honestly, I think the things that transformed my energy the most are very simple things people often underestimate: quality sleep, exposure to natural morning light, and eating real food prepared as simply as possible. We often search for complex solutions or highly sophisticated routines, when returning to solid foundations changes so much. Since my travels to India and my Ayurveda training, I’ve understood how deeply the nervous system influences our skin, digestion, energy, and even the way we think. I place enormous importance on moments of calm, truly slowing down, taking the time to cook for myself, to walk, and not to be constantly stimulated. And from a more physical perspective, the things that genuinely impact me, especially considering my work requires standing for long hours, are lymphatic drainage, dry brushing, and gentle daily movement. I’m not driven by performance, but by circulation, grounding, and overall wellbeing. I think we massively underestimate the power of simple gestures done consistently.

"I believe wellbeing doesn’t come only from products or routines, but above all from what we feel in our everyday environment"

What is your non-negotiable ritual today?

For several years now it has been creating a true moment of calm in the morning before even looking at my phone or getting pulled into the rhythm of the day. The NO PHONE HOUR upon waking is very simple: airplane mode all night, no snoozing the alarm, stretching, meditating with my LED mask, preparing my matcha, spending a few minutes in the sun, making breakfast, putting music on… I need to begin the day slowly and intentionally. Cooking is also part of my grounding rituals. Preparing a meal, choosing beautiful ingredients, setting a beautiful table, even when I’m alone, is a way of taking care of myself and slowing down.

The supplement or ingredient you can no longer live without?

In terms of supplements, I have quite a minimalist yet effective “functional base,” adapted to the seasons: high-quality liposomal vitamin C, magnesium bisglycinate, vitamin D, omegas

I’ve also been passionate for a long time about adaptogenic plants and their impact on energy, balance, and the nervous system. I take them regularly and adapt them according to the seasons and my current needs. I love this more holistic, intuitive, and global approach to wellbeing, one that supports the body rather than trying to force it.

What is your most effective “low-effort, high-impact” habit over the long term?

It is clearly my daily meditation practice. Even just a few minutes is enough. It’s a meeting with myself that genuinely changes the way I move through my days. It helps me step back, calm my mind, and reconnect to my body, especially during more intense or demanding periods. Over time, I realised it’s not so much the duration that matters, but the consistency. It’s a simple practice but one that has a profound impact on my energy, mental clarity, and emotional balance.

“Since my travels to India and my Ayurveda training, I’ve understood how deeply the nervous system influences our skin, digestion, energy, and even the way we think”

What is one gesture or practice you do that most people would probably find surprising or unusual?

During very intense periods, especially in high season, I do very instinctive “check-ins” with my body throughout the day: I stop for a few seconds, close my eyes, take a breath, and simply ask myself how I feel, without trying to analyse it. It completely changes the way I adjust throughout the day. I also use Bach flower remedies a lot, especially those from Alexis Smart Flower Remedies, which I absolutely love.

The place where you truly reconnect and reset?

At my aunt’s place in the Pyrenees. She has an estate with a large vegetable garden, endless nature, a spring, a huge kitchen where I love testing new recipes, and a yurt where I sleep incredibly well. It’s an infinitely warm and comforting place. I go there once a year, at the end of summer, and it has become a real ritual for me.

I feel everything slows down there: the rhythm, the thoughts, the body. It’s a place where I reconnect to what truly matters, and I always leave with renewed energy.

Your current wellness destination?

I’m especially drawn to destinations where wellbeing remains deeply connected to nature and local traditions, without feeling “luxury formatted.” In India, I was fortunate enough to experience a month-long panchakarma in a specialised clinic as well as a Vipassana retreat in an ashram. These are incredibly powerful experiences that deeply transform the way you approach silence, the body, and the mind.

In France, I really loved La Pensée Sauvage for its grounded and deeply natural approach to wellbeing. Closer to home, my favourite wellness destination is Terre Blanche, an exceptional retreat and true haven of peace nestled in the heart of Provence. I love escaping there to enjoy its iconic spa, indulge in a signature treatment or massage, and then linger over lunch at one of the estate’s beautiful restaurants.

A place (hotel, spa, restaurant) you return to again and again?

One place I particularly love is Hôtel du Couvent in Nice. I love its unique atmosphere: the architecture, the serenity, the light, and that feeling of being in a place filled with history. The 700m² Thermes du Couvent, with its Roman baths, Movement Studio, and herbal apothecary, make it a true sanctuary for wellbeing and disconnection. And I also love the restaurant for its simple, precise cuisine, deeply rooted in seasonal ingredients. It perfectly extends the spirit of the place: no excess, just authenticity and taste.

What have you kept from your younger self that still guides you today?

What I’ve kept from my younger self, and what still guides me today, is a kind of instinctive curiosity and extreme sensitivity. I’ve always been deeply attentive to sensations: a place, a scent, a flavour, a light, an atmosphere… And this very intuitive way of feeling things still influences the way I live, create, and make decisions.

“"I’m especially drawn to destinations where wellbeing remains deeply connected to nature and local traditions, without feeling “luxury formatted.” 

At what moment of the day do you feel the strongest and most aligned?

It is generally in the morning, right after I’ve taken that time for myself before the day accelerates. It’s as though I’ve laid a solid foundation that then allows me to be clearer, more present, and more effective in everything I do. And of course, the moments when I cook for myself or for others. It grounds me, and it feels like a form of meditation.

Your 3 life rules?

The first is to listen to my intuition before the external noise, trying not to be too influenced by what is expected or what seems “logical,” but instead by what I deeply feel.

The second is to protect my energy. Learning to say no, to slow down when necessary, and to choose environments, projects, and people that genuinely nourish me.

The third is to remain in a form of simplicity. In the way I live, eat, and work. Less complexity, more essentials. That’s usually where I feel the most aligned… and when I’m aligned with who I truly am, things always seem to flow much more naturally.