Celebrity Health - Maeve Madden
Maeve on a mission
Maeve Madden is a model, actress, lifestyle and fitness blogger, personal trainer and qualified nutritionist. Born in Ireland, she moved to London after injury ended her professional dancing career. She became passionate about health and fitness as a result after being diagnosed with IBS and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and suffering from adult acne. Her new book Beat Your Bloat is published by Kyle Books with photography by Tamin Jones and Claire Pepper.
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
I used to do the same thing all the time and my body and mind got bored with it. Exercise shouldn’t be a repetitive chore. It’s great to try new and exciting activities – I find classes social and enjoyable so I might try something like boxing or cool yoga for example. I recommend some form of exercise every day, whether it’s walking the dog or going for a stroll in the evening. I do four good gym or home workouts every week – I schedule them into my week. They have become part of my daily life balance. It’s good for your digestive system and to keep the gut active. My book has two exercise plans – a gym-based plan with heavy weights and a home-based plan which incorporates more high intensity training and body weight training.
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
First of all I drink 1 litre of water. Then for breakfast I tend to go for cooked options such as an omelette or boiled eggs and spinach. In winter I like to eat porridge because it’s comforting. I always have breakfast and always at home. It really starts your day.
For lunch I go for chicken salad or chicken with veggies. I have protein with every meal.
Dinner is usually fish or prawns – so something like baked fish with wedges or fish tacos. I tend to eat similar ingredients cooked in different ways.
For a snack I might have a protein shake, nut bar or make my own.
I don’t really eat red meat – I find it hard to digest. I don’t eat much bread – maybe avocado toast on a Sunday. I don’t eat dairy because I am lactose intolerant. There are so many dairy alternatives now which is great – almond and coconut milk for example. I only really eat cheese at Christmas.
Sometimes you can eat something you didn’t plan when you’re out, and I might indulge in pizza, but I pay for it afterwards.
I find onion and garlic can upset my tummy and lead to bloating so I have come up with recipes to deal with this in the book.
I eat mainly wholefoods, and avoid anything with a long list of ingredients.
My book is very family friendly with options for things you want to make at home such as burger and chips, fish and chips or cottage pie that won’t lead to bloating.
Do you take any natural supplements or drinks?
I have started taking Symprove recently for my IBS. I take a capsule of Quinton Cell Nutrition – it’s a hypertonic fluid from the ocean with all the minerals and vitamins you need in one capsule. I find it really benefits the gut.
Do you buy food in health stores?
I like to use ingredients such as camu or maca powder, spirulina, chia seeds and throw them into a smoothie.
I buy matcha green tea from health stores. A recent experiment has been for me to stop drinking coffee to see what difference it made to my skin and anxiety levels. I switched to matcha tea and noticed a massive difference.
Do you ever worry about your health?
I suppose everybody does. I really look at foods because of the conditions that I have. I have had IBS since I was really young – it runs in my family.
When I was diagnosed with PCOS I became more aware of my body – I started getting into health and fitness. I didn’t want to be pumping my body full of hormones. I believe that you can heal your body with good nutrition.
Do you have any tips for Rude Health readers?
- Get help – don’t be shy or afraid of going to the doctor if you feel that something is wrong. Don’t be afraid to demand answers and always ask for a second opinion.
- Exercise – make sure you get 30 minutes a day. It’s amazing for your body and mental health. Keep the body moving and try to get outside as much as you can.
- Bloating – I believe if your body is bloating a lot it is trying to tell you something is wrong with your nutrition or hormones, and there’s something can be done about it.
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