Looking great, Caroline style
Caroline Morahan is a Dubliner who has hosted numerous top Irish TV shows including The Fame Game, Off the Rails, The Podge and Rodge Show, Chance to Dance, The Afternoon Show among others and appeared on The Late Late Show and The Panel. She talks to Rude Health about her healthy life...
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
"My normal routine involves a lot of yoga. It’s good for my mind and body. I hike up steep canyon trails a couple of times a week with my dog. I don’t have the patience for mile after mile on a treadmill. I much prefer classes. I recently signed up for cardio barre classes – you use a ballet barre and do a series of muscle exercises at high speed. Sometimes I am really good and get to the gym multiple times a week, then other times I find I’ll slack off. I’ve never had a gym body with everything rock hard and perfectly toned. I like food a little too much!"
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
"I do a weekly shop at our local farmers market where I get great fresh fruit and veg from small organic farms. I drink organic goats milk. I have to get my five a day of fresh fruit and vegetables or I just don’t feel well. I start most mornings with porrridge or a fresh juice. Our juicer never gets put in the cupboard, I use it all the time. I put everything into it – beetroot, oranges, kale, mint, ginger. Whatever I’ve come across at the market gets bunged in. I add two spoons of Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil blend. I’ve been doing that for years. My mom introduced me to it and I noticed a huge difference to my hair and nails within a week of taking it. It also helps me with energy levels, sugar cravings and joint strength."
Do you take any natural supplements?
"Apart from Udo's, I also take a couple of spoons of powdered super greens like spirulina, wheatgrass and kale. It’s good for keeping your blood in an alkaline, rather than an acid state – something I've only learned about in recent years."
Do you ever worry about your health?
"I don’t really worry about my health. I worry about other things – that’s where yoga and meditation come in. My mum is a homeopath and acupuncturist so I have been exposed to ways to keep my body and mind in good working order. I’ve used homeopathy for everything from stage fright to food poisoning. It would be great if more people realised that their own body has the power to heal itself."
How do you keep your skin and hair in great condition?
"I am one of those 2.5 litres a day people. Some people think they’ll get enough hydration from the foods they eat and the odd glass of water or two, but the skin is the very last organ to receive the water you consume, so if you’re not getting enough, it will tell on your face. I am also pretty disciplined when it comes to sun protection. I slap factor 50 on my face, neck and decolletage every day and on the backs of my hands"
Do you have any tips for Rude Health readers?
- Transcendental Meditation is great for quieting down the rat race that goes on in my mind and negative thoughts. Working as an actress is tough-going as rejection is such a huge part of the process.
- Energy begets energy. If you’re feeling down, unfit or full of inertia, force yourself off the couch and go for a walk. It’s amazing how much better everything becomes after some exercise!
- If you feel like you’re falling off the wagon health wise, clothes can be a great way to get you back on track. An outfit you feel amazing in will inspire you to make better health choices. One of my favourite dresses is a fitted number from Littlewoods Ireland. If I have been over-indulging, I simply can’t get the zip up! So it's a great way to keep me on the straight and narrow.
- Don’t put off looking good to some distant event in the future or think "I won't buy anything till I've lost 6 pounds." The time to live is now!
Keeping in shape for a TV career
Lucy Kennedy is from Dun Laoghaire and a well-known face on Irish TV, having hosted numerous programmes including Livin’ with Lucy, The Lucy Kennedy Show and Charity Lords of the Ring and on radio for her RTÉ 2fm breakfast show Weekend Breakfast with Baz and Lucy. She talks to Rude Health about her healthy life…
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
“We live near Dun Laoghaire pier so I am always there running and walking. My children Jack who is three and Holly who is 16 months keep me really busy. Jack is very active and needs constant activity so we are always running around the garden or the zoo. Holly has been walking for a while so I am like a human barrier running after her and keeping her out of trouble.”
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
“I absolutely love salads – I could eat salad every day. I also love roasted vegetables. To be honest I just love food and will eat everything except for oysters. I used to be very naughty with white bread and pick up a breakfast roll in the mornings – I could have lived on bread. Now I try to limit white bread to a weekend treat. I drink a lot of water but I will admit to using tea and coffee to give me get up and go in the mornings. One Irish product that I have in the last year included in my diet is Chia Bia products, I find the chia seeds keep me fuller for longer and also give me a lot more energy.”
Do you take any natural supplements?
“I take Ferrograd C, which is an iron tablet that has vitamin C. Pharmaton multivitamins give me energy and I can tell when I’ve forgotten to take them. And I take Berocca every now and again when I need a boost.”
Did you find it difficult to get back into shape after having Holly?
“Six months after I had Holly in October 2012 none of my clothes fit and I was feeling sluggish and heavy. Baby weight is very hard to shift, it’s impossible to find time to go to the gym every day and none of us has personal chefs. Then I got a call giving me four weeks’ notice of going back on TV and needed to do something fast. So I went on a strict supervised medical diet where you are given hormone drops and have 500 calories a day for 20 days. I went down from 10½ stone to 9½ stone and at 5 feet 4 inches this can make a real difference on TV which puts 10lbs on you.
The nutritionist gave me great advice about which kinds of foods I should and shouldn’t eat. One thing I learned on the diet was to double my water intake – it’s much more important than I thought. I also learned that I was eating too many carbs and not burning them off.”
What was the TV programme about?
“It was a documentary for RTÉ called The Story of Chocolate: from Bean to Bar. I went to Ghana and met the farmers who grow the beans, went on a journey to find out about how it makes its way into the chocolate bars we eat, and ended up in Cadbury in Coolock. It was fascinating.”
Do you ever worry about your health?
“I worry more about my health since becoming a mum and am trying to be a little more healthy now I am in my late 30s. I think you become more health conscious with age.”
How do you keep your skin and hair in great condition?
“I really need to look after my skin because I have sun damage from doing loads of sunbathing when I was younger with only SPF4. Then I got chloasma – known as the pregnancy mask where you get pigmentation on your face – with both pregnancies and looked like I had a moustache.
After I had Holly and my hormones had settled down I got some advice about it and it turns out the sun damage was the real culprit. So now I am very strict with my skin. I am a Dermalogica girl and would cleanse, apply a daily facial scrub, skin smoothing cream and eye cream.
I am fastidious about brushing teeth, and am good about getting regular trims at the hairdresser.”
How do you relax when you are not in the public eye?
“I live a pretty low key life really. I am the girl next door type likely to wear jeans in the local pub. I love to just spend time with my children and husband when I’m not working. Family time is really important. In the evenings I read as it helps to relax my brain and I love gardening.”
Do you have any healthy tips for Rude Health readers?
- Drink lots of water – it’s simple and free.
- Wear SPF50 on your face – do not let the sun hit your face as you will pay for it later, especially in pregnancy.
- Someone once said to be that brown fat is better than white – wear fake tan if you feel overweight, you will appear slimmer.
Being fit is magic!
Keith Barry, from Waterford, is a hypnotist, magician, mentalist and escapologist. His physically demanding work takes him all over the world and this summer his new live show The Dark Side will run at the Olympia in Dublin for 12 nights in July. He talks to Rude Health about his healthy lifestyle
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
“I exercise in a gym called Body Burn in Dublin three days a week and then do two to three days of cardio work myself. At the gym I would do heavy weights and metabolic work. I have only really taken training seriously in the last four years or so. It can be hard to fit it in as I live in Co Kildare but I only sleep about four or five hours a night so that helps.”
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
"I am a very healthy eater, but more so in the past five years. For breakfast every day I have porridge, skimmed milk, a scoop of vanilla protein powder, half a banana, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, some pine nuts and mixed seeds. I try to eat every three hours. Today for lunch I had a chicken and egg white wholewheat wrap, later I had a protein shake. For dinner I will have fillet steak and green beans and if I am hungry later I might have a small salad and a bit of chicken. I snack on walnuts, unsalted cashews and pine nuts. And I quite like Nakd bars. I am not completely regimented and will have a day a week when I eat what I want, and I drink two cups of coffee a day as it helps to keep me going."
Do you take any natural supplements?
"I take aloe vera in liquid form for digestive health. I also buy super strength vitamin C powder. I pick up protein powders at the gym and I always examine the ingredients to make sure they are low in carbs, have no sugar and have 20-30g of protein per serving. I’m on 180g of protein per day at the moment. I am taking four capsules of amino acids a day at the moment as I am in heavy training and they are important for recovery. Every morning I take two tablespoons of liquid cod liver oil – the taste doesn’t bother me."
Do you ever worry about your health?
"I was in a car accident six years ago and my whole leg was smashed to bits – I am like Robocop with a seven inch metal plate and 30 screws. It took six months to be able to walk without a limp and in the morning it can still be a bit stiff for a while. I have arthritis in my ankle as a result and it can be painful. But I was glad to get out of the accident alive. In terms of my general health I just get on with it, really. I look after myself and am enjoying being strong and healthy."
Is your work very physical?
"Last year in my live show I was doing a 100ft rope escape – the audience had to tie me up with as many knots in the rope as they liked. Then they wrapped my head in clingfilm so I couldn’t breathe while I was escaping from it. I lost 5% of my body fat in a month recently because I wanted to lose the weight quickly for a cameo role in a new hypnotism heist movie. I was also a consultant on the film, it’s called Now You See Me, stars Woody Harrelson and Morgan Freeman and will be out this summer."
Are you training for something specific at the moment and what does that involve?
"I am in training for a stunt I plan to do in the autumn this year for UK or US TV. I need to train to do a parachute jump because it involves jumping out of a plane at 30,000 feet in a straightjacket with my hands tied behind my back – I will have to get out of it in mid-air. I have to be in peak physical condition to do it, I am always in training for the next mad stunt I am going to do."
How do you relax when you are not in the public eye?
"I love fishing and find it really relaxing. Yesterday I caught a trout, brought it home, cooked and ate it for dinner. I like sea and river fishing. It’s the best thing for de-stressing."
Do you have any healthy tips for Rude Health readers?
"Lie down in bed every night before you go to sleep and visualise what you want to look like on a movie screen. Your subconscious mind will kick in and train your body to achieve that picture. Stick to the simple things – I don’t go for hardcore supplements. It’s important to be sensible and know your body. Cut down on carbs and sugar as much as possible."
Juggling motherhood with healthy living
Alison Canavan is from Dublin and has been an international model since the tender age of 15. She was based in New York until she returned home to Ireland to have her first baby, James, who was born in September 2010. She is a regular on TV shows such as Expose and panelist on Midday on TV3. Alison talks to Rude Health about her healthy life...
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
“Three times a week I do Reformer Pilates with Sarah Maclachlann in Sandyford who is a Pilates master. The Reformer is a machine where pulleys and springs create resistance and make your exercises really effective. It is really good for giving your body a lean, toned look but it doesn’t build muscle.”
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
“I don’t believe in the word ‘diet’ but I do eat healthily. I love food and do eat well. I eat porridge for breakfast and a balance of meat and vegetables for other meals. I am always on the run with work so I eat out a lot, but I try to choose healthily. I am not a big fan of diet foods and would prefer to cook everything from scratch and eat as naturally as possible. I avoid processed foods, but would eat full fat milk and butter.”
Do you take any natural supplements?
“When I was pregnant I started taking MorEPA Omega 3 supplements as I had heard they ward off post-natal depression. I drink Koya Matcha green tea - it’s a powder that you mix with water and I sip it out of a bottle during the day. I found that I was relying on coffee as I am so busy, but this is better for me. It stabilizes blood sugar and calms the nervous system.”
Did you find it difficult to get back in shape after James (now two) was born?
“It was very, very hard and I put a lot of pressure on myself because I am a model. I found a trainer to make me exercise and did aerobic and weight training exercises in the gym. I looked slim quite quickly because I am tall but it was 18 months before I was back in my jeans. I think it takes nine months to grow a baby and I think twice that to get back to normal.”
Is it difficult juggling motherhood and a busy work schedule?
“It can be hard but I am a single mum so I have to work, and every spare minute I have I spend with James. I try to give him 100% of my attention - washing and housework is done after he is in bed.”
Do you ever worry about your health?
“I think everyone does. I tend to push myself too much and can get run down. I constantly have to make sure I get enough time off.”
How do you keep your skin and hair in great condition?
“I try to keep my hair as natural as possible, so I don’t colour it and don’t blow dry every day. Great skin isn’t really related to the products you put on it, but comes from the inside out so what you eat and drink has a direct effect on how it looks. Finding a good cream that works for you is important and drinking loads of water also helps.”
How do you relax when you are not in the public eye?
“I like to meditate - all I need is 10 minutes every day and it really helps to clear my mind and helps me to focus. It’s hard to find an hour but most people can squeeze in 10 minutes.”
Do you have any healthy tips for Rude Health readers?
“Yes, these tips are good for everybody:
- Don’t skip breakfast - it’s the most important meal of the day.
- Eat vegetables and fruits of different colours every day.
- Stay away from stimulants near bedtime (like tea, coffee or chocolate).
- Take the stairs and not the lift, or get off the bus or Luas one stop earlier.
- Always wear SPF to protect skin from the effects of the sun.
- Increase your fish intake - many of us don’t eat enough.
- Drink at least 7-8 glasses of water a day.
- Exercise portion control and keep a food diary.”