Celebrity Health - David Gillick
'Fast Mover'
David Gillick has been twice European 400 metre champion and represented Ireland as a professional athlete until he retired in 2014. He also won MasterChef Ireland, has presented a cooking slot on TV3’s Ireland AM called Food for Fuel and is a nutrition expert for this year’s VHI Women’s Mini Marathon where over 40,000 women will run for charity in Dublin on 1st June. He married fellow runner Charlotte Wickham last year.
Now that you’re retired from competition what exercise do you do to keep in shape?
"I still train regularly and would do something most days – usually a combination of running and working out in the gym. I am still keen to keep in shape. I do a kettle bell class and circuit training. Last year I didn’t really have a training goal so I decided to go back to some gaelic football and started to use the GAA team’s gym. I plan to play GAA again this summer – it is really good for fitness with 60 minutes of non-stop short bursts of running and moving left to right."
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
"My philosophy on food comes from my athletic background. I would always eat good nutritional food when training. I like to eat real foods rather than processed. Broccoli, spinach and berries are some of my regulars. For protein I would eat a variety of fish, eggs, lean turkey meat with red meat twice a week. I go for quality carbohydrates like quinoa and sweet potatoes. I make sure every meal is balanced and has a broad range of real foods."
"I go to health stores to buy coconut oil which I fry everything in, coconut milk, spelt flour, coconut flour, rice cakes, peanut butter, whole crackers, bulgar wheat and quinoa. I would also buy snacks such as nuts and seeds and dried fruit which are perfect for training. My fridge staples are peppers, courgettes, spinach, kale, sweet potato and squash."
Do you take any natural supplements?
"I take fish oils, multivitamins, recovery drinks and magnesium is good for post training. In the morning I make a protein porridge smoothie with porridge, protein power, almond milk and berries."
Do you ever worry about your health?
"Yes I do. If you don’t look after yourself in the kitchen it has a knock-on effect on your health and life. You’ve got to look after yourself. I have a below the calf muscle injury which I have to look after. If I can’t run I get on my bike. I drink two and a half litres of water a day – I carry a two litre bottle everywhere with me and refill it. It’s important to rehydrate yourself and good for skin and eyes too."
How do you relax?
"At weekends I catch up with friends – it was hard when I was training full time but now I have more time. I take my mountain bike up the mountains. I walk and run with my two-year-old dog. My wife and I walk up to the Hellfire Club in the Dublin mountains – there’s a lot to do up there. I love cooking and am working on a cookbook too."
Tell us about the VHI Mini Marathon
"I’ve been working on healthy eating plans for the mini marathon to support women who will be taking part with some of my favourite healthy recipes. You can download the free VhiWMM 2015 App and check out www.VhiWomensMiniMarathon.ie
Do you have any healthy tips for Rude Health readers?
- Be consistent in your meals – don’t skip any
- Aim for real unprocessed foods
- Go for a balance of proteins, good carbohydrates and plenty of vegetables
- Try to be more savvy when shopping and buy quality ingredients
- It doesn’t take a lot of time to eat well
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