‘I Get My Head Kicked in 4 Days a Week’
Given that he goes by the stage name ‘Big Narstie’, it’ll come as no surprise to learn that food plays an important role in the life of Tyrone Mark Lindo. But recently, the 39-year-old rapper has been on somewhat of a health kick, prompted by a health scare.
Narstie collapsed off-camera while filming The Great Celebrity Bake Off. The incident shocked him into taking up mixed martial arts and introducing some healthier options into his diet. So far, the changes have contributed to him dropping three clothes sizes. Thankfully, though, Big Narstie remains a big foodie.
Here, he talks to MH about Caribbean cooking, learning to do the splits and why his dream dinner party would seek to break down barriers.
What did you have for dinner last night?
Stewed chicken with rice and peas and salad, Jamaican-style. The chicken was cooked with carrots, potatoes and onions – all that good stuff. First you brown it, then you stew it. The rice and peas are soaked in coconut milk with a bit of thyme and a bit of garlic. Boom bam. All my cooking abilities I got from my mum. She didn’t have any daughters, so she made sure we were very handy in the kitchen. Growing up, we learned to just open our cupboard and whatever’s in there, you make it work. I’m a bit of a magician: a banging sandwich, soup, steak… [I make] all sorts of stuff depending on what I’m in the mood for and I’ve always got time to eat and make love.
You have a restaurant in Spain, is that right?
Yeah, I’ve got a Jamaican restaurant in Tenerife called Narsties, with my mum. She goes back and forth to maintain it. All the recipes are inspired by her and my gran. [We started it] 10 days before the first lockdown. At first I thought it was the worst decision ever. God loves a trier.
Has your diet changed in recent years at all?
Oh, 100%. Steamed cabbage, steamed veg, banana and strawberry smoothies – I take a lot of herbal stuff now, supplement-wise. As soon as I started training and exercising, my body just screamed out for that. The hardest thing was trying to cut down on bread. I didn’t realise that bread bloats me.
When did the lifestyle change happen?
I got into mixed martial arts and, from there, I just started to feel better about myself. I found a sport that made me feel good and mentally challenged me, as well as physically challenged me. I think people downplay how good exercise is for mental health. If I don’t go to the gym for two or three weeks, I definitely feel depressed, no doubt. Over the years, I’ve become quite experienced in a few different martial arts techniques and I’m enjoying the journey. I started training at the Shaolin Temple in Cheshunt; I’ve been learning to do the splits and backflips, and stuff like that. Obviously, it’s nice to be able to do cartwheels and roly-polies with your children. But sit in your front room and try and stretch yourself to the maximum of your ability and when you feel the line down your ballbag and your butt crack starting to pull, yeah, welcome to my world.
What’s your weekly routine like?
I kick people’s heads in at least four to five times a week, and get my head kicked in four to five times a week. It’s a love-hate relationship. I’ve got a quote for you: healthy life, healthy body, healthy sex drive, healthy lifestyle. Health is wealth.
Dream dinner party guests?
Queen Elizabeth II, Bob Marley, Martin Luther King Jr. We’d be breaking barriers.
Favourite restaurant?
Garden of India, a Bengali restaurant in Essex. I had a delivery the other day, to be honest. It was powerful.
Death row meal?
Minted lamb, parsnips in honey, goose fat roast potatoes, coconut rice, unlimited carrot juice and milk. That’s a Mummy special.
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