Celebrity Health - Amanda Byram

The Byram Bod

Amanda Byram is a former model from Dublin who became a television presenter. She has presented the BBC One game show Total Wipeout, TV3’s Ireland AM and The Big Breakfast on Channel 4. She is currently based in London working on a number of projects including The Byram Bod, a fitness line of clothing and supplements. Amanda Byram is a Healthy Eating Ambassador for 9BAR

What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?

"I used to over-exercise and didn’t eat properly – I wanted to be skinny and didn’t think about the cost. More recently I have realised that exercising less was better for me. I am now 42 and I mix everything up – lifting weights is the key to having a long and lean body. For cardio I used to run a lot but hurt my knee so now I do spinning twice a week and Pilates. I walk, hike and cycle outdoors. I am not a slave to exercise, having said that I think it’s important to be consistent with training and make an effort. I enjoy exercising and aim to do it five days a week. Being out in the fresh air is more important than people realise."

What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?

"I messed up my metabolism with going on diets when I was younger so that when I got to my 30s eating normal food made me gain weight. So I make a conscious decision to change my diet. I do not eat anything processed, I make everything from scratch. I think food with nothing added is what should be considered normal and processed food should have the labels. For breakfast I start off the day with a glass of hot water, lemon and apple cider vinegar. Then I make a smoothie or shake with cucumber, celery, lettuce, courgette, avocado, apple, beetroot and juice in the blender plus frozen spinach, berries, spirulina and superfoods. I love chia seeds, maca, baobab, flax seeds, seeds and nuts, goji berries. I make my own sugar-free granola, quinoa porridge and gluten-free oatmeal and add maca, other superfoods and almond milk. Another breakfast I like is boiled eggs, smoked salmon and avocados. I am a real snacker and always carry seeds and nuts in my bag, and I like 9BAR seed energy bars. If I have to dash out and don’t have time for breakfast their breakfast bar gives me enough energy to get going and is full of a wide range of nutrients.

"For lunch I will have quinoa or brown rice and salmon or grilled chicken. I snack on avocado and raw nuts. Dinner is stir fries or a roast with chillies, ginger, garlic, coconut oil and herbs as well as loads of vegetables like peppers, courgettes and aubergines. I find the tastiest food is when I cook it, and my boyfriend is a great cook."

Is it hard to be healthy when you have to travel for work?

"I am Miss Prepared and if I am taking a flight I always have a bag of tupperware containers with seeds, 9Bars, veggies, grilled chicken, healthy snacks in general. Even when I was on location in New Zealand for seven weeks I made sure I got good food in."

Do you take any natural supplements?

"I take folate, digestive enzymes and probiotics because gut health is the key to everything; vitamin D; açai berry tablets; agnus castus drops and Siberian ginseng but mainly I get my nutrients though food."

Do you ever worry about your health?

"Not so much any more. In my 20s I smoked and drank to excess but now I don’t do either of those things so I am doing what I can to be healthy."

How do you relax when you are not in the public eye?

"My boyfriend and I are both on TV, so it is nice to do absolutely nothing and watch box sets. We are cinefiles too and go to the cinema quite often."

Do you have any health tips for Rude Health readers?

Women feel they have to be everything to everyone and there is a lot of pressure – sometimes you just need to give yourselves a break.
When you are super healthy it is OK to have cheat days. It is not going to kill you to indulge now and again.
Be your own nutritionist and listen to your body and what it is telling you.
It is easier to buy superfoods etc now, so you have no excuse for not trying them.

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